The GeoSafari Jr. was a cleverly flexible kid's game

[@TechnologyConnections]

Some extra info! (and I'll edit this as we get more): As predicted, we found the codes! And they're not _exactly_ encoding the parameters, but seem to call up an assortment of pre-set games. The manual helps you figure out what code you'll need based on how many questions you want and the type of game, and then it tells you which spots to use on the card. It's both simpler and more complex than it seems! On that note, I didn't call out that on the box it says "Compatible with all GeoSafari game packs" which suggests this literally is the same thing as the original geography game, but yellow. And honestly that's a nice selling point, as when your kids are older now they've got a geography game! As you can tell, I like this thing. It's neat.

[@markyastion3860]

love this guy. one of the best channels

[@goblingon]

what is your favourite board game

[@miigon9117]

Hooray! Great vid!

[@shawnm355]

@@goblingon fallout the board game

[@BBC600]

Now I want to see you make your own game!

[@Outside998]

Fun fact: After he pointed out the errors in the wikipedia article, they were all fixed. Check the history and the dates.

[@andreaeray]

Boy howdy! I really want to know the news/history on that!

[@SSoto_21]

Another channel I watch called Defunctland also pointed out an error in a Wikipedia article about a defunct roller coaster company. I went to the article and the error was fixed. KZbinrs really are such wonderful people!

[@Outside998]

@ika do it, fellow dragoon. Do it now.

[@devhonk1722]

Wikipedia editors are our saviors.

[@mattymerr701]

And yet when the internet historian does a bunch of research on balloon boy, they say that videos can't be used as evidence

[@NotCerius]

Scripted Alec and unscripted Alec are two different people, one's a wise sage-like teacher who reminds me of my favorite professor in college, and the other one reminds me of the goofy times I had with my dad tinkering around with electronics.

[@Crow.Author]

What you don’t realise is, they actually are two different people.

[@georgegriffin6114]

@@Crow.Author it's true! Both can be seen talking to eachother in some videos. Scripted Alec in his sharp blazer. Unscripted in his trademark laid back "just a t-shirt and bedhead" look.

[@thekingoffailure9967]

You have forgotten the third of the Alec Trifecta: Text Alec! His self deprecating insults from the future in the editing booth are essential to their cumulative style! Text Alec also appears in the under appreciated custom captions, where he expertly conveys onomatopoeia and the various smoothnesses of Jazz featured in the credit sequence.

[@Redbikemaster]

@@thekingoffailure9967 man I love the lore of the Alecverse

[@raydunakin]

The fake speaker grill reminded me of something. Back in the 80s there was a brand of Super 8 film movie camera called the Bentley. They were all-plastic construction with an extremely simple mechanism, and they had a half-pound lead weight inside to give it some heft and make it feel like a higher quality camera. I used to find them in thrift stores and garage sales, usually for $5-10 dollars. Their light weight and simplicity made them perfect for my needs -- I removed the outer casing and lead weight, cut down the frame to the bare minimum, and mounted them in large, homemade rockets. Got a lot of great inflight footage! Also, they were designed to run on 4.5 volts, but I'd use a 9v battery to "over crank" the camera and get a nice bit of slo-mo.

[@BackcountryTrains]

Do you still have any of the footage?

[@TacComControl]

You'd be surprised how many devices, Especially speakers, have a chunk of metal in them for no other purpose than giving them a bit of heft, though in the case of speakers, and people don't realize this, that weight is to keep the thing from vibrating itself off your desk.

[@SethalaTheGamer]

@@TacComControl There's at least one type of gaming mouse I've seen that's designed with removable weights. Which makes a lot of sense, really, since it means you can adjust how easy it is to slide it around a mousepad and give it some resistance to make it feel more comfortable and less floaty.

[@IDoNotLikeHandlesOnYT]

@@TacComControl Reasonable for speakers and other devices that need stability (e.g. desk lamps), but some modems (back in dialup/early cable days, IIRC) used to have weights inside too. My understanding is that they wanted to make them with improved parts that happened to be lighter, but wanted them to weigh the same so customers wouldn't think they were cheaply made. I don't know why the modem market was sensitive to weight-based perceptions of quality, especially when you usually just got whatever model your ISP gave you.

[@grn1]

@@SethalaTheGamer I actually just bought one. The Logitech G502 has removable weights (which I haven't tried it with the weights yet since it actually feels pretty good without) as well as their lightspeed wireless which is actually faster than most wired gaming mice. Only used a couple days now and it's way better than the Razer Mamba Elite I was using before (though the free scroll will take some getting used to).

[@micahphilson]

Does this technically count as a Let's Play? I'm counting it. Let's get this on Trending for Gaming.

[@Alex-wl1sp]

GeoSafari any% speedrun when?

[@بحرالنجاح]

@@Alex-wl1sp Can my friends subscribe?

[@ikke1981]

Ah darn it, another KZbin channel that goes off to Twitch.

[@adamengelhart5159]

And it looks like there's DLC (new cards) and a level editor (blank cards)!

[@Helperbot-2000]

@@Alex-wl1sp im sure that TAS guy will get right on it

[@ms_enj]

That plastic melting method of securing things is officially called “heatstaking” Often used because for lightweight parts because it’s cheaper and easier than designing a flange or stand-off and using a screw to hold the parts together.

