Technology Connections
(2015)Streaming Episode Guide
2019
Film: the reason some of the past was in HD
Episode 28 - 12-22-2019
♫ last Christmas, I shot it on film ♫
♫ but the very next year, I switched it to tape ♫
♫ this year, to save me from tears ♫
♫ I’ll just go and shoot in 4K ♫
Haven't Seen
One more thing: the VHS notch
Episode 27 - 11-18-2019
This is not the same video you watched previously. I promise. It’s a whole new video.
Haven't Seen
Klaxons; What makes them sound like that?
Episode 26 - 11-27-2019
ahOOOOOga! All aboard the HONK HONK express! We're gonna learn a few things about horns and then probably there will be bloopers or something.
Haven't Seen
LED color experiments 2019; Beyond the Sharpie
Episode 25 - 11-17-2019
Yeah, so if you're new here, this is a thing that happens because I'm a curmudgeon about holiday lighting. Let's see what this year brings!
Haven't Seen
The VHS cassette was more clever than Beta
Episode 24 - 11-08-2019
“Oh nooo! Betah!”
In this video, we discuss the endlessly discussed rivalry betwixt the Victorious VHS and the Bent-outa-shape Beta, but from an entirely new angle!
Haven't Seen
RCA's CED failed; their history can tell us why (Pt. 3)
Episode 23 - 10-29-2019
Part three! It’s here! Huzzah! Let’s learn about what happened in the history of RCA that led up to the eventual failure of the CED.
Haven't Seen
The VFD that isn't
Episode 22 - 10-18-2019
Wouldn’t it be nice if VFDs made a resurgence? Just put VFDs on everything, already! Make VFDs the new “blockchain” or “neural networks” or whatever. Priorities, people!
Haven't Seen
LCCS: The LCD / CRT Hybrid from JVC
Episode 21 - 9-30-2019
So. Ya want color, eh? But you don’t want any of them dots or stripes? We can do that.
Haven't Seen
The CED: No really, it coulda made sense! (Part 2)
Episode 20 - 9-21-2019
It’s seriously not that crazy of an idea. RCA might have pulled this off in a couple of ways, and in this video we explore those new angles.
Haven't Seen
The CED: RCA's Very Late, Very Weird Video Gamble (Pt. 1)
Episode 19 - 9-10-2019
Bring the magic home… with RCA! Please? We really want you to buy this. Please. Buy it now. Right now. It’ll be great.
Haven't Seen
The Weird World in RGB
Episode 18 - 8-28-2019
Have you ever wondered why the word looks so weird? Wait. Weird as in, like, all the time? Of course! We live in a weird world! But light, though! What about weird light? Ahhh, that's what this video is all about.
This is the strangest vid. description I've written in a while. Cool.
Haven't Seen
Switches are Clicky; Here's Why
Episode 17 - 8-11-2019
Click clack I was taken aback. Wonderin’ ‘bout those switches of light, yeah.
Let’s find out what the point is of all that clacking, shall we?
Haven't Seen
Fiber vs. Copper; What do we really need?
Episode 16 - 7-29-2019
Fiber optics. A DeLIGHTful technology. Ooh that’s a groaner. Well, why don’t we see them around more often? Let’s find out!
Haven't Seen
TOSLINK: That one consumer fiber optic standard
Episode 15 - 7-19-2019
Well. Isn’t that strange. Digital data through fiber optics, and in the home no less! Let’s explore this a little, shall we?
Haven't Seen
The Best Easy Way to Capture Analog Video (it's a little weird)
Episode 14 - 7-06-2019
After much annoyance dealing with fiddly capturing methods, I thought I’d show you the method I stumbled upon that works amazingly well, is fairly cheap, and awfully easy. I’ve been thrilled with it, and I think you’ll be too.
Haven't Seen
Portable Air Conditioners - Why you shouldn't like them
Episode 13 - 6-15-2019
Oh no. It’s a new version of a well-established product that trades efficiency for convenience. But this time, it’s more than just being cool. It’s about cooling.
Seriously, either we need to get more awareness of how dumb single-hose portable A/C units are, or we need to just use window units whenever possible. While I know that there are times a portable unit is the only option (remember, I’m in that boat), it seems that only very high capacity, premium machines have the facility to use two hoses. Which is frankly stupid but then again that’s what I’m trying to tell you now.
