Electronics and technology blog    /    Materials for April 2017 year

I was offered the chance to try out a product that was unusual for me: a robot vacuum. Since I really like all kinds of automated devices, I couldn't turn it down, so here you are reading this review. A vacuum cleaner is certainly useful, but in this case I was more interested in it as an automated device. Still, as always, although the main focus today will be taking it apart.

At the beginning of the year, I wrote about a rather interesting computer based on Intel's new Pentium N4200 processor with Apollo Lake cores. Almost everything about that computer was interesting, but it had some drawbacks, such as noise. This time, Beelink decided to take a shot at it, releasing a fanless model with the same processor. Did they succeed? Find out in this review.

Finding—or, more precisely, locating—wires and rebar inside walls is very useful when doing repairs or installing various equipment. This review is about one such tool. It’s quite specialized, but still useful.

A short video about power supply output filters.

I was offered the chance to take a look at a TV box based on a new SoC from RockChip, and I couldn't say no. If you're interested in a closer look, teardown, tests, and a few conclusions, read on.

I’ve already reviewed a DIY engraver with a 2.5-Watt laser. As it happened, I got my hands on a similar engraver, but four times more powerful, though it does have a few quirks of its own. Everything about the engraver and its quirks, as always, after the jump.

It all started when I decided to make a video about power supply filters and what they do. I gave it a try, but realized the topic was too big to cover in a single video, so I ended up splitting it into two parts. The first part is about the input mains filter.

A new release for this year has landed in my hands: a TV box based on RockChip's new RK3399 SoC. Let's just say I "happened to come across it", but I couldn't resist taking a closer look—especially since mine came in what you might call the "top-of-the-line configuration": 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of flash storage. Anyway, if you're interested in the teardown, a closer look, and a few tests, read on :)

I'll post links to documentation for various components in this thread. For now, it'll be a bit of everything; later, I plan to sort it by application.

A real-world example of using a linear regulator to build a switching converter.

Just a general look at and comparison of various power supplies, as well as devices for testing them.

My first video review—in this case, a look at and teardown of the ezcap284 video capture device. I decided to tell you about it and show you what this device looks like in real life.

Last year I reviewed the Cubot Rainbow smartphone, and now I was offered an updated model. I was simply curious whether anything had changed, and if so, in what direction. In this review, you can take a look at the phone itself, find out how it differs from its predecessor, and see a comparative test of battery capacity when charging via USB and when measured “separately.”

Not long ago, a manager from a store I hadn’t heard of before contacted me about reviewing one of their products. When I started looking through their offerings for anything interesting, I happened to come across a rather useful device in the TV box section—at least for me—so I decided to get one for testing. Details, a closer look, teardown, and testing as always after the jump.