Tag: Electronics

From Tesla Model Y to Model S Plaid: A Swap Experience | October 14 2025, 16:51

Recently, my Tesla Model Y fell ill, and the dealership gave me a Model S Plaid as a loaner car. It’s simply a monster, accelerating to 100 km/h in 2 seconds. Over a thousand horsepower. But after driving it for a week, Nadezhda and I realized that we would still not trade our Model Y for a Model S.

Well, the fact that it’s unusually low to the ground is a minor issue. We would get used to that. But getting out from behind the wheel is always incredibly awkward for me. My belly isn’t that big, but in the Model S, it’s like a real cockpit. You have to carefully sit down and climb out, whereas in the Model Y, you just jump in somehow and go.

Moreover, the Model S is really noisy inside compared to the Model Y. You can hear the road. And this is for a price twice that of the Model Y. Also, for some reason, the mode where you just walk away from the car works less sensitively, and locks the car only when you are already quite far away.

And then there are the turn signals. What idiot decided to put their buttons on the steering wheel? It’s impossible to get used to that. The steering wheel still turns, and the buttons are always somewhere unclear.

But, damn it, it’s very beautiful from the outside. Especially with a light interior.

By the way, Tesla has somewhat poorly thought out the mechanism for issuing a replacement car, and it works with only one driver. You can’t set two keys for two different phones. Moreover, it would be nice to store the settings in the cloud and receive a replacement car already adjusted to your preferences.

And the car fell ill in an interesting way too. It’s funny when the car on the highway tells you that there’s a little problem, the engine is dead, but you should not distract yourself, just keep driving. After parking, the car might theoretically not drive, but so far all is normal. If not, we will tell you. Meanwhile, your drive will not sound the same.

As I understood, the car simply switched from 4-wheel drive to 2-wheel drive. Funny that such a fallback exists at all. Already fixed, it needed an inverter replacement.

Gold and Gadgets: Tracing Global Influence and Metal Monopolies | October 14 2025, 03:13

Rajesh Exports states on their website that they process 35% of the gold mined on the planet. Of course, they are exaggerating, but overall, India and Rajesh do shape the market. It turns out that 11% of all the gold on the planet is adorned on Indian women. Additionally, it was found that in 1947, 70% of all mined gold was in the USA. From 1934 to 1970, it was legally prohibited for private individuals to own gold in the USA. Approximately 22% of all the gold ever accounted for on the surface of the Earth has been mined from a plateau in South Africa called the Witwatersrand. And if you consider all the gold mined throughout history, it would amount to less than an Olympic swimming pool.

China buys up silver, with India not far behind. Interestingly, platinum is significantly used in the production of catalytic converters for vehicles – almost 40% of the global production goes there. China, of course, holds much of this production.

Practically every smartphone, tablet, or touchscreen monitor that we use is coated with a thin layer of indium tin oxide (ITO). This material has a unique combination of properties: it is almost completely transparent while also conducting electricity excellently. This allows the screen to register your touches.

Although lithium is now strongly associated with batteries, historically and still today, a significant portion of it is used in the production of glass and ceramics.

Privacy Pitfalls of Outlook Notifications During Screen Sharing on macOS | October 06 2025, 14:05

Microsoft has one very nasty thing with Outlook for MacOS, which for some reason nobody tries to fix. If you have a meeting in 30 minutes, Outlook reminds you with a popup showing the upcoming meetings, where it “highlights” these meetings. Well, in my case, there’s no secret here, I could even share my screen during that time. But it would be nice if such notifications didn’t appear while screen sharing, especially while recording, because screen sharing goes through Teams, which is part of the same package as Outlook.

But what’s worse is something else. If you try to CLOSE this notification window while screen sharing on MacOS (especially if the recording is on), it causes the whole Outlook with all the emails there to pop up. And there might be things there that the viewers shouldn’t see. That is, by _closing_ the window, you suddenly reveal the titles of email messages. Which is completely unexpected (well, until you step on these rakes, then it’s not unexpected anymore).

