People should not only backup their computers and phones but have at least one backup outside of their house to prevent loss from fire or theft. The best service was Crashplan but they stopped their consumer service in 2017. Most of the technology press recommend iDrive but after a year of using iDrive, the service […]
Hybrid car batteries are reliable but eventually wear out. I have a 2005 Prius with over 250,000 miles and wanted to see if there was a way to see how the hybrid battery was doing. The normal 12 volt battery has been replaced 4 times but the hybrid battery has worked fine. Cars in […]
The Toyota dealer determined a 2005 Prius had a slow refrigerant leak likely in the compressor. To replace the compressor would be $800 and doing that repair on a car with 250k miles doesn’t make sense. The leak was small enough that charging the refrigerant would last over 6 months but costs $100+ […]
Many people rely on Facebook to store photos, videos, and other information. However, this creates a worry that they won’t be able to get back their data should their account be hacked or Facebook goes out of business :). Facebook responded to this concern with an option to download “everything” you submitted. […]
An old monitor can be turned into a pretty decent computer and gaming machine. It is a fun project to do with kids. Parts and Materials Raspberry PI Model 3 B – $40 Ableconn HDMI2VGAD Active HDMI to VGA Adapter Converter Dongle – $15 4GB to 32GB microSD card – $5-$10 VGA monitor – usually […]
Audio equipment from the 1950’s to 2010 has generally been interchangeable. This meant you could buy speakers, amps, record players, and tape decks from different manufacturers to build a system customized to ones needs. In the last five years, digital music streaming, phone docks, and wireless bluetooth and wifi connectivity have exploded. These new music […]
Most people have albums and boxes full of old photos slowly deteriorating and being ignored in the digital age. The solution is scanning the photos into digital files, organizing those files, and making sure they are backed up. On the surface this sounds easy but one quickly finds there are an overwhelming […]
The cost of a badminton or volleyball set increases with the durability of the poles that hold the net. Even kits over $100 have low-durability collapsable plastic poles. There are a bunch of plans on the internet but most use PVC, require ropes for support or simply look unsightly. Requirements Movable / non-permanent poles for […]
Requirements A small dock that would float on a river whose water levels changes dramatically throughout the season. The dock needed to be light enough for 1 person to disassemble and carry away for the winter or when a major storm was predicted. Sourcing A small number of inflatable docks are available for $600-$1000 […]
