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February 8, 2010

An EMF headache in the air

"EMF (electromagnetic waves) are everywhere, in your home, office, car - all electronic equipment radiate them. In addition, radio stations, cell phones, satellite communications also operate via EMF waves. Some products that generate EMF are computers, hair dryers, heating pads, microwave ovens, and cell phones, and many more. Some common symptoms of EMF exposure are headaches, fatigue, nausea, eyestrain, and overall lack of energy."

The paragraph above is posted on the Toolsforwellness.com website, which offers a plethora of products for EMF protection including pendants and watches. Plus they're stylish, too! In fact, plenty of websites offer devices to protect your home and office, your car, even your pet. Because you know if your pet hedgehog is acting a little weird, it just has to be the result of harmful EMF!

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December 7, 2009

You Wanted What Capacitor Rating?

I recently got back from the Pack Expo Show, where I was chatting with a few engineers about China-originating knock-offs. One engineer told me that recently they had a huge problem with a prototype system, only to discover that a key electronic component was a cheap knock-off. And, worse yet, they bought the part from a reputable distributor, who apparently had been conned themselves!

So much for the theory that buying from sources you know is always safe.

Anyway, it brought to mind this little gem of a story from the past submitted by Gerry Booker about mislabeled parts, which just goes to show while the circumstances may change, engineers have been wrestling with these sorts of issues for ages!

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November 5, 2008

When Levelers Fail

  statatwin.jpg                                                                                                       Thanks to Jon Titus another contribution to our photo gallery of cockeyed construction work -- or is someone just having fun with photoshop?

March 21, 2008

Shake-to-Charge Flashlight Cheats By Using A Battery

<<Flashlight1sa.jpg


Are there any real magnetic induction shake-to-charge flashlights out there? Phil Karras relates his run-in with some more flagrant fakes on his website:

"I'm not saying that the flashlights were not worth the $2.50 I paid, but they were not as advertised. The flashlight box clearly stated in poor, but understandable English, that the flashlight did NOT use batteries, all you had to do to make it light was to shake it back and forth.

On my way out I heard someone say that there was no magnet inside the flashlight. Instead of going right back to the vendor, though, I went home and ran an experiment. I left one of the flashlights on while I went out for a couple hours. When I returned, the flashlight was dark. I picked it up and shook it, but no amount of shaking would make it shine again."

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February 20, 2008

Flashlight's Three LEDs Are Two Too Many

led_hs_pilot_3led-beam-sm.jpg

When poorly aimed, a flashlight's multiple light sources can create a serious Van Gogh effect!

Doug Ritter writes about the clone flashlight that produced this hallucinogenic effect on his equipped to survive website, where he reviews outdoor gear and survival equipment. He writes:

"The "Pilot" lights by Holly Solar Products are a virtual clone of the original triple AA-cell Trek light, though of lower quality fit and finish, with a twist. Besides the Pilot 2 ($30) two-LED model, they also offer both a one- and a three-LED version. The single LED model, Pilot 1 ($20), didn't seem to offer much except extra long life and it was quite bulky for the light provided. The Pilot-3 ($35) served as an excellent example of the difficulty that having multiple light sources that are not well aimed can cause, as it provided three distinct lit areas. Not too bad for finding your way, but seriously annoying when trying to use the light for close-up work."

U2 Surefire Flashlight Clone a Cheap Imitation

<u2clone6.jpg

If an incredibly low price isn't an obvious enough tip-off, here's a surefire way to tell a cloned product from the real thing: In a lame effort to "prove" that the fake has been through some sort of rigorous quality-control process, it usually carries at least one official-looking label to that effect.

Take this $20 clone of the $270 U2 SureFire Ultra LED flashlight, which is one of the toughest and brightest flashlights out there. The clone is the one in front with the gold "Q.C. Passed" label on its bezel.

Of course, there's other telltale signs that this Chinese-made light doesn't come close to the real thing, as Craig Johnson, operator of the website www.ledmuseum.org, a site devoted to all things LED (including some highly entertaining reviews of LED-based products), discovered on closer inspection:

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December 21, 2007

Shake-to-Charge Flashlight is a Fake

shake1-1a.jpg

Craig Johnson, who runs the website www.ledmuseum.org, where he posts some highly entertaining product reviews, had a few choice words to say about this Chinese-made flashlight advertised as "no battery needed."

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April 16, 2007

Hint: If You Want to Pirate Software, Use Spellcheck

software_knockoffs_copy.jpg
Wild FILE software copy.jpg

On a trip to Shanghai to research an article on "fakes," I walked into the Xiangyang Market. Thirty minutes later and after some fierce haggling, I walked out with copies of Adobe Acrobat 3D, SolidWorks 2006, AutoCAD 2007, and PTC Wildfire. Total price: $22.00. Oh yeah, and I did snag a six season set of The Sopranos for $19.00.

It's a pretty safe bet that nobody who buys an engineering software package worth thousands of dollars for just a few bucks at a place nicknamed "the fake market" actually thinks they're getting the real thing. It may be a working copy of the software, but don't try calling tech support or inquiring about an upgrade. Nevertheless, it's always amazing to see how, well, fakey some of these fakes are. Note the spelling of PTC WildFire in the area with the black background. (Click on the photo to see detail.)


April 10, 2007

Bogus Bearings Look More Real Than the Real Ones

CIMG0661.JPG CIMG0652.JPG
Figure 1: Click on the images to see why the real SKF bearing (left) actually looks less genuine than the fake (right).

The counterfeit Louis Vuitton bags you can buy in China's fake markets may fall apart on you quickly, but at least they won't kill you. A phony bearing that doesn't meet the technical specs could. A recent onslaught of bogus after-market bearings in China has created a major headache for legitimate bearing makers like SKF and Timken, who say that it's often very difficult to distinguish the fakes from the non-fakes. Counterfeiters are getting very good at reproducing the original markings and the packaging--in some instances they're getting almost too good. As a case in point, compare the real and counterfeit versions of the SKF BAHB 311443 AB HBU1 bearing above. Note that the marking on the counterfeit (right) looks more "genuine" than the marking on the actual SKF bearing. "The fact that they may look more real only underscores the need for people to look beyond physical appearances and make sure they only buy from authorized dealers and distributors," says SKF's Colin Roberts. To help people avoid getting duped, SKF offers a tip sheet on how to detect fake bearings.

Continue reading "Bogus Bearings Look More Real Than the Real Ones" »

About Fakes & Frauds

This page contains an archive of all entries posted to Made By Monkeys in the Fakes & Frauds category. They are listed from oldest to newest.

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