Category Archives: Modern Technology

My experiences with using modern consumer electronics.

The Search for Capacitance (an electronic value, not a religion)

I like to collect, use, and repair old radios. Anyone who spends much time learning about old radios will soon enough come across interesting electronic test equipment, vintage and new. The old has style and (often) accuracy. The new has … Continue reading

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The Seagate Backup Plus, a Way Cool Portable Hard Drive

My desktop computer is seven years old. It’s a HP Pavilion a6000n PC and it works great. But then just like pets, all computers eventually meet their demise. I don’t know when mine will go up in smoke (may it be … Continue reading

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The ZTE Valet (Z665C) Cell Phone, a Review

Cell phones became real popular about ten years ago. It seemed that everyone was getting one. Those little cell phone antennas morphed out of the back windows on cars. Many people developed a permanent crook in the left arm as … Continue reading

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How to Read Digital Library Books on Your iPad

I read electronic books on my Kindle. The easy way to get them is to download from the Internet various free items (public domain) or purchase them directly from Amazon. The difficult way is to download them from my online … Continue reading

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From Bell & Howell Filmo to DVD

It’s about 1954. The place is Roger Williams Park in Cranston, RI. A young father and his 5-year old son are swinging the 2-year old son between them. The arc of their swing peaks right above the adjacent duck pond. … Continue reading

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What do you Read?

Just how does a person share a book these days?  It used to be that you put your name on the inside of the cover and then lent the book to a close friend with the adomonition to “Please get … Continue reading

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TI to iPad … a short history of computers

  My first memory of a computer must date back to the late 1950’s. Each year, around April or so, the nightly news on TV (black & white, no remote, 19″ screen) would feature the most recent national science fair … Continue reading

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Apps…a whole new world in 3 years

My first exposure to computers goes back to 1970 or so.  A computer at that time was something housed in a glass room deep in the basement of a hall at Providence College.  The only communication a mere student had … Continue reading

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