Idea of the Day - A new idea each day. Some Don't Suck!

Our Latest Posts About: Electronics

How Great Speaker Systems SHOULD Work

Wednesday, February 8, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Great speaker systems should have sound sensors to automatically calibrate them for your room.

You just spent over $500 on a new home theater system, but somehow it doesn't quite sound the way it should. It's not your fault. You followed all the instructions... You took it out of the box, ran a few wires, plugged in the speakers, then turned it on. What more can you do?

The real problem is that the manufacturers failed to compensate for the unique characteristics of YOUR room. Every room is different. Large rooms sound different from smaller ones. Rooms with hard floors sound different from carpeted ones, and every single item in your room, including the furniture and even your windows, doors and curtains have an impact on the sound you'll hear.

Not only that, but your... [More]

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This One Goes To Eleven?

Thursday, December 29, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Do you know how loud your TV is?

That should be an easy question, but it's not. When you use your remote to change the volume to 11, is that the same as another brand's 11? Probably not. In fact, some TV's only go to 10, while others have no number at all. Isn't that strange?

The trouble is, there is no standard for volume controls. Some brands use numbers, some don't. Some have a range of 1-10, some go to around 50, while others go to 100. Shouldn't there be a standard?

I think there should be two standards:

1. They should all use numbers, so you can adjust the volume to a specific number.

2. Numbers should reflect the relative volume produced based on the actual sound produced, so that when you compare brands, you'll know that a volume of 11 from Brand X is th... [More]

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Homes Should Have 12 Volt DC Outlets Too

Monday, June 20, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Almost all electronic devices use low voltage DC power, so we should have DC outlets in our homes too.

If you're like me, you've got tons of awkward AC/DC power adapters all over your house. That's because electronic devices don't use AC power, and they certainly don't require 120 volts.

Even the devices that don't have an external AC Adapter have some form of bulky power supply inside them that takes up unnecessary space and generates heat. The solution would be for homes to have a secondary DC power system which supply DC power just for electronic devices.

This would eliminate the need for all those bulky power adapters, and make man electronic devices smaller. Most devices need less than 12 volts, so that should be the starting point. The system should be based on 12... [More]

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Power Adapters Should Always Be Labeled

Wednesday, April 6, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Don't you hate it when you unplug a bunch of gadgets, but you can't figure out which power adapter is which?

If you're like most people, you have a bunch of power adapters connected to gadgets all around your house. My desk has at about 10 of them right now. The trouble is, they all look the same, so if I unplugged some of them, there's a good chance I would get them mixed up when I tried to put everything together.

Obviously this comes down to cost. Manufacturers are lazy and cheap, so they cut corners every chance they get, but they need to make sure every device they ship comes with a power adapter that's clearly labeled so you know which device they came with.

TVs are Too Complicated

Saturday, November 14, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Isn't technology supposed to make things easier?

When I was young, a TV had two basic dials. One turned it on and adjusted the volume, and the other changed the channel. Technically, there was a third dial, the UHF dial, but nobody used it. It had nothing but static.

Years later, as cable TV, DVD and Blu-Ray discs, gaming consoles, and home theaters came along things started to get complicated. It's not just an issue of a plugging in a couple of new wires and remotes. For many people, their TV is so complicated they need to hire a professional installer to help them plug everything in, and explain how to use it.

As a tech guy, so I'm often the Go-To Guy people call when they can't figure out technology and I've had more people ask me to get their TV working than I can... [More]

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Wireless TV Connectors

Friday, November 6, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why do TVs still need a wired connection?

Before cable TV came along, every TV in the world got it's signal from giant broadcasting towers that were many miles away. The picture was pretty crude by today's standards, but it worked.

Now that cable TV has become mainstream, isn't it strange that our TVs have wired connections? Think about it. We used to get a TV signal from over 30 miles away, but cable boxes don't have the ability to send a picture to a TV located 3 feet away?

All TVs should have Bluetooth or other short range wireless technology built-in, so it that can be paired with cable boxes, game consoles, and streaming players like Apple TV, or Google Chromecast.

Wireless connections not only makes connections neater, it also means that TVs need fewer HDMI... [More]

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Power Adapters Should Be Labeled

Tuesday, January 20, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Have you ever moved a bunch of gadgets, but couldn't figure out how to put back all the wires? Why don't they simply label them?

When companies design a new gadget, they simply toss a generic power adapter into the box. These generic adapters have virtually no useful identification that makes it easy to re-connect it if you get them mixed up.

Unless you take the time to label them before you plug them in, they are doomed to be confused with every other power adapter you've ever owned. I wouldn't have any complaints if there was at least some standardized system for mixing and matching plugs without the risk of destroying your electronics.

Because there's no standards, even if you see that a plug fits into a gadget, there's still a very good chance that it's not the right... [More]

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Keep Your Electronics DRY... In a Humidor?

Sunday, November 2, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Aren't humidors designed to keep cigars MOIST?

Yes. But they are also great at keeping things dry... With a minor change.

Have you ever noticed that many electronic gadgets come packed with packets of Silica Gel? There's a reason for that. Keeping your electronic gadgets dry extends their lifespan. Moisture causes some of the metals to oxidize and corrode, so when they ship things, the Silica Gel absorbs any moisture they pick up along the way. Once you get the item home, you're on your own.

About 10 years ago, I was given a humidor as a gift. It's a fine crafted wooden box with a humidity indicator and a small device to keep cigars from drying out. It sat on a shelf for years until I suddenly realized, this thing is is perfect for keeping my backup hard drives DRY.... [More]

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* Note: The ideas on "Idea of the Day" were posted without any formal research into existing inventions.

In some cases, patents may already exist for these ideas, in other cases, there may not be any existing patents and you are free to develop and explore the viability of developing and patenting the ideas.

The authors make no claim that any of the ideas are safe, practical, or suitable for any particular purpose. You are responsible for the results of trying, developing, patenting or using any of the ideas on this site.

For some people, our ideas are just an interesting read, but our goal is to encourage you to take action. If you see an idea that you like, do something with it... Take action.

- Joe

Idea Of The Day. A new Idea Each Day. Some Don't Suck.