VCF 2026! give away all the things and maybe get a few more

VCF 2026 - DemoIt’s that time of year again, and the Vintage Computer Festival.  When i clean out my garage and marvel at all the incredible past computing and electronics that are kept working with love and proficient attention to maintenance.

VCF 2026 - Cart of Equipment VCF 2026 - Car of EquipmentThis year i brought three carloads, with xServes, xRAIDs, and fiber channel gear!  Time Capsules in original packaging.  iMacs and laptops from many generations and many operational statuses.

VCF 2026 - xServes & Fiber Channel VCF 2026 - Time Capsules in boxVCF 2026 - Dirty NES gamesThere was a demo of adult themed “dirty” original nintendo games. i never knew.  custom cases, or custom lights, here was an Amiga 500 made clear.  looking good.

VCF 2026 - Amiga 500 demo

Two of my dream systems were in the consignment room.  i was proud that i didn’t go home with a 20th Anniversary Mac nor a MacTV.  it was hard, but had to be done.

VCF 2026 - Mac TV on consignmentVCF 2026 - 20th Anniversary Mac on consignment

Preparing even more epic VCF deliveries this year!

VCF Equipment xRAIDs

The Vintage Computer Festival is getting tons of goodies from me.  This year i’ve got literally three carloads!  (thanks Eric & Harry)  Some is so good it’s destined for the consignment room.  Don’t worry i’ve got plenty for the free table.  i’ve got a box of unused 3.5″ 500GB PATA disks!  spares for the xRAID.  who needs 7TB of 2GB fiber SAN?  Form an orderly line please.

VCF Equipment xServes xRAIDs Towers

Going with the retro look with my new Hak5 Pineapple Pager!

hak5 pager LogoLaunched at Defcon 33 and eagerly awaited by wifi tinkerers and technologists.  i finally received mine. i’m still figuring out the functionality from potential.  As a handheld device, unlike the rest of the pineapple line, it is designed to be used from the device.  i was looking for an always monitoring device with audio and haptic alerts.  it’s handheld nature makes extracting logs a novel concept, but it is already providing insight into my wireless space.  hak5 Pager - Initializing War Games Screenhak5 pager Setup ReadyI love the default look with all it’s retro elements.  From war games to classic MacOS, out of the box it has more retro style than it’s 90s pager reveals.  it operates on 3 wifi bands! (2,5,6) and maybe bluetooth as well eventually.  This is just the beginning as the firmware gets more mature and additional content is added by the users.  this is with the stock hardware.  Hak5 is already selling USB modules for ethernet, GPS, and LoRa for even more functionality. i’ll update as i get more capable with the gadget.  currently it does eat it’s battery very enthusiastically. i don’t think i’ve gotten more than 2-3 hours of use on a charge. (but i don’t yet know what i am doing)

Hak5 Wifi Pineapple Pager Recon

Spooky fun at Disneyland!

be3n in front of Disneyland castle 2025

I returned to Disneyland with some first timers.  It hasn’t been very long, but there have been a lot of changes. Fast Pass is now a paid upgrade.  Storybook rides now feature video projection.  Splash Mountain is now Bayou Country despite keeping the big splash.  The Haunted Mansion is in Nightmare before Christmas mode with even more fun changes.  The original Club 33 door is now stroller parking!  The Electric Light Parade has returned completely refreshed and a new Fantasyland Castle projection show provided exciting new entertainment.

Bayou Country at Disneyland 2025 Disneyland Alice In Wonderland 2025Disneyland Haunted Mansion line 2025 Disneyland old club 33 door is stroller parking 2025

Disneyland Castle Video Projection 2025

Time Lapse of my night blooming cereus!

Not all the buds bloomed last night, but i got two good ones making this a success.  I’ll try again tomorrow night. hopefully it keeps getting better. more info on the plant.  (4K Video)

Time Lapse Bloom Setup

Night Bloom Start

Second night of time lapse.

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