It should come as no surprise to anyone who has read my other articles that I love it when technology gets hacked, modded, or otherwise torn apart. And I love to hack, mod and otherwise tear apart, too.
Anyway, on a recent trip to Manila, my wife, a friend and I wandered to a local mall that houses an entire floor filled with electronics. It is here that our adventure begins. Our mission: To find a new battery for my friend’s iPhone 3G. As we worked our way through the crowds of people, we soon found a section of the mall dedicated to device hacking and modification.
One new iPhone battery later we were ready to leave happy — but not before I took some pictures of what I call the Tech Asia Underground.
Booths like these line the perimeter of an entire floor of the mall.
Want your Apple iPhone jailbroken but are too nervous to do it yourself? These guys are happy to help!
This guy was fixing a broken iPad 2 — though I’m not sure what was wrong with it. The ease with which he removed and replaced the parts tell me that he’s been doing this for a while.
This broken PSP would have probably been sold for parts on Craigslist or eBay if it’s owner were in the United States. Instead, it is getting a new life through this techno-MacGyver.
Who doesn’t love a good shot of a soldering iron?
My favorite shot of the day. There’s something beautiful about all this broken stuff.
Photo Credits: Melissa Finkenbiner
I love the shot of the guy fixing the iPad 2 — those are awesome shots!
Wait a minute. Ipads can break? ;)
This is cool, Eric! Totally geekified.
-RAP, II
I see my backup career right in front of me!