ScottiesTechInfo

This one's pretty simple: I make videos, and you get to choose what the next one is about! Let me know in the comments below or via the Contact form on my web site https://scottiestech.info !!

Common wisdom dictates that you're supposed to use your air conditioning in a certain way. Let it warm up during the day or when you're not at home. If you're really hot, turn it way, WAY down and it'll magically cool faster. How you use your A/C depends on who you listen to... And on that front, you probably want to listen to the people who design, install, and maintain A/C. Because while scientific theories are great, practical realities back down here on Earth are better! More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

Taking screen captures is pretty easy. But what about VIDEO captures? It might seem like you need a PhD in computer science, but it turns out that recording a video of a single window or your desktop is VERY easy these days. Here are 3 easy ways to capture video from your puter, and the first one won't cost you a penny! I also include a fix for the very common and dreaded 'Snagit Mic Error' that seems to plague quite a few Snagit users. 0:00 Intro 0:40 Xbox Game Bar 4:43 Xbox Game Bar is Missing? 5:25 Snagit 8:30 Fix Snagit Mic Error!! 10:59 Aiseesoft Screen Recorder Goodies in the vid (affiliate links): - Snagit: https://www.techsmith.com/snagit-features.html - Aiseesoft Screen Recorder: https://www.aiseesoft.com/screen-recorder/ - USB audio adapters: - UGREEN USB external Sound Card (1 TRRS jack for both headphones + mic): https://amzn.to/3CaO2e5 - UGREEN USB external Sound Card (2 TRS jacks: 1 for headphones, 1 for mic): https://amzn.to/3A5wgY1 More techie tips or if you want to Hire Me to solve your techie problem: https://scottiestech.info

VLC media player is free, popular, and just awesome. It'll play just about any audio or video file you throw at it. Beginning in version 3.0.0, it supports hardware acceleration so that it SHOULD play even hi-res vids smoothly. But quite often when you try to play a 4K (2160p) video, the playback stutters and is basically unwatchable. What gives?? Turns out there's a very simple fix that works 95% of the time! And it'll take you all of about 10 seconds to do it... Get VLC: https://videolan.org More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

Well, the results are in: I'm keeping my Q-Link! While nothing really happened at first, I did actually notice certain improvements when using this crazy thing. I still can't explain how it works, or if it's just the placebo effect. But, whatever it's doing, it's doing it well... at least for me and several other people I know! For more info, see my first vid on the Q-Link and various studies and tests done with it: https://youtu.be/YQbXUouSZTU Links to the good stuff: Study on EEG improvement when exposed to EMFs and using Q-Link: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/107555302760253621 London Today blood cell improvement when using Q-Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sabahLTZOZ4 Official Q-Link site/shop: https://www.shopqlink.com/ Q-Link on Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/2LLDGcU Q-Link on Amazon.fr: https://amzn.to/2YO9XUE More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info Buy Scottie Stuff: https://teespring.com/stores/scotties-techinfo

Many people have asked me about the Q-Link and other similar gizmos. You're supposed to simply wear them, and they strengthen your body via "resonance" such that you are even protected from the negative effects of all kinds of EMF. Well, I used to think that was nuts... Until my doctor friend said she loves hers! So, I decided to take another look. It had been almost 20 years since I first decided they were just snake oil. Plus, I suppose with age comes the knowledge that we're not always as smart as we think we are. It turns out that the result of using these things is actually rather interesting... - Official Q-Link site/shop: https://www.shopqlink.com/ - Cell and Tissue Stress Tolerance study: https://www.shopqlink.com/blogs/research-summaries/stress-tolerance - EEG improvement when exposed to EMFs and using Q-Link study: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/107555302760253621 - London Today blood cell improvement when using Q-Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sabahLTZOZ4 - The Biofield Hypothesis: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/10755530260511711 Placebo effect is not so nutty after all: - Knowingly taking sham pills may reduce chronic pain: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313522.php - Haven't you heard? Your mind can give you surgery: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/nutty-science-placebo-effect Try it for yourself: Q-Link on Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/2EBV5jZ Q-Link on Amazon.fr: https://amzn.to/2VTVWCq More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

