Science and fire, doubling my bitcoin winnings, and a new project
Plus, 22 tons of gold, enough red WD-40 straws to last a lifetime, why backpacks have that patch, and more
I’m David Gewirtz. Welcome to this week’s Advanced Geekery newsletter. It’s been an exciting week. Let’s dive in.
My latest video
My first video of 2025 was fun. Bashing the crap out of aluminum with a sledgehammer is oddly satisfying. I learned a lot from my first attempt, and you will, too. Or at least you’ll be amused by my amateurish attempts to create a right angle bend.
My articles
Here’s a quick recap of the articles I published in the last week on ZDNET.
I invested $50 in Bitcoin in 2022, and it's been a ride. Here's how much I have now: Bitcoin dropped, crashed, and burned - then it skyrocketed. My $50 investment has been through the wringer. Here's how 2024's halving event and recent political shifts have turned massive losses into unexpected gains.
How IBM's blueprint for industry transformation leverages AI, 5G, and collaboration: In this exclusive talk with a senior IBM executive, learn about how AI, 5G, and groundbreaking partnerships are reshaping global industries.
New project: modding the CNC cart
I had no spot large enough to store flat items like poster board and craft cutting boards. As such, my CNC lift cart — the largest flat surface in my workspace — had become the default storage location for all of that.
This past week I decided to remedy that situation and built a little shelf under the CNC to hold all those items. The plan was originally to bend aluminum bars to provide the holding structure, but that failed rather spectacularly. So I cut plywood blocks and used them as separators.
I’m sure this will all wind up in a video eventually. In the meantime, here’s the somewhat cattywompus but fully-functional structure in use, along with one of my tool carts underneath.
Tool of the week
Have you ever needed to use your WD-40 or can of air, but couldn’t find the little red applicator straw? Well, you can deliver both without the straw, but it’s just not that nice.
I finally lost patience and decided Amazon must have a straw supply somewhere in their giant warehouses. And they did! I got enough red straws that I will never have to go without, ever again.
Some commenters say these don’t fit the WD-40 can, while others say it does. As you can see, I made it fit. You have to force it, but it works. And I will never, ever, ever not have a little red straw when I want one. I feel complete.
Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
In the lab
This week, we’re debuting a new “In the lab” section in the Advanced Geekery newsletter. Here, I’ll spotlight interesting products that have come in for review that I definitely plan on covering. This way, you’ll get a heads-up on interesting products as they enter the full review process.
This week, it’s Anycubic’s Kobra S1 Combo. As you can see from the inset picture, it’s definitely got a Bambu X1 vibe, but Anycubic’s multifilament feeder goes Bambu one better by incorporating a full filament dryer in the device.
Stay tuned. There will be box opening, setup, and full review videos coming sometime in the future.
Must-watch YouTube
Moving on, let’s queue up some interesting YouTube videos for your entertainment and edification.
Here’s a great Morning Brew story about recycling tech waste. The topic is a bit dull, but the video is not.
Ever wonder why backpacks have that diamond patch? This is appears to be an AI-generated video, but it’s not bad at all. And yeah, that worries me.
If you recognize the name Stringfellow Hawke, this will give you a thrill. Someone mixed the Airwolf and Star Trek TNG themes together, and it works.
Interesting reads
And now, some good stuff from around the Internet, well worth reading.
Right after Christmas, Meta released an update that bricked some Quest devices! If this happened to you, ZDNET’s Artie Beaty has some helpful advice.
What does it take to maintain ASML’s extreme ultraviolet lithography machine? WSJ has the story (might be a paywall).
How do you make the Oak Island boys reeeeeally jealous? Find 22 tons of gold treasure before they find anything more than dirt and old wood.
Send in your projects
I’d like to regularly spotlight a reader project or two here. Your project doesn’t have to be a big Kickstarter launch. If you’ve built something cool, it has some pretty pictures, and you’re proud of it, I might be able to share it here.
If you have a photogenic reader project, send an email to me at david@zatz.com with the subject “READER PROJECT,” a few pictures, and a short one-paragraph description. If you have a social media link or a link to the project, include that, too.
Both my EPs are now streaming
Available on all your favorite streaming services.
More clicky
I’ve got a lot happening all over the web. Here are links to my various stuff:
House of the Head: home for my published music
ZATZ Labs: where I host my published software projects
Feel free to dig around, visit, and say hey!
Leave some comments
Substack supports comments, so feel free to leave some. I promise to read them. Just, please, let’s keep our personal politics out of any discussion.
That should do it for this week. This newsletter is really starting to pick up subscribers. Please help it out by sharing links on all your socials.
Have a great week!