DIY

Fixing your iPhone 14 and 2022 MacBook models just got easier

By

Apple Self Service Program for customer repairs
Several recent Apple handsets and notebooks are about to be added to the Self Service Repair program.
Photo: Apple

The Apple Self Service Repair program will soon expand to include the iPhone 14 series as well as MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models released in 2022.

The program provides customers access to parts and tools they need to fix their own devices.

Apple do-it-yourself repair program adds Mac desktops

By

M1 iMac teardown
If you want to tear into your 2020 iMac, Apple will show you how.
Photo: iFixit

Apple’s Self Service Repair program now includes Mac desktops. That means those who want to fix their recent iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, etc. have access to repair manuals and genuine Apple parts and tools. Plus, info and tools for the most-recent Apple monitor are also available.

The program already included some MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models, as well as recent iPhones.

iPhone 14 is ‘the most repairable iPhone in years’

By

iPhone 14 is easier to repair than any of its predecessors in years.
Apple designed the iPhone 14 to make it easier to repair.
Photo: iFixit

Turns out the iPhone 14 isn’t a cookie-cutter copy of its predecessor like everyone thought, but the big changes are all on the inside. A teardown of Apple’s new “basic” handset finds that it’s easier to repair than earlier versions.

iFixit, which did the teardown, calls it “the most significant design change to the iPhone in a long time.”

Apple starts offering parts and tools needed to repair your own MacBook

By

Apple starts offering parts and tools needed to fix your own MacBook
Those who want to repair their own MacBook can get the parts and tools through Apple's Self Service Repair program.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s Self Service Repair program is about to expand to recent MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models. This will give those who want to fix their macOS notebook access to repair manuals and genuine Apple parts and tools.

The program began offering the info, parts and tools needed to fix recent iPhone models in spring 2022.

Clever DIY project hacks old iMac into a Studio Display

By

Clever DIY projects hacks old iMac into a Studio Display
Here's a 2014 iMac made into an external display almost a beautiful as a Studio Display.
Photo: Luke Miani

An intrepid Apple expert set out to convert an iMac on its last legs into a useful external monitor with the same general design and functionality as a new Studio Display. The inspiration comes from Apple’s recently released monitor using a 27-inch 5K LCD, as do all the iMacs made for many years.

Watch a video of this DYI project to see if this is something you’d like to do with that old iMac you have gathering dust.

Apple now offers parts and tools needed to fix your own iPhone

By

Apple Self Service Program for customer repairs
Apple's Self Service Program is a major change to the company's repair policy.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone Self Service Program that Apple announced last fall launched Wednesday. It provides customers with the parts and tools they need to repair their own handsets. And it marks a major shift in the company’s approach to hardware fixes.

The program is for individuals, not small businesses.

Biden says his ‘right to repair’ order changed Apple policies

By

President Joe Biden says his ‘right to repair’ order changed Apple policies.
A recent executive order takes a strong stance on users’ right to repair.
Photo: White House

President Joe Biden says an executive order he signed in mid-January forced companies to loosen restrictions on who can repair their devices.

“Companies like Apple and Microsoft are changing their policies so folks will be able to repair their devices themselves,” he said Monday.

Clever DIY project turns AirTag into slim wallet card

By

This DIY AirTag wallet card project isn’t for the faint of heart
Apple AirTag can help users locate keys, luggage and — with a lot of modifications— their wallet.
Screenshot: Andrew Ngai

An intrepid do-it-yourselfer disassembled Apple’s new AirTag and rebuilt it into something slim enough to fit into a wallet.

Watch his video with step-by-step instructions for following in his footsteps — if you dare.

Print a variety of useful AirTag holders with these free 3D models

By

Print a variety of useful AirTag holders with these free 3D models
Don’t buy when you can 3D print an AirTag holder. Like this bike mount.
Photo: Marshall Farthing

It’s not necessary to buy an accessory to attach an Apple AirTag to your keys, bike or dog’s collar if you own a 3D printer. There are tons of CAD files with options to connect the recently released item tracker to various objects. And all of them are free to use.

iFixit shows how to add a hole to AirTag

By

Drill an AirTag hole at your own risk.
If you’re willing to risk ruining an AirTag, you can drill a hole in it.
Photo: iFixit

There’s no direct way to attach Apple’s just-released AirTag to a set of keys because the item tracker doesn’t include a hole. But iFixit x-rayed the device and found three places a brave user could drill a hole.

Custom keypad puts Photoshop toolbar at your fingertips

By

DIY Photoshop keypad by 3dDecors
A screen doesn't have to separate you from your Photoshop toolbar.
Photo: 3dDecors

Once you learn the task behind each symbol, the toolbar in Adobe Photoshop becomes a natural extension of a photographer’s creativity. Stylistic flourishes are just clicks away.

Now, the toolbar can be physically at your fingertips.

A designer from Ukraine has transformed the iconic on-screen toolbar into an actual keypad he sells on Etsy.

iPhone-controlled LED face mask is the apocalyptic tech we deserve

By

face-mask
You can make your own LED face mask if you don't want to buy it.
Photo: Lumen Coutre

Face masks are the hottest trend of 2020 whether we like it or not. If you’re looking to level up your mask game while also supporting a good cause, Lumen Couture’s new LED Matrix Face Mask is exactly what you need.

