#examples of electrical and electronic devices

[three-dee-ess]

Hey I saw your post about the puffy battery and my 3DS has that (it’s starting to crack the case). I knew it was affecting the battery life but I didn’t know that it was dangerous. How would you go about repairing/replacing this?

ok this is going on my FAQ after this. possibly in my pinned post.

Contact your local *non emergency* number and ask them how to dispose of a puffy lithium ion battery. Follow their instructions.

To remove the battery from the case (which is the best thing to do in that situation) follow the instructions linked in my pinned post "for physical 3DS issues" (https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Nintendo_Handheld_Console)

Be as careful as possible to NOT puncture the battery.

for getting a replacement, just look at the number on your 3DS's battery and type that into amazon. Should be plenty of results, all around $10~$20 USD and they should work perfectly fine. check the reviews if you are worried.

Again, if you have any battery that is bending or breaking the case, is is a legitimate explosion hazard. That battery can explode into a fiery ball of toxic gas. It is in your best interest to dispose of it as soon as possible.

this also goes for batteries inside of ANY electronic device. Switch batteries, macbook batteries, phone batteries, electric bike batteries are also examples of lithium ion batteries that get a lot of usage and often can get overcharged.

resource links:

[canmom]

how much power does tech really use, compared to other shit?

my dash has been full of arguing about AI power consumption recently. so I decided to investigate a bit.

it's true, as the Ars Technica article argues, that AI is still only one fairly small part of the overall tech sector power consumption, potentially comparable to things like PC gaming. what's notable is how quickly it's grown in just a few years, and this is likely to be a limit to how much more it can scale.

I think it is reasonable to say that adding generative AI at large scale to systems that did not previously have generative AI (phones, Windows operating system etc.) will increase the energy cost. it's hard to estimate by how much. however, the bulk of AI energy use is in training, not querying. in some cases 'AI' might lead to less energy use, e.g. using an AI denoiser will reduce the energy needed to render an animated film.

the real problem being exposed is that most of us don't really have any intuition for how much energy is used for what. you can draw comparisons all sorts of ways. compare it to the total energy consumption of humanity and it may sound fairly niche; compare it to the energy used by a small country (I've seen Ireland as one example, which used about 170TWh in 2022) and it can sound huge.

but if we want to reduce the overall energy demand of our species (to slow our CO2 emissions in the short term, and accomodate the limitations of renewables in a hypothetical future), we should look at the full stack. how does AI, crypto and tech compare to other uses of energy?

here's how physicist David McKay broke down energy use per person in the UK way back in 2008 in Sustainable Energy Without The Hot Air, and his estimate of a viable renewable mix for the UK.

('Stuff' represents the embedded energy of manufactured goods not covered by the other boxes. 'Gadgets' represents the energy used by electronic devices including passive consumption by devices left on standby, and datacentres supporting them - I believe the embodied energy cost of building them falls under 'stuff' instead.)

today those numbers would probably look different - populations change, tech evolves, etc. etc., and this notably predates the massive rise in network infrastructure and computing tech that the Ars article describes. I'm sure someone's come up with a more up-to-date SEWTHA-style estimate of how energy consumption breaks down since then, but I don't have it to hand.

that said, the relative sizes of the blocks won't have changed that much. we still eat, heat our homes and fly about as much as ever; electric cars have become more popular but the fleet is still mostly petrol-powered. nothing has fundamentally changed in terms of the efficiency of most of this stuff. depending where you live, things might look a bit different - less energy on heating/cooling or more on cars for example.

how big a block would AI and crypto make on a chart like this?

per the IEA, crypto used 100-150TWh of electricity worldwide in 2022. in McKay's preferred unit of kWh/day/person, that would come to a worldwide average of just 0.04kWh/day/person. that is of course imagining that all eight billion of us use crypto, which is not true. if you looked at the total crypto-owning population, estimated to be 560 million in 2024, that comes to about 0.6kWh/day/crypto-owning person for cryptocurrency mining [2022/2024 data]. I'm sure that applies to a lot of people who just used crypto once to buy drugs or something, so the footprint of 'heavier' crypto users would be higher.

I'm actually a little surpised by this - I thought crypto was way worse. it's still orders of magnitude more demanding than other transaction systems but I'm rather relieved to see we haven't spent that much energy on the red queen race of cryptomining.

the projected energy use of AI is a bit more vague - depending on your estimate it could be higher or lower - but it would be a similar order of magnitude (around 100TWh).