Revolutionizing Car Safety: Pre-Collision Airbag Deployment and Smart Updates in Modern Vehicles | September 24 2025, 12:54

So far, I have only one car model and brand that can deploy airbags not at the moment of impact, but a moment earlier, so that by the time of the impact, it’s not too late to do so. We’ll see what the news shows, but tests indicate that this thing works better than the traditional method. Reality might turn out to be harsher, but we’ll keep an eye on it.

It’s also interesting that the car started to receive new exciting features after purchase. I never had this experience before. What you bought it with, you lived with, and sometimes you could go to the dealership for something new, and it usually involved replacing something physical.

The previous update (not very useful to me, but maybe to someone) was about automatic detection of children and animals in the cabin. And if it turns out they were left inside while the owner left, the car does not turn off the climate control. And of course, it screams into the app that this is not a good thing to do.

Childhood Curiosity and the Mysteries of Soviet Electrical Engineering | September 23 2025, 17:00

I remember being puzzled as a child by who the idiot was that decided to make the radio plug exactly the same as the one for 220 volts. This radio plug was supposed to go into a radio socket.

As a child, I used to disassemble and “improve” almost everything electrical in the house (I hadn’t graduated to electronics yet). Of course, I got shocked many times by the outlet, but to my surprise, the old Soviet phone could also give a shock. When a call came in, the voltage in the line would jump from 12-60 volts to 120 volts 🙂

I also had an interesting experience with Christmas lights. For a younger schoolchild, it was unclear why Christmas lights could shock you since they used the same bulbs that I connected to a flat “Planeta” battery. I had to learn the technicalities 🙂 By the way, those square flat batteries have disappeared; they used to be everywhere.

Inside the High-Tech World of USB-C Cables: More Than Just Wires | September 22 2025, 22:50

It turns out USB-C cables are sometimes whole computers inside the odd form factor of a wire. Watching a video where guys from Adam Savage’s dissected an Apple Thunderbolt 4 cable ($130) using a CT scanner, explaining its internals, and comparing it to a similar cable for $12.

The cable connector contains a complex system that includes a full-fledged processor, two power supplies, and many other components. The processor splits data into multiple parallel streams and converts them into differential signals that travel through twisted, intertwined pairs of wires. The system sends two signals simultaneously, but in mirror-opposite directions. This helps protect the signal from interference (from vacuum cleaners, mobile phones, etc.). Indeed, the circuit board inside is nine-layered.

On the internal circuit board, there are interesting serpentine/wavy tracks with sizes in fractions of a millimeter. It turns out, Apple engineers intentionally made them longer to match the overall length with the neighboring longer tracks (because they include turns). This is necessary for the signals to reach the processor absolutely simultaneously, down to the nanosecond.

The cable itself inside is made up of many individually shielded smaller coaxial cables. There are more than a dozen of them.

The cheap cable lacks this smart electronics, no active components inside. It just has connectors and wires.

But the coolest thing – the guys post such scans in the video description as a link to a viewing program. There you can rotate and examine everything on your own. I’ll put it in the comments

Switching from Sony to AirPods Max: A Cautionary Tale on Counterfeits | September 22 2025, 20:44

I made a gift for myself yesterday and bought Airpods Max. I already had Sony WH1000XM3, but I didn’t quite grow to like them. They don’t perform well with multiple devices, especially Macs, and although I find the sound quality decent, I prefer the sound in the Airpods, initially thinking it was due to the codecs, which indeed are a bit chaotic. Sony supports all – SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC. Apple devices (Mac, iPhone) do not support aptX and LDAC. Of all the advanced codecs available to Sony, the only one Apple devices can utilize is AAC. Exactly the same codec found in Airpods. But the sound to the ear is noticeably different.

Regarding the new ones, I realized I would be earning an eternity plus still, of course, I decided to buy used. For popular items, if you have a lot of time, you’ll definitely find some in excellent condition and for half the price. And here’s what I found out in the process: nine out of ten “half-price” headphones are fakes. The same situation applies to Airpod earplugs. Sometimes they are of very high quality, but like any counterfeit, they have serious flaws, but as many reviews say, the average ear won’t notice the difference, as counterfeiters don’t skimp on the audio path.

