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A few times in the comments, and later in private messages, people asked me to review power supplies with a specific voltage. I replied that I’d try to get hold of some for review and testing. Today I’m reviewing a 5 V power supply. But simply reviewing it would be rather boring, so this time I’ll try to explain what the different components in a power supply do and what to look for when choosing one.

Since I’ve touched on soldering in my reviews, I’ll use this one to talk a little about the radio amateur’s most important tool: the soldering iron. This review won’t actually be about soldering itself—that will probably be the subject of another review. Here, I’ll talk a little about soldering irons themselves.

I recently reviewed another kit, and today I'm continuing my short series of reviews of various DIY projects for beginner radio enthusiasts. I'll say right away: this is certainly no Tektronix, or even a DS203, but it's an interesting little gadget in its own way, even if it's basically a toy. Usually, before testing something, I take it apart first. This time, I have to assemble it :)

Many of you already know that I have a soft spot for all kinds of power supplies. This review is two in one: this time, I’ll be looking at an electronics kit for building the core of a bench power supply, as well as a real-world implementation of it. A heads-up: there’ll be lots of photos and text, so stock up on coffee :)

Recently I posted a review of a decent TV box. I originally picked out a wireless keyboard to go with it and even planned to include it in the TV box review, but then decided to write about it separately. So, the usual routine: photos of the outside and inside, plus my review of how it works.

In my previous power supply review, I mentioned that I had ordered two units to review. Today, I'll tell you about the second one. It's interesting in its own way and well made, but it does have some drawbacks. As always, all the details are below the fold.

Taking a short break from Windows mini PCs and all kinds of power supplies, I ordered a rather interesting TV box to review. Well, interesting at least in my opinion. Find the main differences, photos of the inside and outside, and a short demo of it in action below :)

Since I've been working with various power supplies for a long time, I can often tell how good one is just “from a photo.” That was the case this time too: I ordered a couple that looked pretty good to test. So far, my intuition seems to have been right. As always, more after the jump :)

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.