Everyday Tech
How do batteries work? How much energy is your plugged-in gadget using? How do UPC codes work? Find this out and more with Everyday Tech.
Seniors May Be As Hooked to Smartphones As Their Grandkids
Slow-Motion Video Makes People Look More Guilty, Study Shows
Ridiculous History: SHOUTY CAPS Are a Much Older Invention Than You Think
How to Use a Ring Light (Even If You're Not an Influencer)
What's the Difference Between Raw and JPEG Files?
How to Scrub Identifying Info From Your Digital Pics
Steganography: The Art of Hiding Messages in Plain Sight
We're Getting Closer to the Quantum Internet, But What Is It?
How Alan Turing and His Test Became AI Legend
People Still Use Fax Machines, But, Um, Why?
How Rolex Came to Rule the Wrist
New MIT Headset Can 'Hear' Your Thoughts and Respond
Think You Own That Online Video Game You Bought? Think Again
Run, Jump & Climb Your Way Through Our Roblox Quiz
Can You Survive Our Minecraft Quiz?
How Netflix's Password Crackdown Will Stop Moochers
How to Cancel Netflix
What's the Most-disliked Video on YouTube?
How to Cast to Roku TV
How to Download Music From YouTube
How to Factory Reset Your iPhone
They're Killing the MP3, but That's OK
How Walkie-talkies Work
7 Best Ways to Charge Your iPod Without an Outlet
How to Hide Apps on Your iPhone
6 Road Trip Apps You Need Before You Leave
What the End of 3G Service Means to You
Does Your Home Need a Whole-house Surge Protector?
Inside an Electric Motor
What’s the Difference Between LCD and LED?
Why You Still Can't Make a Cellphone Call on a Flight
5 Myths About Mark Zuckerberg
Top 5 Myths About Bill Gates
We Owe It All to Radio: The Inside Story of CES
Learn More / Page 2
Every year there's a brand new wave of hardware and software that hits the market. Some products go boom, others go bust. As 2009 drew to a close, what technological trends turned out to be the year's biggest hits?
As electronics become smaller and more functional, you can do more things with fewer devices. But is putting all that technology in one device a good idea?
Your appliances use electricity all day, whether you're there or not. Some manufacturers are helping consumers out by making their electronics more efficient.
By Dave Roos
Advertisement
Ever wonder how flat cell phone keys vibrate to let you know you've pressed a button? It's called haptics, and you can use it for lots more than just phones.
Has your storage closet turned into a gadget graveyard, where your old electronics go to die? Most people are forgoing the cell-phone cemetery and discarding their devices as e-waste.
Forget the wooden stake -- the only thing that stops this vampire is unplugging your electronics. Vampire power sucks energy at a rate that would make anyone scream in horror.
By Robert Lamb
A typical home probably has five to 10 transformers plugged into the wall at any given time. It turns out that these transformers consume power whenever they are plugged in, whether they are connected to a device or not.
Advertisement
You need a new computer, but you don't have enough cash to buy the latest model. You're perusing the classifieds looking for a used one, when you come across an ad for a refurbished laptop. What does that mean?
How about, instead of your standard AA, we used flexible, incredibly thin batteries that could be powered by blood or sweat? Seems like an improvement, right?
Unless you're particularly organized and good with those little twist ties, you probably have a few dusty power cord tangles around your home. But wireless power transmission could soon cut the clutter and lead to clean sources of electricity.
If you're lucky enough to unwrap a sweet new iPhone or Kindle Fire this year, what are you going to do with that relic you've been using up to now?
By Julia Layton
Advertisement
Lithium-ion batteries are incredibly popular these days. You can find them in laptops, PDAs, cell phones and iPods. Find out why.
You've probably used a restaurant pager, but have you taken one apart? We have -- see how it works.
By Jeff Tyson
Location tracking is one of those double-edged swords of technology. It can help find people in an emergency, but it can also make your whereabouts known to strangers. Where are these systems starting to appear?
By Kevin Bonsor
The little disposable battery testers you see on batteries or battery packages are a great example of combined technologies -- several existing technologies have been combined in a completely new way!
Advertisement
The "self-recharging" feature of a battery is most noticeable in a car battery. In some cases, you can crank the engine until the battery seems totally dead, then come back an hour later and crank it again.
Ever wonder why some appliance plugs have three prongs and others have only two? What does that third prong do? And what would happen if you plugged a three-pronger into a two-prong outlet with an adapter?
Have you ever noticed the "CE" stamped on many consumer products and electronics? Find out what this logo says about the product you're buying.
A large number of electronic devices carry "UL" marks. You can find them on everything from Christmas lights to digital camcorders. What does this logo mean?
Advertisement
Batteries power all sorts of things -- they're in our cars, our PCs, our cameras, our cell phones. How do these tiny cans of chemicals provide power for so many of our daily conveniences?