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  • Autos, hardware: drive size for sockets

    Most people might be familiar with a basic socket set. Yet, drive size might be less obvious.

    The following is by my understanding.

    I recall buying a socket one time to remove the anode of a hot water heater. It was, I think, one-and-one-sixteenth. I bought it from a discount bin, and it came on a straight bar. I was in a hurry, so didn’t think much of it.

    Later, I had to buy a 15/16″ socket to undo an oil filter casing. The clerk asked me what drive I was using. I didn’t know. The socket was 1/2″ drive. He assumed, correctly, that I would need an adapter from 3/8″ drive to 1/2″.

    Back then, I just had a standard socket set from Mastercraft. It had both 1/4″ and 3/8″ drives, and its largest socket was 3/4″. It hadn’t occurred to me that bigger drives – for instance, 1/2″, were called for sometimes. However, when I got home from buying the 15/16″ socket, I inspected the one-and-one-sixteenth socket, on its bar, that I’d bought years ago to remove the water heater anode. Indeed, that socket, too, was 1/2″ drive.

    When I thought about it, the reasoning was obvious why 1/2″ drive might be called for: a bigger fastener might well mean it’s under more strain, so needs to be tighter. In turn, a larger-diameter drive would be stronger, so less likely to break when removing such a fastener.

    It turns out that, for 3/8″ drive, the torque range tops out around 75 ft*lbs, then for 1/2″, around 250 ft*lbs.

    It’s hard to imagine me, personally, applying more than 250 ft*lbs of torque, but apparently that’s when 3/4″ drive becomes relevant.

    Source:

    eTork. (Sept 4, 2024). “Torque Wrench Sizes Explained.” https://etork.com/torque-wrench-sizes/

    -js

  • Web: nofollow links

    We hear about links being how some search engines decide the order of sites they present. What are “nofollow” links?

    The following is by my understanding.

    (Herein, the opposite of a nofollow link is referred to as an ordinary link.)

    Most people likely have heard it’s links to a site that determine where that site is presented in search. That’s probably an oversimplification, but substantially correct. For precision, some will argue that not all links are worth the same: links from an “authoritative” website (whatever that means) count for more than ones from a less regarded one. Moreover, “nofollow” links are meant not to count – meaning they don’t improve the site’s search position that they point to. Only ordinary links are meant to help a site in search. While the exact calculation, based on authority as well as ordinary vs nofollow, might be opague, most people seem to agree that if a lot of “famous” websites have links to a certain other one, then that certain other one will likely be near the top in relevant searches.

    A nofollow link is one that contains the parameter rel=”nofollow”. In theory, it tells a search engine that said link, while it leads to a given site, shouldn’t improve that site’s position in search. In a link-based system for deciding where a site ends up in search, the concept of a nofollow link might seem bizarre. Yet, there are reasons for it. Said reasons, to me, are somewhat questionable and ironic, so I’ll just say this: rel=”nofollow” is meant to be put on paid links and also on ones to “lower-quality” sites. Now, why someone would want to link to a site they think is lower-quality might seem an obvious question, and it’s left to the reader.

    One reason for the nofollow attribute is that some bulletin boards get spammed with comments filled with links completely unrelated to the topic being discussed. I’d suggest just not publishing those comments, rather than publishing them but changing the links to nofollow.

    The issue of one site being authoritative compared to another has always raised questions to me. Sometimes, the best advice is from an obscure individual; I’ve seen that happen.

    Anyway, the actual effect of nofollow seems dubious: nofollow links still appear to help the websites they point to. How much less that is compared to ordinary links is perhaps hard to fathom.

    Interesting, eh?

    Source:

    mailchip.com: “The Role of Nofollow Links in SEO”

    Kiran R. (May 11, 2016). “Nofollow Links: History, Benefits, and Rankings.” https://www.techwyse.com/blog/search-engine-optimization/nofollow-links-history-benefits-and-rankings#

    -js

  • Computer constructs: loops

    Loops probably aren’t new to most readers here. Yet, they are used in some less obvious scenarios.

    The following is by my understanding.

    Probably a lot of us have written a program that finds a number to a certain exponent. Therein, one might use a loop to continue multiplying the starting value by itself until it’s done so the exponent number of times. Then, the loop exits and the program tells the result.

    For me, learning programming, the loop idea like above was straightforward enough. It became obvious why some operations needed to be repeated until a certain condition was reached. I came to really like loops and what they could do.

    When I learned that input devices, such as a PC or smartphone, or even a calculator, typically use a loop to discover if the user has entered something, I was surprised. It seems a background loop is always running: during said cycle, the device checks every potential input, such as the keys and the ports, for activity. Detecting activity, it responds. Else, it “waits” by just continuing the loop.

    I wondered about the reason for the looping design, but it seems it’s because it simplifies the question of which key or port is being triggered that instant. The device discovers the key press, for instance, when it checks if that key is pressed as part of its routine loop. Finding it is pressed, it knows which key has been activated because of the position in the loop when the impulse was discovered.