[@jpiffersnottakin]

Sending you to aVe

[@ms_enj]

For a treat especiale?

[@darkreaper72jp]

Skookum as frig!

[@randon19yearold]

I read that as “heatstanking” 🤣

[@Disjointedimages]

Also an "ultrasonic weld"

[@BenHeckHacks]

"Glop top" (ASIC silicon on PCB) goes back to the 70's. The melted construction was to save costs (probably to offset the large mold size) And yes the socketed segmented LED display is very odd... guessing it was some sort of assembly consideration, ie "we can't wave solder the LED and make the cables work correctly" There's also a lot of flux indicating some hand assembly.

[@mccobsta]

Who else but Ben heck would know that

[@matth3wc]

@@mccobsta definitely nobody else 😉

[@0ThrowawayAccount0]

"glop top" is what we called your mother.

[@prjndigo]

the socketed LED was because they wanted to use LCD but didn't have any. Kinda common to have boards made with sockets like that even today. The melt-over retention of the wires also indicates hand assembly.

[@deelowe3]

@@illustriouschin the wires have to be bonded either way. With socketed chips, they are bonded to the pins.

[@rosa_bot7594]

I was so afraid of the "you got it wrong" noise as a child (I remember the noise being scarier, harsher, I think the batteries were just always drained or something) -- it got to the point where I was afraid to use it at all

[@satyris410]

While not familiar with this toy at all, I was definitely that same child

[@bur2000]

Sounds like the beginning of a great Creepypasta.

[@VacuumFridge]

Woah, I had this thing as a kid and I distinctly remember feeling the same way about it, and being somewhat proud of myself when I got comfortable using it without feeling too anxious about the angrier beeps. I thought I was just nuts.

[@roshwyinstaicoon2593]

square wave jumpscare

[@nyxie_wolf]

I love how this channel is just literally you infodumping about things you really think are neat. And everyone just absolutely loves it because you have an amazing personally and are super informative

[@DrakiniteOfficial]

I loved that "this is filler in case they do get back to me" part.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Too bad they didn't get back to him, though.

[@gianlucalocri]

Not mentioning "I recorded both. That way I can look it up later!" Alec is such hilarious even in the closed captions text! I really like his videos!!!

[@AssistantCoreAQI]

Derg.

[@evanrosswilliams]

“Tell us, Will” deserved a proper pause, get up, walk around, laugh-and-sigh. Wonderful.

[@TheFinalFrontiersman]

It hurts me that I didn't even notice that until now

[@peterknutsen3070]

@@TheFinalFrontiersmanIt took me a second, maybe a second and a half, to get the "Tell" part.

[@foxpopuli6982]

I honestly love that you pad out the ending of your videos with your flubs. The main part of the video shows us that you're pretty smart. The endings show us that you're very human. And the fun little annotations make it seem like we're a friend along for the ride as you make these videos. It's a winning combination, and I keep coming back again and again for the content you're producing. Stay warm, and keep on with the great work.

[@empath69]

(have you checked out the subtitles? If not, you're in for ANOTHER treat!)

[@spv420]

69th like

[@kylehawk9055]

Bumpity bump bump

[@BestEdmontonMall]

He finally made those TV background squares for each shelf that he wanted to! Looks great!

[@shi5369]

I think you'd find the old leappads pretty interesting. Being able to "click a book" with the pen was pretty magical back when I was a kid

[@sadmac356]

Same here. Too bad I don't have mine anymore, they're with a family friend last I saw.

[@Ryan6.022]

I totally forgot about those I need to see if I can get one or a more modern one for my niece

[@ThePixelPear]

I had one of those as a kid still have it. Unfortunately I believe we lost most of the cartridges we had, I think a few of them stopped working. But it was a fun and educational tool when I was young.

[@romajimamulo]

Yeah, and I think the Sega Pico too? Though that one might have been Japan only

[@triptheroad]

Father I cannot click the book

[@Nighthawkinlight]

Wow, I had no recollection of this thing until I heard the tones. I totally remember having one of these now. I wonder how far back that memory is going. I guess 1995 makes me 6.

[@00lucky7]

Yes, i do feel like I played this game when I was a child, but I can't recall exactly when and in what context. Pretty sure I didn't own it myself

[@JamesDavis-qk4hr]

I recall this as well. I had the geography version and it was all geographic questions.

[@OtakuUnitedStudio]

I was 8 or 9 in 1995, depending which half of the year it was, yet I remember those sounds clearly. I think one of the schools I attended might have had one? Or maybe one of my friends?

[@ghanshamchandel1854]

Wow nighthawk, with all your knowledge and that beard, I thought you would be a century or a half old.

[@Sirocca]

Yes! I too didn't remember until I heard the sounds! Then recognized some of the pictures on the cards!

[@MrJimmy9800]

Card's still not there. Still must not be the future.

[@amandapeine6745]

"GeoSafari" is what my mom calls GPS devices. Never knew why. She was a teacher

[@jw41538]

this is a great word for them and if i had a gps i'd be calling it the same.

[@Roadent1241]

I wonder what the P stood for? Geo[swearword]Safari?

[@Roadent1241]

@Toy Ah, interesting, thanks.

