These days, when something electronic breaks, most folks just throw it away and get a new one. But as hackers, we prefer to find out what the actual problem is and fix it. [Bonsembiante] took that very tack when a MOTU brand audio interface wasn’t booting. As it turns out, a bit of investigative work […]
It used to be you could crack open a TV or radio and really work on the components inside. The smallest thing in there was maybe a disc capacitor a little smaller than your pinky’s nail. Nowadays, consumer electronic boards are full of tiny SMD components. Luckily [StezStix Fix?] has a microscope and the other […]
The Braun TS2 radio was a state-of-the art tube set in 1956. Today it still looks great, but unsurprisingly, the one that [Manuel Caldeier] has needed a little tender loving care. The table radio had a distinct style for its day and push-buttons. However, the dial glass and the speaker grill needed replacement. Even more […]
Modern gaming laptops are in an uncomfortable spot – often too underpowered for newest titles, but too bulky to be genuinely portable. It doesn’t help they’re not often upgradeable, so you’re stuck with what you’ve bought – unless, say, you’re a hacker equipped some tools for PCB reflow? If that’s the case, welcome to [TechModLab]’s […]
The BBC Microcomputer, launched in the early 1980s, holds a special place in computing history. Designed for educational purposes, it introduced a generation to programming and technology. With its robust architecture and community-driven modifications, the BBC Micro remains a beloved project for retro computing enthusiasts. [Neil] from Retro4U has been delving into this classic machine, […]
Electric scooters have long been a hacker’s friend, Xiaomi ones in particular – starting with M365, the Xiaomi scooter family has expanded a fair bit. They do have a weak spot, like many other devices – the battery, something you expect to wear out. Let’s say, one day the scooter’s diagnostics app shows one section […]
Despite HP shuttering their WebOS project some time ago, the operating system has kept a dedicated following. One device in particular, the HP TouchPad, was released just a month before webOS went under and is still a favorite among hackers — giving the device the kind of love that HP never could. [Alan Morford] from […]
Some hackers have the skills to help us find noteworthy lessons in even the most basic of repairs. For instance, is your computer failing to boot? Guess what, it could just be a flash chip that’s to blame — and, there’s more you should know about such a failure mode. [Manawyrm] and [tSYS] over at […]
Old radios often had selenium rectifiers to convert AC to DC. The problem is that the old units, dating back to 1933, are prone to failure and to release dangerous chemicals like hydrogen selenide. [M Caldeira] has a new board made to fit a particular rectifier and also allows a varying voltage drop. The circuit […]
There’s a wild new feature making repair jobs easier (not to mention less messy) and iFixit covers it in their roundup of the iPhone 16’s repairability: electrically-released adhesive. Here’s how it works. The adhesive looks like a curved strip with what appears to be a thin film of aluminum embedded into it. It’s applied much […]