July | 2023 | Birds on a Cable

The Internet of Things (IoT): Transforming Homes and Cities

By Zaid Yahya On July 26, 2023July 26, 2023 In Fun Stuff

The Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized how we interact with our surroundings, making our apartments, homes and cities smarter and more connected than ever. And by doing so, IoT is enhancing residents’ convenience, efficiency, and quality of life.

Imagine a world where your home appliances, security systems, and even your lights are interconnected to communicate with each other. That’s the power of IoT in smart homes. IoT devices are connected to the internet to enable automation and control. I’m sure you do this now. You can remotely adjust your thermostat, monitor your bedroom lights, and maybe receive alerts if there’s a water leak in your home.

Video doorbells, another IoT-powered innovation, allow you to see and communicate with visitors remotely, adding another layer of security and convenience.

Move Over, Jetsons

By Samuel Glenn On July 19, 2023July 19, 2023 In Fun Stuff

The FAA has issued a “Special Airworthiness Certificate” for a new model of electric car. And no, this isn’t the latest Tesla model. This certificate will be for the prototype of a flying car! The California-based company Alef Aeronautics will test its Model A road/air fully electric car.

Windows Sandbox

By Sean Christopher On July 12, 2023July 12, 2023 In Tech Tips

Warning: this is more technical than my usual blogs, but I found a Windows feature that the nerd in me finds very cool. Let’s talk about it. It’s called Windows Sandbox, a special feature in Windows 10/11 that lets you run suspicious or risky software in a safe and separate environment. It’s like having a virtual computer inside your computer.

When you open Sandbox, it creates a little virtual version of Windows where you can do things without worrying about any harm to your real computer. Anything you do inside Windows Sandbox, like opening files or running programs, stays inside that virtual environment. It doesn’t affect your actual computer. When you’re done using Windows Sandbox, you can close it, and everything you did inside it disappears, like erasing a chalkboard.

How to Stream While Traveling

By Michael Gregory On July 5, 2023July 5, 2023 In Misc

Recently, we went to the mountains for a fun weekend of hiking and stayed at a nice little resort hotel. But it was not nice that in the evenings, while winding down, catching up on our shows was nearly impossible. Unfortunately, when traveling, you commonly lose access to all your streaming services. Some TVs (the ones in our hotel, for instance) allowed you to sign into your account, but I’m very reticent to type in a password on a random device that I don’t own. Thankfully, a super portable device allows you to bring all your streaming with you: The Google Chromecast.