Hardware & Computing
Physical hardware, devices, and computing
118 episodes
#3885: The Moving Trolley That Ran Away
When your loaded trolley rolls off on a slope, wheel locks aren't a nice-to-have — they're a necessity.
#3877: The Real Workbench Problem: Modular vs. IKEA for Electronics
From IKEA hacks to industrial Lista systems — what actually works for electronics workbenches in small apartments?
#3870: Laser Engravers for Home Labs: Are They Worth It?
Desktop laser engravers now cost less than a 3D printer. But can they actually label your home network gear?
#3869: How a Bendy Stick Transmits Torque
The surprising engineering inside flexible screwdriver extensions and how they transmit torque around obstacles.
#3868: Why Your Super Glue Fails (And How a Dremel Fixes It)
A rotary tool isn't just for engraving. Discover how surface prep turns failed glue joints into permanent fixes.
#3867: Drill, Impact Driver, or Hammer Drill? The Real Difference
Most people buy the wrong drill. Here's how to match the tool, bit, and material so you don't ruin your project.
#3865: The Spudger Problem: Thin vs Strong
Why pry tools bend and what materials science says about the perfect spudger.
#3864: How to ID Mystery Metal Before You Drill
A practical workflow for identifying unknown metals before you engrave, drill, or grind them at home.
#3863: Mohs Scale to Dremel Bits: What to Buy First
From Friedrich Mohs to your Dremel: what hardness means for engraving wood, metal, glass, and stone.
#3817: Hide Your Desktop in a Closet: The Gear You Need
USB4, Thunderbolt 5, and active cables now let you stash your PC in another room. Here's how.
#3815: Should You Rack-Mount Your Desktop PC?
Tower form factor fighting you? We explore when and how to rack-mount a desktop for better serviceability and cooling.
#3799: Why Printers Demand PDFs (And PNGs Fail)
PDFs are shipping containers for print. PNGs are loose cargo. Here's what actually matters for large-format output.
#3795: The Fifteen-Cent Screw That Stops Server Builds
A seized M.2 screw, a missing heat sink, and why inventory blind spots cost more than any technical skill.
#3794: The Screw That Beat Me for Two Hours
Why that M4 screw stripped — and the one tool that actually saves you.
#3789: What Virtualization Actually Costs on 2026 Hardware
Real benchmarks show 2-6% overhead for single-VM setups. Here's what's actually happening at the CPU level.
#3788: RAID Reshaping Showdown: BTRFS vs ZFS vs XFS
Can you change RAID levels without nuking your data? We compare BTRFS, ZFS, and XFS for home server upgrades.
#3782: Ezra the Scribe vs. Hardware Failure
What ancient text preservation teaches us about modern backup strategies that hardware redundancy can’t fix.
#3776: ZFS Mirroring: Why Your RAID Card Is the Weak Link
A hardware RAID card makes ZFS less safe. Here's why an HBA and a simple mirror are the real upgrade.
#3775: SBC Clusters vs Virtualization: The Real Tradeoffs
Why physical isolation sounds great but virtualization usually wins for home servers.
#3764: Rooting's Last Stand: Play Integrity vs. Power Users
Google’s Play Integrity API is making rooted phones useless for banking. Is rooting dead?
#3762: Why Your Screen Won't Go Dark Enough at Night
LEDs can't truly dim low. Here's the physics — and the surprising fix that has nothing to do with blue light.
#3747: How to Pick an SSD That Won't Die in Your Home Server
ZFS degradation warnings are scary. Here's what to replace that drive with — and what spec numbers actually matter.
#3715: The Head-Mounted Tool Belt
What if we moved our wallets, power banks, and speakers from our pockets to our heads?
#3694: The Hidden World of Electronic Component Distributors
Digikey, Mouser, and Farnell aren't normal retailers—they're the backbone of global electronics manufacturing. Here's how they work.