portable

145 Articles

Kubernetes Cluster Goes Mobile In Pet Carrier

November 18, 2025 by 7 Comments

There’s been a bit of a virtualization revolution going on for the last decade or so, where tools like Docker and LXC have made it possible to quickly deploy server applications without worrying much about dependency issues. Of course as these tools got adopted we needed more tools to scale them easily. Enter Kubernetes, a container orchestration platform that normally herds fleets of microservices in sprawling cloud architectures, but it turns out it’s perfectly happy running on a tiny computer stuffed in a cat carrier.

This was a build for the recent Kubecon in Atlanta, and the project’s creator [Justin] wanted it to have an AI angle to it since the core compute in the backpack is an NVIDIA DGX Spark. When someone scans the QR code, the backpack takes a picture and then runs it through a two-node cluster on the Spark running a local AI model that stylizes the picture and sends it back to the user. Only the AI workload runs on the Spark; [Justin] also is using a LattePanda to handle most of everything else rather than host everything on the Spark.

To get power for the mobile cluster [Justin] is using a small power bank, and with that it gets around three hours of use before it needs to be recharged. Originally it was planned to work on the WiFi at the conference as well but this was unreliable and he switched to using a USB tether to his phone. It was a big hit with the conference goers though, with people using it around every ten minutes while he had it on his back. Of course you don’t need a fancy NVIDIA product to run a portable kubernetes cluster. You can always use a few old phones to run one as well.

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A Ham-Adjacent Portable Radio Repeater

September 26, 2025 by 45 Comments

Although ham radio offers a wide array of bands to transmit on, not to mention plenty of modes to communicate with, not everyone wants or needs to use all of this capability. For those needing simple two-way communication services like FRS or GMRS are available (in North America) with much less stringent licensing requirements, and GMRS even allows repeaters to be used to extend their range beyond the typical mile or so. [Dave] aka [N8DAV] has built an off-grid simplex repeater that can travel around with him wherever he goes.

The repeater itself is based on a pre-built simplex repeater module, which means that it has to record an incoming signal and then play it back on the same frequency. Compared to a split frequency repeater which uses different frequencies for transmit and receive this can be a bit cumbersome but simplifies the design and the use. A Baofeng UV-5R is used to perform the actual radio duties paired to a 40 watt amplifier to extend the range as much as possible. It’s all packed into a Pelican-like case and set up with a large battery that could power it for a number of days, making it useful for camping, rescue, or other off-grid activities.

For those wondering why [Dave] is using his ham call sign instead of his GMRS one, all of the equipment in this build will work in either the UHF ham bands or the channels reserved for GMRS with minor adjustments, so it’s perfectly possible to use the setup for one’s preferred license. And, for those in other parts of the world without GMRS there’s a similar class of radio called UHF CB which might be able to support similar builds, but be sure to check your local jurisdiction’s laws before hooking something like this up. For an even longer-range radio repeater using similar equipment we’d recommend looking to the skies.

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Building A (Not Very) Portable Xbox

September 21, 2025 by 24 Comments

Modern handheld game consoles are impressive feats of engineering, featuring full fledged computers in near pocket-sized packages. So what happens if you take an original Xbox and sprinkle on some modern electronics and create a handheld? Well, if you’re [James] of James Channel, you end up with this sandwich of PCBs held together with hot glue and duck tape. 

The first order of miniaturization in this Xbox was replacing the hard drive. Because a CompactFlash card uses parallel ATA, that could be a simple drop in replacement. However, the Xbox locks the hard drive to the system requiring a mod chip for the CF card to work. Fortunately, the sacrificial Xbox came with a mod chip installed. After using an arcade machine to flash the card and copy over the contents of the drive, the CF card install was a breeze. 

For the screen and batteries, a portable DVD player that had remained unused since 2006 was repurposed. The battery cells were rather unhappy, but managed to get resurrected with some careful charging. As it turns out, the iPod 30 pin connector inside the portable screen contains an S-Video line. By tapping into that and adding in some power management for the batteries, the Xbox became a pile of PCBs that could maybe be taken places.

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A black box with the words "Steam BRICK" emblazoned in white and orange text. It sits on a grey surface with various electronic parts surrounding it.

Steam Brick Makes Your Steam Deck Headless

January 26, 2025 by 44 Comments

Handhelds are designed to be portable, but what if you need something smaller than OEM? The Steam Brick pulls basically everything off of a Steam Deck to make it as portable as possible.

[crastinator-pro] found they rarely used the controller or screen on their Steam Deck, and the form factor was too bulky to conveniently chuck into their bag, negating the advantage of owning a portable console. As to be expected from any self-respecting hacker, they did a couple quick tests with components unplugged then got to work with the rotary tool.

After excising the main board from its handheld bonds and trimming unnecessary bits from the aluminum frame around the mainboard, they designed a case that can be tossed in a bag without any special treatment. The case was printed in polycarbonate to better withstand the heat of the console running at full tilt, and the colorful details were added in PLA with a 3D pen.

We’ve discussed using a Steam Deck as a single-board computer before, but if you want to keep it in one piece, you could also get it setup in a slick keyboard case.