IP protection class: This is how well exterior lighting must be protected
Lights on the house and in the garden are sometimes literally in the rain, and must therefore be water and dirt-proof in one way or another. But what does this mean exactly? In the technical description or the packaging of many electrical devices and lights you will find the respective IP protection rating. IP stands […]
Max2Play with Raspberry and HifiBerry: great sound made easy
Unique sound of the highest quality — previously only possible with expensive sound systems. But with the help of the HifiBerry sound card, you can turn a Raspberry Pi minicomputer into a high quality music streaming player. Docked to a stereo system, playing your favourite music will be a real pleasure. And: The whole thing […]
What you need to know about lithium batteries
Modern mobile devices usually rely on power from lithium-polymer or lithium-ion batteries. Small but subtle difference between the two techniques: The electrolytes required for the ion transport are made of a liquid for lithium-ion batteries, and in lithium-polymer batteries it is made from a polymer-based gel-like film. This makes the polymer version more flexible, allowing […]
Life insurance for IT equipment: How to ensure you don’t lose any data in the event of power failure
A bang, and the power’s gone. And with it possibly valuable photos, music or documents on PCs, network drives or servers. Hard to believe: Power outages and voltage peaks are responsible for half of all computer damage and data loss. Although power outages in German electricity networks are rare today, in the event of faults, […]
Protection against electric shock: Life saver RCD circuit breaker
If a hair dryer falls in the bathtub or the toaster falls into the washing-up water, it can be fatal. The normal home fuse (fuse and line circuit breaker) offers no protection against electric shock as it reacts too slowly and protects only the cables against overload and thus prevents extensive damage. Real protection against […]
Measure correctly: The most important electronic measuring devices
If you want to work with electrical cables or electronic components, you will need a series of measuring devices. For all work on electrical installations that carry mains voltage or are to be operated with mains voltage safety comes first! But there are other reasons why the use of measuring devices is required. This overview […]
NAS systems: The smart storage solution for the network
Instead of equipping your PC or Mac with a new, larger hard drive, the purchase of a Networked Attached Storage (NAS) is a smart alternative. Why? The network storage devices allow for the immediate deployment of storage space on the network. All connected computers in the network have more storage capacity in one hit. The […]
Light chains for indoor and outdoor use: The best tips
It’s not only in the dark season that chains of lights are a real eye-catcher. Whether on the Christmas tree, in the garden or on stair railings: The many small lights make for a very special atmosphere. Our guide explains what types are available and what you should look out for when purchasing.
It’s all about the solder: The right soldering iron for the application
Soldering irons are used to melt a metal such as solder to join components together. The devices consist of a heated metal tip and an insulated handle. The heat is usually a result of electricity that flows through a resistance heating element. Soldering irons are not all the same, depending on the application, certain types […]
This is how it works: First steps into the Smart Home of the Fritzbox
AVM is making advancements in the area of Smart Home. Traditional Fritzbox routers are the control centres of the “Intelligent Home”. The company presents not only new devices, such as an intelligent power sockets for outdoor use or remote-controllable heating thermostats, but is also steadily bringing out suitable control options. The integration of new devices […]