Haven't Seen
Automatic Record Changers: We used to like them
Episode 12 - 6-02-2019
Hmm. What were these things? Why were some record sets made to work with them? When did we decide we hated them? Was that the right call? Will I ask another question?
These are the things you’ll learn in this video, where we explore the humble record changer. Seriously. They didn’t suck!
Haven't Seen
Thermostats: Cooler than you think!
Episode 11 - 5-10-2019
Boy do I have a COOL topic for you today. We’re gonna turn up the HEAT with this one!
Haven't Seen
Flexplay: The Disposable DVD that Failed (Thankfully)
Episode 10 - 4-28-2019
Have you ever run across a cool idea that you desperately hope doesn’t catch on? Flexplay is one of those. In this video, we’ll talk about what it is, why it was crazy to think it would go anywhere, and why it’s probably a good thing it didn’t.
Haven't Seen
The Antique Toaster that's Better than Yours
Episode 9 - 4-19-2019
That title isn’t hyperbole or clickbait nonsense. This really is better than your toaster. At least, I think so. Seriously, can we make this the norm, please? If we figured it out in 1948, you’d think we woulda kept going with it. I mean, really.
Haven't Seen
E-Ink on Android, and other new things!
Episode 8 - 4-09-2019
Big things are coming soon. In some ways, they already have!
Haven't Seen
Exploring the World of E-Ink
Episode 7 - 3-30-2019
It’s ink. But better!
Haven't Seen
The Electromagnet in Your Toaster
Episode 6 - 3-15-2019
Ya ever wonder about what’s in a toaster? No? Well, too bad ‘cause you’re gonna find out right now!
Haven't Seen
The Story of Disney's PeopleMover in Texas
Episode 5 - 2-26-2019
This is the fun, weird, and surprisingly complicated story of Disney’s PeopleMover attraction and how it ended up somewhere unexpected. And maybe even somewhere *really* unexpected!
Haven't Seen
Space Heater Nonsense
Episode 4 - 2-13-2019
Unless my understanding of the universe is deeply flawed, something about space heaters just doesn’t add up. In this video, I talk about that.
Haven't Seen
The Time-Lapse VCR
Episode 3 - 2-04-2019
Analog video and frame-by-frame review don’t usually go nicely together (unless of course you’ve got a CAV Laserdisc onhand). So how did security camera systems stretch the normal recording time of VHS from a couple of hours to upwards of a week? Why, with ingenuity of course! Watch this video and find out the juicy secrets!
Haven't Seen
The Odd History of the SD Logo
Episode 2 - 1-21-2019
So, what’s the deal with the D? Why is it all, disclike? Last I checked, SD cards weren’t any sort of disc. What’s going on? In this video, we find out.
Haven't Seen
DVD-RAM: The Disc that Behaved like a Flash Drive
Episode 1 - 1-11-2019
DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW ain’t got nothin’ on my man RAM. Oh yes, DVD-RAM, the format of mild obscurity which seems like it should have been friggin huge. Alas, it was but mildly useful.
Haven't Seen
2018
The Superheterodyne Radio: No really, that's its name
Episode 38 - 12-25-2018
The superheterodyne receiver may seem like a radio with a silly name, but in fact it’s a completely logical name that describes the key action these radios take to become excellent radios. The superhet solved a tricky problem in a clever way, and using our friend Algebra (as well as wave phenomena) proved to be the most effective way of tuning in a radio signal.
Haven't Seen
Closed Captioning: More Ingenious than You Know
Episode 37 - 12-12-2018
Over the years I’ve found that there are plenty of people who use captions, not just those who need them. But did you know that it took until the 1970’s for anyone to think of putting captions on TV? I can sort of understand that, since captions might be annoying if you don’t want them, but closed captioning would save the day and provide access to all, but only when needed.
Haven't Seen
LED Experiments: Making Holiday Lights Less Garish
Episode 36 - 11-26-2018
How could I forget about the hmm-hmm light experiments? And/or; holy hard drives it’s already Decemberween? My how the year has passed in a flash. Just like these lights! HA!