SEWTHA calculated that in 2007, data centres in the USA added up to 0.4kWh/day/person. the ars article shows worldwide total data centre energy use increasing by a factor of about 7 since then; the world population has increased from just under 7 billion to nearly 8 billion. so the amount per person is probably about a sixfold increase to around 2.4kWh/day/person for data centres in the USA [extrapolated estimate based on 2007 data] - for Americans, anyway.

however, this is complicated because the proportion of people using network infrastructure worldwide has probably grown a lot since 2007, so a lot of that data centre expansion might be taking place outside the States.

as an alternative calculation, the IEA reports that in 2022, data centres accounted for 240-340 TWh, and transmitting data across the network, 260-360 TWh; in total 500-700TWh. averaged across the whole world, that comes to just 0.2 kWh/day/person for data centres and network infrastructure worldwide [2022 data] - though it probably breaks down very unequally across countries, which might account for the huge discrepancy in our estimates here! e.g. if you live in a country with fast, reliable internet where you can easily stream 4k video, you will probably account for much higher internet traffic than someone in a country where most people connect to the internet using phones over data.

overall, however we calculate it, it's still pretty small compared to the rest of the stack. AI is growing fast but worldwide energy use is around 180,000 TWh. humans use a lot of fucking energy. of course, reducing this is a multi-front battle, so we can still definitely stand to gain in tech. it's just not the main front here.

instead, the four biggest blocks by far are transportation, heating/cooling and manufacturing. if we want to make a real dent we'd need to collectively travel by car and plane a lot less, insulate our houses better, and reduce the turnover of material objects.

[mitigatedchaos]

Congratulations! You are now an elf, along with your friends, associates, cherished family members, and however many other humans you think should be elves. You will live healthily for up to 400 years, after which you will age until the end of your natural lifespan at age 500.

You have futuristic sci-fi health coverage which can collect you by rocket pod from most parts of the Earth's surface. (It does not cover, for example, the Mariana Trench.) Most injuries can be healed completely, although particularly severe injuries might require years in a regenerative coma.

In which technological environment do you spend most of your time?

1 - Stone Age - Living in a hut or perhaps a cave, hunting animals or working the land with stone tools, with perhaps some domestic animals. There's no other way to get quite so close to the land.

2 - Fake Medieval Europe - Nominally this style of living is like medieval or renaissance Europe. Travel is by horse or by sail. There are no electrical devices, but there are printing presses. You will probably spend a lot of time farming. Guns are sufficiently crude affairs that it's 50-50 on whether you'd be better off trying to kill someone with a sword or spear instead.

3 - Steam Power & Telegraphs - Locomotives are steam-powered. Factories are steam-powered. Cars are steam-powered. Electrically-driven refrigerators are available. Long-distance communication is by telegraph, or by landline telephone - if you can pay for it. Record players are a thing.

4 - Fake 1960s - Gasoline-powered cars, diesel locomotives, and long-distance jet aircraft are available. Computers generally consist of one or more large units the size of a refrigerator, possibly with a cathode ray-tube terminal. Color television is available if you have the money.

5 - Fake 1990s - There are personal computers with CPU speeds measured in Mhz and 800x600 screen resolutions - these can be connected to a dial-up Internet. DVDs are available. Cell phones exist, but are limited to flip-phones at most, and don't include cameras.

6 - Fake 2010s - High-speed Internet, streaming services, 4K flat-screen televisions - no ChatGPT.

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Automated microscope tracks directional heat flow in thermoelectric materials for green energy

Scientists have developed a new microscope that significantly improves the way heat flow in materials can be measured. This advancement could lead to better designs for electronic devices and energy systems. Measuring how heat moves through materials is crucial for developing efficient electronics and energy devices. For example, better heat management can lead to faster and more reliable computers, as well as more efficient solar panels and batteries. "Finding the right materials for electronics is crucial in developing the devices we need to support the green transition. For instance, when turning heat into electricity—or vice versa—we need materials that lose very little heat but at the same time are great electrical conductors," says Nini Pryds, a professor at DTU Energy.

Read more.

[drnikolatesla]

Tesla’s Genius: Direct Current Without a Commutator!

