When it comes to tech and devices, there are essentially two approaches you can take: use as intended or see what it can really do. While the former option won’t require you to do anything more than plugging in your devices and getting to work, the latter is a lot more fun. Plus, you can discover ways to make your tech more effective than you ever dreamed it could be.
To help you get the most from your technology, here are three fantastic DIY projects you can do to improve your tech’s performance.
1. Build Your Own Gaming Rig
There’s plenty of off-the-shelf gaming laptops you can buy, but they’re usually way overpriced. They’ll also most likely be outdated within a year or two. To turn your gaming machine into an investment that will last you for years, you need to build your own.
What You’ll Need
Building your own gaming rig is simpler than you might think. You just need to set a budget and purchase the following items individually:
- A Central Processing Unit (CPU)
- A graphics card
- RAM
- A monitor, keyboard, and mouse
- A CD Drive (you could also get a CD/DVD/Blu-ray combo if you like)
- A tower
- An operating system (OS)
- A motherboard
How much you spend will determine how well your rig runs and how long it will be before you need to swap out components. Spending anywhere from $2,000 to $2,500 will give you a top-of-the-line machine that will run smoothly for the next five years, at least. We call this future-proofing.
2. Jailbreak Your Streaming Devices
Jailbreaking is the process of removing the region restrictions on your media devices. When they come out of the box, most movies, CDs, video games, and other media are region locked. This means you can only play or stream them in the region they originated in. While you could buy a region-specific player, it would cost a ton of money to have one imported.
How Does Jailbreaking Work?
Jailbreaking bypasses the regional settings on your media devices. It allows you to enjoy TV shows, movies, games, and music from all over the world for free! While this is legal in most regions, others, like China, strictly prohibit the practice. Double check your region’s laws before you jailbreak.
One of the easiest devices you can jailbreak is the Amazon Fire Stick TV. It already has a ton of great content as soon as it comes out of the box; jailbreaking it will make the experience even better! There are plenty of resources online that can show you how to jailbreak a device easily and enjoy great international entertainment today!
3. Generate a QR Code Password for Your Wi-Fi Network
If you and your friends like to use each other’s Wi-Fi networks, it can be a pain swapping long, hard-to-remember passwords. It also increases the likelihood of your account being hacked by people who are definitely not your friends. The easiest solution is to generate a QR Code password for your Wi-Fi.
What is a QR Code?
A QR Code is a collection of white and black squares in various sizes and patterns. Because it’s randomized and there’s little coding involved, they’re impossible to hack. The only way to unlock them is with a pre-loaded app that’s programmed to recognize the code.
What You Need
To set up a QR Code password, you’ll need the following:
- Your SSID
- Your normal Wi-Fi password
- Your encryption type
- A QR Code generator
Once you’ve input your information into the code generator, it will create a unique QR Code that will allow people to log into your Wi-Fi network. Since you have to be physically present to scan the code, you’ll never have to worry about a hacker swiping your code over the net.