How to Replace Your Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Shells
Replacing your Switch Joy-Cons can be a tricky process where you can often get lost. Fortunately, we've got a guide to help you every step of the way.
Replacing your Switch Joy-Cons can be a tricky process where you can often get lost. Fortunately, we've got a guide to help you every step of the way.
Although things are getting better (some printer manufacturers have radically reduced the cost of ink) as far as the owners of many sub-$100 printers are concerned, the price of ink is staggeringly close to the price of the printer. This underlines the manufacturers’ attitude to the devices – that they’re consumables, intended to last just a couple of years before being replaced. There are several ways in which you can force your printer into sharing a bit more ink with you.
The HP TouchPad is a remarkable piece of kit. This tablet computer with its dual core CPU was released with a buggy version of the webOS operating system back in mid-2011 and failed to capture the imagination of app developers, leading to HP dropping the device within weeks of its launch. The ensuing firesale resulted in tablets being picked up brand new for under $100 on both sides of the Atlantic.
A solid state hard drive is one of the best upgrades available for a modern computer. It increases the load times of programs dramatically, which in turn makes a PC feel snappier. Results can be dramatic. Some games, for example, loaded several times more quickly from an SSD after I replaced my own mechanical drive. The benefits of SSDs are not in question. But how do you install one?
Intelligent lighting systems used to be an expensive domain for professionals only; but with the proliferation of cheaper electronics and computer control systems, incredible lighting effects are now firmly within the reach of the hobbyist. Whether you’re planning the most awesome house party ever, or want to take your Christmas or Halloween lighting to a whole new level, it might be time to invest in some DMX systems.
The Raspberry Pi can accept SSH commands when connected to a local network (either by Ethernet or Wi-Fi), enabling you to easily set it up. The benefits of SSH go beyond upsetting the daily screening of The Simpsons or the latest celebrity news – using your Raspberry Pi without a dedicated display (also known as “headless”) can allow you to leave the device set up in a particular configuration without the worry about anyone disrupting things.
If you're looking for a way to get the most out of old everyday objects that have become obsolete, like cassette tapes and CD's, or want to put everyday objects like binder clips, bread clips and ceramic bowls to good use, we've put together a list of 10 really cool geeky ideas to upcycle, hack and reuse things lying around your house. There is no end to the ways that you can put all your old gadgets and bits and pieces to good use.
I'm sure you've heard of the Raspberry Pi by now. If not, you're in for a treat. It's a tiny little computer that's dirt cheap and incredibly customisable. Here at MakeUseOf, along with most geeky places online, we've fallen in love with the Raspberry Pi. Many of us have one or more and have come up with some fantastic ways to use them for play or for work.
There's a current craze emerging for standing desks, literally desks that you stand at while working. Having spent the last five years as a self-employed freelance writer who spends most of his days sat at a desk, I've experienced back problems as well as instances of the seemingly unavoidable repetitive strain injury. Perhaps a standing desk is the solution to my problems.
If you’re like me, you probably make good use of USB on your PC, from connecting keyboards and printers to smartphones, USB flash memory, Bluetooth, 3G or Wi-Fi dongles, headsets, game controllers and more. USB is a versatile and easy-to-use connection format, but there is one thing that bugs many people (including me) about it.
Computers age rapidly. In one year they mature, in three years they become elderly and after five they are ready for retirement. Both geeks and casual users have become accustomed to – or annoyed by – the quick replacement cycle. Part of the annoyance is the uncertainty of replacement. When do you upgrade or repair a computer, and when do you just give up and build or buy a new one?
If there’s any hardware released in 2012 that you’re likely to fall in love with, it’s the sweet-as-sugar Raspberry Pi, a mini computer designed and built in the UK that has shipped all around the world. Equipped with an ARM processor and capable of running various operating systems, the Raspberry Pi is small enough to fit into a cigarette box and powerful enough to run a home server, media centre and much more.
Over the years I've organised some pretty awesome parties and even entire summer camps. I like to think I know how to throw a cool party, and technology always plays a part of that. Here's 6 essential bits of technology to MakeUseOf at your Halloween party!
As befits a man with too much tech on his hands, I’ve been playing with my Raspberry Pi recently, configuring the device so that it works to its fullest potential. It continues to run as a media center, although I have no doubt that this use will be added to it in the very near future. However, installing an OS and adding XBMC is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to using the RPi.
YouTube - it sits there, in your browser, throwing new videos at you from big stars like Rihanna, clips from classic comedies, trailers for new movies and the thoughts of Evelyn Smythe, a history professor from Oxford likes to share her thoughts with the world. It is in this last type of YouTube video that the future of television is at stake.
As the owner of a Raspberry Pi, I’ve spent a bit of time looking for a suitable case for my versatile miniature computer. For a time I settled on the popular “punnet” design that other RaspPi users can download, print out and construct from card, but this wasn’t the most ideal solution. While useful, the punnet case wasn’t quite what I was looking for. Instead, I hit the web.
It is becoming an increasingly popular pastime to add a new element to cars, a new hub for entertainment, GPS and communications. The carputer seems to have been inspired partly by TV shows such as Knight Rider and movies from the James Bond series as well as the progress of technology in the modern age. But now, anyone can build a car computer!
Why should I make a laptop sleeve when I have the one that came with the device? Well, so do the thousands who bought the same device. But then you can very well go out and buy designed sleeves that are way cooler than the mass produced ones. I can’t argue for this one, except say that a DIY approach would give you the stamp of exclusivity, save you money, and allow you to free your creativity around your laptop or similar device.
Laptops are not as easy to upgrade as desktops. Many components are simply soldered on to the motherboard and others, though technically replaceable, are restricted by technical skill and cost. There are, however, two upgrades you can perform that will improve your laptop. One is beefing up the RAM, and the second is replacing the hard drive – preferably with a solid state drive.
Four weeks on and I’ve been playing with my Raspberry Pi in various ways, from using it to browse the web and standard day-to-day computing tasks to playing around with the various configurations that are possible for networking (Ethernet vs USB wireless). But is there an ultimate point to this device, or will it remain a curiosity on my shelf, to be switched on whenever a useful purpose rears its head?
Did you just get a DSLR for making videos? Did you believe that once you got it you would instantly be making creative, beautiful videos that would make all your friends think you are a screen-inspired genius? Yes, you probably did. Unfortunately, that isn't the case, for in order to make creative, beautiful videos that will make all all your friends think you are a screen-inspired genius, you have to know the camera pretty well.