AI is full of sh*t!
AI is being pushed from every direction. There's only one problem: it tends to "hallucinate". What does that actually mean? Well, it means that AI likes to literally make stuff up... sort of like a pathological human being. Fun for the whole family, right? YouTube:...
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...
How to choose a good solar USB charger
Solar USB chargers are all the rage these days. The most popular models are small, and many have integrated lithium-ion batteries. But just how good are these things? Will you be happy with a small one, or is it better to supersize it? In short, get a big one! Smaller...
EEK! #1 – Volts, Amps, and Watts: Who’s in charge?!
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...
The best LED headlamp out there
If LED flashlights are great, LED headlamps are TOTALLY AWESOME! In this video, I show a couple of cheaper headlamps of increasing price, and then I reveal my personal favorite. Links below as usual. Watch the video below! https://youtu.be/-Wh6ESwwweY Note: The first...
Windows Backup and Restore failed: Four fixes that work
If you're still doing local backups instead of storing all your junk in "The Cloud", then you may still be using the Windows 7-era Backup and Restore feature. I suppose you could just be using File History, but that's a different type of backup. Personally, I still...
The best LED flashlights out there
I admit it: I'm obsessed with LED flashlights. Fortunately, that means I've tried most of them, so these are my top 2 picks for the Big and Small categories. I also reveal my custom-built Light Cannon, which should probably be in the "Ridiculously Huge/Bright"...
How to protect yourself from WannaCry ransomware
By now you've heard about WannaCry, the ransomware that has hit over 100,000 puters in about 100 countries. Given the way the media is talking about this, you'd think the apocalypse had begun in earnest. In reality, you're probably already protected - as long as you...
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...
Notepad++: The best free text editor for Windows
If you've ever tried to open a text file in Windows that was not a Word Doc, you've no doubt been smacked in the face by the abomination known as Notepad. Notepad is Windows' built-in text editor. At this point, I think the program has not been changed since......
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...
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...
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,...
Aftermarket lithium-ion power tool battery packs: Are they worth it?
You've got a cordless power tool or two. And that means you've got some over-priced Li-ion battery packs to run them. What about cheaper aftermarket packs? Are they good? Are they crap? Are they worth it? Find out in this action-packed video......
Windows 10 Creators Update: A few things you need to know
By now you've probably heard that the latest version of Windows 10, the Creators Update, was released to the masses on Tuesday, April 11, 2017. This update is officially known as version 1703, which is supposed to represent 2017 March... And that explains why it was...
Choosing ethernet cables for maximum speed
I was reading a French forum recently, and the folks there were discussing their 1 gigabit fiber internet connections. Lucky them! Someone posted and remarked that his download speeds were nowhere near 1 Gbps, but more like 80 Mbps. He then asked if his ethernet cable...