Just about all professional equipment uses balanced audio lines, which, if properly executed, will eliminate the hum completely. They help especially with long interconnects where earth loops can be a real pain. Circuits driving balanced lines must themselves be balanced to maintain the benefits of balance. This may be achieved by differential signaling, transformer coupling →
Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are solid-state devices composed of thin films of organic molecules that create light with the application of electricity. OLEDs are a promising technology for flat panel displays. Compared to standard LCDs (including those with LED backlighting), OLED displays offer better contrast ratios (no trouble producing ‘true’ black’), require no backlighting at →
High-brightness LEDs for solid-state lighting can last 50,000 hours or more, but the components surrounding them generate heat that can cause early failures. The early failures can be seen on many LED products, especially the cheap ones. Lighting products have historically been reliable, but as electronics-rich CFLs (compact fluorescent lights) began to replace incandescent bulbs, →
Wired magazine have an answer what to do with all of those leftover Valentine’s Day chocolates (if you have any). A microwave and some chocolate can be used to measure the speed of light. It is a simple yet surprisingly accurate method that can be used to introduce the scientific method to children. The details →
Minimig (short for Mini Amiga) is an open source re-implementation of an Amiga 500 using a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The original Minimig prototype is based on the Xilinx Spartan-3 Starter Kit, the Original Amiga Chipset is synthesized in the FPGA. The prototype was shown at an Amiga meet and loads most Amiga programs although →
White paper: Logitech Squeezebox Boom audio design is an interesting in-depth look behind the design of an all-in-one network music player from one of its lead designers. This device includes amplifier and speakers and other music player electronics in one box. One of its lead designers tells the story. Image source: http://www.logitechsqueezebox.com/product_matrix.html →
According to news around Internet Intel and Nokia are combining their respective Linux operating environments to power future smartphones and tablets. The Intel-Nokia collaboration began in earnest in June when the two companies announced the beginning of a “long-term relationship,” focusing on developing new chip architectures, software, and a new class of Intel-based mobile computing →
phpguru.org has a nice PCRE cheat sheet. Take a look at it if you work with PHP. That cheat sheet is inspired by regex cheat sheet by ILoveJackDaniels.com that I used to use. Now that great site is known as and has a good collection of free Cheat Sheets, printable quick references for a variety →
Lightning Reveals Its Power in Slow Motion article on Wired has a series of videos that combines severe weather, electricity, and technology. The maker of those videos, Tom Warner, documents the powerful beauty of lightning with an array of optical and electromagnetic sensors. “Lightning is one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena,” says Warner. “I want →
This is a really neat trick I just read about. LackRack is the ultimate, low-cost, high shininess solution for your modular datacenter-in-the-living-room. Its low-cost and perfect fit are great for mounting up to 8 U of 19″ hardware, such as switches (see below), or perhaps other 19″ gear. Featuring the LACK (side table) from Ikea, →