Bike Gremlin I/O
Mostly harmless ™
Latest posts
MXroute reseller setup basics
AI spam 3.0 – can we tell?
Spam 3.0: How AI uses technical "ego-scraping" to simulate human connection. A case study on sophisticated outreach, irony, and the "HumanMade" web. Source
Make Search Great Again: Preferred Sources
Google's "Preferred sources" lets you hand-pick the websites you trust. Whitelist independent creators and bypass nonsense in your search results. Source
Insta360 X5 review – failed after 4 months
Practical Insta360 X5 review and setup guide. Real-world 8K performance tests, optimal 360° settings for motorcycling and night riding, and essential accessories for the X5. Source
SSD overprovisioning explained
What is SSD overprovisioning? Learn how this essential optimisation maintains high write speeds and extends the lifespan of your SATA and NVMe drives Source
My PC Component Selection
A detailed breakdown of my personal PC build: honest hardware choices, pros, and cons from an IT professional. Source
Windows 11 Phantom Keyboard Layout Fix
How I fixed phantom keyboard layouts and Alt+Shift cycling issues in Windows 11. PowerShell commands to force-reset the language list. Source
How I Fixed the Endless “New Default Keyring” Loop in Linux Mint
eM Client Review & Setup Notes
A practical guide to eM Client: Tips for installation, custom database paths, Linux workarounds via Bottles, and fixing contact sync or Gmail mobile slowness. Source
My Wordpress stack
My WordPress stack: A curated list of the themes and plugins I actually use and pay for. Reliable, high-performance tools for building better websites. Source
Hetzner Storage Share managed Nextcloud
Hetzner Storage Share review: a stable, secure, and cheap managed Nextcloud service. Learn why it beats self-hosting for syncing contacts and calendars. Source
iCloud Backup: What to Keep, What to Remove, and Why
iCloud backup almost full? Here's how I reduced mine from 4 GB to 700 MB by backing up only what actually matters when changing phones. Source
DMARC fields explained
Clear, practical DMARC guide with real examples. Explains DMARC fields, strict vs relaxed alignment, and why most sites don't need paid DMARC reporting. Source
AI/LLMs and Google – Misleading YOU and putting it on ME!
AI/LLMs and Google Search are presenting wrong answers and falsely attributing them to BikeGremlin. Learn why this happens and how to protect yourself. Source
NameCrane’s CraneMail notes / review
Testing NameCrane’s CraneMail in practice: limits, quirks, storage, backups, spam filtering and support, with honest notes and no sales fluff. Source
Obsidian.md software and Sync service review
Review of Obsidian.md and its Sync service based on daily real-world use: strengths, flaws, filename issues, and using Obsidian as a Zettelkasten tool. Source
ESET Home Security plans compared
Compare ESET Home security plans - NOD32, Internet Security, Smart Security Premium, and Ultimate - to see which features are worth paying extra. Source
ESET security features listed and explained
Brief, plain-English explanation of all (major) ESET security features - from antivirus and ransomware protection to firewall, VPN, and LiveGuard sandboxing. Source
My Application Software stack
Practical list of the applications I use on Windows, Linux, and iOS. Email, writing, editing, security, media, and troubleshooting tools. Mostly FOSS. Source
Rustdesk – remote access software
Rustdesk review - free, open-source remote access tool tested by BikeGremlin. Setup, security, pros, and cons as an Anydesk alternative. Source
Filen.io testing and notes
My experience with Filen.io (German zero-knowledge cloud storage): real upload/download speeds, pros and cons, app performance, and pricing. Source
Windows command-prompt and Powershell notes
A brief list of Windows command prompt and Powershell commands that are useful. Source
Rclone installation and configuration step-by-step
Step-by-step guide to install and configure Rclone with Hetzner Storage Box - encrypt, sync, and browse cloud backups easily on Windows or Linux. Source
My OS & System Software stack
The core system software I use to manage hardware, stay secure, transfer files, and quickly restore computers when things break. Source
My (backups) Storage stack
My full backup setup: encrypted physical drives plus Hetzner Storage Box for automated cloud backups, with Pcloud and Filen.io for extra offsite copies. Source
My Hosting stack
How I host my websites: from email and domains to DNS and security. Real-world solutions based on years of hands-on experience. Source
Nextcloud selfhosted install on shared hosting
Step-by-step guide to installing and running Nextcloud on shared hosting with Calendar, Contacts, and Notes syncing across all devices. Source
Wordpress is a cash-grab
Wordpress claims to be free and open-source, but it's built to push users into paid plugins and hosting. Core features like backups, and migrations are missing! Source
Email 101 – The very basics explained
If I get this right, by the end of the article, you will have understood: email domain, account, client, server, POP3, and IMAP. Source
My e-mail setup
My complete email setup for domain mail after Google dropped POP3 support. Hosting, DNS, clients, backups, and practical configuration tips. Source
Kyocera printer default logins
Default usernames and passwords for Kyocera Ecosys printers - a quick reference list I maintain for practical admin work (in progress :) ). Source
Repair Windows system files using SFC
Fix corrupted system files and improve Windows stability with sfc /scannow and DISM. Learn when and how to use these tools to repair your system fast. Source
YouTube ads blocking that actually works today?