In 1888, Tesla made waves by patenting his alternating current (AC) system, which proved far superior to Thomas Edison’s direct current (DC) for long-distance power transmission. The real kicker? He did it without a commutator. This clunky mechanical device was used to reverse the current direction to make DC flow in one direction, but it was notoriously unreliable, prone to wear, and inefficient. Tesla sidestepped this by using high-frequency AC and a rotating magnetic field to generate a more reliable current without the mechanical hassle. After revolutionizing AC with his commutator-free approach, Nikola Tesla wasn’t ready to rest on his laurels. He turned his attention to a new challenge that many physicists of his day thought was impossible: creating direct current (DC) without using a commutator. As always, Tesla wasn’t concerned with traditional boundaries; he was determined to push the limits of what was thought possible.

Tesla’s Ingenious Method

In 1889, Tesla took things even further with a groundbreaking idea. He proposed a method to produce DC without using a commutator. He described how he “sifted” the alternating current into different branches of the circuit. Here’s how he did it:

1. Sifting the Current: Tesla used the concept of directing the AC waves so that the positive and negative halves of the wave were separated. He set up the circuit so that AC waves of one sign (positive or negative) would pass through one branch, while the waves of the opposite sign would go through another. This separation allowed him to create smooth, continuous DC from the AC input.

2. Electrical and Electromagnetic Methods: Tesla proposed two main methods for achieving this. One involved using electrical devices like batteries to create a counteracting electromotive force, which would oppose the AC waves and help separate them. The other method used electromagnetic fields to create active opposition within the circuit, guiding the AC waves into different branches.

3. Magnetic Method: Another method Tesla described used strong permanent magnets and soft iron or steel laminations. By carefully calculating the amount of magnetic metal, Tesla created a setup where the magnetic field interacted with the AC in such a way that allowed continuous currents to be extracted.

Historical Context

Here’s an important note: While Tesla did indeed demonstrate a method for converting AC to DC without a commutator, it’s crucial to understand the broader historical context. Rectification methods—both mechanical and electronic—developed independently over time and were not solely based on Tesla’s innovations. It wasn’t until more than a decade later that practical AC-to-DC conversion technologies, such as vacuum tubes and silicon diodes, became mainstream.

Tesla’s approach did, however, lay the groundwork for modern power electronics by eliminating the need for mechanical parts, making DC conversion more efficient and durable. The principles he introduced continue to influence technologies we use today, from phone chargers to large-scale industrial power systems.

So, the next time you plug in your phone or marvel at the sleek electronics in your home, remember that Tesla’s 1889 breakthrough was a significant step forward. It’s just another example of how Nikola Tesla was light-years ahead of his time!

[enzaelectric]

The Role of Relays and Timers in Industrial Automation Systems

In the world of industrial automation, efficiency, safety, and precision are crucial. Among the many components that contribute to a well-functioning automated system, relays and timers play a foundational role. These devices act as control elements that manage the flow of electricity, signal processes, and coordinate timing sequences — ensuring that operations run smoothly and safely.

In this article, we’ll explore how relays and timers work, their types, applications in automation systems, and how high-quality products — like those offered by Enza Electric — can enhance performance and reliability in industrial settings.

What Are Relays?

A relay is an electromechanical or electronic switch used to control a circuit by a separate low-power signal or multiple signals. In industrial automation, relays act as a bridge between the control system and the equipment being operated — allowing machines to be turned on or off automatically.

Types of Relays Commonly Used in Automation:

Electromechanical Relays (EMRs): Use physical moving parts; reliable and easy to maintain.

Solid-State Relays (SSRs): No moving parts; faster switching, longer lifespan, and better for high-speed applications.

Thermal Overload Relays: Protect motors and equipment from overheating.

Control Relays: Designed for controlling multiple contacts simultaneously in automation systems.

What Are Timers?

Timers are devices used to delay or repeat electrical signals at predetermined intervals. They help synchronize tasks, automate sequences, and provide controlled outputs over time — critical for complex industrial processes.

Common Timer Functions:

On-delay and off-delay timing

Interval timing

Cyclic or repeat cycle operation

Flashing and sequencing operations

Types of Timers:

Analog Timers: Manual dial settings, simple and cost-effective.

Digital Timers: Offer precise programming, displays, and flexible timing ranges.

Programmable Timers: Ideal for complex automation routines requiring multiple sequences.