Eventually, I watched a ton of videos on how to distinguish fakes from genuine ones, and managed to buy Airpods in perfect condition yesterday for $180 when their price is $500.

Interestingly, checking the serial number on Apple’s website is no longer a cure-all because they’ve learned to reuse serial numbers from stolen ones. Most importantly: never buy a sealed box. Its outer part is counterfeited such that it can only be differentiated by the slightly less neatly wrapped film. In unpacked “ears,” the differences are more noticeable. The main thing – the headphones must pair with the computer using Apple’s proprietary protocol, which the counterfeiters have not yet been able to replicate.

Popup on iPhone upon first connection: Genuine — with a “Connect” button. Fake — no button, connects via Bluetooth settings.

The material of the headphones — should be metal. Fake — plastic, because metal is more expensive to manufacture. Snap your fingers on them, there should be a specific sound (try it in the Apple Store) — but most importantly, it should be the same on both sides. On the fake, it’s different and distinct.

The material inside the box: Genuine — cardboard (possibly recycled). Fake — plastic. Although cardboard is sometimes used too. An unreliable indicator.

Wrapping of the headphones: Genuine — in paper material. Fake — in plastic or without wrapping. Also unreliable.

Case — Interior material: Genuine — soft, changes color when touched, has text. Fake — hard, does not change color. This is quite a reliable aspect, because fakes will not use more expensive leather.

Noise when shaking: Genuine — noiseless. Fake — the button moves, noise is heard. Ear cups: Genuine — strong magnets, do not fall off. Fake — weak magnets, easily detach or fall off. Screws inside the cups: Genuine — dark. Fake — silver or light. This only works if you have seen the genuine ones. The difference is impossible to describe in words.

Noise cancelation (ANC): Genuine — activates only on the head. Fake — works in any position (even on a desk). Of course, it’s also poor, but detecting this is difficult unless you have the fakes on hand.

We must also check for Spatial Audio. It requires an accelerometer inside. Of course, fakes do not install one – it’s almost unused and why unnecessarily make the design more expensive. But in Spatial, it is used (you move your head – the sound shifts back and forth).

In short, when I was traveling yesterday, I was almost sure I wouldn’t buy anything. But — I got lucky.

Speaking of the Airpods themselves, they have some drawbacks that have been known for several years. I’m okay with them. The headphones are heavier than they could be, they don’t fold as they might, they bump against the chin when worn around the neck, and it’s not very comfortable to wear them that way, the price is high (but okay for used), strange case, and the protective case is huge, half the size of a backpack. Among the very important pros for me — support for multiple devices and perfect integration with Apple devices, good noise cancellation (almost like Sony’s), premium materials, and perfect build quality.

Charming Mini-EVs of Europe: A Street-Side Review in Amsterdam | September 21 2025, 17:41

I found such little cars in Europe very charming. All from Amsterdam, there are many of them there. It seems there are none in the USA, not even on college campuses. I think if they ventured onto our highways, first, everyone would crane their necks, and second, they would be blown away by the wind. Among those shown, the most interesting is the Microlino, a little green one. It has a door literally at the front. Electric. 15-18K euros. Among the rest, Opel, FIAT, and Citroen also have nice designs.

Exploring the Evolution of Inflight Entertainment: The Forgotten eXport Connector | September 14 2025, 13:24

We’re taking off. I’m wondering what kind of connector this is. Googling it. About 10 years ago, the Panasonic IFE multimedia system (which seems to have been used on B773ER and A333, I’m on a Boeing 777ER) featured a new port named eXport. It was a 9-pin mini-DIN connector for iPods. You could buy an adapter cable made by Griffin that essentially served as a bridge between the 9-pin mini-DIN and the 30-pin dock connector of iPods. Do you remember such connectors on iPods? And do you remember iPods at all? This cable allowed you to charge the iPod, control it via the IFE system, and transmit media from it to the IFE system. Time flies so fast. Looked up when the airplane was made – 14 years ago. That is, 14 years ago it still made sense to integrate a proprietary connector into the seats that essentially worked only with iPods.

