Talon was instilled with a passion for cars, engineering, and technology practically from birth. An old home videotape shows him at 2 years old, calling all his Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys by make and model. He's applied this knowledge and enthusiasm to pieces for The Drive, Popular Mechanics, Car and Driver magazine, and now to HowStuffWorks.
Recent Contributions
A coping saw features a U-shaped frame with a swiveling spigot, or clip, that eases the job of making turning cuts. We'll show you how to use one.
By Talon Homer
Your toilet is clogged and you can't find a plunger. Don't worry, there are other ways to clear a clogged toilet. Here are four of the easiest ways to get things flowing again.
By Talon Homer
Since many of your favorite songs are streamed online, you've surely wondered how to download music from YouTube. Want to learn how to download these files and play them offline? Let us explain!
By Talon Homer
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Casting lets you go from watching a movie or TV show on your mobile device and to watching it on your TV without ever skipping a beat. And Roku devices make it super simple.
By Talon Homer
"Can someone track my phone?" is the question everyone wants to know but nobody wants to ask. And sadly, the answer is yes: smartphones and social networking can make us vulnerable to surveillance. Find out how to protect your mobile phone (and yourself) right now!
You want to set up Wi-Fi on your laptop, but you're not sure how to do it. We break down the steps required to set up a wireless router and connect to a Wi-Fi network on Windows PCs and laptops.
By Talon Homer
Circuit breakers protect your home's electrical grid and appliances by cutting off excessive flows of electricity. Learn how they work!
By Tom Harris & Talon Homer
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Wireless networks, or WiFi hot spots, are one of the most popular methods of internet connection on Earth. They're found in homes, coffee shops, airports and even vehicles. Let's look at the technology that makes WiFi such a reliable choice.
Pre-paid cell phones, aka burner phones, are a common way for people to make calls and text anonymously, but can burners really escape detection?
By Talon Homer
Nobody likes the brake and shake — that is, when you hit the brakes, it feels like your steering wheel is about to wriggle free from the shaft. If your steering wheel shakes when braking, you may want to check your rotors.
Want to learn how to reset a circuit breaker? It's easy to get your devices back up and running after a circuit breaker trips.
By Talon Homer
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You probably don't give your water heater much thought until your shower goes cold but it's an important appliance in your home. If your water heater's temperature is off, you'll want to learn how it works, including how to turn up your hot water heater.
By Sara Elliott & Talon Homer
If you have trouble sleeping you might have been told to get a white noise machine. But white isn't the only color of noise out there.
Heat pumps use a small amount of energy to move heat from one place to another. But is one right for your home?
By Laura Cowan & Talon Homer
You've probably seen solar panels on satellites, call boxes, road signs, homes and businesses. But how do solar panels work?
By Scott Aldous & Talon Homer
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Is a random number you don't know blowing up your phone? Try reverse phone lookup and maybe you can solve the mystery of who it belongs to.
It's one thing to see something scary in a movie; it's another to feel like you've experienced it firsthand in one of the scariest video games of all time.
Why do flight attendants instruct us to turn our mobile devices on airplane mode before takeoff? And what does airplane mode even do?
By Talon Homer
Why are governments, private businesses, and academic institutions collaborating to research develop and produce fuel cells? Learn how fuel cells work and how efficient they really are.
By Karim Nice, Jonathan Strickland, Talon Homer & Yara Simón
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Today's phones have handy features that allow users to monitor the location of the device if it ever gets lost or stolen. Here's how to track both iOS and Android devices.
By Talon Homer
Radio waves are the backbone of nearly all modern media technology, from TV to smartphones and wireless internet. Yet, they're actually a simple technology.
We've all used one, and most of us are sitting in front of one right now. Curious to know what's going on inside that ever-present PC? Here's your chance to find out — without prying open your own.
By Jeff Tyson & Talon Homer
Smartphones can do just about anything these days. But how can we use them to control our televisions?
By Talon Homer
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Car wheels spin at different speeds, especially when they're turning. So how does the differential help make them turn with such ease?
By Karim Nice & Talon Homer
If you have a car with a battery that needs replacement, follow the steps outlined in our article. We'll show you how to change your car battery easily.
By Josh Clark & Talon Homer