Hardware: The Intel Label Replacement

After updating my Minecraft server from an i3 processor to an i7 processor, I was thinking about also updating the sticker, to better reflect the actual processor that now was installed. 

I had learned about the Intel Processor Label Replacement program that Intel has. Basically you provide proof of ownership and then they send you a sticker in the mail. This is my experience with the request.

This is the link to the page where you make the request, it requires that you create an account. This is also where I registered, and from there I also got instructions on how to document my processor. It required me to download a software that displays certain data about the installed processor and then screenshotting the result.

Because both my processor and computer was purchased on the second hand market online, there was no formal proof of purchase. So a screenshot of the results from the analysis was good enough.

After I had sent it in it took around 6-8 weeks for the sticker to arrive, the package contained a simple letter with information thanking me for my request, and a small bag with the sticker. 

No instructions included, in my case it was easy to peel of the old sticker and apply the new one.

Enjoy!

Review: Nothing Phone 1

After about two years of use it is time to let go of my Xiaomi Redmi 10C in favor of something in a similar price class. For 3000 SEK I could get the Nothing Phone 1, which has 8GB of ram and 128GB of storage. For complete specs just check this link I have provided.

I got the phone from a Swedish retailer, it arrived just a few days later. The first experience was of course the unboxing. It comes in a flat black box, it is delivered with a screen protector, sim card opener, and a USB-C to USB-C cable. In other words, there is no case and there is no charger unit.

Booting it up it felt like a fresh experience and the gestures were familiar to that of a Motorola for example, and it was actually more nice than the Xiaomi. It also felt relatively comparable in snappiness, but in some cases it was faster.

One of the first things I did was connecting it to my wi-fi. After that I made sure to download all the upgrades, there are three ways of getting the system updates, but the easiest I found was to scroll to the bottom, press about phone, then click my way into the OS number. After many gigabytes of updates, I went from 1.x to 2.5.5.

After that it was time to move the sim card, install vital apps. Later on I also took one app at a time, made sure it was running on the new phone before deleting it on the old. Making sure all passwords are transferred properly is also of importance.

Last but not least, erase and delete the old phone from any tracking services.

I've had the Nothing Phone 1 for roughly a week now and I can only say that I like it, I am missing the phone case though and I need to get USB-C headphones as I don't want to carry my over ears bluetooth ones all the time.

For 3000 SEK this was a good buy. You can design the glyph lights on the back side with a studio app (using combinations of presets) and the light is only white. Battery life is quite alright and the screen is responsive. The fingerprint sensor, which is located on the front as opposed to the Xiaomi, is successful most of the time and the face recognition was not as good as other phones. The speaker is average at best. Camera and video is good and the built in sound recorder has three modes for ambience, mixed and voice-focus.

You can not expand the storage with an external card, you can however boost the RAM. So in numbers it went from 8GB to 16GB but I have yet to see if it really makes any difference. Google Assistant and Home Automation apps like Deltaco seems responsive.

Overall, it is a good phone.

Hardware: Repairing Logitech K400r

Today I visited a flea market, in the search of tech deals. My haul for the day consisted of a wireless Logitech K400r keyboard, which uses the unifying software. 

Later at home I looked the hardware over and it was in poor condition. It was filthy, one key was broken and the USB-dongle suffered from a software problem.

Here is how I fixed the keyboard up.

1. First step is actually not to clean it, it is to test it. I got two batteries for it, plugged the dongle in and turned the keyboard on. No connection. So I downloaded the unifying software to see if it could connect. Partial luck, the computer would recognize the USB-dongle but the dongle itself had bugged out completely. It said "Unifying software [DFU]" and it grayed out the option to connect.

2. So first step was to fix the dongle, I downloaded the Firmware Update Tool which allowed me to somehow reset the software in the dongle.

3. Secondly the keyboard had an escape button that would not let me push it, turned out there was 3 mm of blue cable that had jammed the key, easily fixed with a pair of plyers. Pulled out the blockage and then the button worked fine.

4. After these first aid steps, it was time to open up the keyboard, partially successful. There are 5 visible screws and 2 more hidden under the top feet of the keyboard. Removing these 7 screws allowed me to pry open the frame carefully with a screw driver, turning it in the gap allowed me to pry it open more. Unfortunately I didn't manage to take the keyboard completely apart, but this was also overkill as full functionality was restored.

5. Lastly I gave it a good cleaning with isopropanol alcohol, a paperclip and a toothbrush. Once dried, I used the vacuum cleaner. A lot of the grime was gone.

Lessons learned: Use better tools for prying the keyboard open, the screwdriver left some dents. It was also the first time I noticed a unifying receiver being bricked. Fortunately there was an easy fix.