Technology Connections
Technology Connections: Season 6

Air Date

January 3, 2020

Episodes

28 episodes

Technology Connections

Season 6

Episodes

1. Holograms, Lasers & Boredom; the CED's march towards eventual invention (CED Part 4)

January 3, 2020
26 min

Alright, here it comes! The fourth part.

2. Old-fashioned rice cookers are extremely clever

January 15, 2020
11 min

Bet you didn't think a rice cooker was so interesting, did ya?

3. Race to the finish; RCA's final gamble (CED Part 5)

January 26, 2020
28 min

The end is near. The death knell approaches. What will become of RCA’s invention? And is this really the end? Would you like fries with that?

4. Brown; color is weird

February 13, 2020
21 min

This video discusses the color brown. Seriously.

5. Teleprompters are clever, simple, and also pretty neat

February 22, 2020
10 min

Yep. Teleprompters. That's what this video's about.

6. The Computer-free Automation of a Jukebox (Electromechanics)

March 8, 2020
23 min

Ever wonder how we made all these crazy machines do all their crazy machine things before computers came along? Wonder no more as we explore the inner workings of a Wurlitzer 3400 series jukebox from 1970!

7. The Selection Accumulator; a Jukebox's Brain

March 22, 2020
29 min

Today, we take a look at the selection accumulator; how it works, what it does, and how that relates to the rest of the machine. Strap in, folks!

8. Chest Freezers; What they tell us about designing for X

April 7, 2020
27 min

This video is super cool. We're talking about refrigeration, and how the design of a refrigerator affects its energy consumption. Freezers are the perfect place to see this in action, so let's take a look!

9. Coffee Percolators: An Explanation and Roast

April 17, 2020
25 min

Do you like your coffee to have a little kick? Then try a percolator! It's like tasting a shoe! Seriously. Why are these still a thing? I don't know but let's talk about them!

10. DVD+R and DVD-R; What was that about?

April 29, 2020
29 min

We're really looking at the plusses and minuses of this whole ordeal...

11. Fans; High is next to Off on purpose

May 12, 2020
18 min

This video is absolutely fantastic. Ever wonder why it goes Off-High-Medium-Low? Well, it has to do with motors and the ways we cheat with them.

12. Pulse Oximeters; An Amazing Use of Light

May 22, 2020
13 min

You might have been seeing a lot about these little devices lately. Have you ever wondered how they work? Well, let's find out!

13. How to design an actually good toaster with lessons from the 1940's

May 30, 2020
11 min

I love this toaster so dang much.

14. The US electrical system is not 120V

June 22, 2020
24 min

It's more than 120V. It's even more than the other 120V! It is the sum of the two (and sometimes a different two!) that makes us who we are. Learn about the US electrical system in this not-at-all snarky video!

15. Laptop Docks! They're pretty neat!

June 29, 2020
28 min

I know, my use of a laptop (and worse, that I like it!) makes me a truly terrible person.

16. Cassette adapters are remarkably simple

July 13, 2020
10 min

It's a real lost opportunity that we didn't call these Cassettepters. It's not-at-all difficult to say! OK, maybe Cassepter would be easier but isn't that, like, a sword or something? The descriptions are getting weird.

17. Personal "air conditioners" aren't what they seem

July 22, 2020
27 min

You know, it's one thing when a product has a limited scope and application. It's another when it's passed off as something greater than what it is. Learn why these fad devices are fad devices in this video.

18. The Impact Sprinkler - more clever than it seems!

July 30, 2020
11 min

It's that time again! Time to take a deep dive into the mundane to see what we can learn. Join me as we look at this sprinkler!

19. A record player that can play CDs: The Fisher DAC-145

August 19, 2020
28 min

Well now, what do we have here? It's a CD player... but also a turntable? Hmm... very interesting. But why? How? And is it actually a good idea? Lucky for you you've clicked on this video and will find out!

20. Retroreflectors; they're everywhere, and they cheat physics (sort of)

August 31, 2020
23 min

Road signage and other markings may be something you take for granted, but have you ever wondered how they can appear so brightly with just the output of your headlights? Find out how, and get a load of other trivia, in this video!

21. The touch lamp; a neat idea, and older than you'd think!

September 12, 2020
17 min

I think we really oughta make this fashionable again, don't you?

22. Electric car chargers aren't chargers at all – EVSE Explained

September 23, 2020
27 min

Catchy title! But it's mostly true! There's a pinned comment you might want to read, as well. But there's some links down here, too.

23. Forced-air Furnaces: The What, Why, and How

October 10, 2020
22 min

Let's not get too heated, this is after an inflammable subject. Frankly it's exhausting, but we gotta do it. We gotta explain how furnaces work! And soon, we'll talk about what will replace them. I'll try to remember to put a link here when that time comes!

24. Camera Tech from 1971: Match-needle exposure meter

October 30, 2020
28 min

Ever wonder how pro cameras from the 1970's worked? Learn about their single most important tool for the photographer (and lots else!) in this exposé.

25. The Antique Microwave Oven that's Better than Yours

November 12, 2020
14 min

Seriously. How is this so old and yet so advanced?

26. What exactly is the goop inside a lava lamp?

November 21, 2020
24 min

Yep! Gonna get questionably gloopy!

27. Bubble Lights: The Weirdest Christmas Light?

November 29, 2020
8 min

Yes indeed, these are silly! Very silly! But, mesmerizing.

28. Detergent packs are kinda wishy-washy (Dishwashers Explained)

December 20, 2020
33 min

Ever wonder how dishwashers work? Are you ever bummed by the performance of yours? Well, this video can answer your question and possibly provide you with a solution!