It often happens that you have the latest technology in front of you, but you cannot take advantage of its 100% potential or sometimes there are failures that you can solve without visiting a specialist.
Jared Newman of PC World He drew up a list of basic tools that he always has at his disposal and that are also within the reach of fans.
device repair kit
For less than $20 on Amazon, you can buy a small screwdriver with dozens of attachable bits, capable of driving virtually any screw you’ll find in consumer electronics. Many of these kits also come with plastic spikes and pry tools to pry the devices apart.
Jared says that when a button on his Nintendo Switch controller failed, this repair kit allowed me to open it. He also used pry tools to replace the battery on an old Chromebook, and I’ve inspected the insides of the CPUs of several laptops while reviewing them for PCWorld.
You may also consider a more expensive kit with small tweezers, pliers, and a wire stripper if you don’t already have them on hand.
canned air
If you own a computer of any kind, I guarantee you’ll benefit from an occasional blast of compressed air. Its internal fans inevitably absorb dust over time, affecting both performance and battery life as they have to work harder to maintain the system.
Purchase a tin (or three) and give the vents a blast. Better yet, open up your computer (perhaps with the old repair kit) for a more thorough air cleaning.
Adaptador USB-A a Ethernet
These can be had for less than $15 and are increasingly useful in a world where laptops rarely ship with their own Ethernet jacks.
Use your cable connection to troubleshoot Internet problems at home or to get the best possible Internet speeds. (Just make sure the adapter you buy supports at least the same maximum speed as your Internet connection.)
USB-A to SD card
SD card slots are also disappearing from many newer laptops. It is always useful to have a handy adapter for various Raspberry Pi projects and to upload content from the PC to a Steam Deck.
USB-A a USB-C
At some point, you will inevitably need to connect a USB accessory to a new device that does not have USB-A ports. Keep a couple of these adapters handy for just the occasion.
USB-C a HDMI
this is useful to connect newer laptops to external monitors or TVs in the blink of an eye, without any other clunky adapters.
Just a great USB-C hub
Although sometimes it’s nice to have individual adapters that do not take up much space, these days you can also buy a single hub for all the adapters I just mentioned. Think of it as the Swiss army knife of connectivity. If you want more options, check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best USB-C hubs and dongles.
usb extension cable
You’ve got an extension cord handy to plug in far-flung electronics, right? Why not do the same for your USB powered devices? I have some of these 10 foot usb extenders which I use to recharge my console game controllers from the couch and connect a spare USB port from my desktop computer to the keyboard tray under my desk.
3.5mm audio cable
An unsung hero of the world of gadgets, the 3.5mm audio cable It’s great to keep in your bag when you’re inside a rental car with nothing but an auxiliary input, or when your Bluetooth headphones run out of juice. It’s still the most foolproof way to route audio from one device to another (although the disappearance of smartphone headphone jacks means you’ll probably want to keep a USB-C or Lightning adapter handy, too).
portable power bank
It’s always handy to have an extra battery, and the charmast power bank that I bought in late 2017 is still a workhorse today. It’s big enough to charge an iPhone or iPad multiple times, and its variety of ports (USB-A, USB-C, micro-USB, Lightning) means I rarely have to search for the right cable.
I’m not saying you need this particular power bank—you might want a cheaper one, or a much larger power station—but having some way to unplug your devices from an outlet is a wonderful luxury.
and a paper clip
Last but not least, a slim clip can get you out of more tech jams than you think. Does the phone not charge? You may just need to remove a bit of lint. Need to change phones in a hurry? Use a paper clip to eject the SIM tray and move the card to another phone. Do you need to factory reset a router, game controller or remote control? You may need that clip to push the reset button. I always keep a few loose clips in my gadget drawer for those occasions.
