Batteries: Alkaline vs NiMH vs Lithium-ion

Ever wonder about the differences between alkaline, nickel metal hydride, and lithium-ion batteries? Wonder no more!

Alkaline batteries are great for their initial higher voltage, but the total current available drops off (along with the voltage) over time.

NiMH cells have a lower voltage, but it stays constant along with the available current.

And finally, lithium-ion batteries are in a class of their own: You can even get high C-rating Li-ion cells where you can safely pull even more current than the cell is rated at, and the voltage only drops a relatively small amount.

Watch the video for more details!

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Click Farms and Social Media

Ah, click farms…

Click farms are organizations that you can pay to boost you or your product on social media.

They do their thing through the use of “bots” or semi-bots, which are automated systems to like, share, and otherwise promote something.

But hang on, is this real? According to two US universities, it’s very real…

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EEK! #2 – DC vs The Magic of AC

In episode 2 of the EEK! series, we cover the basic difference between direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC). Why is your home powered by AC, and not DC?

Simply put, AC allows the use of transformers to step up the voltage, step down the current, and therefore bypass the little problem of too much current flowing over a thin wire.

DC cannot be easily converted in this way for efficient power transmission over long distances. There’s more to say about AC, so look for a 3-phase video soon.

Check out the video below!

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Safely power your electronic gizmos when traveling internationally

Everything you need to know about powering various electric and electronic things when traveling internationally. Plug adapters, voltage ratings, transformers, and all that jazz made simple!

Note: My audio recorder ate the good sound 🙁  so I’m afraid we must make do with highly-processed Backup Audio this time. Always have a backup!

Anyhow, watch the video below.

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Fluorescent vs LED tubes: Round 1

These days, LED bulbs are all the rage – and that also now includes LED replacement tubes for fluorescent light fixtures. As of May 2017, these LED tubes are relatively new.

They are also frequently more complicated to install since you can’t always just swap the tube and fire it up.

When you factor in light output, power consumption, ease of installation, and cost, are they really worth it?

Ultimately, it depends… But this video will give you an idea of what to look for so you can make up your own mind!

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Fixing Fabulous Fluorescent Fixtures

By quasi-popular demand: What do you do when you replace a fluorescent tube in your light fixture, but it still doesn’t work right?

Includes basic description of starters and the two main types of ballasts in fluorescent tube lights.

Watch below, and you can save money and impress your friends!

Well, at least you can save some money… 😉

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Dude, your e-mail’s been hacked!

You’ve got an e-mail address, and you’ve got friends. So far, so good.

Then one day, you get an e-mail from Debbie telling you that your e-mail account has been hacked. She got a spam message that appeared to come from you!

Johnny got one, too.

Sweet mother of mercy, it must be the end of the world! Your e-mail’s been hacked! Maybe your puter’s been hacked!

Not so fast…

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Build your own stylish signal blocking smartphone box in ten minutes

New Version! See: A better Stylish Smartphone Faraday Box

With the release of WikiLeak’s “Year Zero” information on the CIA’s capabilities, you might be forgiven if you’re worried about your privacy.

Of course, those capabilities were always there, whether you knew about them or not.

Still, it’s a bit annoying to think that some bozo is remotely activating your smartphone’s mic to spy on your extremely dramatic dinnertime conversations.

You could buy some overly expensive “Faraday Bag” to stick your phone in when you’re not using it, but who wants an ugly black overpriced lunch bag?

Instead, just make your own Faraday Box. It’s stylish, it’s hip, and it only takes about 10 minutes to make!

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