Key Roles in Industrial Automation Systems

1. Process Control and Sequencing

Relays and timers enable automated machines to follow a specific sequence — turning motors, lights, or pumps on and off in a logical order. For example, a conveyor system can use a relay-timer combination to control material flow with millisecond precision.

2. Safety and Protection

Relays protect systems by interrupting circuits in case of faults. Combined with timers, they can ensure delay before activating emergency stop functions, preventing false triggers and increasing worker safety.

3. Load Management

In high-demand industrial environments, relays help manage load distribution by selectively energizing or de-energizing machinery. Timers assist in staggered starts, reducing power surges.

4. Energy Efficiency

By automating start/stop functions and managing operation durations, timers help reduce unnecessary energy use. Relays ensure only the necessary loads are powered, minimizing wastage.

5. System Monitoring and Feedback

In smart automation, relays provide feedback signals to the control system. Timers assist with diagnostics by creating intervals for testing or data collection.

Benefits of Using High-Quality Relays and Timers

Choosing the right components significantly impacts system performance and longevity. Enza Electric’s relays and timers are engineered with:

High durability for tough industrial environments

Precision timing for reliable operation

Easy installation and compact designs

Compliance with international safety and quality standards

By integrating Enza’s low-voltage solutions, businesses in the GCC, MENA, and Africa regions benefit from cost-effective, scalable automation that supports both current needs and future expansion.

Common Applications in Industrial Sectors

Manufacturing Plants: Control of motors, robotic arms, and production lines.

HVAC Systems: Timed control of fans, compressors, and dampers.

Water Treatment Facilities: Sequenced operation of pumps and valves.

Packaging Machinery: Relay and timer-based coordination of packing, sealing, and labeling.

Food and Beverage Industry: Process automation with hygiene-compliant controls.

Final Thoughts

Relays and timers are the silent operators behind the success of industrial automation systems. From process optimization to enhanced safety and energy management, these components are indispensable.

When sourced from a trusted manufacturer like Enza Electric, businesses are not only investing in reliable hardware but also in the longevity, scalability, and safety of their entire operation.

Ready to Power Your Automation?

Explore Enza Electric’s wide range of relays, timers, and other low-voltage switchgear solutions designed to meet the evolving demands of modern industries. Visit www.enzaelectric.com to learn more or request a quote today.

[mindblowingscience]

It can take years of focused laboratory work to determine how to make the highest quality materials for use in electronic and photonic devices. Researchers have now developed an autonomous system that can identify how to synthesize "best-in-class" materials for specific applications in hours or days. The new system, called SmartDope, was developed to address a longstanding challenge regarding enhancing properties of materials called perovskite quantum dots via "doping." "These doped quantum dots are semiconductor nanocrystals that you have introduced specific impurities to in a targeted way, which alters their optical and physicochemical properties," explains Milad Abolhasani, an associate professor of chemical engineering at North Carolina State University and corresponding author of the paper "Smart Dope: A Self-Driving Fluidic Lab for Accelerated Development of Doped Perovskite Quantum Dots," published open access in the journal Advanced Energy Materials. "These particular quantum dots are of interest because they hold promise for next generation photovoltaic devices and other photonic and optoelectronic devices," Abolhasani says. "For example, they could be used to improve the efficiency of solar cells, because they can absorb wavelengths of UV light that solar cells don't absorb efficiently and convert them into wavelengths of light that solar cells are very efficient at converting into electricity."

Continue Reading.

[diamond-draws]

Phantom Theives & their personas Headcanons: Powers

When awakening the user gains some subtle abilities withing the real world. For example Joker's third eye. Most commonly the thieves can use their elemental skills a little in the real world. Ryuji can control electricity, Yusuke with ice, Makoto with nuclear power, ect.

Their personas can also communicate with them telepathically, they can talk to each other too but the user can only hear their respective persona. Each of the Phantom Thieves aside from their skills have unique abilities that cross to the real world.

Ren: As already mentioned he has his third eye ability which works as it would in the game, but he can also increase it's power to sense things (think of it as Spiderman's spider sense) prolonged use of it however can cause some serious fatigue. Arsene's curse skills also carry on into the real world, when activated at will Ren can break down anything he touches with just his finger tip. He also gains heightened agility with he gets better control over thanks to "Kasumi's" training. He can hear the voices of other personas he has equipped too, you'd expect that to get rather noisy within his head but Arsene & the others usually keep to themselves for the most part. Since ice skills are Arsene's weakness, Ren is sensitive to colder temperatures as a result. He gets really cozy at home during winter & fall.

