26 July 2017 | How Does it Work?, Spare Me!, Video |
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are the wave of the future, right?
So why is all the latest news about their value in US dollars? Isn’t that kind of backwards?
Obviously, these new digital currencies have a ways to go…
It doesn’t help that the systems in place are less than stellar, and we’re still seeing hacking resulting in people losing money.
But what about the future of blockchain technologies as a whole? Those are pretty awesome, right?
Well, yes and no. If you cut out the hype, you’ll have a much better idea about where all of this stuff is heading.
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8 July 2017 | Computers, How Does it Work?, Networking, Video |
There are a few things you need to understand about staying safe and secure online. You need to realize what you’re actually up against.
But don’t fret, because it’s really not a big deal if you always keep in mind how things usually work.
For example, e-mail is never really safe, HTTPS doesn’t really always keep your connection secure, you can be tracked online very easily despite what most people will tell you, and you should always use some kind of anti-virus/malware protection no matter what OS you use.
And remember that the OS you use makes very little difference if you’ve taken some basic precautions… In fact, thinking you’re safe because you use Not Windows is probably a bad idea!
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28 June 2017 | How Does it Work?, Video |
The age old question: How does your electric tea kettle know when to turn off? Is it electronic, or something simpler?
It turns out the key is a bimetallic strip. At a certain, carefully adjusted temperature, the bimetallic strip will bend just enough such that right when the water starts to boil, the bent strip will trigger the mechanism that flips the switch to the OFF position.
It doesn’t matter how much water is in the pot. Once the water is boiling, the temperature in the base will be at a certain point. That temperature point is the trigger threshold for the bimetallic strip. More or less.
That sounds complicated, but watch the video. It’s pretty simple!
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24 June 2017 | EEK!, Energy, How Does it Work?, Video |
Why does AC electrical power come in 3 phases? What the heck is a “phase”, anyway?
In this episode of the EEK! Series, you’ll learn about 3-phase power and its advantages.
In short: fewer wires, more power, and the Earth itself is a conductor.
In addition, 3-phase industrial motors are more efficient and don’t require a starting capacitor since the 3 phases are “rotating” already.
Be sure to watch EEK! #1 and EEK! #2 first!
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16 June 2017 | How Does it Work?, Video |
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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11 June 2017 | How Does it Work?, Networking, Video |
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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4 June 2017 | EEK!, Energy, How Does it Work?, Video |
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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28 May 2017 | EEK!, How Does it Work?, Video |
This first video in the EEK! series explains basic concepts of electricity in simple, practical terms.
Learn about conductors, insulators, voltage, current, power, volts, amps, and watts. It’s not as difficult to understand as it sounds.
No crazy math or physics required!
Check out EEK! Episode 1 below…
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10 May 2017 | Gizmos, How Does it Work?, Video |
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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3 May 2017 | Do-It-Yourself, How Does it Work?, Video |
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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Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are the wave of the future, right?
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