A big part of what we do at PC Pro is to offer advice; we review all the new gadgets on the market so you can make informed decisions, and we offer help to get the most from them once you’ve bought them. It’s a service, one which 83,204 print readers and 800,000 online readers find helpful.

So why don’t my friends listen to me?

I received an email today, with the picture above attached, from a friend who had broken her laptop charger. Would it be safe, she asked, to open it up and try to fix it herself? “Not at all”, I replied, it’s dangerous, and might even start a fire.

Two hours later, I received another email, along with the photo below. I just hope that her sellotape engineering skills are more advanced than her photography skills…

Photos courtesy of Simone Ciolek, amateur PC engineer, and even more amateur photographer.

For the past week I’ve been trying out this tiny wind turbine called the HYmini. The fan charges up an internal battery which can power any gadget that connects to its USB port.

I’ve mounted this one on the handlebars of my bike, and my 12-mile commute so far seems to be enough to power my mobile phone. The only downside is that I have to explain what it is to inquisitive cyclists at every red traffic light.

As well as this, the PC Pro offices are currently stuffed full of solar panels, wind-up chargers and various battery packs. It’s all research for a feature coming up in the next issue, which asks if it’s possible to power all of your gadgets with sustainable energy. Check out issue 165 for the answer.

Top Tip: If you ever have to design a “green” gadget, why not make it an attractive colour? Green green products are a cliché.