Workshop service repair manual

Epson printers have had a nasty little issue for years. Some models will abruptly brick, even if they seem to be working fine, because the ink pads are supposedly too saturated. Epson has endured bad publicity the past few weeks as users, websites, and right-to-repair activists condemned the company for designing its printers to eventually stop functioning, highlighting just how big of a problem printers continue to be in the fight for the right to repair . According to the Fight to Repair newsletter, Epson printers—including the L360, L130, L220, L310, L365, and potentially others—may suddenly display a message saying that they have reached the end of their service life and then stop printing. Epson told The Verge this week that this is because saturated ink pads could leak ink throughout the devices. Until this week, Epson's support page about the message said : At some point, the product will reach a condition where either satisfactory print quality cannot be … [Read more...] about Epson’s bricked printers highlight the industry’s repairability problem

Further Reading Fairphone 2 hands-on: Modular phones are finally here iFixit's teardowns are handy disassembly guides, and they're great for confirming just what hardware is included inside our gadgets, but most recent consumer electronics don't fare well when it comes time for the site to assign a repairability score. Today's smartphones are typically held together with proprietary screws and a lot of glue, and while there are obvious user-facing benefits to this manufacturing approach, it tends to make the gadgets harder to open, upgrade, and repair. That's not the case for the Fairphone 2, an Android phone built by a Dutch startup that makes repairability and serviceability one of its primary features. iFixit has torn down the phone using just human hands and a Phillips-head screwdriver, and has given the phone a rare 10 out of 10 on its repairability scale because of how easy it is for users to open and fix. The battery and the screen—two components that will most need … [Read more...] about iFixit gives modular Fairphone 2 a rare 10 out of 10 for repairability [Updated]

Audio player loading… Top Video conferencing software provider Zoom has announced a new “intelligent conversational” live chat solution powered by artificial intelligence. In a keynote event followed by a post (opens in new tab) on the Zoom blog, the company announced Zoom Virtual Agent (opens in new tab) , a chatbot designed to help businesses provide efficient customer service in a cost-effective way, by reducing handle times for human customer support staff. While corporate chatbots are nothing new, Zoom claims that many of these rely on “extensive” manual coding, while its new offering is powered by “proprietary AI” and machine learning in order to naturally process language. Zoom's AI chatbot for enterprise Zoom Virtual Agent supposedly integrates with various live chat, CRM and contact center-as-a-service (CCaaS) solutions, and will come packaged as part of Zoom Contact Center , the company’s own CCaaS. The unveiling … [Read more...] about Zoom is bringing AI to live chat customer service

Microsoft's Surface devices had a well-deserved reputation for being impossible to repair in their early years, but Microsoft has sought to change that more recently. Newer Surfaces feature detailed repair manuals and, at least in theory, easily upgradeable SSDs. I say "in theory" because it hasn't been as simple as going out, buying a drive, and installing it. The Surface's storage slot uses the standard M.2 interface, and most devices make it easy to access, but the PCs use relatively rare 30-mm-long drives that most of the big SSD makers simply don't offer to regular consumers. This has made it harder to do that old tech-savvy money-saving trick: buying a 128GB or 256GB version of a computer and upgrading it with a 512GB or 1TB drive for a fraction of what the company would charge you to do it. But that's slowly changing. Some of the smaller-but-still-reputable SSD makers like Sabrent and Inland have finally started offering 30 mm-long versions of some of their SSDs … [Read more...] about It’s getting easier to buy bigger SSDs for the Steam Deck and Surface PCs

Mullvad is a Swedish-based, independently owned, open-source VPN provider that puts security and privacy above all else. Every other VPN provider says it does as well, but Mullvad goes to great lengths to convey that it genuinely does put security and privacy first. Mullvad $5 at Mullvad Get Price Alerts You're receiving price alerts for Mullvad Like Average speed loss only 23% Kill switch always enabled Open-source Don't Like 14-Eyes jurisdiction (Sweden) Not ideal for international streaming No live chat support The apps are simple in design and easy to use, yet offer sufficient customization options to keep experienced VPN users happy. And Mullvad offers all the security and privacy features you need to stay safe online. It's a fast, user-friendly VPN that easily holds its own against the big-name VPN providers. Overall, I was impressed with Mullvad's commitment to … [Read more...] about Mullvad Review: Solid Security and Privacy, But Swedish Jurisdiction is Concerning

