A thin, watery layer coating the surface of ice is what makes it slick. Despite a great deal of theorizing over the centuries, though, it isn't entirely clear why that layer forms.
In [Big Clive]βs recent grab bag of tat ordered from Chinese commerce platforms, there were two touch light control boxes that can turn any ungrounded conductive surface into a mains load dimmer control. Of course, the primary reason for the purchase was a teardown, and a teardown we got.
These unassuming little boxes are built around the TontekΒ TT6061A, listed as a βtouch dimmerβ, which uses a triac to control the output current. There are four levels, ranging from off to full brightness, before the next touch event turns the output off again.
With the output off, [Clive] measured 0.7 W power usage. After popping open the plastic enclosure, the circuitry turned out to largely follow the recommended application circuit from the datasheet β as can be seen in the above screenshot β with apparently a few cost optimizations, in the form of omitted diodes and a capacitor.
The problem with these devices is that they are only really suitable for dimming low-power resistive loads like incandescent lights, with LED lights likely requiring the unpopulated capacitor spot on the PCB to be populated to tweak the chipβs triac timing, among other changes. There are also the slight issues with no real concern with them radiating EMI, and the exciting possibility of getting shocked at mains voltage without at least a class-Y capacitor installed.
Perhaps using a capacitive touch controller instead that works through plastic, for example, isnβt such a crazy alternative here, especially since theyβre not really much more expensive and less likely to shock you. Want to create your own triac designs? We have just the post to get you started.
Noise and vibration keeps sending soldiers to the medics
The future of the British Army's troublesome Ajax armored vehicle program has again been called into question after the official in charge was removed and use of Ajax halted over its effects on personnel.β¦
The Artemis II crew comprises NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. They will fly in a 16.5-foot-wide Orion capsule on top of the Space Launch System for a roughly ten-day trip around the moon as early as February 6.
Brazilian researchers developed an AI system that analyzes WhatsApp audio messages to identify depression, showing high accuracy and potential for low-cost, real-world mental health screening.
Mention the INDIRECT function in an Excel forum and you'll start a fight. It's volatile, meaning it's always awake and recalculating, which can turn a fast spreadsheet into a sluggish mess. But used correctly, it's a power user's secret weapon for building dynamic, reactive dashboards.
Home Assistant is arguably the best choice for anyone looking to start a smart home, but this is especially true for power users. If you want unhindered freedom to decide how your smart home functions and youβre not afraid to get your hands dirty, thereβs no better choice.
Google Sheets is hiding a massive productivity feature in plain sight: the timeline builder. It's dynamic, it's colorful, and best of all, it updates itself. So, forget the manual formattingβhere's how to build your own visualized project tracker in just five minutes.
This month saw results from a yearlong global study of "potential negative risks that generative AI poses to student". The study (by the Brookings Institution's Center for Universal Education) also suggests how to prevent risks and maximize benefits:
After interviews, focus groups, and consultations with over 500 students, teachers, parents, education leaders, and technologists across 50 countries, a close review of over 400 studies, and a Delphi panel, we find that at this point in its trajectory, the risks of utilizing generative AI in children's education overshadow its benefits.
"At the top of Brookings' list of risks is the negative effect AI can have on children's cognitive growth," reports NPR β "how they learn new skills and perceive and solve problems."
The report describes a kind of doom loop of AI dependence, where students increasingly off-load their own thinking onto the technology, leading to the kind of cognitive decline or atrophy more commonly associated with aging brains... As one student told the researchers, "It's easy. You don't need to (use) your brain." The report offers a surfeit of evidence to suggest that students who use generative AI are already seeing declines in content knowledge, critical thinking and even creativity. And this could have enormous consequences if these young people grow into adults without learning to think critically...
