Electronics and technology blog    /    Page 57

Today I’ll write not only about a product I tested, but also about how sometimes you plan one thing and, for some reason, end up with something completely different. Anyway, if you’re interested, read on.

Many people are already used to computers constantly getting smaller. So when I saw this tiny computer, I immediately wanted to get one to review. Especially since people had already asked me whether I’d tried it. Now I can confidently say that I have—and not only tried it, but also taken it apart and modified it, because this computer turned out to have a mind of its own. Anyway, if you’re interested in my whole saga, read on.

In April, I reviewed a pretty interesting, well-made 12 V power supply. I was really impressed by its value for money. But people asked in the comments and later in private messages about the same power supply, but with a 24 V output. With this review, I'll try to answer that request and show you what it's like.

After seeing that the girls had even started adding lighting to the kitchen, I decided to put my soldering iron aside too and write a counter-review of a product that's unusual for me: a women's handbag. Handbags come in all shapes and sizes—big and small, white and black, green and blue, with long or short handles—but a handbag is almost always an essential accessory for women. And there's no need to mention that different seasons and outfits call for different handbags. So, as always: a look around, some photos, and a bit of tweaking :)

Many of you are probably familiar with this situation: at the worst possible moment, your camera (and plenty of other devices) says, “Battery depleted”—and it doesn’t care that you only have a couple of shots left to take. Batteries usually come in genuine and clone versions; this review is about the latter.

It all started when the power supply for my old tablet began acting up, so I decided to find a replacement. I found one with the familiar plug and a non-detachable cable. I’ll probably repair the old power supply—I’ve already thought of a use for it—and today I’ll try testing the new one.

This is the fourth article in a series about building a rather specialized device: a powerful electronic load. I’d been planning to publish it for a long time, but somehow never got around to finishing the device.

Since reviews of mini PCs have been appearing fairly often, I decided to write a somewhat expanded review of this kind of device. I decided to expand it by looking at a possible use for this mini PC. Since I often have to work with video surveillance systems, I'll focus the review in that direction. But first things first; let's stick to tradition.

Yes, you read that right: I’ve already reviewed these batteries, including putting them to use. But this review is different from the previous one. I’ll also answer some questions that readers often ask about products received for review. Anyway, if you’re interested, the rest is as always below the fold.

My regular readers know that I work with video surveillance systems. Since everyone is now switching to IP camera systems, simply having a TV is no longer enough to configure them. I thought it would be convenient to set up these cameras using a tablet, but tablets usually don't have a port for connecting a standard network cable. I thought I could solve this problem with a microUSB-LAN adapter. And I would have, too, but things didn't go quite as smoothly as I'd hoped. More after the jump.

I needed some powerful MOSFETs for one of my future projects. Of course, I could have bought them locally, but they cost almost three times as much here as they do in China. Since counterfeits are sometimes a possibility, and I could get them for a review, I decided to give them a try and test them while I was at it. There won't be any teardown, but there will be a build :)

Many DIYers have probably often found themselves needing a rotary tool for their projects. I use a small homemade drill, but I’ve often seen others use a Dremel or one of its clones. It looked convenient, but I wanted something a bit more powerful with a standard chuck. I spotted something similar in a well-known store and managed to get one for review. Well, let’s take a look at the outside and poke around inside a little to see whether it’s worth it.

With this review, I'm bringing my quest to get USB 3.0 working at home to a close. I use a USB hub all the time at home, and as the amount of data grows, I'd like to increase the transfer speed too. As always, the review, teardown, analysis, and conclusions are below the fold.

Since my work involves computers quite a bit, I'm interested in all sorts of unusual computer gadgets. Not long ago, I learned about an interesting device: a graphics card that connects to a computer's USB port. As soon as I got the chance to review one, I jumped at it. As usual, I'll take a look, take it apart, and test it.

Not long ago, I posted a review of a hard drive enclosure. Since it already had a USB 3.0 interface, while my home computer still only had USB 2.0, I decided to give my old computer a bit of an upgrade. From what I’ve gathered, Orico is something of a brand in the computer accessories world, so I decided to see what this Chinese brand was all about.

This time, I’m reviewing a rather controversial device. The manufacturer tried to please supporters of two different user groups at once and put an end to the Windows vs. Android flame war. The solution was a dual-boot device: a mini PC that runs both operating systems (well, almost). If you’re interested, read on.

It’s not uncommon to have an unused 2.5-inch hard drive lying around. For example, after upgrading to a larger one. You can put the old drive on a shelf, or pop it into an enclosure and get a fast “flash drive” with a pretty decent capacity. This is a review of an external hard drive enclosure.

The batteries at home started multiplying unexpectedly, and since I also needed to test quite a few of them, I decided to get a charger with a capacity measurement function. But buying the well-known Opus, Soshine, or iMax would have been too obvious, so I decided to try a charger that few people have heard of. As always, the rest of the story is below the fold.