Manufacturers are pushing the envelope to smarten up our products—whether those products need to be smart or not. Just because we can connect things to the Internet doesn’t mean we should. After visiting CES, it taught me that I don’t enjoy shouting at my appliances by a first name: “Alexa, brew my coffee,” “Alexa, buy me detergent,” “Alexa, bake the salmon.” It makes me feel like a lazy overlord—and I’m still not convinced of its wider usefulness. All the same, CES featured just that, and tons of other Alexa-powered products.
Sometime in the near future you’ll venture into your dusty attic or musty garage and pull out a miserably tangled set of Christmas lights. Millions will throw out their broken Christmas lights and buy new ones, but you will not. You are a strong, independent person. You will save Christmas (lights) this year.
“Tools are your good friends. Why? Because they make it possible for you to do hundreds of jobs that you couldn’t with your own hands. They are extra hands—and eyes—which give you countless new skills. If you treat the tools you use as friends, they’ll always be ready to help you when you need them most.”
I’ve come across lots of articles that claim to tell you how to build a cycling toolkit for cheap. Somehow the word “cheap” stops recurring in the long list of “essential” bike repair tools. The truth is, there is no real way to build a whole shop of tools without plopping down a few hundred bucks. But in an attempt to show everyone that not all of us truly need a full complement of bike tools, I present to you the truest, most budget-conscious, and barest of bones options to you.
Some of the scariest repairs are easier than you’d think. To help build your courage, we’ve collected some simple tips for handling the scariest small electronics repairs around. Just like creepy basements, frightening repairs are a lot less scary in the light.
No fixer is an island. So why not meet up and repair together—with a little “professional” guidance? That’s the idea behind the “Repair Café” movement. In those “cafés,” owners of broken devices get the help they need to fix their devices from experienced repairers. What began as the idea of Dutch journalist and blogger Martine Postma in 2009 has led to the establishment of more than 800 Repair Cafés around the world today.
Summer vacation is nearly over! Textbooks, existential angst, and student loans loom on the horizon. What’s a student to do? In our opinion, the best way to prepare for the impending academic session is with plenty of studying, lots of coffee, and fully functional school gear. To help, we put together some awesome back-to-school repairs that will help keep your gear running, without depleting the ramen budget.
The box arrived at our office early one morning—non-descript, heavy, and unmarked. Its very ordinariness obscuring the splendor of its contents. iFixit is in the business of tools and teardowns, so cool stuff shows up on our doorstep a lot. This was different. Two days earlier, we’d put in an order for a Simul-Focal Stereo Zoom Microscope. It had just showed up in all of its glory. And we were excited. Because we’re going to teach you all how to microsolder. Check our YouTube channel for info.
Summer is here, and the good ol’ summer sun is in full force in our part of the country. As the temperature rises, a cool, crisp game of Tetris or a refreshing dungeon raid can help to beat the sun. But nothing kills a gaming session quicker than a broken controller or a bricked console. Don’t fret! A few timely repairs can keep your gear running all summer long. To help, Wii (see what Wii did there?) rounded up a few repairs to give your broken gaming devices the 1-Up they need.
Today, my friends, is a holiday. A holiday for you. A holiday for me. A holiday for people who need to take a little mental breather. Today is No Brainer Day. No, seriously, it’s a real holiday—or at least that is what the internet says. And you can’t lie on the internet. How does iFixit plan on celebrating the day? With some no-brainer repairs. These fixes are so simple, anyone can do them. Check them out on the blog.
Baby, it’s cold outside! Well, not for us. We live in California, where it’s a currently hovering at a balmy 60 degrees. But, for the rest of the country, winter has come! So grab your toolkits, roll up your repair sleeves, and get ready to fight the frostbite. We’ve gathered some helpful repairs to keep you warm for the rest of winter.
