Tech Talk with Toni

A battery's positive end, called the cathode, and its negative end, the anode, are fundamental to how it stores and delivers energy Long ago, humans mastered fire, combining a spark, a flammable object, and oxygen to create light, warmth, and a way to cook food. But as our world grew more complex, so did our energy needs.  Now, we rely on power not just to stay warm but also to cool our homes with air conditioning, fuel our devices, and even power electric vehicles. So, how did we go from the primitive glow of fire to a world powered by rechargeable batteries? Modern battery development began in 1800 when Italian scientist Alessandro Volta invented the voltaic pile, the first true battery capable of continuous electric current. James Prescott Joule formally described the Law of Conservation of Energy , which states: "Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it simply transfers from one form to another." Batteries are special because they allow us to capture and store energy...

Scan for a surprise If you frequent bars or restaurants these days, you will notice that most of them have done away with traditional paper-based menus and opted for a funny-looking square. As someone who believes we should strive for paperless options as much as possible, I really appreciate the use of these QR codes. Now, I don't know about you, but I feel like these pixelated squares are now everywhere, and I don't even know what the "QR" even means. So, out of curiosity, I did a quick search so you don't have to (you're welcome), and it means Quick Response. Think of Quick Response Codes as a 2D barcode that stores more data than the traditional lines we are familiar with seeing cashiers scan as we worry about our total bill in the grocery store. QR Codes can be scanned with most smartphones to quickly access information such as URLs (Uniform Resource Locator), basically the address used to access websites. With that being said, here is a brief history as ...