iFixit 26-Bit Driver Kit
Driver bits that fit many consumer electronics screws
I often find I want to open electronic things because there’s something broken that’s really easy to fix. I was stumbling around for a long time. I had a collection of weird tiny screwdrivers that were easy to lose and the bits were low quality. Something would go wrong — either they wouldn’t fit or they would strip. This iFixit driver kit is just fantastic. It comes with a magnetized screw driver handle. The bits are very specific to opening up modern electronics: laptops, cellphones, and cameras routers. The bits are incredibly well tempered and they have all the weird star shapes that you need to get basically anything open.
Once, my son was out in the back yard. He had been doing some gardening. He had his cheap RadioShack camera and he was taking some pictures of the plants as they were growing, trying to do stop motion video. He tripped over something and went sprawling and the camera crashed to the ground and cracked open about a half centimeter. And I thought to myself “that will actually pop back together.”
One component was sticking out so I had to get it open but it turned out the camera had some sort of weird proprietary screw. The iFixit kit had the right bit for it. Open up the camera, shove the component back in. Snapped it shut, done! I only use it once a month but whenever I use it it’s the only thing that will fix whatever stupid little electronic thing has fallen apart.
04/24/15(This is from the Cool Tools Show podcast. See all of Clive's picks here. – Mark Frauenfelder — editors)