If you've ever accidentally chopped through a wire or electrical cable, you know how much fun it can be to try to repair it so that it stays waterproof, dust proof, weatherproof, etc. I recently had just such a fun experience myself. It turns out that there are quite a few nice products out there to make the splicing process WAAAAY easier. Keep in mind that the type of splice you use depends greatly on the application - and even the type of wire (solid vs stranded). A wire splice for an automotive-type application must be pretty strong, because vibration is obviously an issue. An underground electrical cable doesn't have to withstand vibration, but it definitely needs to be waterproof! Note that I forgot to mention one product in the video: 3M Scotchlok connectors. They are good for wires up to 1.5mm^2, and they're water resistant. BUT, they may not be very good for high-vibration applications due to the way the blades inside bite into the copper wires. These are the same type of connectors your phone company tech usually uses for phone line wire connections, only bigger. Links to the goodies mentioned in the vid (affiliate links): - 3-wire (single-phase) cable splice connector: http://amzn.to/2j5pGOR - 5-wire (3-phase) cable splice connector: http://amzn.to/2AoXXgx - Stranded copper butt splice assortment: http://amzn.to/2j82ShC - 3M Scotchlok 1.5mm^2 3-wire grease-filled crimp connectors: http://amzn.to/2AqLUiq - 3M Scotchcast 1000V insulating resin: http://amzn.to/2yc20uX More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

First, remain calm. Second, watch this video! A tripping circuit breaker or GFCI/RCD/differential breaker can be really annoying. It normally doesn't happen. When it does, the end result can be that you run around the room with your undies on your head, screaming like a wildperson. Obviously, if your vacuum cleaner is charred and black and there's a funny smell in the room, you've just figured out why the breaker tripped. But usually, the problem is a bit more subtle than that... It turns out that with a bit of work, you can often cleverly narrow down the problem to one gizmo and save yourself some money - without setting anything on fire. Yay! Even if you do need to call an electrician, at least you'll be able to give some information about the problem that should result in fewer hours charged! To learn breaker panel basics, see my earlier vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCWYwdk40hw Power outlet tester (associate links): FR: http://amzn.to/2xq16u0 UK: http://amzn.to/2xq7EsK US: http://amzn.to/2x9SIzk More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

Much ado has been made about certain brands and types of puter displays and how this kind or that kind looks so much better than the average LCD screen... It turns out that much of this hoopla is quite often mostly just marketing. In fact, some displays from certain fruity computer manufacturers in the past were actually technically inferior, yet they still looked really good! How did they do it? Easy! The displays were fine-tuned - calibrated, if you will. Lucky for you, it's a piece of cake to calibrate your puter's display yourself. There's the easy, free option, or the more expensive and thorough option. Either way, you can turning your "average" screen into a stunner is a lot easier than you might think. Datacolor Spyder5 Express: https://amzn.to/2MDX2Ps Music: Endless Motion by https://www.bensound.com More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

They're known as power bricks, wall warts, AC Adapters, AC-DC Converters, and probably 10 other names - and they power many of the gizmos you use every day. But what happens when a gizmo stops working right? You may think it's the gizmo itself, but very often it's the power brick. It may look complicated, but it's actually pretty straightforward to get a universal power brick and set it up to breathe new life into your techie toy. Save some bucks, impress your friends, and Bob's Your Uncle! Universal Power Bricks on Amazon.com: - ProTechTrader 3-12V, 1A, 12W: https://amzn.to/2GOGink - ProTechTrader 3-12V, 2.5A, 30W: https://amzn.to/2KhPcM8 Universal Power Bricks on Amazon.fr: - Poppstar 3-12V, 2A, 24W: https://amzn.to/2TfYECE - Profitec 5-24V, 3-1.5A, 36W: https://amzn.to/2T71xp2 - Ansmann 5-15V, 2.25A, 27W: https://amzn.to/2TcayNN - Ansmann 12024V, 2.25A, 27W: https://amzn.to/2TepdrJ T-shirts and other Scottie Stuff mentioned in the vid: Real Men use Ethernet: https://teespring.com/real-men-go-wired Real Women use Ethernet: https://teespring.com/real-women-go-wired Reboot: https://teespring.com/ctrl-alt-del-reboot Music: "Slow Motion" from https://www.bensound.com More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

