connected home

How To: Synology DS1821+ Network Attached Storage (NAS) & DSM 7.0

Mike ConnellyConnected Home, Technology

A significant upgrade, the Synology DS1821+ replaces the DS1819+’s Atom C3538 with an AMD Ryzen V1500B quad-core processor and adds two built-in M.2 NVMe slots. We cover the hardware differences, SSD caching trade-offs, and notable DSM 7.0 features relevant to the upgrade decision. The performance gap between these two units is larger than the model numbers suggest. Continue reading How To: Synology DS1821+ Network Attached Storage (NAS) & DSM 7.0

How To: Android Auto 5.5 for Navigation & Entertainment on a BMW S1000XR

Mike ConnellyMotorcycles

The BMW S1000XR includes a factory navigation quick-disconnect coupler that accepts a third-party smartphone mount, eliminating the need for a dedicated GPS unit. This article covers installing that mount on an S1000XR and running Android Auto 5.5 on a Motorola G6, including navigation, music, and voice control. With Android Auto 5.5, Waze became available alongside Google Maps as a supported navigation option, giving riders a meaningful choice between the two platforms. Continue reading How To: Android Auto 5.5 for Navigation & Entertainment on a BMW S1000XR

How To: Synology DS1819+ Network Attached Storage (NAS) Review & Migration

Mike ConnellyConnected Home

The DS1819+ replaces the DS1817+’s Intel Atom C2538 with the newer C3538, and its PCIe 3.0 slot supports NVMe SSD caching rather than being limited to SATA speeds. Beyond those hardware differences, the disk migration process and key software features in Synology’s DSM are also addressed, including Synology and third-party applications, the file system, file sharing, synchronization & backup, and security. Continue reading How To: Synology DS1819+ Network Attached Storage (NAS) Review & Migration

How To: Configuring MPV for Best Video Quality Including 4K Upscaling

Mike ConnellyConnected Home

This article covers the current recommended graphics stack for MPV across Windows, Linux, Android, and Apple platforms, with specific configuration settings for 4K upscaling. MPV has no native Metal backend, so Apple devices running macOS, iOS, and tvOS have historically been limited to OpenGL, a graphics API Apple deprecated long ago. However, Mac users can now route Vulkan calls through MoltenVK via Homebrew, yielding measurable performance gains over the deprecated OpenGL path. Continue reading How To: Configuring MPV for Best Video Quality Including 4K Upscaling

Synology DS1817+ Network Attached Storage (NAS) Review & Configuration

Mike ConnellyConnected Home

The Synology DS1817+ is an eight-bay NAS running a quad-core Intel Atom processor with SHR2 RAID, capable of surviving the simultaneous loss of two drives without data loss. This review covers hardware configuration, file system selection, file sharing protocols, and security hardening for a demanding home prosumer environment. Btrfs goes beyond what EXT4 offers by adding automatic file self-healing and snapshot replication, but migrating between the two on Synology requires a full volume rebuild. Continue reading Synology DS1817+ Network Attached Storage (NAS) Review & Configuration

Nvidia Shield Android TV: 2017 Hardware & Shield Experience 5.1 Review

Mike ConnellyConnected Home

The Shield TV continues to be an anomaly: in 2017, it is by far the most powerful media streamer and a capable gaming platform though not as advanced as the Xbox One or Playstation 4, but costing nearly as much. While Google focuses on stripped down Chromecast devices and Chromecast-enabled TVs, Nvidia singularly showcases the advanced functionality of Android TV including DVR, media serving, gaming, and now smart home capabilities. Continue reading Nvidia Shield Android TV: 2017 Hardware & Shield Experience 5.1 Review

How To: Listening to Your iTunes Music Collection on Your Android Phone While Motorcycling

Mike ConnellyConnected Home, Motorcycles, Music

Streaming music over back-country roads is impractical when cell service is unreliable. This article explains how to move an iTunes library onto an Android phone’s SD card for fully offline playback while motorcycling, covering the Google Play import option and a more reliable SCP-based transfer method. Continue reading How To: Listening to Your iTunes Music Collection on Your Android Phone While Motorcycling

How To: Using a Smartphone for a Better Navigation System for Motorcycles

Mike ConnellyConnected Home, Motorcycles

Dedicated motorcycle GPS units cost roughly twice what a capable waterproof Android phone does, yet deliver a fraction of the performance. This article covers a complete motorcycle navigation build using a budget Android phone, including custom mounting, BMW power wiring, and a head-to-head comparison of navigation apps. The performance gap between the two setups is wider than the price gap. Continue reading How To: Using a Smartphone for a Better Navigation System for Motorcycles

Google Chromecast Audio with Multi-room Support Review

Mike ConnellyConnected Home

Google’s multi-room audio distribution technology is based on the success of their video casting platform, Chromecast. This article examines how it compares to the AirPort Express, focussing on signal stability, multiroom grouping, and support for both optical and analog output. The upgrade from older wireless standards enables a measurably more reliable connection under real listening conditions.
Continue reading Google Chromecast Audio with Multi-room Support Review

Nvidia Shield Android TV Review

Mike ConnellyConnected Home

The Nvidia Shield Android TV, released in May 2015, holds the title of the best Android TV set-top box and outperforms the Apple TV Gen 4, Amazon Fire TV 2, and the latest Roku in raw processing power. This article examines how the Shield stacks up against its main competitors across ecosystems, content libraries, and gaming performance. The Shield’s hardware advantage does not translate into a clear win for every buyer, and the case of who should actually purchase it hinges on a single practical distinction.
Continue reading Nvidia Shield Android TV Review