    With the speed of computers, it’s easy to tell which key was pressed first, etc. Let’s imagine a “low” scan rate of 125Hz. That means 125 times per second the computer checks each key to see if it’s pressed.

    Interesting, eh?

    Source:

    akkogear.eu (Dec 26, 2025). “Keyboard Scan Rate Explained: What You Need to Know.”

    Eweadn.com (Apr 16, 2026). “What Are Polling Rate, Scan Rate, and Latency? Keyboard Performance Specs Explained.”

    -js

  • Household technology: adhesives, part0

    Which glue to use in a given context?

    The following is by my understanding.

    I usually buy glue at the dollar store: three I commonly buy are super glue (Krazy Glue and stuck being two kinds), Fix-All, and Rapid Grip. Each has worked very well in situations where the other two seemingly couldn’t have.

    Last night, I needed to salvage a board that seemed two pieces, but was actually milled as one. Yet, an end of it was compromised from water damage. (It had been in place for around 30 years.)

    I needed to cut off the rotten part, then glue on a replacement piece. I still needed, afterwards, to work with the finished piece: darkness was approaching in about three hours, and the reconstructed board needed to be installed by then.

    My go-to, with wood outside, is Fix-All. However, as I learned last night, it doesn’t necessarily bond strongly in an hour; it likely takes more like 12 to 24 hours. Rapid Grip seemed to turn out similarly: the repair came undone after letting the glue dry for an hour, but then working with the board.

    Having tried those two glues, I had less than an hour left to try the repair again; it needed to work this time.

    I know super glue works fast; the problem is that the kind I have is runny, so doesn’t work well with grainy surfaces, since it just penetrates the material so it’s not available on the surface. I sanded down the wood parts that needed to be glued together, hoping then they would be smooth enough to keep the super glue on the surface.

    I applied the super glue to both sanded sides, then pressed together and left the repair under some weight for about five minutes. I was very happy to discover it held. Moreover, the repair continued to hold as the board was re-installed.

    This was a case where, of the glues I had on hand, only super glue could work, because of its rapidity of bonding.

    -js

  • Autos: transfer case

    With a 4WD vehicle, one might hear about the transfer case. What is a transfer case, and what does it do?

    The following is by my understanding.

    A couple of lifetimes ago, I took a heavy-duty pre-app course, ten months. Until then, I’d spent my life in the academic world. I learned a great deal in that heavy-duty pre-app program.

    Yet, from any course one takes, there might be leftovers – things one didn’t quite catch, but partially recalls. For me, one topic from the heavy-duty pre-app course was transfer cases.

    A transfer case conveys power to the end of the vehicle where it’s optional. Therefore, a typical 2WD vehicle wouldn’t have a transfer case, but just an engine, transmission, then differential.

    With a 4WD, the transfer case contains what one might call a pressure plate that turns with the output shaft to the permanent driving axle. The optional driving axle, via a clutch (that’s what I’d call it), can be shifted into contact with said pressure plate. Then, 4WD mode is accomplished.

    The fact that it’s a clutch-type connection that actuates 4WD explains to me why, on the vehicles I’m familiar with, one can launch into 4WD while already driving.

    Source:

    YouTube: Engineering Explained (May 2, 2012). “Transfer Case – Explained.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1qj8dHTmP4&t=1s

    -js

  • Windows: virus scan looping

    Sometimes a virus scan might loop over a section of files and stop making progress.

    A few days back someone brought me a computer that had started as Windows 10, then updated to Windows 11. Now, after perhaps five years, it was very slow, they claimed. I powered it on for examination.

    Their computer wasn’t as slow as some I’ve seen, that’s for sure. Yet, apparently it had been much faster in the past.

    Asking them about programs they use or not, I uninstalled a lot. It seemed this computer had been with them through various periods while they had pursued diverse projects. The device showed one or two behaviours which seemed a little dodgy, but its antivirus suite, which was still in force, seemed content enough.

    After I’d done enough to hopefully improve the computer’s performance, I started a full virus scan. Yet, awhile later it started looping: it would mention files it was examining, then a minute later mention the same ones.

    I had looked earlier at the temporary files, but there didn’t seem enough to cause much issue. I wondered, now, if they contained problem files that were causing the loop. I decided to clear them out.

    Yet, when I tried to remove the temporary files, the same looping idea seemed to happen again: the computer seemed frozen at a certain point. I restarted it, then resumed the same operation.

    This time, the computer was able to purge the temporary files. Afterwards, I ran a full system scan which worked briskly.

    This wasn’t the first time I’d encountered a problem in the middle of removing some temporary files, so had to restart the computer and then the removal process.

    I think it’s probably good to remove temporary files (that one doesn’t need anymore) at least twice a year from a Windows PC. Moreover, the Windows computers I use, I do a fresh install of them every two years or so.

