#battery-technology
23 episodes
#5634: Battery Platform Lock-In: Innovation vs Stability
Cells change every three years. The battery interface barely moves. Buyers research the wrong one.
#5540: Why Your Trackpad Clicks Stopped Working
Your trackpad surface works but the clicks don't? That's not a trackpad failure — it's a swollen battery pushing the click plate out of reach.
#5521: Old Laptops as Home Servers: A Field Guide
That dead-battery laptop in your drawer can still serve. Here's the whole playbook — headless Linux, thermals, and the battery question nobody agre...
#5424: ThinkPad E15: Swollen Battery or Bad Keyboard?
A dead arrow key and a jammed trackpad on a two-year-old ThinkPad E15 might be one problem, not three.
#5266: Why Cordless Rotary Tools Sag Mid-Battery
A dead USB port, a sagging battery, and the real physics behind why cordless rotary tools lose their bite mid-charge.
#5204: Why Your First Power Tool Is Really a Battery Decision
The drill is a consumable. The battery is the platform. Here's how to pick a voltage tier and brand you won't regret in year two.
#5125: Why Your Cordless Tool Dies While Plugged In
Power path management explained — why your Dremel can't charge and run at the same time, and what it would take to fix it.
#5107: The Wearable Power Grid: Smart or Just Early?
Is a distributed belt-mounted power system the future of EDC, or just a clever fantasy? We dig into the engineering.
#5024: Voltage Tiers: What Your Drill Battery Really Means
Why 12V tools can't do sustained work, what 18V really buys you, and how battery platforms—not tools—are the real commitment.
#4396: Can a Credit Card Power Bank Really Charge Your Phone?
The physics of fitting a full phone charge into a 5mm credit card power bank — and what actually works today.
#4360: How Long Will Your ESP32 Sensor Actually Run on a Single 18650?
Walk through the real math behind ESP32 battery life — from sleep current to LoRa retransmissions in concrete garages.
#4185: LiFePO4 Batteries: The Workhorse Chemistry for DIY Projects
LiFePO4 lasts 10x longer than lithium-ion. Here's how to choose, connect, and charge it for your build.
#3737: Dash Cams in Israel: Storage, Battery & Evidence Setup
What dash cam specs actually matter for accident evidence in Israel — storage, battery, and camera setup explained.
#3102: Fighting at -40°C and +55°C
What happens to soldiers and equipment when the environment is the real enemy.
#2537: Why Your Home Battery Shrinks Without Degrading
Your battery isn't degrading as fast as you think—software, temperature, and inverter limits are the real thieves.
#2252: Why Lithium-Ion Won (And What's Next)
How the physics of lithium made it the king of batteries, and the engineering breakthroughs—from silicon anodes to solid-state cells—that are pushi...
#2124: The Flashlight You Actually Need
Most cheap flashlights fail when you need them most. Here’s what to buy instead.
#1937: Debunking Battery Myths: Memory Effect and the 80% Rule
The "memory effect" is dead. Here's why charging to 80% is the new rule for phone and EV battery longevity.
#1935: The Charger Graveyard: How to Avoid Buying a Fire Hazard
Stop plugging in mystery chargers! Learn how to spot safe, smart chargers that won't fry your batteries—or your house.
#1933: Building a Phone Chain to Signal Underground
Old phones can create a lifeline when signals fail, but physics and hardware impose harsh limits.
#784: The Hidden Cost of Labeling Fever
Stop feeding your power-hungry tools a diet of alkalines. Learn how to switch your whole home to sustainable, high-performance rechargeables.
#541: The Hidden Rules That Move Your Batteries
Why are loose batteries a "no-go" for shipping? Herman and Corn explore the volatile science and strict laws behind lithium-ion logistics.
#510: The Hidden Costs of the Electric Vehicle Revolution
Are electric vehicles truly green? From 1900s dominance to the ethics of cobalt mining, we explore the complex reality of the EV revolution.