For this first edition of the hardware teardown, we’re dissecting technology and lifestyle brand Withings’ cheapest activity and sleep tracker: the Withings GO.  Since they launched their first connected weighing scale back in 2010 (the WiFi Body Scale), I’ve been a big fan of Withings. They make beautiful products that integrate seamlessly with their online […]
Withings GO activity tracker teardown Read More »
I have made many electronic loads in the past. For instance this simple harddrive cooler housed small dummy load, this more sophisticated constant current/constant programmable load and this heavy-duty electronic load that is capable of sinking over 1kW under peak load. In this blog post though, I am going to take a look inside an
Teardown of an Array 3711A 300W DC electronic load Read More »
Intro My cheap plug in hot glue gun died and looking for a replacement I found this: the Bosch GluePen What does it do? it’s a hot glue gun for 7 mm glue sticks that warms up in 15 seconds. Charges via micro USB. Much better than my old one that needed ~5 minutes to
Bosch glue pen teardown Read More »
I got a Peaktech 6225A power supply to power some things, as it seemed like a good deal, going beyond what one might find normally in these types of supplies: more display resolution and supposedly, lower noise. For this price, this supply is a good deal compared to other similar ones on the market. Let’s see how
Peaktech 6225A review Read More »
Generally, “jammers” — which are also commonly called signal blockers, GPS jammers, cell phone jammers, wifi jammers, etc. are radio frequency transmitters that are designed to block, jam, or otherwise interfere with radio communications. A jammer can block radio communications on devices that operates on a given radio frequencies within its range (i.e., within a
Review & Teardown of a cheap GPS Jammer Read More »
First on the chopping block, the “EH1205”. Wait! What’s this? The original AC connector is mounted to the PCB. Yes, this has been repackaged! I think we can assume the approvals on the label are fiction. The current rating sure is. Note the ~5mm spark-gap in the upper left (~15kV?). Yes! Can you believe
Teardown: 12V AC adapters – The Horror Read More »
IP Cameras have become extremely cheap in the last couple of years. Mass production made the prices of decent quality image sensors, and very capable SoCs, drop significantly. Our victim in question is currently still available for about €43, but clones/copies/similar models are available from China for even cheaper. The cheap price is great if
IoT IP camera teardown and getting root password Read More »
What’s inside a counterfeit Macbook charger? After my Macbook charger teardown, a reader sent me a charger he suspected was counterfeit. From the outside, this charger is almost a perfect match for an Apple charger, but disassembling the charger shows that it is very different on the inside. It has a much simpler design that
Counterfeit Macbook charger teardown: convincing outside but dangerous inside Read More »
Amazon’s Dash Button, which I previously mentioned back in late May 2015, is the ultimate in consumer convenience (or, if you prefer, consumerism gone crazy). Simply press a button on the inconspicuous adhesive-backed device (perfect for attaching to your washer and dryer, refrigerator, counter, or cabinet), and your Amazon account is charged for the purchase
Teardown: Amazon Dash Button keeps you connected Read More »
If you’ve played around with electronic circuits, you probably know[1] the 555 timer integrated circuit, said to be the world’s best-selling integrated circuit with billions sold. Designed by analog IC wizard Hans Camenzind[2] in 1970, the 555 has been called one of the greatest chips of all time with whole books devoted to 555 timer
555 timer teardown: inside the world’s most popular IC Read More »