Chrome is a fantastic web browser - except when it eats all your CPU power and crashes your puter. What's going on here? I thought Chrome was lean, mean, and zippy? Well, it IS... But the Software Reporter Tool that it downloads and runs to scan your computer "for evil add-ons" may be up to more than just making sure Chrome runs well (which is hilarious, since it ends up crashing the puters of so many of us!). Well, whatever... How do you turn the dang thing OFF?! Now, it's easy! I also throw in a few other privacy-enhancing tips if you're using Chrome. More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

When we watch sci-fi shows, we see these uber-fancy futuristic space suits. Yet when we look at the actual real space suits in use by astronauts today, we see the same big puffy white suits that look unchanged since the Apollo missions in the late 60's and early 70's. What gives? How come we don't have fancy space suits yet? It turns out that there are pretty good reasons. Space suits need to do specific things to protect astronauts. While the suits have been greatly upgraded over the years, there are still limited options in how we can combine certain technologies to provide that protection. Screenshot of Martian Marine: "The Expanse" TV series, Legendary Television Distribution, SyFy, and Amazon Prime Video https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0MW6F85MD8486AE43GONNOR5F1/ More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

Quick charging is all the rage these days. We all want our smartphones and tablets to charge REALLY quickly via plain old USB cables. But how do quick chargers actually work? After all, USB itself is limited in terms of the power that it can provide. Tune in and discover the magic of USB quick charging! More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

Ah, the USB stick. They're supposed to be handy for transferring files between computers. Unfortunately, most of the time they end being painfully slow. If you're frequently waiting several minutes for that large file to copy to your USB stick, then you're using the wrong one! After a recent debacle with 2 different USB 3 sticks, I set out to find the best USB 3.1 sticks that won't set you back an arm and a leg. Not only did I discover a new Speed Champion, but I also found a VERY cheap and large yet still zippy model. So, whatever your budget, there's a lightning fast USB 3.1 stick out there for you! By the way, if you're having trouble with slow USB 3 speeds, check out my other video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSLZL5Hrcps USB sticks mentioned in the vid (affiliate links): Amazon US: - SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB: https://amzn.to/35zwqrb - SanDisk Extreme Go 64GB: https://amzn.to/2ro2OP0 - Patriot Supersonic RAGE Elite 128GB: https://amzn.to/34mwlH7 - Patriot Supersonic RAGE 64GB: https://amzn.to/2Dez8q2 Amazon France: - SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB: https://amzn.to/2QO7Bnv - SanDisk Extreme Go 64GB: https://amzn.to/2DeHb6m - Patriot Supersonic RAGE Elite 128GB: https://amzn.to/2Om2skP - Patriot Supersonic RAGE 64GB: https://amzn.to/2XOOtHx More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

A few weeks ago, I published a video on how to get max speed from your USB 3 gizmos, which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSLZL5Hrcps Right, but if what about lowly USB 2 sticks? They're far more prevalent than USB 3 sticks, and many of them are veeeery sloooow... There are a few things to watch out for when buying your next USB stick. And you don't even need to be a technical genius! More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

Extension cord reels, or rolly cords as I like to call them, are seriously handy. Nobody likes spending 30 minutes untangling a 50m extension cord. Trouble is, usually we use them incorrectly. It turns out you have to read the fine print: You can only use the full capacity of the reel if you fully unwind the rolly cord. If you don't fully unwind the cord, the power rating of the reel drops by a factor of 3, which means the current you can draw drops by a factor of 3, which means you're likely to destroy the poor thing! Rolly cords have (usually) thermal circuit breakers, but those breakers are a) cheap, and b) designed to trip at the max current for the reel when the cord is fully unwound. Technically, this is "overheat protection", but in my experience it doesn't work well at all when the cord is still on the reel - even with premium brand reels. The breaker will quickly fail, and you'll be left with a useless cord reel. When the cord is still mostly wound on the reel and you pull even slightly too much juice, the whole thing heats up and will then fail shortly - possibly in a spectacular, fiery fashion if you're unlucky. So be nice to your rolly cords, and always unroll them fully whenever you use them! Amazon links: UK: http://amzn.to/2eAhf8L FR: http://amzn.to/2gAJKE4 More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