[@henryhildebrand4236]

lmaoooooo

[@gohunt001-5]

@@Roadent1241 well if you're wondering what GPS actually stands for, it's Global Positioning System

[@skyfever111]

the transformation of the technology connections dude from youthful nerd™ to Your Girl Calls Me Professor Too over the years is sooooo good

[@mrShift_0044]

HE IS EVOLVING! .. SLOWLY!~

[@davidshi451]

Honestly, his increased use of sassy humor is what brought me back to his channel

[@qwertyTRiG]

His humour is of a style that no one else I follow really does. Matt Parker sometimes comes close. I love it.

[@MSkwar]

Weird flex: when I was a child, I memorized every quiz I owned. I could do them without the sheet! I even memorized a few I didn't own. Those beeps just tickled a corner of my brain.

[@rushthezeppelin]

that is a very weird flex....not saying I don't have my own weird flexes but yeah....

[@EcceJack]

Wow! Colour me impressed! :D

[@claytonleverrier6096]

I memorized some of the jr quizes that had the same codes as cards from the original "Sr" version. That way I could do the geography quizes without having to actually learn geography.

[@bundo13]

Weird how certain things trigger old memories. Your weird flex reminded me of my own: I was a dumb kid who would rather not see properly than have to wear glasses so I remember quickly memorizing the eye chart when entering the room and cheating the test later. Talk about a Pyrrhic victory

[@rars0n]

I had the original GeoSafari. I have to admit, yeah, for some reason those simple sounds were very satisfying.

[@HoztileMANIkyn]

What i love most about games like this is that half the game happens in your head. As in the rules and mechanics of the game itself is mostly abstract, while the device serves mostly to enforce them and keep score. Another factor is the nostalgia of physically interacting with the game as part of its function.

[@Dargonhuman]

The shock and awe in is voice when he says "This thing just taught me something..." is priceless.

[@Thesupremeone34]

don't you just hate when the teaching machine teaches you something?

[@guyinthecorner0]

@@Thesupremeone34 especially when you're way far out of the target audience...

[@spoondancer2230]

And the look of disgust

[@ElectroDFW]

There always exists a rebus that you haven't seen before or didn't get when you saw it.

[@LittleDancerByGrace]

I guess that means the GeoSafari is working?

[@JeffGeerling]

Oh my gosh, the memories! My family built custom games on our original (not yellow Jr.) GeoSafari. I learned the major street names in my city on a GeoSafari. The 'wrong' tone you kept playing brought back some mild PTSD.

[@piyh3962]

It's like all my favorite youtubers are coming together

[@MikeOHaraYQM]

@@piyh3962 right? Lol

[@esra_erimez]

Make one out of a Raspberry Pi

[@bone-a-lisa]

Now this is one hell of a crossover episode

[@F3Ibane]

Hey it's that geerling guy!

[@SaberusTerras]

My wife looked over as I was watching this and lit up, she grew up with a GeoSafari and instantly recognized it and started gushing about how much she learned with it.

[@UsmanX]

I miss the days I could just binge-watch Technology Connections, now I know how it feels to wait months for Alec to do a video on a topic he's been teasing in multiple videos 😭😭😭

[@realmccoy]

I’m still saying this in 2022 😫

[@nekoest]

When is the Teletext video going to happen?

[@RossComputerGuy]

@@realmccoy same

[@emretasdemir8028]

@@nekoest He said that in some of his recent videos: never.

[@jizzlecizzle1388]

When you said 'We did it!' in your joyous paternalistic tone, as one does to a toddler watching dad mend something, I felt included and proud to have 'helped'.

[@trippmoore]

lol, I thought the exact same thing. And I helped!

[@DebugMenu]

"This just taught me something" killed me

[@breakfast-burrito]

“You know. When Honda made their first hybrid vehicle, in sure they learned somethings- so those were Educational Insights” This is top tier pun game.

[@untitledperson6913]

do I need to call 911

[@mischiefthedegenerateratto7464]

@@untitledperson6913 I uh... Think you're 2 days off dude...

[@dypteseu]

@@mischiefthedegenerateratto7464 he's from the future

[@Vasharan]

Obviously, Alec never played D&D 2nd Ed. Planescape, or he would be familiar with the term 'Rebus'.

[@discgolfwes]

I didn't notice the hand snag until you mentioned it. But I'm glad you kept that in because it's hilarious

[@RobbyMaddox]

Yeah, when he said that, I was like Nope. Totally missed it. *Rewind* lol

[@RealBradMiller]

I only watched for it because of this comment. I still did a rewind though.

[@tafellappen8551]

I saw the title and immediately my brain vividly replayed “welcome to the geosafari talking microscope!” I forgot that thing existed. I feel like im excavating my own memories in a way i never have before. Thank you

[@JoshStern]

Every button I press from now on will be called “Gerald”.

[@vect0r858]

Don't forget to hit that Gerald icon!

[@geraldbrouard3211]

yes

[@Christopher-N]

Save that for International Blackadder Status Day, 15 March; Mad Gerald, portrayed by Rik Mayall.

[@Strawberry92fs]

The switch has 3 settings. On, Off, and Gerald.

[@tyrgoossens]

that makes this Gerald's Game

[@VarunGupta3009]

Unscripted Alec is much less intimidating than scripted Alec.

[@ffnovice7]

Jiiiiiiii

[@بحرالنجاح]

@@ffnovice7 Can my friends subscribe?

