by Amar Toor on November 8, 2010 at 04:45 PM

Taking your laptop in for repair typically involves long lines, condescending tech support workers and hefty bills. With a new prototype laptop called Bloom, however, conducting open hard-drive surgery is so easy, a 10-year-old could do it.
Created by a group of students from Stanford and Finland's Aalto University, Bloom can be completely disassembled within just two minutes, and with ...
by Amar Toor on May 18, 2010 at 05:35 PM

After a virus left his computer in disrepair, 46-year-old Daniel Wagner of Sheboygan, Wisconsin did what most people would do; he took it to a store to get it fixed. Unlike most people, however, Daniel Wagner keeps a lot of child pornography on his PC. You can probably guess where this is headed.
Apparently completely oblivious to the fact that underage porn is, um, illegal, Wagner waltzed into ...
by Caleb Johnson on February 11, 2010 at 04:30 PM

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Whether it's from careless roommates or too many viewings, we've all had our favorite DVD get scratched and skip as a result. But you don't have to give up on your beloved disc; there could be hope for it yet -- in your pantry and bathroom.
The folks over at Unplggd have compiled a step-by-step guide to removing scratches with nothing more than a banana, some toothpaste, and window ...
by Caleb Johnson on December 29, 2009 at 08:27 AM

The era of a grease monkeys spending their days on their backs, underneath a car, are long gone. Now, mechanics spend just as much time staring at a computer -- sifting through online manuals and searching for specialized tools.
According to USA Today, independent auto-repair shops are struggling because proprietors can't afford the automakers' online manuals, which can cost as much as $11,000 ...
by Caleb Johnson on August 24, 2009 at 09:43 AM

Some of us treat laptops like tanks, but that hard, plastic casing can only stand up to so much punishment. And if you've ever had the misfortune of paying for a laptop repair, you know the fix doesn't come cheap. CNET News wrote about computer repair company MicroReplay's list of the most common ways people send their laptops to the grave. According to the list, liquid on the keyboard is the ...
by Dan Reilly on April 22, 2009 at 02:15 PM

Having trouble with your Xbox 360? Well, join the club. Plenty of people have tossed their consoles, figuring them for dead. But what they probably didn't know is that they could have gotten their favorite toy repaired or replaced, for cheap or for free. From a post by our friends at Geeksugar, we learned how easy it can be to get back on the gaming horse. First off, if you've encountered the ...
by Tim Stevens on March 22, 2009 at 02:09 PM

We've talked about the business of iPod repair and how a number of industrious people in NYC opened businesses fixing music players. The trend has spread since and, naturally, one of these repairmen saw fit to use his talents for for more than the joy of helping customers -- he was arrested for tricking Apple into sending him 9,000 Shuffle players. Nicholas Woodhams, 23, from Kalamazoo, ...
by Warren Riddle on March 14, 2009 at 02:01 PM

Dropping your cell phone in the pool (or worse) or spilling coffee on your computer keyboard doesn't necessarily mean that you have to buy a new one. Such last-minute disasters happen all the time. As a public service for our klutzy readers, or those who choose to take a 'MacGruber' approach to tech repair, we've put together a list of quick fix solutions for your gadget and tech mishaps or ...
by Tim Stevens on December 27, 2008 at 09:46 AM

Computers are a lot like cars in that people everywhere rely on them for their day-to-day lives, and yet most of those people have no idea what goes on inside of them. If they start making funny noises or something stops working properly, it's often time for a trip to a specialist who will be happy to fix your issues -- for a fee. Sometimes, though, you can figure it out yourself, and ...
by Tim Stevens on September 3, 2008 at 02:11 PM

The only thing worse than getting a punctured tire is trying to use a flimsy scissor jack to change it. Break down on a dirt or snow-covered road and you probably have as good a shot at losing your hand as you do fixing a flat. Not so with the Titan, which may look like an exhaust-powered whoopee cushion, but can actually haul cars (even lifted rigs) up into the air on nearly any surface. Just ...
by Darren Murph on July 13, 2008 at 04:45 PM

Fat kids want cake, skinny kids abstain, right? Whatever philosophy you subscribe to, chances are you'll only see the world's fittest stopping by a Trek Stop. This curious vending machine is currently parked in Madison, Wisconsin and enables cyclists to nab spare parts (an extra tube, patch kit, water bottle, etc.) or healthy snacks while rolling by. As for installation? Prepare to get greasy. ...
by Dan Reilly on June 26, 2008 at 02:00 PM

As any electronics owner knows, things break, sometimes for no reason at all. Now comes the hard part -- making the decision whether to get your gadget fixed or throw it out in favor or a brand new model. Since we're all about helping our readers, we've put together some tips to help you make the right decision about when it's time to save what you've got and when you should say goodbye. The ...
by Tim Stevens on June 26, 2008 at 12:45 PM

It's easy to think of today's pocketable gadgets as disposable -- use 'em for a few years, then toss 'em when they're obsolete or broken. That's not always necessarily the case, though, as busted iPods and other players can be fixed by repair shops (or even yourself) if you have steady hands. But if you're not the mechanically inclined type, can't bear to be away from your player long enough ...
by Tom Samiljan on August 31, 2007 at 05:01 PM

digg_url ='http://www.switched.com/2007/08/31/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.
Related Links:
How to Connect Your iPod to Your Car ...
by Joshua Fruhlinger on August 15, 2007 at 03:32 PM

Whether you've dropped your phone in the toilet (as do 885,000 British citizens per year), or made the mistake of trying to take underwater phone cam portraits of your pet fish, you'll want to find out about a little trick that may save your phone from a water-logged death (or at least keep it on life support long enough to transfer your photos, contacts and other data to a new ...