Electronics and technology blog    /    Page 50

A while ago, a friend asked me to help him buy components for a scrolling text display, which he wanted to use to spruce up his little shop. We'd only ever seen them at other places, so we started figuring out how to put one together. We picked what we wanted, I placed the order, got everything, and decided to try it out at home first. There'll be an inspection, a teardown, and some tinkering with various bits of hardware—as usual :)

I got my hands on a small TV box, but this one isn't based on the usual Amlogic chip. Instead, it uses a Rockchip, which has become less common lately. I came across it by chance and hadn't originally planned to review it, but since I have it, I decided to give you a quick rundown. A look around, tests, teardown, conclusions—same as always.

About a year ago, I reviewed a mini PC with a built-in screen called the PIPO X9, and I really liked it. Today I'm reviewing the next model in this series of computers, the PIPO X10.

Not long ago, mini PCs based on the new Intel Pentium N4200 system-on-chip (SoC), built around the Apollo Lake core, were announced. The “first swallow” has landed in my hands. I’d been waiting for it for a while, since I was eager to get my hands on the new hardware :) Let’s test it, take it apart, and compare it with other mini PCs.

Not long ago, I wrote a review of TrustFire 14500 and 18350 batteries. At the time, I also mentioned that I’d ordered another size, but it had gotten stuck somewhere in transit. The batteries I ordered arrived recently, so I decided to put together a quick mini-review of them.

And now a mini PC based on the new and yet already familiar x5-Z8350 SoC has landed in my hands. It’s new because it was released relatively recently, and already familiar because processors based on this core have been in production for almost a year and a half. I’ll say right away that this computer had a few surprises in store. But let’s take it one step at a time: we’ll inspect it, test it, open it up, and see if we can improve it.

This is the kind of product I'd put in the “saw it, wanted it, bought it” category. That's exactly what I did when I spotted it about a month ago. I already have a similar little enclosure and use it quite a lot, but after getting another hard drive, I thought it would be a good idea to make backups of backups of particularly important data. There's not much to take apart or test here, so this will be more of an extended photo show-off :)

Some time ago, a friend asked me to write a review of one of his products. Yes, don't be surprised, it happens :) And now I've finally gotten around to reviewing it. Unfortunately, links to some of the products are no longer active, but I think the review will still help you figure out what’s what.

In May, I wrote a review of the budget Doogee X5 MAX smartphone. More than six months have passed since then, and now I have another “test subject” from the same company. I’ve been using my X5 all this time, so in this review I won’t be able to avoid comparing the two devices, even though they belong to different price ranges. Anyway, if you’re interested in the inspection, tests, and teardown, read on.

I recently got some batteries from one of the “well-known” brands called TrustFire, so I decided to put together a short review. Inspection, tests, conclusions.

Yes, it's another smartphone, this time a new model called CHEETAH 2 from Cubot. As always, the phone has its own quirks and nuances, but I'll take it apart and test it just like all the others.

Last time, I explained how to properly convert a battery pack for a cordless power tool. I also mentioned that I’d cover the specifics of charging, and this time I’ll be reviewing a DC-DC converter board. If you’re interested, come on in.

I can't say I use a programmer very often, but sometimes I have to. So when I moved to a new computer, I ran into a problem: my old programmers wouldn't work with it. That's why I bought a more modern one that doesn't need a COM or LPT port. There are already reviews of this device here, so mine will be more of a brief photo showcase, along with a little history of programmers.

Today I’m going to talk about a small upgrade to my home network. The upgrade involved replacing my old router with a newer, faster one. For a number of reasons, this review will focus more on the router’s internals and software than on speed and performance tests.

This TV box is much like its siblings under the hood, but looks quite different. That’s why I decided to buy one and give it a try. As always, below the fold: a look around, a teardown, and a few tests.

Since I’ve reviewed quite a few batteries and also mentioned rebuilding cordless power tools, I often get private messages asking about various details of these conversions. People ask all sorts of questions, and they’re often much the same, so I decided to put together a short overview and answer some common questions about choosing components and rebuilding batteries.

A few months ago, I published a review of a small engraving machine. In that review, I pointed out the design flaws and mentioned that I planned to fix them. In this review, I’ll cover the parts for the machine, add a little theory, and show the upgrade process.

I get asked about various video surveillance systems in private messages quite often. The questions vary, but I’ve noticed that most of them boil down to explaining the basics. People also ask for help choosing an inexpensive, simple system for a summer house, a private home, or a small shop. For this review, I picked a basic kit and will use it to explain what’s what and what you need it for.