Yeah, so here’s the thing--I owed you this video. And honestly, the results were great! I have some more work to do (assuming no one listens to my plea toward the end) but now I know that what I want is at least vaguely possible.
Haven't Seen
LightScribe: HP's Clever Twist on the CD Burner
Episode 35 - 11-10-2018
I remember when LightScribe was first marketed, and let me tell you I thought it was *the* *coolest* *thing* to ever happen. Burning labels with lasers? No way! Well, it worked amazingly well. LightScribe wasn’t without its flaws, though, and in this video we’ll discuss a bit of its history, how it worked, and why it wasn’t a runaway success.
Haven't Seen
The Ubiquitous Sound That You May Have Never Noticed
Episode 34 - 10-26-2018
Ya know, I just love learning about the everyday things in our world that are meant to make life a little more accessible to those with disabilities. This video is about a small (but nearly universal) thing that elevators do to make life just a bit easier for the blind and visually impaired.
Haven't Seen
CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, Books of Red, Blue, Purple, Beige, Orange, Scarlet...
Episode 33 - 10-19-2018
The time has come. What was once just a replacement for big black frisbees of sprially wavey soundy sounds has matured into a versatile, ubiquitous data storage solution. Would you look at that, progress on a disc! But that wasn’t all; many colors of books were published (neato, wouldn’t ya say?) and the disc went from a-thing-you-buy-with-stuff-on-it to a disc that you can put your VERY OWN stuff on it! Radical! And here’s some of that story.
Haven't Seen
TC Projects: Lead-Acid Battery Backup
Episode 32 - 10-09-2018
Sometimes life throws curveballs. But rather than just get hit in the face, why not do something about them? This video is a mishmash of a project, some insight on Lead-Acid Battery technology, inverters, and applications. A bit different you might say from TC’s normal stuff, but what’s life without a little variety?
*There are definitely different ways to charge lead-acid batteries, with different strategies optimized for different results. However, for general 12V applications, a large battery and a slow-ish charger for a car battery will be an A-OK combo.
Haven't Seen
CDs: More to Talk About (Sony vs. Philips)
Episode 31 - 9-28-2018
Well, it’s time to answer that question that’s been burning in your minds. There’s lots of good stuff down here, so please to expand it to see!
Haven't Seen
An Oscilloscope Bonus: 20+ Minutes of Poking Around a CD player
Episode 30 - 9-28-2018
This video is a supplement to the latest "real" video from this channel. There was a lot of interesting stuff here that got cut, so if this is the sort of thing you like--sit back and relax as you watch this loosely edited, not-at-all planned video.
Haven't Seen
LED Printers: The Common Printing Tech You Haven't Heard Of
Episode 29 - 9-19-2018
If you’re among the 85%* of people who don’t know what an LED printer is, then prepare to have your mind mildly blown as I tell you about the common printer tech that may in fact by lurking in your home or office, but which you’ve been mistakenly referring to as a laser printer. *gasp*
Haven't Seen
Dissecting the CD Player: How to Turn Shiny Plastic into Music
Episode 28 - 9-06-2018
Did you ever want to know a little more about the nuts and bolts inside a CD player? No? Well I’m afraid you’ll have to pick another video because that’s exactly what this one is! In it, I start with a taken-apart Magnavox CDB 260, and we examine what all the parts do, how they fit together, and how they work together to turn pits and lands on a plastic disc into your favorite electrosynthamagnetic musical sounds.
Haven't Seen
The Compact Disc: An Introduction
Episode 27 - 8-26-2018
The Compact Disc. Just, like, radical man. Lasers making the music? What will the technology wizards think of next?
In this video we take a first look at the compact disc and its underlying encoding. Soon we’ll be looking more into CD players and their laser pickup systems, so be sure to subscribe if you haven’t already!
Haven't Seen
The GFCI/RCD: A Simple but Life-Saving Protector
Episode 26 - 8-17-2018
These devices are a common sight in homes and businesses around the US and around the world. But what are they for? Why do we need them? This video explores the life-saving potential of the GFCI (known alias: RCD) and explains how they work.
Haven't Seen
Nyquist-Shannon; The Backbone of Digital Sound
Episode 25 - 8-10-2018
Let’s talk a bit more about digital sound. Thanks to a mathematical theorem, we know that a bandlimited signal can perfectly be represented by a series of discrete samples that occur at twice the rate of the frequency of the bandlimit. OK, that’s hard to explain in a little descroption blurb, so the video is probably your best bet.