I’m not even writing about RJ-45 above. White-orange orange, white-green blue, white-blue green, white-brown brown

Update from a page that has been gone for ten years, but the archive org remembers everything

And how does all this work? Here are some visual materials for clarity and facts from Panasonic (…about the biggest and highest-flying accessory for iPod in the world (as someone from Apple put it)

1. Allows audio and video signals to be transmitted from a passenger’s iPod to the IFE system, while also providing power and charging the iPod.

2. The eXport solution consists of two main components: the eXport connector (installed in the seat) and the eXport cable (connects the iPod to the eXport connector).

3. The crew will provide the eXport cable to passengers during the flight.

4. The solution is the world’s first Apple-certified Made for iPod” and Made for iPhone” solution, specifically designed for commercial airliners.

5. Natively supports Apple authentication technology.

6. In the near future, Panasonic will introduce additional functionality that will allow two-way communication between the iPod and the IFE system.

7. Supports both iPod and iPhone (in airplane mode”).

The reason a special cable is needed is that Apple does not allow video to be transmitted via USB. The only alternative would be to have three RCA connectors and an AC power socket onboard. But it’s expensive (installing an AC power system) and not worth the extra weight. Plus, it takes up legroom under the seat. Moreover, having three RCA connectors is a lot of ‘ports’ (red, yellow, white), which can confuse passengers (imagine a night flight in a darkened cabin). It only increases the workload on the crew, who are responsible for safety and comfort, not tech support.”

Exploring Airport Security: How Baggage Scanners Work | September 02 2025, 20:29

The day after tomorrow, I am flying to Amsterdam (and then to Turkey), and I remembered that I had an unanswered question to myself about how baggage scanners work at the airport. Of course, I knew that it was essentially computer tomography, X-rays and all that, but I wanted more details. And below is the response as to why they ask you to take out water, and why sometimes they do not.

It turns out that modern scanners can not only see the shape of objects but also determine what material they are made of. How does a regular scanner work? Dense materials (such as metal) absorb a lot of radiation and appear bright or opaque in images. Less dense materials absorb little radiation and appear dark. Hence laptops, for example, had to be taken out — not because the scanner couldn’t recognize them, but because their dense components (battery, boards) could be used to hide other prohibited items behind them. So, it has long been not just scanners, but computer tomography — in essence, the bag or suitcase is scanned from all sides, then a 3D image is created. It seems like everyone knows this.

But I mentioned that they understand the materials items are made from. How?

It turns out that the scanner uses dual-energy X-ray technology. It scans the object with two beams of rays of different energy levels (high and low). Since materials absorb radiation differently depending on the energy of the ray and their atomic composition, the system analyzes this difference. Based on the absorption ratio of the two beams, the effective atomic number Z — a key characteristic, a kind of “elemental fingerprint” of the substance, is calculated.

The problem is that this “fingerprint” of water (~7.4) and many explosives are almost identical. This is precisely why water was banned. Relying only on this parameter would mean receiving a huge number of false alarms.

Here is where computer tomography (CT) comes into play. The scanner creates an accurate three-dimensional (3D) model of the contents of the bag. From the 3D model, the system obtains the exact volume (V) of each object. Based on data on the absorption of X-rays, its mass (m) is calculated. Then it’s simple: ρ=m/V.

That is, the system does not make a decision based on one parameter. It plots each detected substance on a two-dimensional graph with axes “Z — density.” On this graph, water and explosives, having almost the same atomic number, occupy completely different positions due to different densities.

And that’s precisely why water can sometimes be carried through. Smart machines simply do not mark it as something significant, but still identify it as water. Then procedures follow. If the airport has updated the machines, but not the procedures, they will ask to dispose of the water. But also, not all machines are updated everywhere, and at the same airport, it depends on which line is open at the moment.

The cost of such a scanner is $300-400 thousand.

The scanners for people work differently. They use millimeter waves. They pass through clothing and reflect back from the skin. Water absorbs them significantly, so they penetrate only a couple of millimeters. The system registers the reflected signal and constructs a three-dimensional map of the body surface and objects under the clothing. But it does not show this — instead, it displays a simplified contour of a person and shows on it what ML found unusual. Therefore, by the way, many try to carry various items inside themselves, knowing that such a scanner absolutely cannot see it.