[@NathSb]

Unscripted Alec is also quite entertaining to watch.

[@VarunGupta3009]

@@NathSb He's quite pleasant and doesn't sound condescending or sarcastic. Weigh the pros and cons XD.

[@lanceanthony198]

More intimidating*

[@CalebFrey]

I definitely do not miss the days of gigantic D cells, which were always heavy, expensive, and everything took at least 4. Not to mention non-rechargable.

[@JohnDCrafton]

And they didn't last long either.

[@xorsyst1]

I had some rechargeable ones, back in the day. And a massive charger that could do those, Cs, AAs, AAAs, and PP3 (9V) batteries.

[@WAZXIII]

My dad refused to buy them and only let us use the AC adapter he mentioned.

[@jlco]

I have a battery charger that's supposed to fit C and D batteries (and AA, AAA, and 9V), but I've never actually seen rechargeable C or D batteries.

[@zalafinari]

@@xorsyst1 I had rechargeable D cells and that massive charger too. I used them in the first baby swing I owned that didn't have an AC adapter, though the next revision of the swing corrected that oversight. I still have those rechargeable D cells but what could possibly need them in todays world of 18650 lithium batteries?

[@WolfHack]

6:00 These tones were used in the GeoSafari Animals PC software I had growing up. Hits me right in the nostalgia. Interesting to know they copied the same tones over.

[@sysop073]

When I was a kid I discovered some codes would freeze the device; I used to sit there just trying random codes to see what would happen. If I recall correctly 0456 was one of the bad codes. ...I was a weird kid

[@vect0r858]

I think most people on this channel were weird kids

[@Nevir202]

@@vect0r858 true

[@costa_marco]

Do you work in Quality Assurance now? ;)

[@BBC600]

Now I want to see Technology Connections type in the "GeoSafari code of doom!"

[@F40PH-2CAT]

@@vect0r858 We were, though I think mine was longer ago than most who subscribe. The machine here came out when I was in college.

[@r.l.royalljr.3905]

"Anyway, it's neat, isn't it?" *Desperate stare at the camera*

[@dstutz]

OK there are DEFINITELY going to be bloopers for the part where he's rapidly showing off each of the cards... **checks blooper reel** YUP

[@zalenstar]

Love seeing this little thing get some love and recognition, had one of these as a kid my parents found in a thrift shop, and loved this little thing!

[@AsplundhFamily]

These videos really cheer me up every time I see them pop up in my subscription feed. The presentation style, even when it's about a subject I couldn't give two fucks about normally, just completely absorbs me. Thanks for making these.

[@freeman10000]

Absolutely, these videos are pure entertainment.

[@NeoTechni]

"Linear time is pesky" The Sisko gets us.

[@roscoeheater]

@Duke Hugh Johnson Not in this Universe. Time reverses. Have fun looking it up and also exploring double slit experiments.

[@eclipse_darkpaw]

Well I mean hes a literal god, of course it is

[@MmeHyraelle]

The prophet does not understands. What is linear time?

[@neptuniumfluoride]

"You know, when Honda made their first hybrid vehicle, I'm sure they learned some things. So those were educational Insights." UGH.

[@RoryGlynn]

Ohhh now I get it. The car is called a Honda Insight

[@marcberm]

Alex's puns are usually reserved for his Twitter. They're spilling more and more into the videos. 😂

[@jrpstonecarver]

I had an original Insight, and I loved that car. Sold it with something like 260,000 miles on it and the new owner is still driving it 3 years later. It's got over 300K miles on it now and still going. Of course the battery did need replacement a few times... Honda really didn't get that right. Still, it was a great car, very fun to drive. I miss it. Oh, and I suppose I did learn a lot from it too. :)

[@Fs3i]

This one could have come straight from his twitter

[@jdatlas4668]

Honestly I love bad puns to an unhealthy degree. Seriously, the more groan-worthy, the better.

[@EATSLEEPDRIVE2002]

Dude, thank you so much for making this video! Today I heard sounds that I haven't heard in over 25 years, and boy what a nostalgia trip it was! Thanks for always awesome content dude

[@slunasaurusrex]

Man this thing was so cool as a kid - learned so much. It had the ability to code your own cards I Made some of my own custom cards as a kid for my little sister what a great product.

[@wincentywilk7511]

How does the coding system work cause I assume you know.

[@hambrick03]

@@wincentywilk7511 play the card, get all the questions right, take note of the led location of the correct answers, then make your own card with the same led layout for the correct answers.

[@hambrick03]

You could make some really cool "who done it" games for your siblings

[@da4127]

@@hambrick03 I thought it was more complicated, but now that you mention it, it makes perfect sense for the "coding" worked lol

[@LombardoJoe]

I was completely satisfied with the content of this video halfway through - only to find it’s just like all of your other videos in which you managed to surprise me with twice as much detail that I didn’t realize I wanted to appreciate.

[@JMPDev]

Definitely felt a bit phoned in when you glossed over the codes... I’ve come to expect 40 minute long videos of excruciatingly in-depth details from this channel and love it for it! Seeing a breakdown of that would have been neat, but ah well :P

[@Peterscraps]

18:52 that deceptive product design is so rad! Just like the fake solar strips they put in "self powering" calculators.