Morgana: With Zorro Morgana can make gusts of wind and even utilize his healing skills in the real world, albeit they aren't as strong as in the metaverse but he can at least stop an open wound from bleeding. He can also jump higher and much farther than the average cat (as if he wasn't much of a regular cat to begin with XD)

Ryuji: Surprise, surprise Ryuji can generate electricity at his fingertips or even his whole body if he concentrated enough. It's usually static but he is capable of giving someone a real shock if he wanted to. He can also jump higher and endure physical hits more. His general speed is increased too but not by much due to his messed up leg.

Ann: Much like Morgana she can also do some minor healing. Ann can as expected make fire, sometimes when she mad her hair will ignite slightly but go out immediately as she calms down. She's also bothered more by the cold too but she at least has an easier time keeping warm than poor Ren. Ann has more flexibility than normal which amazes even her when she successfully lifts her leg over her head.

Yusuke: He's more tolerant to the cold, it's hotter days he suffers a little. Yusuke can create ice and frost at will, he uses this at home during summer. He also has better agility like Ren.

Makoto: She can harness nuclear force into her fists, metaverse nuclear is not as lethal as real world nuclear (doesn't even involve radiation) she doesn't quite use her ability in the real world as often as the others. Her power can sometimes affect electronic devices when she's in a bad mood (or scared), from causing tv screens to go static to bursting a few nearby lightbulbs. Faint blue markings on her face resembling her mask can appear on her face under uv light, as well as glowing streaks in her hair. Her physical strength is also increased resulting in stronger than usual punches in the real world.

Futaba: She unfortunately doesn't have too much going on, being a navi and all but she can sense some things in the real world, much like Ren's third eye but a little weaker.

Haru: She also has an increase in muscle, moving bags of fertilizer has never been more efficient. As for her psi abilities in the real world that one is tricky to describe, suffice to say she can easily get a better idea as to how some of her friends might be feeling. She is likely to also generate small psionic blasts too.

Akechi: Akechi can also utilize curse in the real world too like Ren, through thanks to Robin Hood he can also utilize bless as well which in the real world is basically just lighting up a dark space with the palm of his hands. His signature Call of Chaos skill can be used irl too but he's not allowed to do so for OBVIOUS reasons.

Sumire: She can also create light in her hands, she can also do minor healing as well in contrast to the savage everyday Akechi. XD

[kremlin]

how can an IC fab stepper motor move only 10nm per ste

for reference, this question is talking about machines called steppers that are used in the production of integrated circuits (you know, computer chips)

integrated circuit fabrication is, without a doubt, the most complex and involved behaviour humans have ever exhibited, and we're not going to go into it today, it is way too much. it happens in fabrication facilities which are vast campuses of buildings on the order of dozens and dozens of city blocks. to even get in most of those buildings you even need to wear a special bunny suit. anyways, there is obviously a lot of complicated, expensive equipment involved, but the one that takes the cake is the stepper. it's where the magic happens.

when people talk about chip sizes and moore's law and all that, they're talking about the smallest features we can print onto a chip, usually the transistor gate length. this is on the order of tens of nanometers currently. in order to achieve that, we have to have some device capable of working accurately & precisely down to the tens of nanometers. this is the stepper. it aligns photomasks accurately to such a degree for exposure. that is "the magic" i mentioned

the good modern steppers used in the production of, e.g. the intel i7 CPU in your computer are made by one company. they run about $200mm USD. lol:

with the cowling off:

inside this thing, photomasks are physically aligned, and their alignment has to be accurate to within nanometers, like i said. the straightforward answer to this question, is that such alignment is done with linear motors. we just build them to an insane degree of precision, and then control and drive them with ultra-high-accuracy electronics. fundamentally speaking, just like with a normal induction motor, you can measure the electrical characteristics of the windings during operation and deduce details about your rotor (or in this case, where your actuator is in space). if you use ultra-high-precision electronics, you get accordingly precise details. (like, where on the X axis your actuator is sitting)

these sorts of extremely niche motors, of course, also need a whole daughter industry to design and manufacturer. the stepper vendor doesn't just do that in-house. i found one such company. these things, or, these other things would be examples

[ewasteblog]

E-Waste 101

(Image by Morten B.)