Haven't Seen
Sound By Numbers: The Rise of Digital Sound
Episode 24 - 7-25-2018
These days, listening to music on the analog formats of old has seen a massive resurgence. Whether it’s cassettes or vinyl, it seems analog is in and mp3’s are out. But digital sound is pretty freaking neat! This video discusses how it works and is the launching point for this, the final videos on sound reproduction.
Haven't Seen
The Senseless Ambiguity of North American Turn Signals
Episode 23 - 7-14-2018
There are studies linked below that demonstrate a tangible safety benefit of amber turn signals. You might want to check them out. Though it might be small, the benefit is demonstrably there.
This has always bugged me, and no one talks about it. Our automotive lighting regulations in North America are stupid when it comes to tail lights. This video is about what is stupid, why it’s stupid, and what we could do about it.
Haven't Seen
Betamovie: Sony's Terrible (But Ingenious) Camcorder
Episode 22 - 7-03-2018
Oh man, did this not go well for Sony. Sometimes clever engineering can really backfire, as was the case for Betamovie. Let’s learn a bit about it.
Haven't Seen
The Most Common EV Charging Misconception
Episode 21 - 6-27-2018
We need to talk about private home charging more than we do. 99% of our charging infrastructure already exists, and this is something that absolutely needs to be communicated and not enough people are doing. Here is my attempt.
In short, no matter if it's a Chevy Volt, Bolt EV, Nissan Leaf, or any of Tesla's cars, you will most likely be charging it at home. It's the cheapest and easiest way to do it--creating your own charging infrastructure.
Haven't Seen
The Not-So-Secret Secret Elevators of the Haunted Mansion
Episode 20 - 6-25-2018
Is this haunted room actually stretching? The answer may surprise you! (barf)
The stretching rooms at the Haunted Mansion are perhaps my favorite piece of hidden engineering at the Disney Parks. While only the Anaheim and Paris versions function in the fashion described in this video, it is still a neat effect regardless of how it’s done.
Haven't Seen
The LED's Challenge to High Pressure Sodium
Episode 19 - 6-19-2018
Now that we know why street lights are orange, let’s look at whether or not they should still be so. The answer isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. Although newer technology seems to surpass HPS in nearly all respects, there are still considerations to be made.
Haven't Seen
The High Pressure Sodium Light: Ubiquitous, effective, but good?
Episode 18 - 6-04-2018
Ever wonder why street lights are orange? For such a fast-paced world technology-wise, it seems somewhat odd that we are still using such a strange color of light for outdoor lighting. Well it turns out it is still a pretty good light source, though with limited use and perhaps a not-so-obvious flaw.
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Chevy Bolt EV Summer Range Test
Episode 17 - 5-31-2018
Come with me as I take the Chevy Bolt EV through 183 miles of summertime driving. It was really hot out and most of the drive was spent at 70 miles per hour, but the car still did pretty well.
Haven't Seen
MUSE Hi-Vision Laserdisc: The Blu-ray of 1994
Episode 16 - 5-29-2018
1080i in 1994. Wow. Really, perhaps as early as 1993, but it seems the first player was released in 1994. Anyway, what better way to end the saga on Laserdisc than by talking about MUSE Hi-Vision discs. And some other stuff, too!
Haven't Seen
Macrovision: The Copy Protection in VHS
Episode 15 - 5-22-2018
Did you ever try to copy one VHS tape to another and find that it just, well, didn’t work? Macrovision was the clever creation of what is now TiVo that managed to confuse a VCR without causing too much distress to a TV. In this video, we find out what it is, how to spot it, and how it works (with a healthy dose of speculation).
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The LED Traffic Light and the Danger of "But Sometimes!"
Episode 14 - 5-14-2018
Around the mid-2000’s, the LED traffic light began making its way onto the scene. Recent developments in LED technology meant that energy efficient replacements for the standard incandescent lamp were beginning to appear. Municipalities rejoiced with the energy savings they provided, but in cold climates they weren’t met with quite as warm a welcome. Not producing sufficient heat to melt snow on their lenses, some drivers became confused by ambiguous signals and caused fatal accidents.
