3 overlooked homelab tools that solve problems you didn’t know you had (July 17

Are you prepared for one more spherical of weekend homelab tasks to check out? This weekend, I am exhibiting you a novel note-taking app, how one can add third-party cameras to HomeKit, and likewise how one can hold observe of your Jellyfin server’s stats.

Ditch your old school notes app for Memos

Trendy notes ought to have a contemporary house

For those who’re nonetheless utilizing Apple Notes or Google Hold to retailer your notes, it is time to transfer to a extra fashionable and personal resolution. Memos is designed to grow to be your private wiki by means of fast seize of your concepts. You open a easy timeline, write down a brief observe utilizing Markdown, and simply transfer on.

Memos is designed to allow you to seize a thought with out having to resolve the place it goes first. I am going to admit, every time I take down a observe, it both goes into my inbox to ceaselessly stay there, or I simply do not write it as a result of I by no means know which folder to place it into. I do know that is not nice, however that is how my mind works.

With Memos, although, you simply jot the observe down with out making every other choices. It begins out by occurring a timeline, and you’ll manage it from there. Group occurs by means of tags usually, however there are additionally assigned visibility ranges that you should utilize since Memos could be arrange for a number of customers. So, you possibly can share family data and selectively personal posts relying on what you are trying to do.

Memos is fast to deploy with Docker and will certainly take your note-taking sport to the subsequent stage. So, in case you’ve been searching for a brand new solution to seize notes, give Memos a strive.

Your safety digicam does not need to be HomeKit-native to work in HomeKit

All it takes is a bit of know-how and Scrypted

Credit score: Scrypted

For those who’re like me and like Apple’s sensible house platform to all others, then you definately’ve in all probability had the enjoyment (or lack thereof) of looking for HomeKit Safe Video-compatible cameras. They’re changing into extra available today with the introduction of Matter, however that also does not cowl all use instances.

Some time again, I started using Scrypted as a way to bring my non-HomeKit cameras into HomeKit. This performance of Scrypted is completely free, and it is undoubtedly price organising.

Scrypted has plugins for a variety of cameras, together with Wyze, Ring, Arlo, Google, UniFi Shield, Reolink, and plenty of others. Probably the most highly effective plugins is for ONVIF/RTSP cameras, as a majority of plug-in cameras available on the market, together with PoE fashions, help these protocols.

You may wish to begin by adding the HomeKit plugin to Scrypted, as that is essential to pair the cameras with HomeKit. From there, you might want to resolve in order for you every digicam to pair individually to HomeKit, or in order for you Scrypted to principally be a hub inside HomeKit. Personally, I pair cameras individually with HomeKit as that appears to be extra secure for me.

From there, simply add the plugins you want to your particular cameras, then pair these cameras to Scrypted. Inside every digicam, you may discover a HomeKit QR code that you may scan to pair the digicam to HomeKit.

As soon as the cameras are inside HomeKit, you possibly can select to allow HomeKit Safe Video recording, notifications, and extra. Relying on what cameras you will have, this will even work to deliver doorbells into HomeKit for them to register on Apple TV and pop up when somebody is in your porch.

Know precisely what your Jellyfin stats are with Jellystat

It is like Tautulli, however for Jellyfin

Credit score: Jellystat

If you recently jumped ship from Plex to Jellyfin, then you definately may be searching for a solution to exchange Tautulli in your homelab stack—that is the place Jellystat is available in.

Jellystat is designed to assist hold observe of all of the statistics of your Jellyfin server. What’s probably the most watched film in your server? What about probably the most watched TV present? Which consumer has watched probably the most content material on the server?

There are all types of stats to trace inside Jellyfin, and what I simply talked about solely scratches the floor. Although I exploit Plex, I use Tautulli a lot in the identical means Jellystat operates. I exploit it to trace what’s watched, what’s not watched, and extra.

So, in case you’re attempting to determine what content material individuals get pleasure from in your Jellyfin server, and what no person touches, give Jellystat a strive. It is a pretty easy Docker container deployment, in spite of everything.

I do wish to point out that the Jellystat app is presently being overhauled by its maintainer, although it is nonetheless receiving updates. So, if issues change over the course of time with it, that is simply pure because the maintainer works to modernize the structure that Jellystat is constructed on.

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  Model

  GEEKOM

  

  CPU

  Intel Core Extremely 9 185H

  Graphics

  Intel Arc

  Reminiscence

  

  24GB LPDDR5

  Storage

  500GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe

  Working System

  Home windows 11

  GEEKOM’s newest IT13 Max mini PC options an Intel Core Extremely 9 185H processor, which is designed for heavier workloads and even AI duties. It ships with 24GB of LPDDR5 RAM clocked at 5600MT/s, and likewise has a pre-installed 500GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSd. There’s a secondary NVMe slot for including extra storage if wanted. With two 2.5Gb/s Ethernet ports, USB-C Energy Supply, and USB4 in tow, this mini PC additionally packs various I/O into its tiny form-factor.

  
  

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  CPU

  Ryzen 3 3200U

  Graphics

  Radeon Vega 3

  Reminiscence

  16GB DDR4

  Storage

  500GB SSD

  The Beelink SER3 mini PC is the proper entry-level Home windows desktop for these on a funds. With a Ryzen 3 3200U processor, this desktop ships with Home windows 11 Professional and 16GB of DDR4 RAM. A 500GB SSD is pre-installed (and user-upgradable), and you will find twin HDMI ports, Ethernet, and 4 USB-A ports on this compact desktop.

  
  

Cease pushing aside easy homelab tasks

I delay deploying Tautulli in my homelab for much too lengthy, and I’m now very completely satisfied that I’ve it working. Not solely does Tautulli assist me hold observe of my Plex server, it additionally provides me a extra superior take a look at my media server setup.

Jellystat will do the identical for you with Jellyfin. It’d take some time to deploy and configure, nevertheless it’s a easy challenge that may undoubtedly repay in the long term.