feat: Update About page content with new media, refactor BentoGrid layout, and optimize particle background performance and styling.

src/components/BentoGrid.tsx

@@ -8,39 +8,42 @@ interface BentoItem {
     description: string;
     className?: string; // For sizing: bento-large, bento-wide, bento-tall
     bgImage: string | string[];
+    videoSrc?: string; // Optional video source
 }
 
 const items: BentoItem[] = [
     {
         id: 'gaming',
-        title: "Gaming & Tech",
+        title: "Gaming",
-        description: "Wind down with some PC gaming or just appreciating good new gear.",
+        description: "From Old Classic Fighting Game Tournaments to New PC Gaming Experiences. I enjoy it all",
         className: "bento-large",
-        bgImage: "https://placehold.co/800x800/2a1a4a/FFF?text=Gaming+Setup"
+        bgImage: "/images/about/slab.jpg"
     },
     {
         id: 'snowboarding',
         title: "Snowboarding",
-        description: "The rush of going down the mountains are unmatched",
+        description: "Here is me teaching my girlfriend😅",
         className: "bento-tall",
-        bgImage: "https://placehold.co/400x800/a7ffeb/004d40?text=Snowboarding"
+        bgImage: "https://placehold.co/400x800/a7ffeb/004d40?text=Snowboarding",
+        videoSrc: "/images/about/snowboard2.mp4"
     },
     {
         id: 'cooking',
-        title: "Culinary Arts",
+        title: "Cooking",
-        description: "Experimenting with new recipes and flavors in the kitchen.",
+        description: "Everyone cooks sure, I'll give you that. But I want to master the art of cooking a excellent steak.",
-        className: "", // Standard 1x1
+        className: "",
-        bgImage: "https://placehold.co/400x400/3e2723/d7ccc8?text=Cooking"
+        bgImage: "/images/about/steak.jpg"
     },
     {
         id: 'social',
         title: "Family & Friends",
         description: "Good times with my favorite people. Including my Girlfriend, Friends and Family",
-        className: "", // Standard 1x1
+        className: "bento-tall",
         bgImage: [
-            "https://placehold.co/400x400/f8bbd0/880e4f?text=Social+1",
+            "/images/about/girl1.jpg",
-            "https://placehold.co/400x400/d81b60/ffffff?text=Social+2",
+            "/images/about/family1.jpg",
-            "https://placehold.co/400x400/880e4f/f8bbd0?text=Social+3"
+            "/images/about/family2.jpg",
+            "/images/about/friend2.jpg",
         ]
     },
     {
@@ -49,6 +52,59 @@ const items: BentoItem[] = [
         description: "I enjoy the challenge of self-hosting my own digital services at home. I also love tinkering with new hardware and software setups.",
         className: "bento-wide",
         bgImage: "/images/projects/homelabber.png"
+    },
+    {
+        id: 'controller-modding',
+        title: "Controller Modding",
+        description: "Restoring and modifying retro game controllers. Giving new life to old hardware.",
+        className: "", // Standard 1x1
+        bgImage: "/images/about/gamecube.jpg"
+    },
+    {
+        id: 'outdoor-exploring',
+        title: "Outdoor Exploring",
+        description: "Hiking mountains, exploring caves, beaches and more.",
+        className: "bento-tall",
+        bgImage: [
+            "/images/about/outdoor1.jpg",
+            "/images/about/outdoor2.jpg",
+            "/images/about/beach1.jpg",
+        ]
+    },
+    {
+        id: 'smart-home',
+        title: "Smart Home",
+        description: "Automating my living space with smart devices and custom integrations.",
+        className: "", // Standard 1x1
+        bgImage: "https://placehold.co/400x400/0288d1/e1f5fe?text=Smart+Home"
+    },
+    {
+        id: 'pc-building',
+        title: "Computer Building",
+        description: "Designing and assembling custom PC builds for performance and aesthetics.",
+        className: "bento-wide",
+        bgImage: "/images/about/pcBuild.jpg"
+    },
+    {
+        id: 'small-town',
+        title: "Small Town Origin",
+        description: "I'm from Melfort, Saskatchewan. A small town with a big heart.",
+        className: "", // Standard 1x1
+        bgImage: [
+            "/images/about/melfort1.jpg",
+            "/images/about/melfort2.jpg",
+            "/images/about/melfort3.png",
+            "/images/about/melfort4.jpg",
+            "/images/about/melfort5.jpg",
+        ]
+    },
+    {
+        id: 'cats',
+        title: "Cats",
+        description: "I see a cat, I pet a cat. Simple as that.",
+        className: "bento-large",
+        bgImage: "https://placehold.co/800x800/ffccbc/bf360c?text=Cats", // Fallback
+        videoSrc: "/images/about/kitty.mp4"
     }
 ];
 
