THE DAILY BITS

Curated insights and essential tools for the modern operational team.

Our Tools (Q1 2026)

Antigravity

For pretty much all development from firmware to QA automation.

NotebookLM + Perplexity + Grok

For heavy research and "second brains" memory.

Warp.dev

The ultimate Devops that we cannot live without.

September 9, 2025

HomeLab Future: Advanced Topics and What's Coming Next

Written by AlphaBits Posted in IOT
HomeLab Future: Advanced Topics and What's Coming Next

The final post in Alpha Bits' DIY HomeLab series explores advanced topics like AI integration, edge computing, and emerging technologies. Learn about our roadmap for RISC-V adoption, WebAssembly deployment, quantum-safe cryptography, and the impressive ROI of our HomeLab investment. Plus, practical advice for your own infrastructure journey.

September 8, 2025

Essential HomeLab Applications: Node-RED, Databases, and the Tools That Matter

Written by AlphaBits Posted in IOT
Essential HomeLab Applications: Node-RED, Databases, and the Tools That Matter

Explore the essential applications powering Alpha Bits' HomeLab infrastructure. Learn about Node-RED for automation, database strategies with PostgreSQL/Redis/InfluxDB, monitoring with Grafana, and how these tools integrate to create a productive, cost-effective development environment on Raspberry Pi hardware.

September 7, 2025

CasaOS: The Beautiful Face of Docker Management

Written by AlphaBits Posted in IOT
CasaOS: The Beautiful Face of Docker Management

Discover why CasaOS became Alpha Bits' go-to Docker management solution for HomeLab environments. Learn about installation, the beautiful web interface, one-click app deployments, and real-world usage across our distributed Raspberry Pi infrastructure. Includes screenshots and practical tips for container management.

September 6, 2025

HomeLab Networking: ZeroTier + Cloudflare = NAT-Free Nirvana

Written by AlphaBits Posted in IOT
HomeLab Networking: ZeroTier + Cloudflare = NAT-Free Nirvana

Learn how Alpha Bits achieved networking nirvana with ZeroTier, Cloudflare DNS, and Cloudflare Tunnel. Discover how to create a secure, NAT-free network that works anywhere in the world, with detailed setup instructions, real-world benefits, and lessons learned from managing a distributed HomeLab infrastructure.

September 5, 2025

HomeLab Hardware Guide: Why We Mix Raspberry Pis, Orange Pis, and Dedicated Servers

Written by AlphaBits Posted in IOT
HomeLab Hardware Guide: Why We Mix Raspberry Pis, Orange Pis, and Dedicated Servers

Dive deep into Alpha Bits' HomeLab hardware strategy, comparing PC vs embedded systems approaches. Learn why we use a mix of Raspberry Pi 4s, Orange Pi Zeros, Radxa boards, and a dedicated GPU server, including real-world costs, lessons learned, and recommendations for building your own distributed infrastructure.

September 4, 2025

DIY HomeLab Series: Why Every Developer Should Build Their Own Infrastructure

Written by AlphaBits Posted in IOT
DIY HomeLab Series: Why Every Developer Should Build Their Own Infrastructure

Join Alpha Bits' CTO on a personal journey through building a comprehensive HomeLab infrastructure. Learn why every developer should consider self-hosted solutions, the real-world benefits of hands-on infrastructure experience, and get an introduction to our upcoming DIY HomeLab series covering everything from hardware selection to AI integration.

September 3, 2025

Building Alpha Bits website with AI-Powered Workflows

Written by AlphaBits Posted in SOFTWARE
Building Alpha Bits website with AI-Powered Workflows

Step-by-step how we built Alpha Bits website using AI-powered development workflow, the same workflow that apply to how we built our latest customer projects (using Svelte 5, Directus, and Trae IDE with MCP integrations).

September 1, 2025

Digital Transformation in a Nutshell, for CXOs

Written by AlphaBits Posted in DIGITAL-TRANSFORMATION
Digital Transformation in a Nutshell, for CXOs

A practical roadmap for CXOs navigating digital transformation in 2025. Learn why data strategy comes before AI, how to overcome organizational resistance, and the proven framework that transforms businesses through structured process reengineering and smart automation.

January 16, 2025

AI-Powered Personalized Learning: Transforming Education in 2025

Written by AlphaBits Posted in DIGITAL-TRANSFORMATION
AI-Powered Personalized Learning: Transforming Education in 2025

Explore how AI-driven personalized learning platforms are revolutionizing education by adapting to individual student needs, learning styles, and pace. Discover the future of education technology and its impact on student outcomes.

December 22, 2024

The I.C.E. Battery Origin: From Thermal Storage Vision to Cold Energy Revolution

Written by AlphaBits Posted in IOT
The I.C.E. Battery Origin: From Thermal Storage Vision to Cold Energy Revolution

Discover the fascinating origin story of the I.C.E. Battery - how a contingency plan born from adversity became a revolutionary cold energy storage solution. Learn about the journey from sand battery heat storage to integrated cold energy systems and the vision for sustainable cooling in a warming world.

December 20, 2024

The Thermal Battery Experiment: How a 2022 Balcony Lab Sparked Our AIoT Journey

Written by AlphaBits Posted in IOT
The Thermal Battery Experiment: How a 2022 Balcony Lab Sparked Our AIoT Journey

Discover how a simple thermal energy storage experiment on a Saigon balcony in 2022 became the foundation for advanced IoT monitoring systems and sparked Kent Nguyen's journey into AIoT development. Learn about the data collection challenges, energy monitoring insights, and how this DIY project evolved into commercial-grade solutions.