The "standard" car charger is usually overkill—but your electrician might not know that

Closed captions on DVDs are getting left behind

Dehumidifiers are confusing. Here's why.

Power is not energy: why the difference matters

Algorithms are breaking how we think

The clever feature that makes cheap heaters safe — and why they're actually dangerous

I tricked my car charging station into powering a 7.5 kW heater

LED Christmas lights which don't hurt the eyes: it finally happened!

How much thrust does a ceiling fan produce?

Balafire: when a light bulb goes wild

Air fryers are simpler than you think, but still pretty neat

I bought a freeze dryer so you don't have to

MP3 CDs: a hybrid "format" that never existed, yet was surprisingly common

Duracell PowerCheck: A genius idea which didn't last that long

Thermoelectric cooling: it's not great.

Induction cooking - but what about woks?

Door closers: ubiquitous, yet unloved and often maladjusted

Passive infrared motion sensors: a two-bit camera powered by crystals

Awnings: a simple cooling tech we apparently forgot about

The Numitron: An obvious idea that wasn't very bright

Your dishwasher is better than you think (tips, tricks, and how they work)

Tilting, taking turns, and winning free games: the many tricks inside old pinball machines

The simple, clever sensor behind automatic windshield wipers

Simmerstats: The genius old tech that controls your stovetop

Bright from the Start: GE's CFL with an incandescent trick up its sleeve

Old HVAC industry practices are holding us back and costing us money. But we can fix it.

Flash photography used to be pretty wild

The step-by-step, mechanical logic of old pinball machines

LED Christmas lights still annoy me. Let's try some more fixes.

What's the deal with the popcorn button?

The Clapper: Yes, that one.

Back-up beepers: Obnoxious, but getting better - and spreading!

Old pinball machines are amazingly complex

Power outlets are topsy turvy - but does it matter?

Photoelectric light controls are weirder than they seem

Tesla won the plug war - and that's good news!

Longer-lasting light bulbs: it was complicated

This goofy fridge has a really clever design. It's also kinda terrible.

Digital audio needed videotape to be possible - and the early days were wild!

Electric cars prove we need to rethink brake lights

Sony Betacam: Not the Beta you're thinking of (it's way better)

Contactors: how we power the big stuff

Plug-n-play solutions for home electrification, and options for power outages (Part 2)

How do vinyl records hold stereo sound?

Home Electrification: There's not a lot to do, and it doesn't have to be hard (Part 1)

A simple water heater is more clever than it seems

Timer switches: literally just a clock and a switch

Movies made sound with a light bulb: Sound-on-film

The decorative lamp that's built wrong on purpose

In Defense of the Switched Outlet

The clever camera code on rolls of film

This TV gadget censors bad words with 1980's tech

Old car headlights were all the same — which was a fairly bright idea

This 1960's camera is powered by light and completely automatic

A Complete Beginner's Guide to Electric Vehicles

Drip Coffee Makers — super simple, super cheap

The correcting feature of typewriters is not what I thought

There are two types of smoke alarm. One of 'em ain't so good.

Is Philips discontinuing their coolest warmest product?

Why don't Americans use electric kettles?