E-waste, simply put, is short for electronic waste. The U.S. EPA synonymies e-waste with "e-scrap" and "end-of-life electronics" as well. Typical examples of e-waste include computers, electrical equipment, phones, and headphones.

But why the separate title? Why can't e-waste just be labeled as regular waste? Well, because most electronics have two unique attributions: being very bad for the environment, and being incredibly hard to recycle. This is exactly what the Oxford Dictionary details about e-waste, including in the definition, "typically containing environmentally hazardous substances and requiring special treatment for safe disposal or recycling."

These attributions are the cause for a very important questions: what does e-waste actually do to the environment? As described by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, about 6.9 million tons of e-waste is generated in just the U.S., and if not recycled properly, will lead to hazardous materials such as battery acid, lead, and mercury leaching into local soil and groundwater.

Unfortunately, talking about how electronics are recycled is heavily complicated and heavily boring. However, I can surely talk about how little e-waste is actually recycled. According to the WHO (not the band), less than a quarter of e-waste was properly documented and recycled globally. A QUARTER... GLOBALLY. It doesn't necessarily matter how e-waste is recycled if it ain't being recycled in the first place.

Now that the problem is properly in context, it's time to consider one of the biggest contributors to e-waste, one that will shape future research and put a spotlight on big tech companies. That contributor is a little concept called planned obsolescence.

Planned obsolescence, as described by Wendy Hamblet in the Salem Press Encyclopedia of Science, is designing and building a product in a way that ensures the owner seeks to replace it after a certain amount of time. This concept applies to all products, but lately the term is most associated with electronic devices.

Given the definition has an implicit incentive structure to make a product last for less time in order to sell more products, it's no shock that this concept can be seen in most big technology companies who sell highly valuable (expensive) devices. The biggest offenders are companies that make a new product every single year (cars, phones, computers), subsequently arbitrarily removing support for an older product (just look at Apple for an example).

As stated previously, planned obsolescence will be a major focal point when analyzing tech companies, comparing what they say about being environmentally friendly, versus what they actually do with their products and advertising.

[would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend]

you know,with the rotom dexes and phones im wondering how good of a pet they are

That is a good question, and a bit of a tricky one. See, there seems to be some inconsistency between the behavior of wild rotoms as described in the pokédex and the rotoms we see working alongside humans all over the Pokémon world. But we’ll get to that in a moment.

To begin with, rotoms are a great size for a pet: They’re both tiny and not confined to the ground, meaning that space will be no issue. That being said, I would advise not touching your rotom when they are not possessing a tangible electronic, as they are known to do, as their bodies are composed of plasma (Diamond/Pearl)! Move-wise, rotoms could potentially pose a bit of a problem. Like a lot of electric-type pokémon, they have the capability to paralyze targets with electrified attacks like Discharge and Thunder Wave. Thankfully, it seems like rotoms aren’t particularly violent by nature, so the usage of these moves on humans would most likely not be malicious. That doesn’t mean, however, that they wouldn’t use them. Rotoms are described in the Pokédex as being avid pranksters (Platinum). This is a pokémon that loves to cause mayhem: I think it’s not too far out of left field to say that a rotom might delight in temporarily paralyzing you for laughs, not being aware of any potential health risk that could pose.

Rotoms posses the unique ability to enter into some machines to take control of them, gaining a new typing. Rotoms have been described as using these new forms to explore new avenues in pranking, some of which could be really dangerous or just plain annoying. Rotoms that posses an oven, for example, like to “sear the surrounding area” (Violet - Heat Rotom) and “gleefully” burn clothing (Shield - Heat Rotom). Rotoms that posses a refrigerator might freeze your bath when you least expect it (Shield - Frost Rotom), while those that posses lawnmowers will mow down every flower they see without hesitation (Shield - Mow Rotom). Essentially, if the pokédex is to be believed, anyone caring for a rotom is going to need a lot of patience and good insurance.