This video tells the tale of why this newfound “problem” generated harsh criticism to the new technology, and explains why this reaction is entirely dumb and regressive.
Haven't Seen
The Weird Typewriter-Computer Hybrid: Smith Corona PWP-3200
Episode 13 - 5-06-2018
In this very chill and laid back video, we take a look at the Smith Corona PWP-3200, a word processing typewriter from the early 1990's. There were a number of products like this available, and while they are an interesting bit of technological history, they are really strange.
Haven't Seen
These Are Not Pixels: Revisited
Episode 12 - 4-22-2018
When I first made a video on analog color television, the thumbnail I created (and its explanation) caused nearly endless debate. I thought I'd try and clear this up a bit.
Haven't Seen
The CD Player with a Robot Inside: Pioneer CLD-M301
Episode 11 - 4-03-2018
Sometimes, a company in Japan decides they're gonna give it all they got, and the result is a wacky machine like this. Pioneer, the company that brought you pretty much everything to do with Laserdisc, designed this wonderful series of machines which are both single side Laserdisc players and 5 disc CD changers. Due to the limitations of the Laserdisc format, a rather robotic solution was needed to do the job.
Haven't Seen
Sony's Clever but Flawed PlayStation Copy Protection--And How They Might Have Fixed It
Episode 10 - 3-25-2018
The original PlayStation is a pretty neat thing. Using the CD as a storage medium was a smart move. But, Sony needed to add anti-piracy features to the disc to prevent miscreants from making bootleg copies of Crash Bandicoot. This video tells the story of how that works, why it wasn’t infallible, and also proposes a potentially impervious solution (24 years late, though).
Haven't Seen
DVD: The Death Knell of Laserdisc
Episode 9 - 3-18-2018
Well, it had a good run. Although Laserdisc could never really get off the ground, it had a reasonable showing in the high end video market. Intended as a mass market product, Laserdisc would never get there.
But DVD... well that's a whole other story. In 7 or 8 years, DVD went from being introduced to being everywhere, and it is still selling pretty well in the face of streaming services such as Netflix. Just how long DVD can cling to life remains to be seen, but you can still stroll on into any big box store and pick up a DVD player and some movies to go with it.
This video tells how DVD got started, and why it was able to succeed where Laserdisc failed.
Haven't Seen
A Short Project Involving LEDs, a Fish Tank, and some Laziness
Episode 8 - 3-05-2018
Have you ever needed to light your fish tank with Chinese LEDs? No? Well, here's how. I'm sure the information will be incredibly useful. In any case, maybe you'll learn about how to use these new-fangled diodes of light.
Haven't Seen
Faking It: The Obviously Dubbed Telephone Ring
Episode 7 - 2-26-2018
If you lived in North America any time in the 20th century, you probably ran across one of these telephones. The Western Electric Model 500 and its subsequent variants were so ubiquitous that you almost couldn't go anywhere without seeing one, especially in the United States where it was standard equipment from the phone company.
Even if you're not American, if you've seen any of our movies, you'll have seen this phone, too. A literal fixture of American life, this phone was inescapable. But its ubiquity also caused some filmmakers or TV show producers to get a little lazy. This video tells that story.
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Laserdisc: Features, Follies, & Evolution
Episode 6 - 2-17-2018
While Laserdisc certainly wasn’t the most successful format, it was among the most interesting. This video explores the evolution and features of the format, with a wide variety of sample clips.
Haven't Seen
Chevy Bolt EV: Winter Range and Performance (Chicago winter)
Episode 5 - 2-26-2018
Nothing zaps the range of an EV quite like winter. But how bad is it? Join me on a few trips with a Chevy Bolt EV, and we'll find out.
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Laserdisc's Failure: What Went Wrong
Episode 4 - 2-06-2018
Laserdisc didn't have an easy start. In this video, we take a look at the first few years of Laserdisc's existence. Though many articles or videos talking about Laserdisc will blame the high cost of discs and the inability to record, those problems are only partially to blame.
