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Computers, Advice

10 DIY Laptop Stands

10 DIY Laptop Stands
Laptops are great for their portability, but no so wonderful ergonomically. The flat key board is hell on the wrists and the hot underside is not so nice on your lap. That's why someone, now undoubtedly rich, invented the laptop stand. These $50+ angled bases for your laptop often are little more than glorified wedges of plastic.

As is often the case when there is an easier cheaper way to do something yourself, the folks at Lifehacker got on this one like white on rice and compiled a list of ten DIY (Do It Yourself) alternatives to commercial laptop stands. All are cheaper than the retail options and some of the more complex ones will give you a real sense of accomplishment when you're done.

Solutions range from simply sticking a pair of wine corks under your laptop, to simple but ingenious solutions involving a three ring binder to route cables and store an external hard drive, to complex projects that require at least a little bit of carpentry know how. Check out the entire list at the link, and do yourself a favor and choose one of these DIY option if you're in the market for a laptop stand.

From Lifehacker

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Computers, Advice

How to Replace a Broken Laptop Screen

How to Replace A Broken Laptop ScreenLaptops are wonderful things -- most of the time. They let workaholics think they're productive while watching 'CSI' at night, they let bloggers post away from coffee shops and other out-of-the-way places, and they can even bring hope to developing nations.

But, like many expensive gadgets, laptops are not the sturdiest things on the planet, especially those big, bright LCD screens. All it takes is one accidental fall from a desk or a clumsy step on your laptop case and that horrible crunching noise you hear is money being flushed down the drain for a fix. Luckily, we found a helpful guide that shows you how to do the repair yourself, and save big bucks.

Now, mind you, not everyone will be quite capable of doing this, as it does require disassembly of the LCD housing and removal of the fragile panel, which may even be oozing toxic chemicals. But the process is fairly straightforward, since it essentially just requires that you remove the screws around the edge of the screen (assuming your laptop has some), then pry the thing in two, Nextm you peel the actual LCD display away from the back of the housing, then unplug it and swap in the new one. It's no worse than changing the oil in your car, but requires a bit more precision.

The one thing the guide doesn't do is tell you just where the heck to purchase that replacement LCD. After doing some looking around we've found that ScreenTek seems to be the most highly regarded replacement LCD reseller, and it even makes finding the right screen for your lappy a piece of cake.

Even so, you're still going to drop between $300 and $600 depending on the size of your display, and potentially even more if you pay someone else to do it for you. Yeah, ouch.

Maybe you should just watch where you're stepping (or dropping) next time, clumsy.

From Apartment Therapy

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Computers, Advice, Switched Video

How to Back Up Your Hard Drive Online



If you're smart, you maintain a regular backup of the files on your computer's hard drive. If you're really smart, you keep backups of that backup -- and, as you'll see, we don't mean by building a Leaning Tower of External Hard Drives under your desk.

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Computers, Advice, Columns, Switched Video

How to Clean a Keyboard Spill



Eat enough lunches at your desk and you're bound to spill something on your keyboard -- we know this all too well. Luckily, we also know how to fix this problem. Learn how to deal with anything from water to coffee or soda in the video above.

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Computers, Advice, Columns, Switched Video

How to Rescue a Wet Laptop



You've just spilled your afternoon coffee all over your laptop. What you do in the next couple of seconds could be the difference between a speedy recovery and the laptop graveyard. In the above video, you'll find the emergency rescue steps you need to take right this moment.

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Computers, Advice, Columns, Switched Video

How to Max Out Your Laptop's Battery Life

Whether you're traveling for business or playing Solitaire on the beach, long lasting laptop life is a must. Here's how to squeeze the most juice out of your notebook's power store.

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