[@billyloper4072]

.....they aren't fake. Not all of them anyway.

[@BlisaBLisa]

@@billyloper4072 i was gonna say lol I remember in school we'd cover the solar strips with our fingers and watch the calculator screen fade out

[@dominateeye]

I want to see Alec add a second speaker to that GeoSafari and make the boops REALLY stereo.

[@blaireshoe8738]

Are you meaning that only some parts of the strips are actual solar things and the rest are cosmetic? If so, neato.

[@m4cksfx]

@@blaireshoe8738 nah. In some calculators it is just a bit of black plastic or even a sticker. In others it's a solar panel.

[@pafnutiytheartist]

10:22 "This just taught me something. "That humbled face expression is priceless.

[@massimookissed1023]

Humbled, and slightly afraid.

[@FlaneerBeer]

Wow, I totally forgot about these things! My grandparents had one laying around but all the cards were missing. So when we figured out how we could "start a game" it functioned as a nice dice game, trying to get the "nice" sound to play

[@Duncan_Idaho_Potato]

That look you get when you realize a 30+ year old children's educational toy just taught you, a fully grown adult, something you didn't know: 10:22

[@Quiksilver6565]

The beeps this thing makes are ingrained in my sub conscience from early childhood. Thanks for the hit of nostalgia

[@TheRian125]

"Its -2 degrees outside" Yeah ok nice and cold "19 in metric" Oh..

[@adamswenson1093]

Haha yeah people don't understand just how cold/miserable the Midwest can get. The high temperature for today will be about -4F/-20C

[@SydBat]

@@adamswenson1093 - nor how cold the Canadian Prairies can get. Yesterday in Calgary, we got to a balmy -25c. Then there are the cold parts, like Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

[@urielseptim910]

you have been fooled by america ONCE AGAIN, FOOLISH TEA MAN

[@TheRian125]

@@urielseptim910 i totally agree with being a fool, but i live in hell (aka brazil)

[@ЯСуперСтар]

Just an ordinary day in Russia

[@RealGestumblindi]

I really appreciate that every time you mention a temperature, you do so also in degrees Celsius for your international audience - as I really don't manage to get a grasp on the Fahrenheit thing and always have to look it up before I know whether someone is talking about a particularly hot or cold temperature or what...

[@theannoyedmrfloyd3998]

Fahrenheit is easy. 0° F is colder than a brass monkey's balls. 32° F is freezing. 72° F is supposed to be room temperature. 98.6° F is the average human body temperature. Easy to understand. 212° F is boiling water.

[@marcosmanuelvillarreal8823]

@@theannoyedmrfloyd3998 yeah, those are some arbitrary numbers that there is no way i could remember just like that (without putting effort into it I mean)

[@sudoeste08]

@@theannoyedmrfloyd3998 compare that to metric. 0 is freezing, 100 boiling. The end

[@diakounknown1225]

@@theannoyedmrfloyd3998 For you

[@Chris-du7hi]

I think its easier to just remember a rough conversion formula... (F - 32) / 2 = (almost) C Will get you within a couple degrees up to boiling. The exact formula is divide by 1.8 instead of 2, tough to do in your head tho.

[@HURBased]

"When Honda made their first hybrid vehicle, I'm sure they learned some things. So those were educational insights" haha I got that one

[@Psychopatz]

I dont understand it sir, can you please explain, 😅

[@HURBased]

@@Psychopatz The Honda Insight was the name of the first hybrid Honda made

[@kredal]

That one got an audible sigh out of me.

[@5roundsrapid263]

@@HURBasedI remember seeing the first one at the Honda dealer in the small town I grew up in. It was about 1998. It took them about a year to sell it. The Prius didn’t exist yet.

[@Kellanium]

Me and my car felt personally attacked

[@biglou250]

Despite having not played this game in literally 30 years, i instantly recognized it in the thumbnail and can vividly remember playing it in first grade. The keypad layout, the weird knowledge button, the dancing red LEDs on the sides. Fun times. I completely forgot about it until I saw this review. 30 years seems like a lifetime ago. Hopefully the next 30 will seem equally as long.

[@Leo9ine]

Quarantine is getting to Alec but I love the resulting content.

[@tomgidden]

Mmm... the hairstyle’s moving from Eddie Munster to Ted Cruz. Get that man a haircut, stat!

[@bethaltair812]

I'd like one that's just "this is a cat. It's not my cat, I just found it on the street. Let's run through it's features..... I have 4 hours of this cat/string interaction on my second channel!" I'd watch.

[@brianvoll9725]

"There's a fine line between genius and insanity"

[@croissantpanda96]

i just realized i didn’t know his name until now LOL

[@joeyvanostrand3655]

@Tappy Toes how about instead of being jealous you stop being lazy?

[@donsequitur2132]

"could you tell that I caught my hand on my sleeve" no, I was too busy distracted by your leg shaking

[@leptok3736]

I went back and looked lol

[@QlueDuPlessis]

I didn't notice the stimming myself. Although I'm really not surprised. 😋

[@petrolhead0387]

I have so much appreciation for the time and effort that you put into these videos. I would also like to ask that you don't drop your subtitles creator (us deaf people like these vids too). You and Nostalgia Nerd are probably my top KZbin creators in the world so far.

