Eighteen years of Category5 Technology TV... can you believe it? Robbie Ferguson is joined by long-time co-host and fan favorite Sasha Rickman, visiting all the way from Newfoundland, for a nostalgic deep dive into the tech, gadgets, and moments that shaped nearly two decades of Category5. From life on the East Coast (bees, cod fisheries, crab vending machines, goats and more) to the challenges of staying connected with rural Internet, Sasha shares what it's really been like living on the east coast of Canada. Then we take a fun â road tripâ through the tech history of the show: boogie boards, gimbals, retro gaming handhelds, Kingston drives, spinners vs SSDs, and the legendary gadgets that stood the test of time... plus a few that sadly got away. Whether you grew up with Category5 Technology TV, love retro tech, or just enjoy hearing the behind-the-scenes stories that made the show what it is, this special anniversary episode has something for every tech fan. Thanks for joining us on the Drive! Letâ s celebrate 18 years of Cat5 together.

Read the complete show notes, comment or rate this episode, view pictures and obtain links from this episode at https://category5.tv/shows/datadrive/episode/12/

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Running time: 44 Minutes

0:00 Introduction
1:13 Sasha Rickman Traveled from Newfoundland to Barrie
1:56 St. John's International Airport Frozen Seafood Vending Machine
2:52 Fresh Seafood Is Better Than Imports
3:45 Seafood's Impact on Newfoundland Economy
5:04 Sasha's Tech-Shock Moving from Ontario to Newfoundland
8:31 Category5 TV Studio D's Internet Challenges
10:21 How Starlink Brought Sasha's Remote Work to Rural Newfoundland
12:37 Human vs. AI Chatbot Tech Support and How Sasha Proves She's Real
14:38 Robbie's Dream: NEMS Linux Growth to Include Phone Support
15:20 Timezone Difference makes Newfoundland Great for Tech Support
16:32 Best Ontario Wildflower and Clover Honey: Cherry Creek Apiaries
16:46 Sasha's Dream of Starting an Apiary
17:39 Barnyard Animals Sasha Can Keep ... If She Can Convince Her Husband
19:34 Commercial Break
20:51 Reminiscing Over 18 Years of Category5 Technology TV
21:38 Memorable Products Reviewed
22:07 Defunct Product Favorite: PasswordBox
23:26 Defunct Product Favorite: PogoPlug
25:11 Defunct Product Favorite: Bring TIM!
28:34 Tech Favorite That Lasts Forever: Kingston SSDs, RAM and USB Flash Drives
30:14 Why People Still Use Spinning Hard Drives
32:35 Tech Favorite That Lasts Forever: Boogie Board
36:11 Tech Favorite That Lasts Forever: DJI Osmo 4K (Now Osmo Pocket 4)
39:40 Adding a Gimbal to Your Smartphone
40:44 Tech Favorite We Tried to Review: AtGames SEGA Genesis Ultimate Portable
41:58 Retro Gaming with RetroPi: Perfect Party Entertainment
42:59 Call for Comments
43:26 Extro

Let's drive into data security. From the complexities of cryptocurrency wallet keys to protecting your passwords and setting up encrypted backup solutions, Robbie and Jeff share practical advice to protect your data and plan for emergencies. Discover how to ensure your family has access to critical files, avoid the pitfalls of forgotten passwords, and create resilient backup strategies that will save you time, money, and stress. Whether you're managing tech infrastructure or just safeguarding personal files, this episode offers something for everyone. Plus, hear the guys' thoughts on Christmas commercialization, LED Halloween pumpkins, and why a working Pi-hole is a game changer for home networks.

Read the complete show notes, comment or rate this episode, view pictures and obtain links from this episode at https://category5.tv/shows/datadrive/episode/11/

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Running time: 40 Minutes 56 Seconds

0:00 Introduction
1:40 Seasons Change: Driving In The Dark
2:00 Commercialization of the Christmas Season
4:32 Smart LED Christmas Lights and DIY Pumpkin Lights
6:43 Wyze Smart Doorbell Catching Halloween Looters
8:56 The Problem of Pre-Paying for Drive-Thru Orders
10:37 Supporting Less Fortunate in a Cashless Society
15:10 Commercial Break
16:39 Accessing, Trading and Exchanging Cryptocurrency
24:48 Jeff's Forgotten Pi-hole root Password and Fixing a Full Filesystem
30:59 Using logrotate.d to Maintain Log File Directories
32:06 Ensuring Your Disk Doesn't Get Full Using NEMS Proactive Monitoring
33:32 A Failed Pi-Hole Reveals How Ad-Laden the Internet Is
34:02 Remembering Your root Password, Or Storing it Securely
34:53 Kingston DataTraveler 2000 - Small Encrypted USB Flash Drive
35:31 Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 External SSD
36:21 Data Security Tips and Tricks
37:38 Passwords and Files: What Happens When I Die? Passing On Data to Next of Kin
40:19 End Credits

Bill Marshall joins Robbie to explore the fascinating world of Raspberry Pi clusters, the tech shaping our future, and the challenges that come with DIY projects. We also discuss smart cities, focusing on Innisfil's cutting-edge plans. We'll discuss the importance of open-source communities, balancing personal time with tech projects and customer support challenges. From troubleshooting a Raspberry Pi 4 1GB crash to building a quorum system for Proxmox, we drive into the learning process behind microcomputing, the power of tinkering, and the creativity that fuels innovation.

Read the complete show notes, comment or rate this episode, view pictures and obtain links from this episode at https://category5.tv/shows/datadrive/episode/10/

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Running time: 43 Minutes 25 Seconds

0:00 Introduction
1:07 Late Apex Simulators in Barrie
1:54 Barrie Downtown Construction Along Lakeshore 2024
2:19 Pirate Adventure Cruise by Pirate Life Theatre in Barrie
2:58 Nerdy Greeting: A Raspberry Pi 4 1GB
4:14 Raspberry Pi 4 1GB is Perfect for NEMS Linux Testing
6:46 Bill Keeps Robbie In-Line with the NEMS Linux Community
7:41 Finding Time for Maker Projects
9:07 Proxmox QuorumPi - Two-Node Proxmox Clusters with Quorum Using a Raspberry Pi
12:12 Commercial Break
13:36 Clustering Raspberry Pi 4 with ICE Tower Coolers
17:59 Using the Cluster HAT to Control a Raspberry Pi Zero Cluster
19:13 Ignore Online Discouragers: The Process Is Worth It
24:45 Commercial Break
25:34 Is Contributing to Open Source Actually Helping?
26:49 The Challenges in Supporting Open Source Software
27:31 It's Okay to Disconnect / Mute
28:06 FOSS Users Sometimes Abuse Support Channels
32:31 Innisfil Ontario: The Orbit Smart City (Coming Soon?)
36:14 Smart City == Hermit Paradise
37:33 Retirement: Benefits of Less Property
38:24 The Challenge for Passionate FOSS Developers: Time & Responsibilities
39:09 Category5 Technology TV Studio E (vs Studio D)
39:49 How Bill Marshall Found Category5
40:40 Our Roaming Studio for Data Drive Podcast
40:57 Data Drive is Robbie's Maker Project
42:02 Learning Things and Challenging Ourselves Makes Maker Tech Worthwhile
42:45 Closing Remarks