Lumen Couture founder Chelsea Klukas —  who is also a product design manager at Oculus — revealed her iPhone-controlled LED mask this week. The device lets wearers draw their own designs and text that are displayed on the front of the mask using a flexible LED panel to unlock endless possibilities.

Want to build something? These 4 deals will get your creative juices flowing today [Deals]

By

Weekend project
Stop putting off ideas and start that weekend project.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Walt Disney said it best: “The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.” If you’ve ever thought, “I wish I knew how to do that,” then this is your wakeup call.

Whether you want to build your own app or a microcomputer, a website or an e-commerce hub, these four deeply discounted educational offerings will inspire you to stop thinking about building something great, and just jump in and get it done. Expand your horizons today! (These courses are all over 93% off right now.)

Teen creates DIY AirPods for just $4

By

DIY AirPods
We’ve never seen AirPods like these.
Photo: Sam Cashbook

Forking over $200 for new AirPods that you’re probably just going to lose anyway seems like a bad investment. A 15-year old boy found a brilliant and cheap work around though that turns Apple’s wired EarPods into AirPods for just $4.

After seeing one of his friends get gifted a set of AirPods, Sam Cashbook decided to make his own. Using a cheap bone conduction headset he found on eBay, Cashbook managed to hot glue together his DIY AirPods.

They’re ugly, but they work:

How to mod your AirPods to fit tight in your ears

By

WTF is going on here?
WTF is going on here?
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

I love my AirPods, but I hate that they don’t fit right in my ears. They’re not designed to seal the ear canal, and therefore block external noise, but they often sit so loose in my ears that a) I can’t hear them without setting the volume way too high, and b) they feel like they’re about to fall out.

Today we’ll see how to add grippy dots to your AirPods. These dots will make the AirPods fit snugly in your ears, but — crucially — they will still fit in their charging case.

Strange Parts host replaces iPhone battery the hard way

By

Strange Parts
Ever the enthusiastic DIYer, Scotty Allen replaces his iPhone 7 battery.
Screenshot: Strange Parts/YouTube

Scotty Allen’s iPhone 7 battery was dying and, as you’d expect, Allen didn’t do the easy thing.

Rather than pay Apple to replace the battery or just get a new iPhone, the host of the YouTube show Strange Parts went on a vendor-to-vendor hunt in the electronics district in Shenzhen, China in search of a replacement battery.

Makers rejoice: This massive Arduino library costs just $20 [Deals]

By

This bundle of 15 Arduino eBooks are a must-have for any Maker.
This bundle of 15 Arduino e-books is a must-have for any maker.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you’ve got the itch to make things, you probably already know about Arduino. It’s the platform for building all kinds of computer-connected gizmos.

Basically, if you can imagine it, you can make it with Arduino — and books from Make show you how.

Get the tools and knowledge to launch any Arduino project [Deals]

By

Get all the resources you need to start building all kinds of Arduino projects.
Get all the resources you need to start building all kinds of Arduino projects.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

With Arduino, it’s possible to build almost anything you can imagine. Whether it’s wearables, apps, or robots, the freedom Arduino offers can be liberating or intimidating, depending on your skill level. So this bundle of parts and lessons is a great resource for anyone looking to break into Arduino.

For $16, turn your Raspberry Pi into a game console, smart home controller and more [Deals]

By

Raspberry Pi
Finally start creating your own DIY Raspberry Pi projects this weekend.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When Raspberry Pi rolled out in 2012, people immediately hailed the low-cost, credit card-size microcomputer as a fun new toy for kids and tech tinkerers. Since then, forward-thinking Pi users adapted this “toy” into a surprisingly powerful piece of tech. Users create everything from home media networks to robotics to fully automatic timesavers.

Creative hack gives you stunning iPhone macro shots

By

Paul Adshead
Making a macro lens is easy. Shooting with it is another story.
Photo: Paul Adshead/Fstoppers

Commercial photographer Paul Adshead could have spent a few bucks for a macro lens attachment for his iPhone. Instead, a MacGyver-type of a hack gave him a lens and ethereal macro photos that seem achievable with only a high-powered microscope.

Feeling adventurous and uninspired by his smartphone photos, Adshead harvested an internal lens from a 1990s-era CD drive and, with a little tack-it putty, affixed it to his iPhone.

Start building DIY Arduino projects with this kit bundle [Deals]

By

This bundle includes all the instruction and materials you need to get started with Arduino.
This bundle includes all the instruction and materials you need to get started with Arduino.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Arduino offers tools to build basically anything imaginable, from robots, to computers, games, weather stations, you name it. The possibilities are so vast, it can be hard to know where to start. So this bundle of Arduino lessons and materials offers a great resource.

Get everything you need for your dream Raspberry Pi project [Deals]

By

This bundle includes a brand new Raspberry Pi, a suite of sensors, and hours of instruction.
This bundle includes a brand new Raspberry Pi, a suite of sensors, and hours of instruction.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Raspberry Pi is the platform for almost any DIY computing project you can imagine. From home entertainment systems, to robotics, to building your own smart home, it’s a compact processor with vast possibilities. So where do you even begin?