And now it's time for something completely different! Computers are an integral parts of our lives now. Sometimes, we forgot how far we've come in such a short time. We also don't usually hear the details of where some specific piece of technology came from. So, join me for 5 Fun Computer Facts you probably didn't know! More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

I recently had some fun with HDMI cables - specifically, how best to connect a 4K UltraHD Blu-ray player to a 4K TV? As a follow-up to my Display Cable Madness vid, I dive a bit deeper into the different flavors of HDMI cable: 1.4, 2.0, and 2.1. Obviously, the latest and greatest cable is always recommended for new components. But what about existing setups? Would your upscaled Blu-ray to 4K setup benefit from a newer HDMI connection? It's not just about resolutions and refresh rates, but also stuff like UltraHD Deep Color and High Dynamic Range (HDR). If you're looking for a good HDMI 2.1 cable, check out this one from Belkin: http://amzn.to/2FAy0kg If that one's not in stock in your area, try this one instead: http://amzn.to/2FFfxyO More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

The age old question: How does your electric tea kettle know when to turn off? Is it electronic, or something simpler? It turns out the key is a bimetallic strip. At a certain, carefully adjusted temperature, the bimetallic strip will bend just enough such that right when the water starts to boil, the bent strip will trigger the mechanism that flips the switch to the OFF position. It doesn't matter how much water is in the pot. Once the water is boiling, the temperature in the base will be at a certain point. That temperature point is the trigger threshold for the bimetallic strip. More or less. That sounds complicated, but watch the video. It's pretty simple! More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

You probably do this all the time, but you don't even know it. I'm talking about AC power calculations with P = V x I. Technically, it works. But when you think about it, it shouldn't. AC has constantly changing voltage and current over time - unlike DC. So how on earth does it work? Well, the short version is: RMS, or root mean square! The long version involves a (simplified) explanation of AC power involving Watts, Volt-Amperes, and Power Factor. But not to worry: At the end of the day, you can safely use P = V x I with AC, and you'll still end up with a result that's close enough for horseshoes! More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

I usually see people freak out when they open the door of their circuit breaker panel. No more! Note that I'm using European breakers and EU-type panel design as my example, so if you're in N. America or certain other countries, you're not gonna see the same thing. Still, the general principles are the same. Also keep in mind that there are far more gizmos that you might find in your panel: combined GFCI/circuit breakers, timers, and even a nifty gizmo that turns off circuit B when circuit A is energized. Having said all that, if you just need a basic intro to breaker panels of all types, this is a good place to start! Then follow up with a book or an internet search for your specific location, and Bob's your uncle. Earlier vid explaining bimetallic strips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RAIh11kr2c Power outlet tester: FR: http://amzn.to/2xq16u0 UK: http://amzn.to/2xq7EsK US: http://amzn.to/2x9SIzk More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

Power factor is one of those things that sounds really complicated, but it's pretty simple when you boil it down. And every now and then, knowing a little something about power factor comes in handy. In short, power factor is the ratio of the real power consumed by a gizmo to the apparent power needed to be generated and delivered by the power company. The reason for this "extra power" from the power company is the inductance and capacitance in your gizmo that results in shifting the AC current sine wave away from being perfectly in sync with the voltage sine wave. You don't really need to understand HOW all that works; just watch the vid to see why it matters! More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

Why does AC electrical power come in 3 phases? What the heck is a "phase", anyway? In this episode of the EEK! Series, you'll learn about 3-phase power and its advantages. In short: fewer wires, more power, and the Earth itself is a conductor. In addition, 3-phase industrial motors are more efficient and don't require a starting capacitor since the 3 phases are "rotating" already. Be sure to watch EEK! #1 and #2 first! More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

In episode 2 of the EEK! series, we cover the basic difference between direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC). Why is your home powered by AC, and not DC? Simply put, AC allows the use of transformers to step up the voltage, step down the current, and therefore bypass the little problem of too much current flowing over a thin wire. DC cannot be easily converted in this way for efficient power transmission over long distances. There's more to say about AC, so look for a 3-phase video soon! More techie tips: https://scottiestech.info

This first video in the EEK! series explains basic concepts of electricity in simple, practical terms. Learn about conductors, insulators, voltage, current, power, volts, amps, and watts. It's not as difficult to understand as it sounds. No crazy math or physics required! More: https://scottiestech.info