[@tinycatfriend]

i think Alec subtitles them himself! can't recall where i learned that, though the way they describe sounds in funny ways seems like it points to him rather than a third party.

[@jimdavis1576]

@@tinycatfriend considering he does the scripting himself, it shouldn't be to hard for him to use the script file for CC. But the out-takes portion at the end is probably a lot more work.

[@petrolhead0387]

@@tinycatfriend I hadn't thought about that, he does seem to drop easter eggs into the Captions. This just makes me appreciate his efforts even more.

[@stephenh5166]

I think he talked about it a bit in the teleprompter vid, but he does actually write a script for the vids on the main channel, he uses that and throws in some easter eggs to make his subtitles. I've always watched with the ccs on because it's fun to see the work and attention to detail he puts in.

[@Formedras]

@@tinycatfriend And all the work he does for the subtitles makes me sad about channels that run their videos through an AI service and call it a day, like Linus Tech Tips.

[@DonnyHooterHoot]

Hi! I'm 65, when we grewed up we only had Spirograph and Lite-Brite! That's why we are so stoopiD! Great video!

[@loistverberg900]

My Mom used to say, “I was born too soon!” (She was born in 1922.)

[@JohnnyCoulthard]

The subtitles are a goldmine! Love it! Squeak, squeak squeakin'!

[@richardavsmith]

Such an obscure reference too!

[@ebnertra0004]

Wish I spoke squirrel...

[@phasmata3813]

The Honda Insight joke took years off of my life. Holy shit. I didn't think I could be more of a fan of yours, but here we are.

[@nefron]

I have one of those newfangled Edumacated Insights (2019). Nice car, not a lot of pep though.

[@SkyCharger001]

some toys (including one I had as a kid in the late 80's) made it seem even more magical by encoding the game-id into a series of cutouts near one of the corners of the bottom edge of the cards.

[@AHiga-mi9en]

the fact that he always changes the adverb to the smooth jazz is making me subscribe

[@thefamilydad8635]

I’m watching this from tomorrow. We had the original GeoSafari growing up, as well as the MathSafari, which tried to look more grown up and sophisticated. It functioned exactly the same way.

[@thisintangibleexistence]

In the first grade we called that thing “the computer”

[@0.-.0]

Omfg yes

[@darthkitsu]

Hahahaha saaaaaame

[@cymes82]

I'm certain you learnded a lot of things.

[@HonkyAssZach]

Same

[@jetaddict420]

@@cymes82 i guess you didnt "learnded" anywhere close to how much they learned

[@SkaveRat]

The "melty plastic bits" is called "heat staking", fyi en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staking_(manufacturing)

[@Damaniel3]

The best part of TC videos is that I learn nearly as much from the comments as I do from the video itself. Time to go down another Wikipedia rabbithole...

[@zachkostechka3673]

Was hoping to see someone bring that up in the comments. Very common way of holding wires in molded plastic cases.

[@TheFeldhamster]

Thanks. I had seen this technique for a long while but never knew what it was called. And it's pretty neat, imo.

[@Ketfera]

I had totally forgotten about the GeoSafari, but as I heard the boops and beeps, it all came back, and I even anticipated the victory jingle. Thanks for reminding me of something special from my childhood. Keep up the good work!

[@MikeHunt-wl4ye]

You can hear and see the decay in Alec’s words and mannerisms as he begins his slow descent into madness - with Technology Connections being the only authority he must report to each day. It goes without saying: This channel will only get better with time. :)

[@nicholasluers7070]

Like watching Michael from Vsauce

[@dominateeye]

Exhibit A: The subtitles starting 20:55

[@thesprazzzler]

"Tell us, Will!" *William Tell overture plays* What am I doing with my life...

[@kindlin]

I tried to refind this in the video, but it remained elusive, without just rewatching the whole video (and it's not _that_ good!).

[@modern_milkman]

@@kindlin It's at 6:56. You're welcome.

[@kindlin]

@@modern_milkman I guess that's the overture? I had to relisten to the overture to hear the tune in the GeoSafari.

[@hero_knightusp7416]

Yeez was looking what its called without realizing the joke :D Thx

[@danz107]

4:15 "and 3 other buttons - Clear, Eeuuuh, and The Knowledge Button." I had to double take that one.

[@mickeymouse12678]

Otherwise known as "Gerald"

[@anthus9786]

I had a globe as a kid with the "GeoSafari" logo on it. It was actually a game. The base had buttons, and different modes and it would ask you questions about the world.

[@pyro-millie5533]

Omg that’s so charming!! Man, this GeoSafari company really seems to hit the nail on the head when it comes to simple but very pleasing educational tools.

[@jerbear7952]

Hey guys, we found the rich friend. Let's go to his house for trick or treat. They hand out full size snickers

[@loficampingguy9664]

Holy crap, I thought I had imagined that or something. There was one in the preschool I went to and for some reason it has stuck in my head permanently. It is still to this day what I think of when I think of a globe.

[@LittleDancerByGrace]

...you just unlocked a memory. I swore I had never heard of this company before, but I KNOW I have seen that globe before. Pretty sure my best friend had one.

[@ajleclerc]

"WELCOME TO GEOSAFARI WORLD" is absolutely just seared into my brain. I also remember the questions were always insanely hard but now I'm thinking that maybe I just wasn't the right age for the quiz feature 😂

[@ativjoshi1049]

"linear time sure is pesky", said the time traveler

[@maighstir3003]

We're all travelling in time! At a speed of about one second per second.

