Jeff Butts
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About Jeff Butts
Jeff's been involved in the IT industry since before the Internet and spent more than 20 years working in technical support, system administration, network administration, and consulting roles. He holds an undergraduate degree in English, a Master's degree in English with a focus on professional writing and editing, and another Master's degree in Computing & Information Systems.
After teaching university English and computer science for a few years, Jeff launchedhis writing career. He's written forMacworld,Tom's Hardware,groovyPost,The Mac Observer, and more before beginning here at XDA.
How long have you been interested in technology?
I've loved electronics and technology for as long as I can remember, and always enjoyed looking "under the hood." I can remember in the early 1980s, when I was about 12, taking apart my uncle's 286 and trying to overclock it (even though I had no idea that word even existed at that point.)
What tech products or categories are you most passionate about?
I absolutely love Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and other SBCs and microcontrollers. Seeing the amazing projects people can realize using these inexpensive components is a ton of fun, and is probably what I enjoy learning about the most. I'm also a huge fan of anything related to 3D printing.
Latest
5 holiday-themed Raspberry Pi projects that are perfect for your home
Bring festive magic home with these creative, affordable Raspberry Pi holiday projects.
5 mistakes everyone makes when buying an Intel N100 mini PC (and how to avoid them)
Choosing the right Intel N100 mini PC means avoiding common mistakes with RAM, storage, cooling, ports, and brand reliability.
Forget Black Friday, I 3D-printed these everyday items and saved more than $150
I 3D printed everyday items instead of buying them, and the savings added up faster than any Black Friday deal.
A Raspberry Pi 5 with Moonlight is a better 4K game streamer than the Steam Link app on Chromecast
Sharper, smoother 4K game streaming than Steam Link on Chromecast, with better quality and lower latency.
A Raspberry Pi 5 running LibreELEC is a better living room streamer than a Chromecast
A Raspberry Pi 5 with LibreELEC delivers smoother, more flexible, and more reliable living-room streaming than a standard Chromecast.
I tried out Nitrux 5, so you don’t have to
Nitrux 5 is bold, fast, and modern, but its demanding design and hardware quirks make it a risky choice for most Linux users.
I ditched bulky desktops for this mini PC and you can buy it for less right now
A powerful Ryzen 9 mini PC is cheaper for Black Friday, and it’s an easy desktop replacement at this price.
I installed Bazzite on my PC, and it has me reconsidering Windows
Bazzite surprised me by running more of my games smoothly and making Windows feel less essential to my PC setup.
5 ways I'm using a Raspberry Pi to improve my smart TV experience
A Raspberry Pi can make any smart TV faster, cleaner, and more flexible with a few simple upgrades.
5 things you shouldn’t 3D print at home, even though you can
Some 3D prints look harmless, but hidden risks can turn them into unsafe or unreliable choices.
I turned an old MacBook Pro into a portable virtualization lab, and wish I'd done it sooner
My 2019 Intel MacBook Pro makes a surprisingly capable portable virtualization lab, perfect for testing servers and tools on the go.
5 reasons Kaspersky releasing a Linux antivirus product worries me
Kaspersky’s new Linux antivirus raises concerns about privacy, trust, and the need for Windows-style AV on Linux desktops.
6 Home Assistant energy automations that actually save money
Home Assistant can cut your energy bill with smart automations that reduce waste, shift loads and match power use to real demand.
I'm using a sub-$200 mini PC to replace my old media player, game console, and TV box
A mini PC costing less than $200 can replace your media player, retro console, and TV box, offering greater flexibility and better performance.
These 5 Gnome extensions instantly improved my Linux workflow
Boost your productivity with these Gnome extensions that make Linux faster, smarter, and more efficient to use every day.
I tried switching from Cloudflare Tunnels to Tailscale, and I hated it
I tried replacing Cloudflare Tunnels with Tailscale, but my network made public access impossible, showing why Cloudflare was still the only option.
5 Raspberry Pi 5 projects that are actually useful at home
A Raspberry Pi 5 can replace small appliances, automate tasks, and deliver real value through practical projects that improve daily life.
5 USB upgrades that make your Raspberry Pi 5 a better home server
These simple USB upgrades give your Raspberry Pi 5 better performance, stability, and flexibility for home-server and smart-home workloads.
5 creative uses for your older Raspberry Pi
Give your Raspberry Pi 3 or older a new life with these clever, practical, and creative projects you can build right now.
The Raspberry Pi 5 is the best Home Assistant hub you can get for cheap
The Raspberry Pi 5 delivers unmatched performance and value as a powerful, low-cost Home Assistant hub.