June 22, 2008 by Jeremy Brock

Kolab, a Microsoft Exchange groupware alternative for Linux, now supports SyncML which allows contact, calendar, and notes synchronization between kolab and your PDA, phone, and even Outlook. SyncML support on Kolab2/Gentoo is experimental; you’ll be running a bleeding edge configuration. Test it before modifying your production box.

March 11, 2008 by Jeremy Brock

This is a quick guide on how to disassembling a LG XNOTE P2 Laptop. This laptop uses four different screw diameters so make sure to note which screws go where. The frame assembly is attached to the LCD allowing you to take both out together. Make sure to remove all the plastic inserts (SD, PCMCIA, and Modem) before removing the motherboard.

March 10, 2008 by Jeremy Brock

LCD monitors are now the standard over older CRT monitors. Aside from their thinner profile and lower cost they also use half to two thirds less energy than CRTs. When searching for an energy saving LCD look for the following.

March 09, 2008 by Jeremy Brock

With energy prices moving higher it is important to conserve energy both to help the environment and save money. By following these steps you can save electricity and have fast access to your computer. Most computers support suspend/hibernation however it is often not enabled or miss configured.

February 21, 2008 by Jeremy Brock

I'll occasionally see a Dell Inspiron 8600 come in because it won’t power on. One common cause is a loose power flex cable connector. Reattaching the connector and inserting a shim will usually fix the problem.

February 18, 2008 By Jeremy Brock

Recently I had an interesting Dell Inspiron M170 Gen2 XPS in the shop with the following problems.

• The laptop would say an incorrect AC Adapter was installed.
• The laptop would charge the battery but not boot from AC.
• The laptop would only boot from battery not AC.

Replacing the board was cost prohibitive so I repaired the motherboard.

January 27, 2008 By Jeremy Brock

Hakko is known for making quality soldering products that stand the test of time. The Hakko FX951 is designed to replace the FP10x Series and the first noticeable difference is the digital display and size.

January 17, 2008 By Jeremy Brock

Desktop LCD monitors fail for a variety of reasons, the most common being bad electrolytic capacitors. If you are willing to invest the time you can fix your LCD for a few dollars in parts. For this demonstration I’m using an IBM ThinkVision 6636-AB1 however the same techniques apply to most desktop LCD Monitors.

By Jeremy Brock

Your hard drive holds data such as documents, pictures and music. Replacing your hard drive before it completely fails can save you thousands of dollars in data recovery costs.