Malte Hellmeier

May 2024 / Electronics

Docking Station Comparison: CalDigit TS3+ vs. Lenovo ThinkPad Dock vs. Dynabook Thunderbolt 4 Dock

This article compares three famous Thunderbolt and USB-C docking stations for Windows and macOS: the CalDigit TS3+, the Lenovo ThinkPad Dock, and the Dynabook Thunderbolt 4 Dock.

Feb 2024 / Raspberry Pi

Pi-hole "BOGUS (refused upstream)" Error

If the "BOGUS (refused upstream)" error occurs when using Pi-hole as a DNS server in the local network, these fixes solve the DNSSC problem.

Dec 2023 / Apple

Fix Spotify & Apple AirPods Pro Randomly Changing Volume Level

How to fix the problem or bug of randomly changing the volume level of Apple AirPods Pro 2 used with the Spotify app, tested on iOS 17.

Jul 2023 / Electronics

USB Overview: Differences between Ports, Colors, Standards, and Speed (USB-A, USB-C, USB 2.0/3.0/3.1/3.2, Thunderbolt 3/4/5, ...)

This guide overviews different USB ports and standards like USB-A, USB-B, USB-C, USB 1.0/2.0/3.0/3.1/3.2, Gen 1/2/3/4, and Thunderbolt 1/2/3/4/5.

Apr 2023 / Apple

Disable or Remove macOS Autostart Programs & Applications (e.g. Ivanti VPN Client)

Different ways to remove or disable different programs or applications from Apple macOS autostart after login (e.g. Ivanti Secure Access Client).

Jan 2023 / Raspberry Pi

Opel / Peugeot Electric Vehicle: Set Charging Threshold Limit (to 80%)

A Python script is presented on how to set the charging threshold or limit for PSA battery-powered EVs (e.g., to 80%) to stop at a desired level.

Nov 2022 / Raspberry Pi

Fix Bluetooth Problems on Raspberry Pi running Raspberry Pi OS (Raspbian)

Shows fixes for Raspberry Pi OS Bluetooth problems like device not found, no default controller available, or running Bluetooth in docker.

Sep 2022 / DevOps

Transfer Files Between Two FTP Servers (Move Website)

This article describes how to transfer files and folders from one webhosting FTP server to another provider, e.g. for moving a website.

May 2022 / Smart Home

Device / Printer doesn't Connect to Best Repeater over Mesh

Workaround if a device (printer) doesn't connect to the best wireless repeater in a local AVM FRITZ! based WiFi network using Mesh technology.

Mar 2022 / Linux

Ubuntu Boot Loop Problem: Fix Full Disk with 0 Bytes Space Left

If the Linux system boots in an infinite loop, the root filesystem partition is maybe full with 0 bytes left. I will show tips to free up space.

Feb 2022 / Apple

Transfer Contacts from Google to Apple: Fix Import/Export Problems (Birthday, Address, Picture, etc. missing)

There are several problems when importing vCards from Google to Apple Contacts: Birthdays without years, addresses without labels, profile pictures etc.

Jan 2022 / Photography

Photography Problems: Pink / Purple Lines on Long Exposure Images with ND Filters

I noticed pink / purple lines on the resulting images of my long exposure shots with my DSLR camera on sunny days and ND filters applied.

Dec 2021 / Tools

[How-to] Microsoft Teams: Add Animated Video Background Image (GIF)

Microsoft Teams doesn't allow to add an animated video background. This tutorial shows a trick how to change the virtual background into a GIF image.

Aug 2021 / macOS

Fix: macOS Network drops with LAN over USB-C Docking Station in Zoom, Teams, ...

If your MacBook with a LAN docking station kicks you out of meetings over Zoom, Microsoft Teams, BigBlueButton,... after a short time, I show how to fix it.

Aug 2021 / Smart Home

[How-to] Connect IKEA TRÅDFRI Devices (Lights, Driver, I/O Dimmer, ...) to Philips Hue Bridge

Since IKEA TRÅDFRI and Philips Hue both use ZigBee, this article shows how to use the I/O Dimmer to control lights and drivers over a Hue Bridge / Gateway.

Jul 2021 / Apple

Canon Printer: Enable macOS Big Sur Scan Function in System Settings

The scan function of my Canon Pixma MX925 multifunction printer isn't available in the Apple macOS Big Sur system settings. I will show you how to enable it.

Apr 2021 / Off-Topic

Field Report: Testing the 28-Hour Day Sleep Schedule for One Week

A field report, experiences, tips and thoughts from living one week in the 28-hours per day sleep cycle. The initial idea is based on a xkcd comic.

Apr 2021 / DevOps

macOS Big Sur: Python 3.7 Installation with Homebrew

A step-by-step tutorial on how to install Python 3.7 on macOS Big Sur with Homebrew and fix all upcoming bugs, errors and problems with popular packages.

Feb 2021 / Review

[Quality Test] Spotify vs. TIDAL: Music Streaming Comparison

This article compares the best and highest sound qualities of the music streaming services Spotify and TIDAL in a personal field test over 3 month.

Dec 2020 / DevOps

Self-Host and Dockerize Standard Notes Extensions with Docker-Compose

In this article we show how to use docker and docker-compose to host Standard Notes extensions on your own infrastructure.

Nov 2020 / DevOps

CSF / LFD Firewall: csf.pignore not working or ignoring processes

Sometimes, processes added to the csf.pignore file aren't ignored and alert mails still arrive. This article introduces several solutions and fixes.

Oct 2020 / Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pi – Basic Setup on Raspbian (Raspberry Pi OS)

This quick guide describes the important steps to create a fully working Raspbian (Raspberry Pi OS) system (langauge setup, static IP, expand disk etc.).

Sep 2020 / DevOps

[How-to] Migrate ownCloud 10.5.0 to Nextcloud

This step-by-step tutorial explains how to migrate an existing ownCloud instance to Nextcloud by preserving existing shares and federations.

Sep 2020 / Tools

Nextcloud 19 Server: Allow iframe / embedding from external Domains

If you host your own Nextcloud 19 server and you try to embed the content from other URLs or domains via an iframe or other HTML elements it doesn't work. The solution for the problem is briefly described in this blog post.

Aug 2020 / Photography

[How-to] DSLR APS-C Sensor cleaning (Nikon Camera Example)

In this step-by-step tutorial I will show you how to clean your DSLR sensor (Nikon camera example) by yourself with a simple and cheap cleaning kit.