<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Carl Estrada</title><description>Writing on infrastructure, tooling and the trade-offs behind shipping software without over-engineering it.</description><link>https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/</link><language>en-us</language><item><title>Compress First: What a ₱43,000 Smart Cane Taught Me About Cheap Hardware</title><link>https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/blog/compression-before-detection/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/blog/compression-before-detection/</guid><description>Shrinking a frame before the obstacle detector sees it made detection 39% faster on Raspberry Pi-class hardware. Then I tried to demo it in a browser and found out why that number refuses to travel.</description><pubDate>Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/_astro/compression-before-detection.CpZOrp0K_1hYKyJ.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/></item><item><title>Set Your Billing Alerts Before You Need Them</title><link>https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/blog/billing-alerts-and-api-keys/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/blog/billing-alerts-and-api-keys/</guid><description>A leaked API key can cost thousands overnight. Billing alerts, key hygiene, and VPS hardening that take an afternoon and save you a fortune.</description><pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/_astro/billing-alerts-and-api-keys.D2amnVcS_ZQj9bM.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/></item><item><title>Droplets vs Kubernetes: Pick the Boring One</title><link>https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/blog/droplets-vs-kubernetes/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/blog/droplets-vs-kubernetes/</guid><description>When a $6 droplet beats a Kubernetes cluster, and the small number of times it doesn&apos;t. A practical guide to not over-engineering your infrastructure.</description><pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/_astro/droplets-vs-kubernetes.DdEduhbr_oA0rL.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/></item><item><title>Buy the Good Pillow</title><link>https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/blog/investing-in-yourself/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/blog/investing-in-yourself/</guid><description>Developers happily spend on a new framework course and sleep on a bad pillow. Why investing in your body pays better than investing in your stack.</description><pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/_astro/investing-in-yourself.qGtdq8H0_1OTn1i.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/></item><item><title>1 vs 2 vs 3 Monitors: How Many Do You Need?</title><link>https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/blog/one-two-three-monitors/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/blog/one-two-three-monitors/</guid><description>Three screens look productive. Often they just spread the same work thinner. An honest look at when a second monitor helps and when it hurts.</description><pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/_astro/one-two-three-monitors.C-eCdACV_CshJ.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/></item><item><title>Frugality Is Not About Being Cheap</title><link>https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/blog/the-case-for-frugality/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/blog/the-case-for-frugality/</guid><description>Cheap optimizes for price. Frugal optimizes for value over time. Why the gap between the two decides how much freedom you actually have.</description><pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://carlestrada-dev.vercel.app/_astro/the-case-for-frugality.2sKz1ZeA_mGUBS.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/></item></channel></rss>