@@ -71,21 +127,33 @@ const BentoCard = ({ item, index, delay }: { item: BentoItem; index: number; del
             animate={{ opacity: 1, y: 0 }}
             transition={{ duration: 0.5, delay: delay + index * 0.1 }}
         >
-            <AnimatePresence mode="popLayout" initial={false}>
+            {item.videoSrc ? (
-                <motion.img
+                <video
-                    key={currentIndex}
+                    src={item.videoSrc}
-                    src={images[currentIndex]}
+                    autoPlay
-                    alt={item.title}
+                    loop
+                    muted
+                    playsInline
                     className="bento-bg"
-                    initial={{ opacity: 0 }}
+                    style={{ objectFit: 'cover', opacity: 0.6 }}
-                    animate={{ opacity: 0.6 }}
-                    exit={{ opacity: 0 }}
-                    transition={{ duration: 0.8 }}
-                    onError={(e) => {
-                        e.currentTarget.src = "https://placehold.co/600x400?text=" + item.title;
-                    }}
                 />
-            </AnimatePresence>
+            ) : (
+                <AnimatePresence mode="popLayout" initial={false}>
+                    <motion.img
+                        key={currentIndex}
+                        src={images[currentIndex]}
+                        alt={item.title}
+                        className="bento-bg"
+                        initial={{ opacity: 0 }}
+                        animate={{ opacity: 0.6 }}
+                        exit={{ opacity: 0 }}
+                        transition={{ duration: 0.8 }}
+                        onError={(e) => {
+                            e.currentTarget.src = "https://placehold.co/600x400?text=" + item.title;
+                        }}
+                    />
+                </AnimatePresence>
+            )}
             <div className="bento-overlay" />
             <div className="bento-content">
                 <h3 className="bento-title">{item.title}</h3>

src/components/ParticlesBackground.tsx

@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ const ParticlesBackground: React.FC = () => {
             // Mobile (390x844) -> ~48 particles
             // Mobile Landscape (844x390) -> ~48 particles (Same as portrait!)
             const area = canvas.width * canvas.height;
+            // Reduce density further to specificially help the heavy About page
             const particleCount = Math.floor(Math.sqrt(area) / 12);
 
             particles = [];
@@ -90,17 +91,7 @@ const ParticlesBackground: React.FC = () => {
         const animate = () => {
             if (!ctx || !canvas) return;
             ctx.clearRect(0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height);
-            // Draw a subtle gradient background for the canvas itself if needed, or keep transparent
+            // Gradient is now handled by CSS to avoid repainting every frame
-            // For now, let's keep it transparent so we can style the container behind it if we want,
-            // OR we can make this the definitive background.
-            // Let's add a deep gradient here to match the user's previous aesthetic but cooler.
-            const gradient = ctx.createLinearGradient(0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height);
-            gradient.addColorStop(0, '#0f0c29');
-            gradient.addColorStop(0.5, '#302b63');
-            gradient.addColorStop(1, '#24243e');
-            ctx.fillStyle = gradient;
-            ctx.fillRect(0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height);
-
 
