Personal blog
Hi, I'm Rob. The Easy-Going Nerd.
I explain home automation and AI in plain English - no jargon, just things that actually work.
Hi, I'm Rob - the Easy-Going Nerd. AI & Automation Engineer with 10+ years working in analytics, marketing, automation and AI. I started this blog to help friends and family get the most out of tech without the jargon. Based in the UK.
Pick of the bunch
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Home Assistant 2026.6: Should You Update? (Plain English)
Home Assistant 2026.6 explainer: MQTT v5, Matter BLE fix, integration updates. What changes for your household, when to update.
Read the guide →Browse by topic
Pick your lane
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AI for Normal People
Artificial intelligence explained in plain English. No PhD required — just curiosity.
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DIY Tech Projects
Weekend builds, home servers, and Raspberry Pi adventures. Practical projects that make you feel like a wizard.
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Everyday Tech
Phones, apps, streaming, security, and the digital stuff you use every day.
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Smart Home 101
Your step-by-step guide to building a smart home from scratch. Start here if you are new to home automation.
Fresh writing
Recent posts
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Smart Home 101Which Matter Smart Plugs Show Your Energy Use? (UK 2026)
Not every Matter smart plug actually reports energy. Here is which UK 13A models do, what the readings mean, and what your hub needs to show them.
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DIY Tech ProjectsSmart Home Routines That Save Money (UK 2026)
Time-of-use tariffs, smart plugs, scheduled heating: the routines that actually cut UK energy bills, plus realistic monthly savings.
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DIY Tech ProjectsProxmox vs TrueNAS vs Unraid: Homelab OS Choice (2026)
Proxmox is a hypervisor, TrueNAS is a NAS OS, Unraid blends both. Pick by what you'll run most: VMs, storage, or Docker.
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DIY Tech ProjectsSelf-Host Bitwarden with Vaultwarden: UK Guide (2026)
Self-host Bitwarden via Vaultwarden on Raspberry Pi, Synology Docker, or Proxmox LXC. UK guide with reverse-proxy, Tailscale, and backup strategy.
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AI for Normal PeopleBest AI Search Engines 2026: Perplexity vs ChatGPT vs Brave
Honest UK comparison of the four AI search alternatives to Google in 2026 - Perplexity, ChatGPT Search, Brave, Kagi. Pricing, privacy, citation quality.
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Best NAS for Home 2026 (UK): Synology vs UGREEN vs DIY
Pick the right home NAS in 2026 (UK): Synology DSM polish, UGREEN's 10GbE hardware-per-pound, or a Jonsbo DIY TrueNAS build. Pros, cons, prices.
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New guides + my favourite finds, roughly once a week. Unsubscribe whenever - I promise not to take it personally.
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