I've been using Signal for private messages, but this new Radar fork makes a compelling case by allowing me to keep all my contacts while also integrating a self custody Bitcoin wallet. I dug in to see what it's all about. Full walkthrough here:

The Avalon Q is the most powerful miner I've run at home for heat. About 15x my Nano 3S. I tripped my breaker testing it on Super and had to drop to Standard. So I ran the numbers: payouts vs what it adds to my power bill, compared with the space heater I'd be running anyway. On Standard it pays back about two thirds of its power. Over a Calgary winter that's roughly $574 CAD back on heat I'd pay for regardless. Also covered three ways to get paid: OCEAN to my own address, Braiins over Lightning, and lotto mining on my own Umbrel. Full walkthrough: @Léo

Been using PPQ for AI lately and it's exactly how I want AI to work. No account, no subscription, top up with sats and pay per prompt. Hundreds of models, uncensored ones included. The best part: I plugged it into my Hermes agent on my Umbrel, and Alby Hub tops it up automatically over NWC with a monthly budget. Thanks @npub1pdnt...x6pk and @Alby for building this stuff. Full walkthrough: Want to try it? My link gets you 5% off open-source models: https://ppq.ai/invite/75bad525

I've been digging into the latest Bitchat updates for my new video and honestly, they're awesome. You can send sats right in the chat with Cashu ecash, share the app phone to phone with no internet at all, and wipe everything with a triple tap. I grabbed it from Zapstore since it keeps getting pulled from app stores. Huge respect to @jack, @calle and everyone building this. Full walkthrough:

My Umbrel Media Server tutorial was almost immediately removed from YouTube. Luckily blossom servers are a thing. Here's the same content hosted on Nostr. Replace Netflix, Hulu, Spotify and more with torrents and Jellyfin on your Umbrel!

I need a crash course in hosting a tutorial using Blossom. Where's the best place to look? YouTube didn't like my Umbrel Media Server video and instantly removed it.

BITCAST is live!

zap.stream

BTCsessions is streaming

, Nostr live streaming

I tested out the @BitBox 02 Nova - and really wanted to dive into their lightning wallet integration. Check out my full breakdown here. As always, if you enjoy the vids please sub! https://www.youtube.com/@SovereignSessions?sub_confirmation=1

Just made a video on setting up Hermes agent on your @Umbrel ☂️ - either using cloud/frontier OR using local models via something like Bionic. This will give you an agent on your own segregated machine, but with new updates to Umbrel it also gives you a way to control the Umbrel remotely for literally anything you want to do. I YOLO'd into some of the permissions just to see what was possible. You should maybe be a tad more cautious than I was 😄 If you find these videos useful, consider dropping a sub here: https://www.youtube.com/@SovereignSessions?sub_confirmation=1

BITCAST LIVE

zap.stream

BTCsessions is streaming

, Nostr live streaming

BITCAST IS LIVE!

zap.stream

BTCsessions is streaming

, Nostr live streaming

New @Wasabi Wallet tutorial! -Full setup and coinjoin flow -Understand UTXOs and coin control -Connect to your Umbrel node (without errors!) -Automate everything WATCH HERE Are these videos helpful? Make sure you subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/@SovereignSessions?sub_confirmation=1

I think I just found my new favorite VPN with @Obscura VPN No email required, payments over Lightning, and a two-party design that separates your identity from your browsing by using Mullvad exit nodes. Full Obscura walkthrough:

I've been using Qwen 3.8 27b on my local machine for a bit and it's pretty solid! For ease of use I've got it in Bionic (made by LM Studio) which acts as an agent for whatever models you run - able to make files, folders, call tools, link in MCP servers, build apps, build repetitive skills, etc. The other cool thing is that you can use LM link to share models with any of your other computers - both locally and globally. I covered it all in this video. If you have yet to dive into the world of local AI, this is the video for you. I start simple, then build up a knowledge base throughout. Please enjoy, and share if you find it useful! Of course subscribe here if you like! https://www.youtube.com/@SovereignSessions?sub_confirmation=1

In this new tutorial I use Silent.Link to get a private eSim on my Graphene phone, using Bitcoin. One global eSIM with no expiry dates, data around the world, and if you want - inbound SMS with a dedicated number. All paid in Bitcoin, top up any time via lightning. No name, no email, no KYC. Enjoy the vid, give a share, and LMK what you think. Also if you have suggestions for more things to cover on the new channel, please comment!

This past week was a nightmare and forced me to reexamine a lot of my assumptions and threat models. Two topics bubbled to the top alot that I thought warranted videos... so I got to work. How do you use dice to generate your own entropy when creating keys? This video uses dice and the @SeedSigner to accomplish just that, while verifying using an external tool. Putting trust in a single hardware vendor means having all your eggs in one basket. One tactic may be to keep some of your corn in different devices. Another may be to combine them into a multi-vendor multisig. This video goes through doing the latter - on Sparrow with Trezor, Jade and @BitBox , then on mobile with @npub1cvql...yjt3 @SeedSigner and @Blockstream Jade. There's no perfect answer for EVERYONE, but it's worth exploring your options and seeing what works for you. BTW if you are finding these videos helpful, ALL of my tutorials will now be uploaded to Sovereign Sessions. Join me there: https://www.youtube.com/@SovereignSessions?sub_confirmation=1

Today I launched Sovereign Sessions with 3 new freedom tech tutorials. LM Studio: How do you start with the basics of running AI locally on your laptop? What do all the fancy terms mean? What is your hardware capable of running and where does it fall short? Find out here. GrapheneOS: The looming threat of OS level age verification, paired with the always-on tracking of Apple and Google are enough to make a lot of people look for an alternative. Graphene is one of the most private OS options for mobile out there. Here's how to install and use it. Umbrel Pro: When people refer to sovereign computing, it can include a lot of things. Hosting your own files, photos, media, passwords, AI agents, Bitcoin node, etc. The Umbrel Pro is an accessible plug and play way to start setting foot in that world. Here's how to set up and navigate one as you start your journey. This channel will also be the new home for my Bitcoin tutorials - of which I have a dice roll/Seedsigner video and a multi-vendor multisig video both coming out on Tuesday. Of course, if you find this stuff useful then please do subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@SovereignSessions?sub_confirmation=1

Today is the official 10 year anniversary of BTC Sessions. Hard to believe I uploaded my first tutorial back in 2016. Thanks for an amazing decade. Join me for the next chapter as I move ALL tutorial content over to @npub146zh...22de . Bitcoin, privacy, AI and sovereign computing. See you there. Subcribe 👇 https://www.youtube.com/@SovereignSessions?sub_confirmation=1

Hey everyone! I'm doing a webinar for the @HRF today teaching human rights activists from around the globe about nostr! We've got 50 people in the room and I want to show them what zaps are! Shoot some over if you're able! I'll forward them onto the HRF afterwards. Thanks all!

This Friday we're hosting our 7 local Bitcoin market in Calgary! We're expecting just shy of 40 merchants, all accepting BTC. We've got tradesmen, farmers, artisans, real estate agents, barbers, masseuses, hypnotherapists, and plenty more! Love seeing the local Bitcoin circular economy grow.