[@AMPProf]

yep!

[@KurosakiYukigo]

No, Alec, I didn't see you catch your sleeve until you pointed it out :p

[@skuzzyj]

Same. I made my fingers do the walking back on that so I could see the hang up.

[@lrizzard]

i replayed it a few times to see

[@Pethrenne]

It was hidden from me by the CC.

[@jeffdavis6657]

I didn't either, until he pointed it out, had to rewind to see.

[@pony_OwO]

I caught it on the first watch >:3c

[@brocklewis7624]

Petition for the question mark to be called the “heuh” from herein out

[@Jehty_]

Nope. Sorry, I am German. That heuh button is called hä?.

[@gator_productions]

I thought that said heroine

[@brocklewis7624]

@@gator_productions That's the next petition.

[@Edsploration.]

The GeoSafari is one of the best items from my childhood! There was a wide range in difficulty from the easy cards meant for little kids, and the complex cards such as memorizing all the countries in each continent. My favorite card was the countries of Asia one. I did make my own quizzes on the blank cards, but I don't remember what I made. As a platform, this thing probably beats nearly all educational resources available today.

[@LemurMaster]

You are a national treasure! Have you ever considered expanding your analysis to something as mundane as plumbing? I've always been curious about the inner workings of something like Shower controls, which seem to come in a variety of interesting shapes over time.

[@punksci6879]

"Linear time is pesky" OMG is he a wormhole alien?

[@smwillia]

Clearly he is a Prophet that has spent too much time amongst mortal beings outside of the Celestial Temple. He has become aggressive, adversarial.

[@razinhailsharp]

He is the Watson. He is of Earth.

[@casey6556]

The Watson is of KZbin but he will find no rest there.

[@rushthezeppelin]

Could also be fighting in the Temporal Cold War.....bet you can never guess which Trek I'm watching right now lol.

[@rushthezeppelin]

Or a Q

[@effeKtSVK]

Okay, when you read the "?" button, I absolutely lost it :DDDDD I had to literally pause the video because of the tears in my eyes. Love you, Alec.

[@stephaniemcdonald4132]

This made me so happy! I would have never remembered this on my own. Me and my sister play with this so much as kids!! Thanks for this memory jog

[@gevmage]

This is really cool! At the top left of the board at 17:25 you can see the Zener diode labelled "ZD1". It and the resistor next to it probably form the voltage reference. The fat transistor with the heat sink then clamp the input voltage to that reference voltage, keeping it constant. The two together act as a voltage regulator.

[@kjdude8765]

Also text on the board says: "to adapter." obviously to accommodate some dodgy fixed ratio transformers.

[@MrHack4never]

>"yes/no" question > 3 tries Amazing

[@Kalvinjj]

Wanna bet some slow kids needed more tries?

[@AerinRavage]

So, it's like plugging in a USB cable?

[@PorkYoSelf]

"Is a tomato a fruit or vegetable?" Easy, it's a fruit. *Bad boops* But it is a fruit... Maybe it mistook me... *Bad boops* Ugh, I give up! Let me hit the huh key for the answer.

[@lukmly013]

@@PorkYoSelf Welp, actually it's both. www.britannica.com/story/is-a-tomato-a-fruit-or-a-vegetable

[@nitehawk86]

yes/no/maybe

[@miniman3112]

We might never know the number of beautiful fillers we've been denied by the advent of useful information that replaced them.

[@damian8278]

I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say I haven't thought about this toy in 20 years! I loved these things!! Drove my dad crazy with all the beeps and boops, but I was learning so he couldn't be mad! Thank you for covering my childhood!!

[@DeviantOllam]

Tonight the "A" in AvE stands for "Alec" and we're here for it! BOLTR: Bored of Learning Toy Reviews. This Technology Connectionextras vijeyo is the cure for that. 👍☺️👍

[@EssenceofPureFlavor]

The GeoSafari Jr. is one hell of a skookum choocher.

[@TheRogueRockhound]

Arduinoersusevil for anyone who isnt familiar w/ AvE. He lives in Hoth

[@CrimsonStrider]

Surprised and yet not surprised to see your comment here xD

[@benjaminfraeyman]

Oh ollam, i remember having your defcon 13 talks and other old talks being reccomended and they were so interesting :)

[@NenadKralj]

guys do you know who is this guy #DeviantOllam 😁 it's mister: "I don't need a key to enter" (almost) legend himself 😆

[@MartinAlejandroLiguori]

I love how he looks more crazy on each video, maybe it's the hair, but I love it. XD

[@Cathowl]

I've been enjoying your videos for a while now and I just want to say, THANK you for not practicing that obnoxious thing educational KZbin has been doing more and more over time, where they edit so tightly that there's less time between sentences than there is between words in the sentence. I actually have time to process what you're saying and it doesn't turn into unlistenable word mush. Especially the times when you slow down and are being particularly sedate in your lectures. I actually come back and listen to some of your more interesting videos repeatedly. Thank you for teaching me about all these interesting things. :3

[@keithstathem872]

I like how you pronounce "?". I LOLed.