Watch YouTube without ads or Premium. Learn effective ad-blocking methods, ethical pros cons, and tips for desktop, Android, and iOS. Source
Raptive / AdThrive onboarding: 50K or nothing
Tried working with Raptive (formerly AdThrive)? If your site gets under 50K monthly pageviews, don't waste your time with their onboarding process. Source
YouTube is working as intended
Why YouTube feels broken - and why it's actually working perfectly. A critical look at algorithms, AI, and what we become when we play along. Source
FAIR in Wordpress: trying to fork us?
A critical analysis of the FAIR project in Wordpress: who's behind it, and what the "decentralization" really means (probably no good guys - just power play). Source
AI-related events in 2025 – 2026
Ongoing log of major AI news, deals, and power moves - tracking how big players shape the future of artificial intelligence (and our lives). Source
Self-hosted no-Docker AI: LM Studio & AnythingLLM setup
Set up a local AI with LM Studio and AnythingLLM. No Docker needed. Offline, private, and customisable. Source
When did “Hewlett-Packard” -> “HP” -> crap?
A blunt look at how Hewlett-Packard went from engineering powerhouse to ink scam. From the Agilent spin-off to DRM printers. When HP went to crap - and why? Source
Windows 11 updates stuck – solution?
How I've fixed Windows 11 Pro 64-bit updates getting hung up, on my (relatively) new HP laptop. Source
Amazon bumps affiliate commissions: will Google kill it?
Amazon increased affiliate commissions by matching indirect and direct rates - but only after Google started taking over the entire shopping funnel. Here's what that really means for creators. Source
Is AI theft?
Is AI theft? A practical look at copyright, ethics, and scale - comparing LLMs like ChatGPT to book sharing, scanning, and torrenting. Source
YouTube eats your time and your comments
Why I avoid YouTube comments and direct people to the BikeGremlin forum and website - for real discussion, and a searchable index of all my videos. Source
I asked Google’s Gemini why BikeGremlin lost all traffic
My discussion with Google's Gemini AI about BikeGremlin quality, lack of traffic, and why high-quality niche websites and YouTube channels are removed from search results. Source
Human-written: Can you tell if an article/video was AI-created?
AI-generated articles and videos/actors are getting more and more convincing, human-like. Discussing the current state of the newly created "content" - and how prevalent it's become in 2025 (majority of newly written articles are AI-written). Source
AI co-written: Can You Tell If Content Was Made by AI?
NOTE: This article was written by ChatGPT 4.o with my expert supervision. It is an experiment, related to this article: "Can you tell if an article/video was AI-created?" Could you really tell it was co-written by a robot? Source
100% AI-written: The Rise of AI-Generated Content: Human-Like, Everywhere, and Nearly Impossible to Spot
This article was 100% written by ChatGPT 4.o. IT is an experiment, related to this article: "Can you tell if an article/video was AI-created?" Could you really tell it was written by a robot? Source
My LLM/AI website experiement – and why I shut it down
I let AI build a full website - from UI/UX design to articles. This is the story of that experiment, why I ended it, and what I learned. Source
Can we still recognize “AI” “content”?
Can you still tell if an article was written by an LLM ("AI")? Source