As you alluded to in your request, however, there is a bit of a contradiction between observed rotom behavior and that described in the pokédex. In regions all around the world, thanks to a recent invention by an unknown boy (Sword), devices are utilized that make use of rotom’s unique ability to posses them. Traveling the world you’ll find rotoms in pokédexes, phones, drones, and even special PCs called Rotomis. These rotoms seem to be less inclined to making their owners’ lives a mess, less prone to pranking. This brings up an important question: is the pranking behavior described simply a cry for attention? If cared for and loved by a human, does a rotom become more friendly and co-operative? Or is it that only the most reserved individual rotoms choose to fill these roles? We may never know.

Overall, caring for a rotom has a pretty decent chance of being miserable. There doesn’t seem to be an easy way to keep a rotom from possessing whatever machine they’d like, and their pranking efforts are unrestrained and occasionally cruel. I like rotoms, don’t get me wrong, but I personally don’t want a pet that will hop into my computer and delete all my files before doxxing me on the internet and blasting music all day just for fun.

[pancakeke]

oh related to wet phones and also my home improvement antics last week, I've been thinking about how fucked it is that most household electronics don't have replaceable fuses. my car and my HVAC have replaceable fuses, but the vacuum? TV? Xbox? computer? one fault and they're fucked.

yeah I know you can plug everything into surge protectors but if electrical faults happen beyond their plugs (so like within the electronics themselves) it's adios.

examples: PC power supplies use cables of the same shape but they are NOT interchangeable between different models. the layouts of their wires are different and will fry your components immediately if you mix them up.

also lots of different consumer devices use power cables with 5.5 mm barrel connectors, but the outputs of their power supplies vary wildly. for example, my network switches and mesh wifi modules all use the same sized power cables but the outputs of their various power supplies are 12 volts / 1 amp, 12 V / 1.2 A, and finally 53.5 V / 1.6 A

when I got the two network switches I'm pretty sure I mixed up their 12V / 1V and 53.5V / 1.6A cords and fried a $60 switch. that could have been avoided with a $2 fuse! if holiday lights can have fuses then so can everything else that draws a current!!

[pokemon-academy-official]

what do you know about rotom-powered technology? how does it work and how ethic is it?

Also, has rotom been around as long as the other pokemon? because it is difficult to imagine a plasma pokemon related to futuristic concepts wandering around in medieval kalos lololol

Thank you for the ask! Let’s break this topic into three key sections: Rotom-Tech Mechanics, Rotom-Tech Ethics, and History of Rotom!

Rotom-Tech Mechanics

Rotom are fascinating Pokémon known for their ability to inhabit various appliances, most notably electronic devices. When they do this, the device is transformed into a form that resembles a Rotom fused with the appliance, but most Rotom are also capable of transforming to more closely resemble the original item.

What was not known for some time, however, is that this inhabitation can be seen as a "symbiotic relationship" of sorts: not only does the Rotom gain some protection, and even sometimes new abilities and Typing, but the inhabited device itself benefits from enhanced functionality. For example, a computer inhabited by a Rotom may operate more efficiently, and a refrigerator may achieve colder temperatures than usual.

Additionally, Rotom also experiences an increase in intelligence that appears to directly correlate with the computational power of the device. While a Rotom in its base form is only marginally more intelligent than average for an unevolved Ghost-type (which is to say, clever, but not alarmingly intelligent by measurable means), inhabiting a smartphone can allow it to understand and even use human language.

Rotom-Tech Ethics

The ethical considerations surrounding Rotom-Tech align closely with broader discussions on Pokémon used in various roles. Rotom integrated into devices such as the Alolan RotomDex or RotoPhones are typically specially trained for these tasks. Many Rotom appear to take genuine pride in their work, showcasing their playful nature in ways that are often beneficial.

Enrichment is a vital aspect of their well-being. Rotom are naturally mischievous, and training programs often encourage harmless pranks, such as playful “glitches” or quirky commentary, to satisfy this trait.

The primary ethical concern lies in how Trainers treat these Pokémon in their roles. While this is not unique to Rotom, it underscores the importance of respecting and caring for Pokémon, whether they are companions, helpers, or partners in technology.

History of Rotom

You mention that it's "difficult to imagine" Rotom wandering aimlessly in a world without the devices they're so well known for inhabiting today. Luckily for our imagination, they didn't; Rotom are, and were, capable of inhabiting and controlling much less technologically advanced apparatuses.

