Why recycle your used electronics?
Every two years or so we get new phones. Every five years, new computers. Every ten years, new TVs. Within the last decade, we’ve been asked not to just throw the old ones out, but to…
Read MoreJune 2017
THE RUMOR MILL: You shouldn’t buy DIRECTV equipment online?
We’re here to set the record straight. You might have heard or read on other sites that you shouldn’t buy satellite equipment online. You might have heard about people shelling out hundreds of dollars on…
NICE AND EASY: Can you replace parts inside a DIRECTV receiver?
You can’t do that. I know it might be tempting to open up that DIRECTV receiver and put in a bigger hard drive, swap out the power supply, or otherwise tinker with it, but you…
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK: SM-19 Wind Meter
Pocket sized cool. It doesn’t matter if you’re a pilot, meteorologist or just a hobbyist, you’ll love the Skymate SM-19 Wind Meter. This little device proves just by its very existence that you can’t do 100% of everything…
Can you use a DIRECTV splitter to split an antenna line?
Yeah, kinda, but you shouldn’t. First of all, using a DIRECTV splitter for an antenna is really a waste of money. Antenna splitters just don’t need to be built to the level of quality that DIRECTV…
Best of the Blog 2016, Volume 9
There’s some good stuff to see as we round the corner into fall.
STREAMING SATURDAY: Netflix Releases Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Show for Kids
Netflix recently released its first choose-your-own-adventure show. Will the wonders of streaming ever cease? On June 20, 2017, Netflix released Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale. This is an interactive choose-your-own-adventure tale featuring Disney’s…
SyFy channel changes it logo to something more prison-like
This is the new branding for SYFY the channel once known as SciFi. I’m still not 100% sure why they changed the name to something that isn’t a word, but it probably has something to do…
FUN FRIDAY: Wait, Cars really ARE people?
In last week’s Fun Friday, I put forth the (not completely original) speculation that the universe of the Cars movies only makes sense if you believe that cars have people living inside them who can never get out. It…
What is “POTS” (referring to telephones)?
Yeah, also the things in the picture. Good job smart guy. “POTS” is a retronym. OK, let me back up. A “retronym” is a new word you use to describe something old. Like, you used to…
What is “twisted pair” cable and why is it important?
It’s everywhere. Twisted pair cable is used for every network wire in your home or office. It’s easy to understand why twisted pair cable is when you look at it — it’s one cable made up…
THROWBACK THURSDAY: Old Hard Drives
The day of the mechanical hard drive is almost over. Truth is, no one really wants one, which is why you can get incredibly massive ones so cheaply. I mean, one terabyte for $50? I remember…
Will a name change save Viacom?
Earlier this year, Viacom announced that the Spike channel would be rebranded as “The Paramount Network.” This is of course, not to be confused with the “United Paramount Network” or UPN, a broadcast network from the…
Twin Peaks bombs? No, it’s Nielsen who is bombing
Is the new version of Twin Peaks a success or a failure? Much like the show itself, it’s hard to tell what’s real. An unusually insightful article in Buzzfeed lays out the arguments, but doesn’t get to the real heart of…
What is a “guest network?”
If you have any techie friends, they probably have them. A guest network is essentially a way to connect to someone’s Wi-Fi without them giving you access to any of their computers. It’s a polite way…