A self-hosted server built from upcycled hardware, with an ambient status display.
Why
The technology in our homes should serve us quietly, on our own terms, and without a subscription. CORE001 replaces a stack of cloud services with hardware that already existed.
How
Mid-range components given a second life, virtualized so one machine runs file sync, media and photo backup. Reachable from anywhere over a private network, with nothing exposed to the open internet.
The design part
An ESP32-S3 drives an ambient display that reports four device states through light alone. Nothing to read, nothing to dismiss. You learn the states in a day and after that you register them without looking.
3D-printed enclosure, around 25 W at idle.