Mobile & IoT
Smartphones, batteries, connectivity, home automation, sensors and Internet of Things protocols.
4G and 5G: bands, frequencies and why the signal varies so much
How 4G and 5G networks work: low and high bands, 5G NSA and SA, carrier aggregation, and why real-world speed varies between rooms, cities and times.
Battery IoT sensors: how they last for years on a single cell
Microamp consumption, sleep cycles, choice of battery and radio protocol, LoRaWAN and NB-IoT: how an IoT sensor that lasts years is designed and run.
Bluetooth: versions, profiles and audio codecs explained
Bluetooth Classic and Low Energy, profiles such as A2DP and HFP, codecs SBC, AAC, aptX, LDAC and LC3: what really matters for headphones, cars and gadgets.
ESP32: the microcontroller for DIY IoT projects
What the ESP32 is, how it differs from Arduino and Raspberry Pi, how to program it, run it on batteries and use it for a Wi-Fi connected home sensor.
Fast charging and USB Power Delivery: how it really works
What happens between charger, cable and phone during fast charging: USB Power Delivery, PPS, e-marked cables and how to choose the right power adapter.
Home Assistant: building a local, independent smart home hub
How Home Assistant works, which hardware to run it on, how to integrate Zigbee and devices of different brands, and how to handle backups and remote use.
eSIM: what it is, how it works and when it makes sense
The eSIM explained in practical terms: downloadable profiles, QR code activation, dual numbers, travelling abroad and what to do when you change phones.
Matter and Thread: the common standard for the connected home
What Matter and Thread are, how they split the work, what border routers and multi-admin mean, and what to check before buying a compatible device.
MQTT made simple: how IoT devices talk to each other
Brokers, topics, publish and subscribe, QoS levels and retained messages: how MQTT works, why it is so common in IoT and how to set it up securely at home.
Native apps, hybrid apps and PWAs: differences and how to choose
Native apps, cross-platform frameworks and Progressive Web Apps compared: performance, phone features, notifications, development costs and updates.
NFC: how it works and how to use it beyond contactless payments
How 13.56 MHz NFC technology works, why devices must be so close, how phone payments are protected and how to use NFC tags for everyday automations.
Hotspot and tethering: using your smartphone as a modem safely
Wi-Fi hotspot, USB and Bluetooth tethering compared: speed, power use, plan limits, useful settings and how to stop a laptop eating your data in an hour.
Phone storage full: how to free up space methodically
Photos and videos, chat attachments, caches, unused apps and system files: where your phone's storage really goes and how to reclaim it without data loss.
Slow smartphone: how to find the cause and really fix it
Full storage, worn battery, background apps, overheating: a structured method to work out why a smartphone slows down and to fix it in the right way.
Smart home automations: how to design them so they actually work
Triggers, conditions and actions, handling the unexpected and concrete use cases: a practical method for building reliable, unobtrusive home automations.
Smartphone battery: how to make it last longer
How a lithium-ion battery ages, why heat and sitting at 100% wear it out, and which everyday habits genuinely extend the life of your smartphone.
Smartphone displays: OLED, LCD, refresh rate and burn-in
The differences between OLED and LCD, what 120 Hz and adaptive refresh mean, why burn-in happens, what PWM is and how to pick the right display for you.
How your smartphone knows where you are: GPS, GNSS, Wi-Fi
GPS and Galileo satellites, A-GPS, dual frequency, Wi-Fi and cell positioning: how the phone calculates its location and why it is sometimes far off.
Smartphone OTA updates: how they work behind the scenes
System updates, monthly patches, A/B partitions, staged rollouts and end of support: what really happens when your smartphone installs an update.
Smartphone sensors: what they measure and how they work
Accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, barometer, proximity and ambient light: how your phone's sensors work and how they combine inside everyday apps.
Smartwatches and fitness trackers: how they measure steps and sleep
Accelerometer, PPG optical sensor, gyroscope and GPS: how a smartwatch estimates steps, heart rate and sleep, and why the numbers should be read as trends.
Switching smartphones without losing anything: full checklist
Backups, chats, authenticator apps, eSIM, photos and accounts: the right sequence to move to a new phone and prepare the old one for resale or recycling.
Weak mobile signal at home: the solutions that actually work
Wi-Fi calling, choice of operator, outdoor 4G and 5G routers, authorised repeaters: how to improve mobile coverage at home, starting from a diagnosis.
Qi and Qi2 wireless charging: efficiency, heat and alignment
How Qi wireless charging works, what Qi2 adds with magnetic alignment, how much efficiency is lost and how to keep heat from damaging your battery.
Zigbee, Z-Wave or Wi-Fi: choosing a smart home protocol
A practical comparison of Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for the smart home: range, power use, mesh networking, hubs and sensible choices per device.