[@henryhildebrand4236]

ehhh

[@thatoneguy9582]

“ehjffgheh”

[@cloviscareca]

"educationally smooth jazz" at the end. This guy really pays attention to details!

[@kielaraneolus]

And even later ender they accuse you of stealing their acorn. We owe him a new acorn.

[@joebwannabe]

I wish there was a "uheuhh" button for life. I give up, just tell me the answer.

[@Platypi007]

It's named Google now. Or Alexa, or Siri. Or I guess Bixby or Cortana, does anyone actually use those?

[@s8wc3]

Tim allen button

[@dracoslayer16]

Well you do give up all your potential points by pressing the "?" button so, it would shave years off your life?

[@joebwannabe]

@@dracoslayer16 to win the game, it might be worth it

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Can I get the code for the answers to life?

[@tsilb]

+1ed just for the "filler" section you never filled in; that was great.

[@vulpixgrant]

How I missed seeing this video in your assortment is beyond me. This is one of those things I had 100% forgotten ever existed in my youth. I had the gray O.G. Geosafari and remember playing it in my Grandpa's Kitchen and Living Room! Wow nostalgia tied to electronics, what a concept.

[@michiganmafia]

Omg! Suuuuccchhh a throwbackkkl!!! My grandparents bought one of these for me, and would gift me cards for it periodically. Thanks for bringing back the memory. Love your channel so much buddy ❤

[@hurgcat]

"This is why you don't force things, you were probably just being silly." Sage wisdom

[@ec5838]

Hmmm, indeed it is. Been there, done that. XD

[@Armagedn12]

Oh my god I had one of these as a kid and I absolutely loved it. I remember mine being a bunch of maps. I developed a love of geography at a young age because of it, but I had forgotten about it. Those beeps just unlocked so many memories of being 5 years old

[@Vivi_From_Space]

This unlocked a deep seated memory of mine, I had one of these, I’m sure I’m too young to have actually been around for these things but my mom and grandma were preschool teachers so they probably let me use it when it got discontinued.

[@rogerbond2244]

Alec - thank you. For this latest distraction from everything that's going on outside; for filling our heads with useful stuff instead of anxiety; and for kick-starting the thought processes again when it's all too easy to sit on the sofa and doom-scroll. Your contribution to the mental well-being of your viewers cannot be overstated - and we hope and trust that you're surrounded by the right people to keep you going, too. Happily, we have many hours of Technology Connections to catch up on - unfortunately, through your wisdom, we just learned how truly awful are the ring mains here in the UK (i never questioned it before - now i can't wait to leave - but we're Definitely Not Blaming You; you didn't design any of this stuff!). Sincere thanks for taking on the challenging but vital role of educator in a confused and fractious world - take care, stay safe, and know how much you are needed and loved in the world beyond your studio.

[@aceofarrows]

As much as he's stated his hatred of them, I am convinced by now that if there was a Technology Connections video game, the final boss Alec would be up against would be a giant beast made entirely of blue LEDs. At least it would be easy to find the weak spot, since everything would glow entirely too brightly.

[@talon262]

Speaking of fight bosses and glowing blue things: Bones: "You alright, Jim?" Kirk: "I think so." Martia (to Kirk): "They'll respect you now." Kirk: "That's a comfort...I was lucky that thing had knees!" Martia: "That was not his knee...not everybody keeps their genitals in the same place, Captain." Kirk: "Anything you want to tell me?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/eISQl5KBrLJrZ6s

[@trippmoore]

Why does alec hate blue leds? Does he have an entire video dedicated to his loathe for them?

[@Slash0mega]

I read that as "his stated hatred of video games" rather than hatred of blue leds and was confused alex hates video games? where did he mention that? wait no, that wouldn't make sense at all, cause i almost lost this channel when he couldn't shut up about the playstations hystory during the "take a chance on a sidebar video that looked kindof clickebaity" probation! (ps, very glad i forgot about that video and ended up giving him another chance, cause he is now one of my favorite channels.)

[@ZethKeeper]

"And three other buttons: 'clear, 'HUH?' and 'knowledge'".

[@npc6817]

yeah but knowledge is pronounced like Michael from vsauce and with added reverb/bass boost

[@CameronTacklind]

In case no one else has piped up about this yet... It's very common to have extra bits of plastic in your injection molding that are intended to be re-melted later to hold down other things. I've seen this a lot for holding down PCBs in inexpensive products. I've personally never seen it for wires, like this product, but I digress. I do it with a soldering iron often enough but there are specialty tools that do this on modern production lines. I know this as "heat staking".

[@mEandthEgamE]

"For all I know it's called Gerald."

[@BubblegumCrash332]

All of our phones need a Gerald button

[@ryanrenolds]

GERALD KOMM RUNTER ESSEN

[@MrFrazierNation]

@@BubblegumCrash332 yessss

[@d_trich]

I saw this comment 5 seconds after hearing this in the video

[@geraldgomes]

That would be funny.

[@fwgmills]

0:52 "Are you rewinding to see it?" YES!

[@sonickrnd]

Now I did.

[@mattgies]

I had to rewind and also drag the caption out of the way, in order to properly peep that pivotal plot point.

[@diakounknown1225]

I did before reading this

[@marcel151]

For all of is who immediately want to check Wikipedia: Yes, it has been edited.

[@reverandzombre3755]

Your videos are all delightful. Thank you.