Survey responses revealed deep concern that use of AI, particularly chatbots, "is undermining students' emotional well-being, including their ability to form relationships, recover from setbacks, and maintain mental health," the report says. One of the many problems with kids' overuse of AI is that the technology is inherently sycophantic β it has been designed to reinforce users' beliefs... Winthrop offers an example of a child interacting with a chatbot, "complaining about your parents and saying, 'They want me to wash the dishes β this is so annoying. I hate my parents.' The chatbot will likely say, 'You're right. You're misunderstood. I'm so sorry. I understand you.' Versus a friend who would say, 'Dude, I wash the dishes all the time in my house. I don't know what you're complaining about. That's normal.' That right there is the problem."
AI did have some advantages, the article points out:
The report says another benefit of AI is that it allows teachers to automate some tasks: "generating parent emails ... translating materials, creating worksheets, rubrics, quizzes, and lesson plans" β and more. The report cites multiple research studies that found important time-saving benefits for teachers, including one U.S. study that found that teachers who use AI save an average of nearly six hours a week and about six weeks over the course of a full school year...
AI can also help make classrooms more accessible for students with a wide range of learning disabilities, including dyslexia. But "AI can massively increase existing divides" too, [warns Rebecca Winthrop, one of the report's authors and a senior fellow at Brookings]. That's because the free AI tools that are most accessible to students and schools can also be the least reliable and least factually accurate... "[T]his is the first time in ed-tech history that schools will have to pay more for more accurate information. And that really hurts schools without a lot of resources."
The report calls for more research β and make several recommendations (including "holistic" learning and "AI tools that teach, not tell.") But this may be their most important recommendation. "Provide a clear vision for ethical AI use that centers human agency..."
"We find that AI has the potential to benefit or hinder students, depending on how it is used."
A decade is a long time for a TV series; no single iteration of Star Trek has made it that far.
But βa Star Trek podcast by two guys just a little bit embarrassed to have a Star Trek podcastβ has now passed the milestone. January 25, 2026, marks a full decade since The Greatest Generation, my favorite podcast, debuted. Like a bottle of ChΓ’teau Picard, the showΒ has only improved with age. (I interviewed the guys behind the show back in 2016 when they were just getting started.)
The podcast helped me rediscover, and appreciate more fully, Star Trek: The Next Generationβwhich is also my favorite TV show. The Greatest Generation continues to delight with its irreverent humor, its celebration of the most minor of characters, and its technical fascination with how a given episode was made.
Keep things smelling fresh with these handy home gadgets. After researching and testing over a dozen devices, the Urpower Aroma is our favorite for most people.
When shopping for a Valentine's Day gift for the woman in your life, remember that romance doesn't stem from the amount of money you spend (or the number of stems in the bouquet).
From creating a standout resume to building a budget or drafting an invoice, there are some tasks that are just easier on your PC. If youβre looking to make them even easier, a Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license can help. Now you can own eight powerful Microsoft tools for life for just $34.97 (reg. $219.99) through Feb. 22.
Got an endless to-do list piling up? Knock it out with Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows. This lifetime license gives you eight apps that make life a little easier β from finishing work tasks to answering emails β and there are no subscription fees required. Youβll get these eight Microsoft essentials for less than $5 each with this license, including new and familiar favorites.
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Draft documents in Word, manage correspondence in Outlook, put together powerful presentations in PowerPoint, and build budgets in Excel. You can also stay connected to others with Teams, manage large databases with Access, take notes more efficiently with OneNote, and create professional documents in Publisher.
Donβt let the year of this edition give you pause β all the apps have been redesigned to help things work smoothly. Thereβs a ribbon-based interface so you can access features, tools, and customizations more easily. Just make sure your PC is running Windows 10 or 11 before your purchase, as Windows 7 and 8 wonβt support the apps.
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Rani Molla / Sherwood News:
In [Big Clive]βs recent grab bag of tat ordered from Chinese commerce platforms, there were two touch light control boxes that can turn any ungrounded conductive surface into a mains load dimmer control. Of course, the primary reason for the purchase was a teardown, and a teardown we got.