In Hisui, Rotom were known primarily for inhabiting abandoned containers, and using them to startle passersby. They are also known to have utilized basic mechanisms, such as operating a winch to open a gate. While researchers initially overlooked the efficiency gains provided by Rotom due to their Electric-typing, it’s now recognized that these Pokémon were enhancing the functionality of tools and devices long before advanced electronics became commonplace.

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Scientists develop a new model of electric double layer

A new model accounts for a wide range of ion-electrode interactions and predicts a device's ability to store electric charge. The model's theoretical predictions align with the experimental results. Data on the behavior of the electric double layer (EDL) can aid in the development of more efficient supercapacitors for portable electronics and electric vehicles. The study has been published in ChemPhysChem. Many devices store energy for future use, with batteries being among the most well-known examples. They can consistently release energy, maintaining steady power output regardless of existing conditions or load, until fully discharged. In contrast, supercapacitors deliver power in pulses rather than in a continuous flow. If a battery can be likened to a jar that gradually stores energy for long-term use, then a supercapacitor is like a bucket that can be filled and emptied rapidly. This means that a supercapacitor can store energy for a short duration and release it instantly in a large burst.

Read more.

[review-anon]

Fingers crossed that's Tails messing with the badnicks and not someone else..

*Bowser Jr. is still trying to mess around with the electronics on his machine as they are playing up*

Bowser Jr.: Papa! This is broken?

Bowser: Again? How did this happen?

Bowser Jr.: I don't know I try to do one thing, it does another, its almost as if it has a mind of its own.

I'm actually worried about that since...its not the only machines breaking around here...look at the Badniks.

*As Kanata points a lot of Badniks are spinning around in circles and not responding, which is confusing the Koopa Army*

Seems like all the foreign technology here is malfunctioning in some way...I wonder why that is?

Maybe its Prowler? He did say he was a inventor so...maybe he's doing this to help us?

Didn't he say that he was gonna hide? He wouldn't be hacking stuff if he was hiding.

Not to mention if it was just the Badniks...that would make sense, but even the Koopa Army's machines are playing up.

...I know who's doing this.

Bowser: Oh you do? Tell me which Chump is behind this so I can clobber them!

Think about it for a second everyone, all devices that are not native to the Voidship or created by us are playing up. It could be our electronics is making things go crazy...or something more malicious is at play.

Like...hacking for example? And I know someone who is an expert hacker, who has dark plans for me, and more importantly, would be nearby AND we don't know his whereabouts.

W-wait...are you suggesting that-

I don't want it to be the case...but we need to face the truth.

*Nikei walks up to Bowser Jr.'s failing machine*

Hey Koopa Jr. you need to get out of that machine right now.

Bowser Jr.: No! This is my machine!

Its not your machine anymore, someone else is piloting it, and they WILL NOT hesitate to end your game!

Bowser Jr.: Not budging you have to make me!

You want him out Yomiuri? I'll make him come out!

Bowser: IF ANY OF YOU LAY A FINGER ON MY SON I'LL-

*Bowser cuts off sentence when Mondo grabs Bowser Jr. out of the cockpit of his machine...and just in time as a massive electrical current ran through it which would have fried the young prince alive had Mondo not got him out*

Bowser Jr.: W-what...did my machine try to end my game?

*Suddenly a voice comes out of the machine...and one that makes Nikei's blood chill as he knows it very well*

???: Oh sorry Mr. Koopa, but its not your machine now...its mine and so are all the other robots around here.

*The eyes on all the Badniks suddenly start glowing red and they face towards the Bowser Jr. machine which has been hijacked...and a certain someone is now piloting it*

Hello everyone, are we having a nice day today?

[gem-the-oracle]

Hello, ma'am!

I have a question, and you seem the closest to... "Mortal" I can seem to find.

What is a Nintendo.

/ @ethotek-ocs

That is indeed correct! Gemini Tay, resident mortal, pleasure to make your acquaintance!

It's... okay so you didn't actually specify who you are or what time period you're from, so if any of this doesn't quite make sense let me know. But the glowing box you're using to view this is called a phone, and it uses little electrical signals to do all the things. I'm not exactly a computer science major I'm not entirely sure. But boxes of various sizes are all made the same way, they just look different. They're called electronic devices - or just electronics.

One example of an electronic is a Nintendo! They're used to play games using sensors and lights, so people can play all sorts of games without needing physical preparation, or even to find other people to play with!