Solid State Electronics
Solid State Components are the building blocks of today's technology. From batteries and circuit breakers to oscillators and microcontrollers, they make up the gadgets and machines that we use every day.
- Quiz Yourself: Batteries
- Quiz Yourself: Electric Motors
- How Batteries Work
- How Capacitators Work
- How Circuit Breakers Work
- How Electric Motors Work
- How Flash Memory Works
- How Inductors Work
- How LCDs Work
- How Light Emitting Diodes Work
- How Lithium-ion Batteries Work
- How Oscillators Work
- How Semiconductors Work
- How Wireless Power Works
Cameras & Photography
A good photo is part art, part science. Whether you like to manually focus and carry a slew of lenses in a Tamarac bag or go digital and let a high-tech camera do the work for you. See full list of articles.
Gadgets
"Gadget" is a catch-all word these days for nifty devices. We've covered the basics, such as clocks & watches, plus delved into the world of present-day and future high-tech gadgets, such as digital jewelry and restaurant pagers.
- How Noise-canceling Headphones Work
- How do microphones work and why are there so many different types?
- How Tape Recorders Work
- What causes that howling sound in PA systems?
- How Clocks Work
- How Digital Clocks Work
- How do touch-screen monitors know where you're touching?
- How Night Vision Works
- How Restaurant Pagers Work
- How RFID Works
Phones
Telecommunications devices, including cell phones, satellite radio or Voice over IP, connect us to one another and to the world of information at our fingertips. Learn all about the technologies we depend upon for efficient communication.
- Quiz Yourself: Cell Phones
n line at the corner deli, weaving through traffic, right next to you at a movie theater ... cell phones are everywhere. But are they really that different from walkie-talkies? - Quiz Yourself: Bluetooth If your phone talks through a wireless earpiece and your computer sends songs to speakers across the room, Bluetooth is probably behind it. But what's behind Bluetooth?
- How Cell Phones Work Cell phones have completely changed the way we communicate with one another. These days, they're as common as keys; and with coverage plans extending as far as the eye can see, millions of people are never out of touch.
- How Bluetooth Works What do you do when you need your computer to "talk" to your cell phone? Bluetooth allows any sort of electronic equipment to connect without wires, cables or any direct action from you.
- How GPS Phones Work With the right software or service package, a GPS phone can pinpoint your location, give directions to your destination and provide information about nearby businesses. Find out how a GPS phone works.
- How the iPhone Works In July 2008, people waited outside Apple stores for hours to get their hands on the 3G iPhone. What's so great about this little device?
- How WiFi Phones Work Explore WiFi phones and their abilities, as well as the pros and cons of using them. We'll start with a quick review of VoIP and WiFi.
- How Cordless Telephones Work Cordless phones have been around for about 20 years, but lately they're a lot more sophisticated -- it seems like you need a Ph.D. to buy one! Find out how cordless phones work and how to buy the right one.
- How Ringtones Work If the clothes make the man, then the ringtone makes the phone! Find out how a cell phone produces a tune and how you can download (or even create) your own.
- How Fiber Optics Work Fiber-optic lines have revolutionized long-distance phone calls, cable TV and the Internet. It’s a really cool technology that enables the long-distance transmission of data in light signals, and it’s probably used in more ways than you think.
- How do digital answering machines work? What exactly are the components of a digital answering machine? How does voice get recorded? And then, how is it played back on demand?
- How does caller ID work? How does caller ID work on a telephone? It turns out that the process of making the caller ID display possible is remarkably simple at your end of the line.
Personal Audio
For many, personal audio electronic devices such as iPods and other MP3 Players play a pivotal role in our individual entertainment lives. Many of us couldn’t imagine a walk to work or treadmill jog without one.
- Quiz Yourself: mp3 Players Think you know all there is to know about mp3 players? Take this quiz to find out!
- How iTunes Works See what makes iTunes the most popular jukebox software in the world, review some its more advanced functions, explore the integrated Music Store and find out why the whole setup is inspiring some lawsuits and epic hacking wars.
- How mp3 Players Work MP3 players are everywhere -- and for good reason. These portable devices are a convenient way to store and listen to music and to view photos and videos. In some cases, they're even crossed with other devices, like cell phones. Learn the latest on MP3 pl
- Top 10 mp3 Players Choosing an MP3 player can be daunting. To get you started, we've rounded up the top five MP3 players of each type.
- 10 Bizarre iPod Accessories Weird, quirky and even confusing -- that's probably the best way to describe some of the outlandish accessories available for the Apple iPod. Can you guess what we rank as the most bizarre iPod accessory?
- How iPod Hacks Work Intrepid technophiles have found ways to hack iPods, giving them the ability to do much more than play music. Explore why iPods can be hacked, which hacks are our favorites and where to go to learn more.
- How iPods Work In 2001, Apple introduced the iPod, an MP3 player with unheard-of storage capacity. Today iPods play songs, movies, photo slideshows and games. See if the iPod Touch, Shuffle or Nano is right for you.
- How the iPod Touch Works Apple enthusiasts expected to see a larger screen and a virtual Click Wheel on the next generation iPod. With the introduction of the iPod Touch, they were partly right
- What are mp3 files and how do they work? We can transform musical sounds into numbers and record them digitally, although the files can be very large and take over your storage space. That's where the MP3 format comes in. Learn what MP3 files are and how they work.
- How can an iPod set your pants on fire -- literally? Your pants are on fire -- and your iPod started it. But how? Why do laptops, PDAs and cell phones keep spontaneously combusting? Learn what lithium-ion batteries have to do with consumer electronics fires.
My Profile |
Kristiana BurkContact Info:
Atlanta, GA
Channel Director, HowStuffWorks
I am a former librarian and teacher.
Send Email
Atlanta, GA
Channel Director, HowStuffWorks
I am a former librarian and teacher.
Send Email
Radio
These days, many people think of "radio" as that thing attached to their clock or what they listen to in their cars. But radio transmission is a science. Learn more about this technology, from Ham Radio to Sirius and XM.
Home Audio and Video
- Audio Get educated on the basics associated with home audio & video systems. Explore the technology behind things like CDs, amplifiers and rewriteable discs.
- Video Get the home video & DVD information about setting up the right technology for you and your family here at HowStuffWorks. Read about Blu-ray technology, DVRs, TiVo, Netflix and more.
- Television There is always something new to learn about television technology. View our list of 10 Terrific TVs, learn about cable, eyevision, projection television and remote controls, among other topics.
- HDTV Curious about HDTV and all of the available options? Learn about HD technology, HD upconverters, plasma displays, HDMI and more
- Speakers Need to research how to get optimal sound from your home audio speakers? Learn about speakers, surround sound, media chairs and more.
- Home Theater Systems Want to learn all there is know about home theater systems? See how the technology works, peruse our list of Hot Home Theaters, learn how media-center PCs work and more.
Business Electronics
Businesses depend on reliable electronics equipment to run efficiently. From e-payment to web conferencing, smart technology gives an edge in the marketplace.
Description
Loading content... please wait
 |
Loading content... please wait