Navarre Bartz – WindowsTechs.com

World’s Biggest RC A380 is a Big Deal

Posted on June 28, 2026 by Navarre Bartz

A man standing next to an RC model of an Airbus A380 aircraft. The fuselage is at elbow height and the tailfin appears to be over his head.

RC planes are a lot of fun, and the bigger the better! [Ramy RC] has built the world’s biggest RC A380. At 29 ft (8.83 m) long, with a 32 …read more Continue reading World’s Biggest RC A380 is a Big Deal→

Do Metal Roofs Turn a Bird House into an Oven?

Posted on June 27, 2026 by Navarre Bartz

A white man in a dark t-shirt and glasses stands next to a pegboard. On the pegboard is a cylindrical wooden bird house with a small piece of metal roof attached to the top. A set of heat lamps are suspended above and give the image a reddish-orange glow. 87˚F is in white text in the lower left corner.

Birdhouses can be a great way to help out nesting birds in your area, but they can be a bit intensive to make. As part of a 500 birdhouse marathon, …read more Continue reading Do Metal Roofs Turn a Bird House into an Oven?→

EVs Always Beat Combustion Emissions Performance

Posted on June 24, 2026 by Navarre Bartz

A heat map of the US showing the difference in emissions between an EV and ICE or EV and PHEV by county. Rural areas, particularly in Colorado in Wyoming seem close to no difference (in blue) whereas densely-populated areas on the coasts are colored on the red end of spectrum exceeding a 70% emissions reduction over ICE vehicles.

A pervasive story is that electric vehicles (EVs or BEVs) are actually dirtier than combustion vehicles if charged by a fossil fuel-based electricity grid. A new study reaffirms others that …read more Continue reading EVs Always Beat Combustion Emissions Performance→

Rickrolling the World Cup

Posted on June 23, 2026 by Navarre Bartz

A VLC media window with a live feed of a soccer field. Players are just starting to come off the sideline to play.

Sometimes, hacking requires a certain amount of restraint, especially when you find a system woefully unsecured. It would be so easy to play some pranks, but [bobdahacker] chose not to …read more Continue reading Rickrolling the World Cup→

How Did They Make View-Master Slides?

Posted on June 16, 2026 by Navarre Bartz

An image of a miniature diorama of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. On the left is a more detailed 1/6 scale model with a tall, dark haired Snow White and dwarves with red caps and tan tunics. The image on the right is of a much smaller and less detailed set of miniatures. The figures's proportions are a little more uncanny and feel like a low budget Disney rip-off.

The basics of producing a stereophotograph of real life places were well-established by the time the View-Master arrived, but producing images of imaginary scenes was a bit more involved. [View …read more Continue reading How Did They Make View-Master Slides?→

Apple’s Most Repairable Laptop is Thanks to Right-to-Repair

Posted on March 28, 2026 by Navarre Bartz

An upside down laptop with its cover removed on a grey surface. The inside of the laptop is a series of black modules connected to the frame with glorious amounts of screws and not glue!

The common narrative around device design is that you can have repairability or a low price, but that they are inversely proportional to each other. Apple’s new budget MacBook Neo …read more Continue reading Apple’s Most Repairable Laptop is Thanks to Right-to-Repair→

Electronic Waste Graveyard Immortalizes Dead Electronics

Posted on February 5, 2026 by Navarre Bartz

Electronic headstones. The first with an image of a circular lamp on a table. Text reads: "Halo Rise, Amazon, September 2022-August 2023, 0.9 years, Stopped offering cloud support (quick death)" Second is an image of a disassembled countertop appliance. Text reads: "Juicer, Juicero, March 2016-September 2017, 1.3 years, Change in business model/financial reasons" Third is an image of a black TV remote with the text: "Harmony Express, Logitech, April 2019-September 2020, 1.4 years, Stopped offering cloud support (quick death)"

Everyone here can think of a cloud-connected product that was killed because the company that made it stopped supporting it. While these corporations have forgotten their products, the US PIRG …read more Continue reading Electronic Waste Graveyard Immortalizes Dead Electronics→

Kei Truck Looks Like a Giant Power Tool

Posted on February 4, 2026 by Navarre Bartz

Kei trucks are very versatile vehicles, but their stock powerplant can leave a bit to be desired. If you need more power, why not try an electric conversion?
[Ron “Mr. G” Grosinger] is a high school auto shop and welding teacher who worked with his stu… Continue reading Kei Truck Looks Like a Giant Power Tool→

Silicone Bakeware Might be Bad for Your Liver

Posted on January 20, 2026 by Navarre Bartz

A red silicone cupcake pan sits on a black glass inductive stove cooktop. The word induction is written in white text on the glass of the stove.

Silicone bakeware has become a staple in many kitchens due to its flexible, yet temperature-tolerant nature. New research from Canada shows it could be causing trouble for your liver and …read more Continue reading Silicone Bakeware Might be Bad for Your Liver→

Handling Human Waste in the Sky

Posted on November 21, 2025 by Navarre Bartz

Have you ever wondered what goes into making it possible to use the restroom at 30,000 feet (10,000 m)? [Jason Torchinsky] at the Autopian recently gave us an interesting look …read more Continue reading Handling Human Waste in the Sky→