Editor's note: January 2023 The vinyl renaissance has meant even more great turntable options are available. Take our current top pick, the Pro-ject Debut Carbon Evo: it's so good it'll give your goosebumps goosebumps. If your budget doesn't quite stretch to the Pro-ject, that's not a problem: as the Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT demonstrates, you can get serious sound without having to spend serious amounts of money. Matthew Bolton, Managing Editor - Entertainment One of the best turntables will transform your music, making it smoother, richer and injecting some of that authentic analog style into your favorite tracks.  Many of the top record players you can buy today are packed with the latest audio tech, delivering impressive sound and unlocking details you might never have fully noticed or appreciated before. Many of the best turntables also come with a range of modern features, like USB ports – some even have Sonos-certified compatibility – which are essential if … [Read more...] about The best turntables 2023: best record players for any budget

Table of Contents What to Look for in a Smart Sprinkler Controller in 2023 Frequently Asked Questions Best Smart Sprinkler Controller Overall: Rachio 3 16-Zone  Controller Best Budget Smart Sprinkler Controller: Orbit B-hyve 4-Zone Controller Best Hose-Based Smart Sprinkler Controller: Orbit B-hyve Hose Faucet Timer Best Touch-Screen Smart Sprinkler Controller: HUNTER HC-600i Hydrawise Best Smart Sprinkler Controller for HomeKit: Eve Aqua Update, 01/12/2023: We’ve reviewed our recommendations and have updated our picks for the best budget and best touch-screen smart sprinkler controllers. What to Look for in a Smart Sprinkler Controller in 2023 A smart sprinkler controller makes it easy for you to manage your lawn. They’re capable of far more than just turning on or off your sprinklers with the press of a button, with controllers having a variety of features you can take advantage of. Convenience and ease of use are the first factors you’ll want to … [Read more...] about The Best Smart Sprinkler Controllers of 2023

The Best Raspberry Pi distros cater for retro gaming fans and HTPC enthusiasts. Believe it or not, the Raspberry Pi is almost ten years old. In this relatively short period the Pi has ushered in a new revolution in computing that stretches far beyond its original remit which was to promote basic computer science education in schools. There have been several Pi developments over the past few years. The Pi Zero (opens in new tab) was released in 2015, and the Pi and its 'essentials' kit is available for a very cheap price. The Pi Zero W was added to the Zero family in February 2017, featuring a 1GHz processor, 512MB RAM and support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, with accessories. The latest addition to the family is the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (opens in new tab) that now features a quad-core 1.5Ghz processor. Unlike previous iterations of the single board computer (SBC), there are now three variants of the Raspberry Pi 4; with 2GB, 4GB and 8GB of RAM. This opens up the device to … [Read more...] about Best Raspberry Pi distros in 2023

The best lightweight Linux distro can make it simple and easy to revive older hardware and even replace your current operating system. As a result, they have become too bloated for older machines. Without a healthy dollop of system memory and an extra core or two, these distros may not deliver the best performance. Thankfully, there are many lightweight distros, trimmed and tweaked by expert hands, which can be used to breathe new life into older hardware. The lightweight distros in this guide are fully capable of reviving older hardware and can even function as a replacement of your current operating system, if you're willing to adjust to their way of working and install extra apps as necessary. We’ve tested the Linux distros below extensively and looked at factors like the hardware requirements, documentation, simplicity of configuration and maintenance, custom apps that come with it, and support for multi booting. We also considered whether the distros made it easy … [Read more...] about Best lightweight Linux distros of 2023

Dynamic DNS is a useful service that allows you to use a fixed and memorable address for your home network even when your ISP changes your home network's IP address. You can often set up DDNS on your router. You can also run a DDNS client on one of your devices, like a computer, a NAS, or a Raspberry Pi. Your home internet connection has a numeric IP address that changes over time. Dynamic DNS (DDNS) lets you assign an easy-to-remember address so you, your friends, and your family can access your home network with a simple website-like name. Table of Contents What Is Dynamic DNS (DDNS)? Why Would I Want to Use Dynamic DNS? What Do I Need to Use Dynamic DNS? Selecting a Dynamic DNS Provider Selecting a Dynamic DNS Update Method How to Update Your Dynamic DNS Automatically Frequently Asked Questions About Dynamic DNS What Is Dynamic DNS (DDNS)? To understand Dynamic DNS, you must first be familiar with plain old DNS and its basic function. DNS, or … [Read more...] about What Is Dynamic DNS (DDNS), and How Do You Set It Up?