Hardware & Computing
Physical hardware, devices, and computing
25 episodes
Digital Forever? Bit Rot and the Return of Physical Media
Why is our fastest tech also the most forgetful? Herman and Corn dive into bit rot, LTO tape, and the quest for 1,000-year digital permanence.
Digital Stone Carving: The Secret Life of Optical Media
Think CDs are dead? Discover why tech giants and hospitals are turning back to "digital stone carving" to save the world's most important data.
The Hardware Vault: How TPM Chips Secure Our Digital World
Discover how a tiny chip on your motherboard is becoming the ultimate anchor for security and truth in an era of deepfakes and cyber threats.
The 40,000-Foot Ceiling: Why Planes Stop Climbing
Why do planes stop at 40,000 feet? Explore the "coffin corner" and the physics keeping commercial aviation from reaching the stars.
Hidden in Plain Sight: The Engineering of Modern Spy Gear
Explore the high-tech world of covert audio, from MEMS microphones to digital signatures, and how these tiny devices stand up in court.
Caught on Tape: The Tech of Covert Evidence Gathering
When a landlord dispute gets messy, a smartphone isn't enough. Discover the professional tools and laws for gathering reliable audio evidence.
Beyond Git: Version Control for the Solo Creator
Is Git overkill for your projects? Herman and Corn dive into the "war" that created Git and explore simpler tools for solo developers.
How ECC Fixes Your Data: From QR Codes to Cosmic Rays
Discover how the brilliant math of ECC allows damaged QR codes and distant space probes to transmit perfect data across noisy channels.
Beyond Sticky Paper: Heat Shrink, Linux, and Pro Labeling
Stop using labels that fade in the sun. Herman and Corn explore thermal transfer printing, heat shrink tubes, and the best labelers for Linux users.
Staying Online: The Math of UPS and Fiber Reliability
Keep your internet alive for 24 hours. Learn the math of UPS systems, the "inverter tax," and why fiber optics are a digital survival superpower.
Beyond the Four-Screen Limit: Mastering Multi-Monitor Setups
Hit the four-monitor wall? Herman and Corn explore how to drive massive display arrays using DisplayLink, daisy-chaining, and hidden GPU features.
The Invisible Dance: How Bluetooth Survives the Crowd
Ever wonder why your headphones don't pick up a stranger's music at a busy airport? Herman and Corn dive into the magic of frequency hopping.
Eyes Everywhere: The Hidden World of Modern Surveillance
Explore the tech behind professional security and the "iceberg" of hidden sensors watching our every move in the modern age.
Beyond the Drive: Mastering Btrfs, ZFS, and Snapshots
Explore the power of Btrfs, ZFS, and XFS. Learn how storage pooling and snapshots create a "save point" for your entire computer.
The RAID Survival Guide: Managing Massive Data in 2026
Herman and Corn dive into the history and math of RAID, exploring why 30TB drives make classic setups like RAID 5 more dangerous than ever.
The Skywave Secret: Why Aviation Can’t Quit HF Radio
Why do pilots still use scratchy 1940s radio in the age of Starlink? Explore the resilient world of oceanic communication and skywave physics.
Beyond the Hype: The Real State of Quantum Computing
Forget Quantum MacBooks. Herman and Corn dive into the move toward logical qubits and why the future of quantum lives in the cloud.
The Power of Quintillions: Inside Supercomputing
Explore the world of exascale computing, why specialized hardware beats the cloud, and if you can actually build a supercomputer in your bedroom.
Big Iron: Why Mainframes Still Run the Global Economy
Think mainframes are relics? Herman and Corn explore why "Big Iron" remains the unbreakable backbone of global finance and high-speed transactions.
Beyond the Desktop: Defining the 2026 Workstation
Is your PC a workstation or just a fast desktop? Herman and Corn break down the hardware that defines professional computing in 2026.
The Science of Smooth: Why Your Whiteboard Ghosts You
Why does your whiteboard ghost you? Corn and Herman explore the material science and chemistry behind the world’s most essential ideation surface.
One Port to Rule Them All? The USB-C Revolution
Herman and Corn debate if USB-C is a universal dream or a technical nightmare. Is the "one-cable" future finally here?
Desktop-Server Hybrid: The Virtual Solution
Unleash the power of a single machine! Explore virtualization's secrets to seamlessly blend your desktop and server.
Your Tech's Silent Killer: Decoding Power Quality
Unseen forces silently erode your tech. Discover how subtle power issues are killing your electronics and what you can do about it.
Home IP Camera Architecture: Navigating the RTSP, WebRTC, MSE Maze for Optimal Performance
RTSP, WebRTC, MSE: Decoding the maze for optimal home IP camera performance with Home Assistant.