All Episodes
Technology Connections — 232 episodes · page 1 of 3
My water heater is cooler than yours
Ceiling fans: the simple idea we keep forgetting about
Nobody understands the point of hybrid cars
The disappearing and unappreciated art of audible alerts
Oil pressure is the only thing keeping an engine alive
You are being misled about renewable energy technology.
I made my whole-home humidifier slightly less terrifying
It\'s the Christmas light video again - 2025 edition
My car charger can boil water really fast
This cassette player is built into an 8-track cartridge
I was right about dishwasher pods, and now I can prove it
Video projectors used to be ridiculously cool
Catalytic converters are simple, but getting them to work is not
Desiccant dehumidifiers are fascinating... but not for everyone
VHS-C: a lazy idea that\'s also perfect
Induction lamps: fluorescent lighting\'s final form
The \"standard\" car charger is usually overkill—but your electrician might not know that
Closed captions on DVDs are getting left behind
Dehumidifiers are confusing. Here\'s why.
Power is not energy: why the difference matters
Algorithms are breaking how we think
The clever feature that makes cheap heaters safe — and why they\'re actually dangerous
I tricked my car charging station into powering a 7.5 kW heater
LED Christmas lights which don\'t hurt the eyes: it finally happened!
How much thrust does a ceiling fan produce?
Balafire: when a light bulb goes wild
Air fryers are simpler than you think, but still pretty neat
I bought a freeze dryer so you don\'t have to
MP3 CDs: a hybrid \"format\" that never existed, yet was surprisingly common
Duracell PowerCheck: A genius idea which didn\'t last that long
Thermoelectric cooling: it\'s not great.
Induction cooking - but what about woks?
Door closers: ubiquitous, yet unloved and often maladjusted
Passive infrared motion sensors: a two-bit camera powered by crystals
Awnings: a simple cooling tech we apparently forgot about
The Numitron: An obvious idea that wasn\'t very bright
Your dishwasher is better than you think (tips, tricks, and how they work)
Tilting, taking turns, and winning free games: the many tricks inside old pinball machines
The simple, clever sensor behind automatic windshield wipers
Simmerstats: The genius old tech that controls your stovetop
Bright from the Start: GE\'s CFL with an incandescent trick up its sleeve
Old HVAC industry practices are holding us back and costing us money. But we can fix it.
Flash photography used to be pretty wild
The step-by-step, mechanical logic of old pinball machines
LED Christmas lights still annoy me. Let\'s try some more fixes.
What\'s the deal with the popcorn button?
The Clapper: Yes, that one.
Back-up beepers: Obnoxious, but getting better - and spreading!
Old pinball machines are amazingly complex
Power outlets are topsy turvy - but does it matter?
Photoelectric light controls are weirder than they seem
Tesla won the plug war - and that\'s good news!
Longer-lasting light bulbs: it was complicated
This goofy fridge has a really clever design. It\'s also kinda terrible.
Digital audio needed videotape to be possible - and the early days were wild!
Electric cars prove we need to rethink brake lights
Sony Betacam: Not the Beta you\'re thinking of (it\'s way better)
Contactors: how we power the big stuff
Plug-n-play solutions for home electrification, and options for power outages (Part 2)
How do vinyl records hold stereo sound?
Home Electrification: There\'s not a lot to do, and it doesn\'t have to be hard (Part 1)
A simple water heater is more clever than it seems
Timer switches: literally just a clock and a switch
Movies made sound with a light bulb: Sound-on-film
The decorative lamp that\'s built wrong on purpose
In Defense of the Switched Outlet
The clever camera code on rolls of film
This TV gadget censors bad words with 1980\'s tech
Old car headlights were all the same — which was a fairly bright idea
This 1960\'s camera is powered by light and completely automatic
A Complete Beginner\'s Guide to Electric Vehicles
Drip Coffee Makers — super simple, super cheap
The correcting feature of typewriters is not what I thought
There are two types of smoke alarm. One of \'em ain\'t so good.
Is Philips discontinuing their coolest warmest product?
Why don\'t Americans use electric kettles?
The tech which can charge an electric car in 10 minutes
The Autochrome; Color photos? Just add potatoes.
Heat Pumps are Not Hard: Here\'s what it will take to start pumping
Why Heat Pumps are Immensely Important Right Now
A troubling trend in lighting?
Lessons from a Can Opener
A Backwards Camera in a Dark Room - Photographic Printing
Once again I attempt to add polish to LED holiday lights
This digital piano has some very clever controls
Making Film Reveal its Image: the B&W Development Process (Photography Part 2)
The Birth of Photography: Drawing With Light (and silver iodide)
Holey Plugs, Batman! But... what are they for?
Introducing a new series! Connextras: Sights and Sounds
I messed up. You\'re using too much detergent.
Why it\'s not possible to synchronize turn signals (but also absolutely is)
Pressure lamps: gaslighting on the go
Batteries aren\'t the only way to store energy. Here\'s another.
How the gas mantle made lamps 10X brighter
Why do hurricane lanterns look like that?
Perhaps the weakest link in the US electrical system
What the Crookes Radiometer can teach us
Analog Hygrometers - how?
These digital clocks aren\'t digital at all
Ground Source / Geothermal Heat Pumps and Other Info