Category: Science & Technology
-
Drag-n-Drop Context Menu in Windows
Drag-n-Drop Context Menu Discovered After Nearly Losing Files After many years I have just found that there is a specific Drag-n-Drop Context Menu, in Microsoft Windows 7 & Windows 10 at least. For years I avoided Drag-n-Drop in favour of Copy and Paste. This discovery came about after I found I was Moving files out of folders…
-
Automotive Air Compressor RAC900 by RING
Introduction This post is about the RING Automotive Air Compressor RAC900 which is an excellent pump for inflating anything with a Schrader valve, (e.g. car tyres, bicycle tyres, etc.) or balls, airbeds, etc. (3 Inflation Adapters are supplied). It has to be powered by a 12 volt (30 amp peak) supply such as a car battery (not provided).
-
I Reduced Windows 7 Startup Time To Two Minutes
Introduction I have wanted a way to get a reduced windows 7 startup time for a while. I was concerned about the time it took from switch on to the point where all apps that start automatically were ready for use. This has generally increased over the years during the time I had previous versions…
-
My Casio Databank Watch is DEAD
My Old Casio Databank Watch I bought this Casio Databank Watch (LEFT) in 1995 and although it has had several batteries and replacement straps it has lasted 18 years until this week when I noticed the digits had all gone off. A week before I noticed it had reset to a date in 1990. I…
-
Spilling Juice From Cartons or ‘Tetra Paks®’
Introduction This post contains instructions on how to avoid spilling juice from cartons or Tetra Paks®, with a rectangular cross-section, while opening or lifting them. It’s quite natural to grip cartons by the easiest method (the broad sides) while opening them, or lifting them when they’re still full, causing the contents to pour or squirt out inadvertently. Cartons with a square cross section are indifferent…
-
Tin Whiskers in a Wireless Thermostat Receiver
Introduction Tin Whiskers are a crystalline growth made of the element tin. They are in the form of a very thin straight hair with one end attached to the tin from which they are formed. They often form on lead free solder used to fix components to circuit boards now that lead is banned.
-
Wind Force
-
Relative Densities
-
NATO Phonetic Alphabet
-
Morse Code
History Morse Code was devised by Samuel Finley Breese Morse, an American artist and inventor, in the 19th century. It is made up of a series of dots and dashes when written down. Speaking Morse Code When spoken a dot is pronounced “dit” if it is the final element of a character, else it’s pronounced “di”, and…
-
Dyson Slim DC18 Upright – Undercarriage Repair
Introduction This post gives a detailed description, with photos and reference to a Parts Diagram, of how to replace a Dyson Slim DC18 Undercarriage. The Undercarriage would require changing if part of it broke since parts cannot be obtained individually. I changed mine when the Air Input Changeover Valve Actuator broke. “Since I first published…
-
How Many Parts Make A Shower Head?
How Many Parts? You may be surprised to learn that the shower head that came with my Mira Sport Thermostatic Shower is made from 22 separate parts. If you count them in the featured image above you will see 21 but take note that the main body of the shower head, on the right, is made…
-
Keeping Birds Off TV Aerials
Introduction In my previous post “Freeview Aerial Direction” you may have noticed something unusual about my Yagi TV antenna/aerial. Yes, amongst the array of directors in front of the dipole and on the reflector at the back there are some Zip Ties (Cable Ties – often used for anchoring a cable to something else). In this…
-
Terrestrial Freeview TV Aerial Direction
Introduction In November 2012 I had my terrestrial TV aerial relocated to another corner of my chimney stack so that it doesn’t overhang my solar panels. Birds were perching on it and making a mess on them. Consequently I needed to check my TV aerial direction to be sure it points to the transmitter. The aerial engineer (Martin…
-
IE9 Zero Day Vulnerability Fixed
For a week now it has been known that there is an IE9 Zero Day Vulnerability. Get This Zero Day Vulnerability Fixed Now Microsoft have published a fix which came to me today in the form of an update as follows (for Windows 7): Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 9 for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2744842)…
-
Removing A Bra Wire From A Washing Machine
Preface This post describes: removing a Bra Wire from a washing machine when it has come out of a bra and penetrated the inner drum of a front loader. These wires tend to come out of badly maintained bras while being washed. They don’t necessarily damage the machine immediately but always have the potential to…
-
Phishing Email NOT From TESCO Bank
Where Does This Email Pretend To Come From? This phishing email pretends to come from: Tesco Personal Finance customerservice@consumercardservicing.tescofinance.com. As you can see from the image of the email content below if you were to click on the link: http://www.tescobank.co.uk/1/2/TESCOCAM10;&user=% colin.ride@btinternet.com % . . . you will not go to a Tesco website. Look carefully…
-
Netricity Ethernet Bridge Adapter Failed After 13 Months
Introduction Panic set in last night when I couldn’t access the Internet. Eventually I tried my laptop after checking the lights on my Home Hub and reset it a few times. That worked O.K. and in the end I deduced my power-line network had failed. It turned out that a Netricity Powerline 500M Ethernet Bridge Adapter…
-
Malware Discovered In Google Marketplace Apps
Malware discovered in Google Marketplace Apps by Symantec is designed to make premium rate calls from your mobile. So check your bills. See the detail here.