    After I returned the computer, its owner told me it was much faster, so I guess it worked out all right:)

    -js

  • Military: armoured vehicle purchase

    When it comes to defence spending, a price tag can catch attention.

    The following is by my understanding.

    I read recently the article “Carney announces made-in-Canada armoured vehicle deal worth nearly $2B.” (July 16, 2025, Canadian Press.)

    The article seems to suggest purchase of 190 vehicles for “nearly $2B.”

    Let’s imagine, just for round figures, the deal is two billion for two hundred vehicles. Well, two billion has nine zeros, while two hundred has two. So, the price per vehicle is 1 followed by seven zeros, or ten million.

    Perhaps I’ve missed something, but as I see it, ten million seems perhaps a lot for an armoured vehicle.

    Interesting, eh?

    -js

  • Biotech: what is an agonist?

    Sometimes one hears about agonist drugs. What are they, and how do they work?

    The following is by my understanding.

    In biology, an agonist is a molecule that mimics another one the the cell is expecting. The agonist, when it lands at the receptor site it’s designed for, will cause the cell hosting that site to react in some predictable way.

    GLP-1 agonists include Ozempic, for instance. In this case, GLP-1 refers to the hormone the agonist is mimicking. GLP-1 is made by the body and stimulates insulin release. It also slows the pace of food through the digestive system, so digestion takes longer. Moreover, it causes the person to feel full as a result of eating.

    Therefore, if one takes a GLP-1 agonist such as Ozempic, the intention is that one will experience increased insulin release, slower digestion, and a greater feeling of fullness after eating. The idea behind such a prescription is that the body isn’t releasing as much GLP-1 as would be optimal, so the agonist tops up the effective supply in order to achieve the same results as if the body simply produced more GLP-1 on it own.

    Source:

    drugsandalcohol.ie/glossary/info/agonist

    my.clevelandclinic.org

    -js

  • Autos: 10w30

    10w30 motor oil was common when I was a kid. Why does it seem not so anymore?

    The following is by my understanding.

    When I was a kid I had a Honda 50 minibike. My understanding was that it took 10w40 motor oil. I knew some people who interpreted the manual a different way, so used 10w30 with theirs. “That means it acts like 10 weight when it’s cold, but 30 weight when it’s hot,” somebody said. Even at age 11, with no hands-on experience with engines, it made sense to me.

    Decades later, I drove a (used) sedan that took 10w30 oil. I recall hearing 10w30 mentioned a lot by car people, in connection with their used 70s and 80s cars.

    Nowadays, the lawn mower I use takes 10w30, but the vehicles we drive, both from the 20-teens, take 5w20. Sometimes I wonder what happened to 10w30, vehicle-wise.

    I have realized for awhile that thinner oils go along with smaller tolerances, so the oil can get into the smaller spaces.

    Yet, another idea I wasn’t thinking of is that a thicker oil is harder for the engine to circulate. Therefore, another reason manufacturers are going to thinner oil is to ease its motion throughout the engine.

    Interesting, eh?

    Source:

    classichonda50saustralia.com.au

    Jiffy lube of Indiana (Feb 15, 2021). “The Evolution of Motor Oil: Why 10W30 Is No Longer the Most Popular Choice.” https://jiffylubeindiana.com/vehicle-maintenance/the-evolution-of-motor-oil-why-10w30-is-no-longer-the-most-popular-choice

    -js

  • Windows: what is the Windows Registry?

    Sometimes a person using Windows might be presented the idea of a Registry issue. What is the Windows Registry?

    The following is by my understanding.

    The Windows Registry is a database that contains each user’s preferences as well as privileges. Therefore, when one wants to open a certain file, the Windows operating system may check the Registry to see if said user even has access to that file. If they do, the Registry might indicate which program to use to open it. The Registry may also contain the default path where said program will store files created while using it. That’s to my mind, what the Windows Registry contains: preferences, privileges, and defaults.

    The Windows Registry is mainly a legacy fixture from the home user’s point of view. Moreover, it seems to me that “broken” or otherwise imperfect entries in the registry don’t necessarily affect computer performance. The registry may contain leftovers from uninstalled programs, for instance. Said entries may never be visited again, but that won’t matter to the user.

    Information I’m noticing on the Internet suggests the home user should leave the registry alone. If, eventually, a Windows computer gets slow, one can just do a fresh re-install of Windows. I’ve done it, and was very happy with the result. On the other hand, I can’t recall editing the Windows Registry.

    Source:

    learn.microsoft.com: Windows registry information for advanced users

    YouTube: Windows, computers, and Technology. “Stop worrying about cleaning the Windows registry just leave it alone.” (Dec 21, 2021).

    YouTube: Ask Leo! “Why Doesn’t Microsoft Dump the Registry?” (July 20, 2024).

    -js