For a recent experiment I was using BA389 PIN diodes to switch low power RF signals. I was asked why I didn't use an ordinary 1N4148 for that. Since I didn't know what an 1N4148 would do when used like that, and I also didn't really know what a BA389 actually does, I decided to do some measurements.Aren't diodes …

Many years ago, I used to do some radio fox hunting with cars. Usually these hunts are at night to make it more exciting, and can be great fun. As I got older I lost interest and moved on to other things. But last year, I decided to have a go at a popular balloon fox hunt on 144MHz. This is quite a large scale and …

In the past I have used Evernote extensively, it really helped me in my research for this blog and keeping track of meeting notes, todo lists and even making pictures of whiteboards at work searchable. As a product, there is no note taking app that can beat Evernote. But there is a little problem that has become a deal …

Since the interview of Edward Snowden with the Guardian, the discussion about privacy and companies storing and sharing unencrypted private data is picking up. Particularly Americans are worried about what it does for their National security and their private data. But that's actually a naive thought, given the NSA …

Not everybody understands why I am trying to learn morse code on lcwo.net. Maybe I'm not even sure myself. But most people seem to think morse code is absolutely dead. I could tell you that's not the case, but it is far better to find out for yourself. To be able to do that you need access to a radio which can receive …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZh4aSszD5k Today Steve Job's yacht was launched from a dock a few miles from my house. I went there with some friends and we shot some awesome footage of this incredible ship. Through the glass, we could see the 7 iMacs which are used to control the ship. There are also large doors on …

You may have seen recent tweets from me ranting about my frying pans. I've ruined a few (very expensive) pans and replaced them with dirt-cheap pans which are actually much better. I would like to share my experiences and solutions with you, so that you can buy the right (cheap) pan without having to go through the …

Dear Tim, I am certainly not the first, nor the last to congratulate you with your new position at Apple. I'm sure there will be many great things to come for Apple and it's customers. Apple has become the doctor that doesn't fix the pain, but cures the illness and improves our daily digital lives. Please make sure …

I recently had a very unpleasant experience with my mobile phone. Actually, it wasn't so much my mobile phone itself, as it was the sharing of my private mobile phone number between colleagues. Seemingly harmless, but with great consequences. One of my colleagues, in his innocence and with nothing but good intentions, …

So the word is finally out, it's going to be the iPad. I was kind of worried about this, and my worries are not completely taken away by the news currently oozing out of the Apple keynote. I see some problems with this device, although they are well hidden under Steve's reality distortion field, the Apple secret sauce …