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Thrift Store Hi-Fi: Some tips and tricks
Episode 3 - 1-30-2018
These days, it seems everyone wants the latest and greatest equipment for the audio needs. But there's a lot of fantastic hardware you can find in thrift stores and enjoy today. I've found that with a little patience, you can find true high fidelity speakers from the best brands, and though they may need some TLC, I think the results are worth it.
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Laserdisc: An Introduction
Episode 2 - 1-23-2018
Laserdisc seems to get a lot of retro cred these days. It gets featured as a technical oddity, but from today’s perspective, it might seem strange that it didn’t become the de-facto standard. Boasting many of the same features as the modern DVD, you would think it couldn’t possibly have received the cold reception it did. In this series of videos, we’ll find out why.
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Roller Coaster Safety: How to Manage Too Many Trains at Once
Episode 1 - 1-08-2018
Roller coasters are pretty neat, I must say. But they rely on passive vehicles holding fragile humans while zooming around at high speeds. That can be a tough thing to manage safely, but it's not impossible. This video shows you a few ways it's done.
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2017
Trinitron: Sony's Once Unbeatable Product
Episode 18 - 12-30-2017
Throughout much of the analog television era, Sony was the fairly undisputed king of TVs. Their Trinitron picture tube was a universally well received technology and made a number of important improvements on the standard color picture tube. This is the story of its creation.
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Analog Color TV Wrap-Up--Some extra info
Episode 17 - 12-22-2017
In this installment on analog color television, we take a look at some odds-and-ends from the last video. Sit back, relax, and enjoy an eclectic jaunt into the realm of shadow masks, dubious inventions, weird mathematics, and more.
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Compatible Color: The Ultimate Three-For-One Special
Episode 16 - 12-15-2017
RCA's attempt at creating a new color television standard that would be compatible with existing black and white TVs initially faced technical challenges. However, it was an obviously great idea from a backward compatibility standpoint, and the National Television Systems Committee latched onto this idea and helped to propel RCA's idea to the real world. This is that story.
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The Twinkling Light Set: An increasingly rare but delightful type of decorative lighting
Episode 15 - 12-03-2017
If you're anything like me, the countless light displays you'll find around the average neighborhood during the holiday season are always welcome. But there's a certain type of light set that seems to be disappearing that I certainly hope stays around a little longer. In this video, you'll learn a little bit about how fairy light sets are made, how they work, and how a particular type of light strand pulls this all together to make my far-and-away favorite kind.
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How Analog Color TV Works: The Beginnings
Episode 14 - 11-18-2017
In this video we explore how we added color to everyone's favorite passive entertainment medium. Modern color broadcasting began in 1954 after years of experimentation, and this video will teach you the early history.
Haven't Seen
Digital ICE: The High-Tech Dust Removal Found in Film Scanners
Episode 13 - 11-09-2017
In this video we explore Digital ICE, an image processing technique involving infrared light, photographic film, and a dash of algorithmic magic.
Haven't Seen
Philo Farnsworth and the Invention of Electronic Television
Episode 12 - 10-28-2017
Philo Farnsworth's Image Dissector was the heart of the first television cameras. This video tells the story of the early days of television, and shows how these early video tubes worked.
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GE's bizarre early attempt at a CFL
Episode 11 - 9-25-2017
Meet the grandfather of the compact fluorescent light. This device from GE is really interesting and ahead of its time, but far too weird to gain widespread acceptance. GE manufactured these adapters to shoehorn the standard circline tube into more everyday applications, and the result is kinda weird. This video's a quick exploration of this early attempt to bring the energy saving virtues of fluorescent lighting into the domestic arena.
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LED bulbs that flicker, and CFLs that almost never did
Episode 10 - 9-13-2017
While the CFL is pretty much done being a thing these days, it was a really great invention for saving energy. But some people claimed they caused them headaches. In this video, I explore the reason that fluorescent light can indeed cause headaches or eyestrain in sensitive people, and I explain why that wasn't an issue with the CFL. Then we explore the modern LED bulb and how it actually is bringing the cause of this flicker back.
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Mechanical Television: Incredibly simple, yet entirely bonkers
Episode 9 - 8-07-2017
John Logie Baird is often considered to be the inventor of television, but not of television as we know it. His mechanical television is a remarkable invention for its simplicity, but as you'll soon see, it would never have been all that practical.
