2021-10-28 - Brian Dipert

Oh little drone, how you have grown…

Drones are something of a design nightmare: the batteries needed for long flight times add weight that shortens flight time, and on-board intelligence causes added charge drain.

2021-10-26 - Brian Dipert

Apple’s ‘Unleashed’ October: Revving up the Arm transition

What PC-tailored SoC will Apple release after last year's M1? Two of them, actually, initially in high-end laptops with more systems likely to follow.

2021-10-18 - Brian Dipert

Teardown: Apple TV (3rd generation)

Step 1: Low BOM cost. Step 2: High sales price. Step 3: Profit! That's Apple's hardware business plan in a nutshell, and the Apple TV exemplifies it.

2021-08-26 - Brian Dipert

Question your assumptions: Diagnosing computer disruptions

When diagnosing a problem, it's important not to cling too tightly to initial assumptions, based on past experiences and/or incomplete data.

2021-07-30 - Brian Dipert

Microsoft Xbox 360 teardown

Following up on the dissection of the original Xbox 360 Elite, this teardown explores the more integrated, cooler-running Xbox 360 S.

2021-07-28 - Thomas Miller

Creating ANC earphones with balanced armatures

In true wireless stereo (TWS) earphones, balanced armature (BA) drivers bring improved fidelity and detail compared to traditional drivers.

2021-07-16 - Bill Schweber

Engineer’s ordeal with tiny PCB pads in a laptop repair

A mechanical design relying on PCB pads for structural support leads to stress-induced crack growth and subsequent failure in a laptop.

2021-06-08 - Brian Dipert

Spare CPUs get new life in PCs for donation

This engineer details the build of two PCs that were donated to provide computer access for a shelter program.

2021-05-31 - Kangbong Seo

Development of CMOS image sensors accelerates to serve a variety of applications

The design of CMOS image sensors is going through an accelerated phase of development to serve a variety of applications.

2021-05-18 - Brian Dipert

Set-top box teardown: Android isn’t just for smartphones

Android isn't just for smartphones and tablets, as this set-top box teardown makes obvious.