             particles.forEach((particle) => {
                 particle.update();
@@ -119,18 +110,38 @@ const ParticlesBackground: React.FC = () => {
                 for (let b = a; b < particles.length; b++) {
                     const dx = particles[a].x - particles[b].x;
                     const dy = particles[a].y - particles[b].y;
-                    const distance = Math.sqrt(dx * dx + dy * dy);
+
+                    // Optimization 1: Strictly check max possible visible distance
+                    // The opacity formula becomes <= 0 when distance > (2/3 * distanceThreshold).
+                    // Max distanceThreshold is 300, so max visible distance is 200.
+                    if (Math.abs(dx) > 200 || Math.abs(dy) > 200) continue;
+
+                    const distSq = dx * dx + dy * dy;
+
                     const sizeAverage = (particles[a].size + particles[b].size) / 2;
                     // Scale from 100 to 300 based on size average (2 to 6)
                     const distanceThreshold = 100 + (sizeAverage - 2) * 50;
 
-                    if (distance < distanceThreshold) {
+                    // Optimization 2: Only calculate if we are within the VISIBLE threshold (2/3 of logical threshold)
-                        ctx.strokeStyle = `rgba(255, 255, 255, ${(distanceThreshold * (2 / 3) * .001) - distance / 1000})`;
+                    // Opacity = (Threshold * 2/3 * 0.001) - (dist / 1000)
-                        ctx.lineWidth = sizeAverage;
+                    // 0 = (2/3 T)/1000 - d/1000 => d = 2/3 T
-                        ctx.beginPath();
+                    const distinctThreshold = distanceThreshold * (2 / 3);
-                        ctx.moveTo(particles[a].x, particles[a].y);
+                    const distinctThresholdSq = distinctThreshold * distinctThreshold;
-                        ctx.lineTo(particles[b].x, particles[b].y);
+
-                        ctx.stroke();
+                    if (distSq < distinctThresholdSq) {
+                        const distance = Math.sqrt(distSq);
+
+                        // Calculate opacity
+                        const opacity = (distanceThreshold * (2 / 3) * .001) - distance / 1000;
+
+                        if (opacity > 0) {
+                            ctx.strokeStyle = `rgba(255, 255, 255, ${opacity})`;
+                            ctx.lineWidth = sizeAverage;
+                            ctx.beginPath();
+                            ctx.moveTo(particles[a].x, particles[a].y);
+                            ctx.lineTo(particles[b].x, particles[b].y);
+                            ctx.stroke();
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -166,6 +177,7 @@ const ParticlesBackground: React.FC = () => {
                 width: '100%',
                 height: '120vh', // Extend well below viewport to cover mobile browser bar retraction
                 zIndex: -1, // Behind everything
+                background: 'linear-gradient(to bottom, #0f0c29 0%, #302b63 50%, #24243e 100%)'
             }}
         />
     );

src/pages/About.tsx

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export default function About() {
                 transition={{ duration: 0.8 }}
             >
                 <div style={{ width: "100%", maxWidth: "1200px" }}>
-                    <motion.h1
+                    {/* <motion.h1
                         className="about-title"
                         initial={{ y: -20, opacity: 0 }}
                         animate={{ y: 0, opacity: 1 }}
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export default function About() {
                         style={{ textAlign: "center" }}
                     >
                         About Me
-                    </motion.h1>
+                    </motion.h1> */}
 
                     <BioSection
                         imageSrc="/images/about/dapperSasha.jpg"
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ export default function About() {
                         animate={{ opacity: 1, y: 0 }}
                         transition={{ duration: 0.6, delay: 0.8 }}
                     >
-                        <h2 style={{ textAlign: "center", fontSize: "1.5rem", marginBottom: "30px", color: "rgba(255,255,255,0.9)" }}>Personal Interests</h2>
                         <BentoGrid delay={1.0} />
                     </motion.div>
                     <motion.div

src/styles/components/BentoGrid.css

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 .bento-grid-container {
     display: grid;
     grid-template-columns: repeat(4, 1fr);
-    grid-template-rows: repeat(2, 250px);
+    grid-auto-rows: 250px;
     gap: 20px;
     width: 100%;
     max-width: 1200px;