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Lines of Light: How Analog Television Works
Episode 8 - 7-01-2017
Have you ever wondered how old-school television worked? It seems almost impossible for a device to make moving images without a computer being involved. Yet analog television is very, very old. How on Earth did it work? Find out in this video.
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Comparing Beta & VHS on Quality: Was Beta Really Better?
Episode 7 - 6-21-2017
This is a much fairer comparison than using the Panasonic unit as the VHS playback device. Many people believe that Beta was a vastly superior product to VHS, but I think this was mostly marketing prowess on Sony's part. People seemed to think that they were giving up something of quality if the went with VHS over Beta. But as this video will demonstrate, I don't think that was really the case.
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Why Sony's Beta Videotape System Failed--Part 2
Episode 6 - 6-16-2017
This is the continuing exploration of Sony's repeated missteps in the development and marketing of the Beta videotape format.
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Why Sony's Beta Videotape System Failed--and failed hard (Part 1)
Episode 5 - 6-11-2017
The late 1970's and early 1980's were a frightening time to be a video enthusiast. Two formats are duking it out and trying to assert their dominance, and although Sony was first* to market with their Betamax machine, they were caught off guard by JVC's competing VHS system which, rather than focus on pedantic details like cassette design and technical perfection, strived to make a cheap, versatile format that worked.
Haven't Seen
Stupid Design--The Needlessly Useless Webcam Activity Light
Episode 4 - 3-23-2017
We've been told that our laptops can watch us without our knowledge. That little indicator light? Worthless. Hackers can get around that. But why? There's a simple way to make sure this is impossible, which is explored in this, the very first episode, of Stupid Design.
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Furnaces: Why we still burn fuel to heat our homes
Episode 3 - 3-01-2017
Ever wonder why the gas-fired furnace is still so prevalent? Why isn't electric heat the standard? Well, wonder no more as we explore the economic and practical reasons the gas-fired furnace is so ubiquitous in colder climates, and how in the future this is almost certainly going to change.
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What is Dolby Noise Reduction? Dolby's Humble Beginning
Episode 2 - 2-07-2017
In this video we discuss the Dolby Noise Reduction systems found in consumer cassettes decks and how they work. Though technically very simple, Dolby B noise reduction provides a very effective means of reducing audible tape noise, and was ubiquitous throughout the cassette's life.
Dolby noise reduction was such an important part of their legacy that the company still pays homage to it in their logo. The "D"s in the Dolby Double D logo are really the shape of audio tape heads.
Haven't Seen
The Impossible Feat inside Your VCR
Episode 1 - 1-25-2017
These days a VCR seems more quaint than anything else. But in fact, there's a device inside every VCR that solved what seemed to be an unsolvable problem. The video head drum is a fascinating solution to the complex problem of tape speed, and therefore I think it deserves to be remembered. Plus, the video head drum shares some motor technologies with modern hard disk drives. So there's that.
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2016
Home Automation: A Beginner's Introduction
Episode 10 - 12-17-2016
In the video today we look at current home automation technologies and what's behind them. I illustrate what's involved in adding a new device to a home automation network (it's actually quite easy) as well as demonstrate how they work.
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The Dead Man's Switch: How Anton Yelchin's life could have been saved
Episode 9 - 12-02-2016
It's not hard to make things safer. But sometimes people don't think about the tools they already have. With a simple reprogramming of an engine computer and perhaps with the addition of a sensor or two, the Jeep that killed Anton Yelchin could have saved his life. If cars were able to detect that their driver had exited, accidental rolling of a car could be a thing of the past. If we're lucky, it will quickly become one.
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Exploring the good ol' Cassette Tape
Episode 8 - 6-23-2016
If you remember the cassette as sounding awful, I have news for you. They actually sound just fine. The Compact Cassette has a unique history in the world of sound, which we explore along with their attributes in this Tech Explorations video.
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Electric Vehicle Charging: It's easier than you think
Episode 7 - 4-20-2016
As more and more EV's make it onto our roadways, people start to freak out about how we're going to charge all these things. The thing is, they shouldn't. EV's are so much more efficient than their gasoline powered counterparts that they don't consume all that much electricity, in fact the size of the grid only needs to increase about 4.5% to accommodate an entirely electric commuter fleet. But people still worry about charging them. In this video, I explain why this shouldn't worry you in the slightest.
