Home & Consumer Tech
Smart home, consumer electronics, and everyday tech
228 episodes · Page 7 of 10
#2867: How Flight Attendants Master the Galley
How airlines organize a walk-in closet-sized galley to serve hundreds — and never run out.
#2865: How to Source Goods from China Without Getting Burned
Factories, sourcing agents, and ethical due diligence — what first-timers need to know before stepping off the plane.
#2846: The Quest for Earbuds That Actually Fit
Why your earbuds won't stay put — and three paths to a secure fit, from aftermarket tips to custom molds.
#2844: How Many Pixels Do You Actually Need?
At what point does adding more pixels stop mattering to the human eye? The numbers are brutal for marketing.
#2843: Why Solar Gadgets Fail: The Missing Battery Buffer
Why your solar USB panel can't run a Raspberry Pi — and the fix that actually works.
#2842: Fixing Your New Apartment: The Israeli Tool Kit
The eight essential tools and hardware every Israeli apartment needs — with Hebrew names and where to buy them.
#2836: Can ANC Handle Real City Noise Now?
ANC has gotten smarter, not just stronger. Can it handle construction noise? And what about cancelling noise in a whole room?
#2821: The Trench Coat Is on Fire: Making Smart Home Parts Interrupt Each Other
Three engineering problems in a trench coat. Make Zigbee sirens, Snapcast speakers, and push-to-talk audio actually work together.
#2802: The Tea Standard and 9 Other Weird ISO Rules
Ten hyper-specific international standards that make you question what humanity does with its collective time.
#2800: The Two Meanings of Industrial Design
Industrial design is a profession. The "industrial look" is something else entirely. Here's where they split.
#2791: How to Pick a Marker That Actually Stays On
Why do “permanent” markers fail on plastic? The answer is polymer chemistry, not bad luck.
#2783: Can a DAP Cure Your Distraction Addiction?
A listener asks if anyone still makes a decent non-phone audio player. The answer is yes—with a few important caveats.
#2767: The Anonymous Virtuosos of Elevator Music
The surprising history of Muzak, the military general who invented it, and the session musicians who made music designed to be ignored.
#2762: Thread vs Zigbee: Multi-Floor Smart Home Networking
Can you mix Thread border routers from different brands across floors? Yes—here's how it actually works.
#2759: Why Your Smart Home Can't Mimic a Hotel
Can Zigbee and Matter handle a two-story house with outdoor devices? We break down mesh hops, latency, and real-world limits.
#2751: Moving Like a Pro: Tips from Roadies and Diplomats
What touring roadies and Foreign Service officers can teach you about packing up your home network and toddler's toys.
#2728: Cleaning When You Can't Handle the Fumes
Vinegar and baking soda work, but not as disinfectants. Here’s what actually works for asthma-safe cleaning.
#2727: Your Kitchen Air Is Worse Than a Smoggy Day
Gas stoves spike NO2 above EPA limits in minutes. Here’s how to fix your kitchen air.
#2725: How to Inspect a Home Like a Pro
A retired pediatrician shares his pro-level checklist for viewing rentals and homes without getting fooled by staging.
#2718: Small Apartment Storage Without Going Minimalist
How to organize a small apartment without throwing everything out — using vertical space, zone storage, and the container concept.
#2716: Myrrh: The Ancient Resin Worth More Than Gold
Myrrh was once worth its weight in gold. Here's the botany, ancient trade, and medicinal chemistry behind it.
#2715: Why Studebaker Owners Are Different
What drives thousands of people to obsess over a car brand that died in 1966? It's more than nostalgia.
#2713: The PT Cruiser: Icon or Punchline?
Was the PT Cruiser a design triumph or a cultural joke? We break down its rise, fall, and strange legacy.
#2670: When Your Projector's App Store Dies
Brightness, screens, and software longevity — what to look for when buying a portable projector.