-
My Excel Jump List stopped adding Recent Files
My Problem I had a problem where I had MS 2010 Excel pinned to the Task Bar but the Excel Jump List stopped adding Recent Files. The Jump List is the one you see when you right click on an icon of an application pinned to the task-bar. Some programs (not all) show recently used files…
-
One Mouse And Keyboard Can Control 1-4 Computers
Introduction Back in June 2012 I found this amazing software, Mouse without Borders from Microsoft Garage. It allows me to control 1-4 computers. Usually that is my desktop PC and my notebook with my desktop mouse and keyboard. I can move my pointer off the right-hand edge of my desktop screen and onto the left-hand…
-
Street Photography in Kabul, Afghanistan
Would You Believe There’s Street Photography In Kabul, Afghanistan I just watched the video presented here which has impressed me as a technologist and photographer. It’s all about Street Photography in Kabul the capital city of Afghanistan, i.e. taking very primitive instant photographs in the streets of Kabul. If you are a technologist or photographer you…
-
Rolling Resistance of Bicycle Tyres
For those who ride bicycles to work, the rolling resistance of bicycle tyres may be of interest. So check out Terry Morse’s web page.
-
Flipping Heck It’s A SmartInversion
Revised On 24 December 2021 Introduction It’s an unusual flying object – this SmartInversion – that propels itself by flipping inside out. Created by engineers at Festo in Esslingen, Germany. It was originally reported in a New Scientist blog in April 2012 which is no longer online. I decided to investigate it further and found…
-
Should You Worry About Your Bath Overflowing?
Introduction Bragging bath owner, “Me, worry about my bath overflowing? It’s got an overflow pipe. I shan’t worry.” Plumber, “Oh! Has it? Well I would still worry.” Why you DO NEED to worry about your bath overflowing? I know someone who has had a bad experience with a bath overflowing, but it wasn’t their bath…
-
Changing A Mains Isolation Switch Neon Indicator
Intoduction You may notice how the indicator light in your mains sockets and switches dims with time and wonder why. These lights are usually small neon bulbs which glow when a small alternating current of 1 or 2mA passes through them. These bulbs are filled with neon gas which glows red when a current passes through…
-
PHISHING SPAM ALERT! Purporting to come from Amazon. BEWARE!
Further to my tweets this is the detail of spam I received today. I have unlinked the links (and coloured them orange) so you can’t get caught out: Your order has been successfully canceled. For your reference, here’s a summary of your order: You just canceled order #132-138566-4336469 placed on February 3, 2012. Status: CANCELED _____________________________________________________________________…
-
Venus Transiting the Sun on 5th-6th June 2012
In the feature image you can see Venus transiting the sun on 8th June 2004 – the first transit since 1882. Venus Transiting the Sun on 5th-6th June 2012 won’t happen again until 2117. Remember not to look directly at the sun and focus the sun onto a white card with a telescope/lens. Unfortunately for us…
-
The Faster-Than-Fast Fourier Transform
Improving The Fast Fourier Transform To Make It Faster-Than-Fast The Faster-Than-Fast Fourier Transform can replace the Fast Fourier Transform to save processing time when digitising an analogue signal. For a large range of practically useful cases, MIT researchers find a way to increase the speed of one of the most important algorithms in the information…