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Transistors: Making sound easier, smaller, and more efficient
Episode 6 - 4-15-2016
The technological advances that we've investigated so far have revolved around the vacuum tube. But the invention of the transistor really sparked a whole new era of sound. The advent of small circuits for sound reproduction meant that things could shrink. Tape went into cartridges. Amplifiers used less energy. And everything became more robust.
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Exploring a Reel to Reel Tape Recorder: Sony TC-366
Episode 5 - 4-08-2016
On Technology Connections, we looked at this machine briefly when we explored the invention of magnetic recording technology. Now, in long form, is a more thorough look at this machine and how it works. We start with an overview of operation, then take it apart to get a look at the inside.
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What is High Fidelity? How does Stereo work?
Episode 4 - 3-19-2016
We've come along way since the invention of the phonograph. But up to this point, artificial sound was still decidedly artificial sounding. "High fidelity" isn't really one technology, but a collection of technologies that combined to create natural sounding recordings. Similarly, stereo sound, though now completely universal, had to be introduced. This episode explores what makes a good high fidelity recording, and how stereo came to be.
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The Wind-Powered Car: Electric Vehicles and Wind Turbines
Episode 3 - 3-03-2016
From the Chevy Volt, to the Nissan Leaf, to the Tesla Model S, electric cars seem to be the way of the future. Join me as we explore a typical wind farm and discuss the potential for wind energy and electric cars. While today's electric grid propels these bastions of modern engineering with a fair bit of fossil fuel, it's clear that electric cars are pretty green and will only continue to get greener.
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Tape Recording: Taking the Electromagnet to a Whole New Level
Episode 2 - 2-13-2016
Rather than use electromagnets to cut a groove, why not use them with other magnets? By using materials that could be magnetized, the electromagnets used in the phonograph cartridge could be adapted into a magnetic recorder. This technology is still very much in use today, but in this episode of Technology Connections, we're exploring the two earliest forms of audio reproduction done with magnets: the wire recorder, and the magnetic tape recorder.
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From Radio Waves to Electric Grooves: Electrical Sound Recording
Episode 1 - 2-01-2016
Once we figured out how to amplify a signal with a vacuum tube, the possibilities became endless for the world of sound recording. In this video, we explore how the invention of radio improved the phonograph record by introducing electric recording technology.
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2015
The Vacuum Tube and the Invention of Radio
Episode 4 - 10-16-2015
In today's episode of technology connections, we take a look at the vacuum tube. This simple device had tremendous implications for sound reproduction. We explore how vacuum tubes revolutionized radio, and why they were necessary to make radio practical.
Vacuum tubes made possible the next advancements in sound technology.
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Emile Berliner's Fix: Flatten the Cylinder to a Disc
Episode 3 - 10-09-2015
Thomas Edison's cylinder phonograph was fantastic, no doubt. Can you imagine what it would've been like to hear the first artificial sound? But Edison's mind for the accurate doomed his cylinder, because the cylinder as it turns out is a really stupid shape for this sort of a thing.
Emile Berliner threw accuracy to the wind with his disc phonograph, assuming people would rather deal with an easier and cheaper phonograph than a more "scientifically correct" one. Boy was he right.
We explore Berinler's idea of storing sound in a different way on a different shape in this episode of Technology Connections.
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Edison's Impression: Laying Sound into a Groove
Episode 2 - 9-30-2015
Bell's invention, the telephone, was the first device capable of reproducing sound. But it couldn't record it. Thomas Edison's invention of the phonograph brought us the first device capable of capturing sound to be played back later.
How did Edison figure this out? By combining one of his earlier ideas with the ideas in the telephone, Edison was able to bring a revolutionary product to market (well, sort of). This week, we're exploring how Edison thought up his device.
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Bell & The Invention of Artificial Sound
Episode 1 - 9-23-2015
Alexander Graham Bell is famous for his invention of the telephone. In 1876, his device was the first ever to be able to reproduce sound. Before its invention, nothing existed capable of taking sound waves and replicating them.
Bell's invention marks the beginning of our journey through time. This series, of which this video is the first, will be taking you step-by-step through the history of sound reproduction. We begin today with the Telephone.
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