Computing
Non-AI computing: networks, servers, hardware, software engineering, and digital security and privacy.
#3221: Why Can't Your Partner Reach You? The Family Pager Problem
Smartphones have no reliable urgent notification channel for families. Here's why — and what might fix it.
#3220: When Pelicans Fail: Cases for Network Gear & Monitors
Why a sealed Pelican case can cook your switch or drown it in condensation.
#3218: Building Your Own Cloud in 2026
The software and hardware for a DIY private cloud have never been more feasible. Here's how to pick the right pieces.
#3217: When a Truck Beats the Internet: Shipping Data at Scale
Why FedEx sometimes beats fiber for moving massive datasets across the country.
#3198: Why Architects Still Use 1963 Pens
Why architects still use isographic pens and parallel rules in 2026 — and what that teaches us about thinking through our hands.
#3189: Drawing the Melody: SSML's Hidden Power
How SSML gives developers narrative control over AI voices — and why ElevenLabs became its center of gravity.
#3182: Micro-Dispenser Pens vs Car Paint: What Actually Works
Can AliExpress scratch pens really fix car paint? The chemistry behind those tiny tips.
#3169: Why Your Phone Betrays You to a Nursery Speaker
Android’s Bluetooth still can’t manage multiple devices. Here’s why—and what actually works.
#3168: 30 BLE Tags for $60: DIY ADHD Object Tracking
Stop losing your stuff. Build a self-hosted BLE tracker system for 30 items at 1/8 the cost of commercial trackers.
#3158: How Consumer Drones Really Talk to Their Controllers
From DJI's OcuSync to military SATCOM and 4G LTE — how drone control links actually work and why they fail.
#3120: What Makes Agentic Search Tools Like Exa Actually Work?
Why swapping Google for Exa transformed our show's accuracy — and what agentic search does differently.
#3107: Precision Engineering Disguised as a Paint Pen
The hidden science of markers that survive jet exhaust, salt fog, and 650°C steel.
#3106: How to Choose the Right Fineliner Pen
Line weight matters more than you think. A guide to fineliners for architects, sketchers, and writers.
#3100: How Cars Predict Black Ice Before Your Foot Hits the Brake
From ABS to AI: how cars evolved from surviving crashes to predicting them before drivers notice danger.
#3099: How Car Mechanics Master 50 Vehicles a Week
The hidden systems thinking that lets mechanics fix any car and how you can apply it.
#3097: Measuring Car Horns: Phone Apps vs. Court Evidence
Can a phone spectrogram app prove which car honked? Usually not — here's what you actually need.
#3096: How Encrypted Plots Actually Get Busted
Encrypted phones don't stop arrests. Here's how intelligence agencies actually catch terror cells.
#3094: Surface Prep for Markers That Last
Why 70% isopropyl is the benchmark and what to use when you can't get it in Israel.
#3081: Laser Tape Measures: What Actually Matters
Time-of-flight vs phase-shift, combined inclinometers, and what your budget actually buys you in accuracy.
#3079: NFC vs UHF RFID: What Actually Works on Fabric
Why NFC tags peel off fabric and how UHF RFID solves it — plus what hardware you actually need.