AI Survival Guide, the Offline Brain blog https://theofflinebrain.com/blog Plain guides to offline AI, offline Wikipedia, offline maps and getting through an outage, for New Zealand and the US. Every fact links to the page we read it on. en-nz Sun, 01 Nov 2026 05:21:21 GMT Offline AI: can you run your own AI on a laptop with no internet? https://theofflinebrain.com/blog/offline-ai-on-your-laptop https://theofflinebrain.com/blog/offline-ai-on-your-laptop Sat, 31 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMT Offline AI Yes. Small open models now run on an ordinary laptop with the wifi off. Here's what that takes, how fast it is, and where it falls short. Offline Wikipedia with Kiwix: what it is, how big it is, and how to set it up https://theofflinebrain.com/blog/offline-wikipedia-kiwix https://theofflinebrain.com/blog/offline-wikipedia-kiwix Sat, 31 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMT Offline Wikipedia All of English Wikipedia fits on a laptop and works with no internet. Kiwix is the free tool that does it. Here are the real file sizes and the choices you'll make. Internet outage at home: a calm first-hour plan, and what still works offline https://theofflinebrain.com/blog/internet-outage-first-hour https://theofflinebrain.com/blog/internet-outage-first-hour Sat, 31 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMT Outages What to check first when the internet drops, how to save your phone battery, what to do if the power is out too, and why it's worth knowing what on your laptop works with no connection at all. Emergency kit NZ: what Civil Defence actually says to have https://theofflinebrain.com/blog/emergency-kit-nz https://theofflinebrain.com/blog/emergency-kit-nz Sat, 31 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMT Preparedness The official Get Ready list for a New Zealand household, a grab bag and the car, in plain words. Most of it you already own. Plus the one thing the list asks you to think about that most kits skip. Offline maps in New Zealand: what still works when there's no signal https://theofflinebrain.com/blog/offline-maps-nz https://theofflinebrain.com/blog/offline-maps-nz Sat, 31 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMT Offline maps Google Maps, Organic Maps and LINZ Topo50 all work without a connection if you set them up first. Here's what each one does offline, and the gaps to know about. Emergency radio: why a crank or battery radio is still on every official list https://theofflinebrain.com/blog/emergency-radio https://theofflinebrain.com/blog/emergency-radio Sat, 31 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMT Preparedness Both NZ Civil Defence and the US government list a radio in the basic kit. Here's why it still matters with a smartphone in your pocket, what to tune to in each country, and what to look for when you buy one.