this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2024
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Technology

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Did the power check work or was it snakeoil I remember trying to see it while hurting my hand.

[–] ilikecoffee 30 points 1 month ago (3 children)

It did, see Technology Connections' latest video on it, he explains fully how it worked. Quite clever tbh.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] ilikecoffee 5 points 1 month ago
[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Although, he admits in the video to "faking" his footage of it working, by using a off-camera heat source. (His batteries were quite dead.)

But, as someone that lived through this time, they did work, as long as you pressed hard enough in the right places. It was hard to tell if the battery was dead or if you weren't pressing hard enough

[–] ilikecoffee 5 points 1 month ago

If you watch the whole video he does it more "for real" later on, plugging the casing into a power source to simulate a battery discharging.. Plus I've had some of these PowerCheck batteries, and they were not old, it was like... 2017? So maybe they rebooted it for a short time at some point?? Anywho, if you pressed really hard it did work I think, but also I think I was doing it wrong for a long time as well lol

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Yeah I used them. It was somewhat handy.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

oh maybe might watch

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

It was gimmicky as hell. Did it work? Who cares. It was irrelevant for 90% of consumers.

[–] linearchaos 13 points 1 month ago (4 children)

I really miss it honestly. Kids, so, so many batteries in my house.

Dad, my blah blah blah isn't working right. Then I have to go dig out this monster:

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Your kids will inherit that charger, and their kids afterward.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Hopefully not because the kind of batteries that work with this reader are awful batteries. Single use disposable batteries are an absolutely stupid idea we should be moving away from

[–] linearchaos 1 points 1 month ago

Works fine on my rechargeable AAs.

[–] hOrni 3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Why does it look so weird? I'm not even sure what shape I'm looking at.

[–] linearchaos 6 points 1 month ago

Just an inch thick plastic box with a perspective drawing sticker on top of it, But the box is shaped to fit the perspective drawing.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Haha yeah, it looks like a fake picture or some cartoon.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I just use an old multimeter that I saved from eWaste 😂😇

[–] linearchaos 2 points 1 month ago

I have no lack of proper test equipment, this is actually kind of nice because the kids can use it easily without trying to wrangle a battery and two leads.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

What in the fuckiest of fucks is this? 😱

[–] linearchaos 2 points 1 month ago

Ancient voltmeter for children

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

i think it did