Like they say, all's well that ends well -- and that's certainly true in the case of a gamer named Nathaniel. If you'll recall, the Xbox 360 owner had sent his very personalized console into Microsoft for repairs, making very clear that the signed and drawn-on system had great sentimental value to him... which the technicians in Redmond promptly ignored. After the console returned to him wiped clean of the aforementioned "value," it seemed like all hope was lost. Luckily, the kind souls at Bungie have taken it upon themselves to try and right the wrongs perpetrated in this case, and have mailed Nathaniel a super-ultra-mega awesome package, featuring a Legendary Edition helmet signed by most of the Bungie studio staff, the soundtrack disc signed by Martin O'Donnel, a jacket, t-shirt, limited edition wireless controllers, and much, much, much more. Hit the read link to get the full story, and check out Nathaniel's thanks to the gaming community and Bungie.

[Thanks, Saad]

During the recent Greener Gadgets Conference in New York, former OLPC CTO (and XO challenger) Mary Lou Jepsen discussed the real-world difficulties with using the kid-friendly laptops, including the creation of an XO "hospital" used to repair broken computers. Apparently, in the crowded conditions of schools in places like Nigeria, the little green laptops have a tendency to be jostled around and even knocked on the floor from time to time. As there's typically no repair shops nearby, the kids have learned to fix the systems themselves, setting up a "laptop hospital" where they can repair what's broken using simple tools and cheap replacement parts. Mary Lou says the company designed the systems to be easily fixable, including extra screws embedded in the computers themselves, and allowing for quick changes of the LCD backlight and other components. The in-house repairs cut down on shipping, promote reuse, and increase kids' understanding of ownership and responsibility, thus furthering the OLPC mission, and making everyone generally want to hug.

[Image courtesy NotebookReview / Kevin O'Brien]

Although it was but a week ago that we first caught wind of potential Rock Band hardware issues, it seems the problems are more than just a figment of our imagination. We know, living that rock 'n roll lifestyle can certainly cloud your judgment, but if you're certain your axe is experiencing some issues -- particularly with the strum bar -- EA's here to help. The company has affirmed that certain guitars in initial shipments may have left the warehouse with "an imperfection [in] the strum bar," and if you're one of the afflicted, EA is offering a brand new replacement gratis. So go on, hit the link below to get the process started, and while you're waiting to get a shiny new Strat, why not brush up on those drum rolls?

[Via Joystiq]
Read - EA confirms guitar issues
Read - Replacement website

Astronaut Scott Parazynski pulled the short straw (probably on purpose: you know what these astronaut types are like) and had the task of repairing the ripped solar array on the International Space Station. Mission complete, as Parazynski managed to move the guide wires that caused the damage out of the way and "stitched" together the two and half feet rip, the whole time managing to avoid touching the panels and their 100 volt charge. It's the furthest any astronaut on the ISS had been outside the cabin, and as such it took an hour to get there on a 90 foot robot arm. What would we do without duct tape?

[Via Crave]

Microsoft has announced plans to provide a free retrofit for its Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel which fixes a malfunction in the chassis that may cause the device to "smoke" when the AC/DC power supply is being used. According to Redmond, there haven't been any reports of fire, personal injury, or property damage -- though clearly the game-maker wants to address this problem before it's got a pile of lawsuits on its hands. Apparently, the wheel works just fine with battery power (which Microsoft suggests you use until the repair is made), though plugging it in could be a little dangerous. Unfortunate owners of the faulty product should get themselves over to the company's Xbox support page to get the ball rolling on their wheel surgery.

[Thanks, Arneh]

Amidst all of this not-exactly-forthright price cutting going on with the Xbox 360, it looks like Microsoft has finally launched a more organized method of detailing and tracking the process of sending your faulty US-based Xbox 360 back in for repair. Reportedly, the new web portal allows American console owners to register their machine, attach a Windows Live ID, schedule a repair, and track the status of said mending. Additionally, users who register will supposedly receive a five dollar credit towards out-of-warranty repair service should they need it, but considering that the warranty was just extended to three full years, you should be covered for a good while yet.

[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

Sony announced plans today to offer repairs on the casings of 416,000 Cyber-shot DSC-T5 digital cameras the company has sold, as the bottom plating can warp and create a sharp edge which can cut or scratch user's hands. The repairs will affect 66,000 of the cameras sold in Japan, and another 350,000 which have been sold in the US, Europe, and China. A Sony spokesperson says about 30 customers in Japan and several others overseas reported "finding" the defect, which probably means a trip to the ER after trying to take a family photo. The company suggests checking model and serial numbers to see if your camera is affected -- we suggest leather gloves.

[Via Mac Rumors]

We have no idea how widespread the problem is, but there is certainly a group of people trying to raise some hell in their own corner of the internets over some supposed vertical-line issues that later-gen PowerBooks are claimed to experience between 12-24 months into their lives. We understand that not everyone buys a laptop a year like your average (broke-ass) Engadget editor, so if these issues are in fact that common, we hope Apple does see it fit to extend that Display Repair Extension Program to users experiencing this new kind of screen issue.

P.S. -You having the issue yourself? Shout it out in comments.

Looks like Steve needs to spend a little less time working on his blog and a little more time hammering out the kinks in his portables. You may recall the endless logic board problems with the original G3 iBook, which was eventually the subject of an official Apple "repair extension program." Apple claimed to have worked all those problems out in the G4 rev, but there were still reports around the 'net that many of the machines tended to fail in the same way as the G3s after a year or so: sporadically powering off and then rebooting to black screens and whirring fans. For its part, Apple generally insisted that there were no defects in the G4 design and didn't implement a similar repair program. That might have been the wrong course of action, however, as the Consumer Complaints Board in Denmark just released the results of a study they say shows certain components on the iBook G4 logic board loosen slightly with each power cycle, leading to overall system failure. The Board also concluded that Apple is liable to Danish G4 owners for repairs, and indeed, El Reg reports that Apple International is now settling a number of outstanding cases. No word yet on how this will play out outside of Denmark, but we'd think the opinion of the world's most most technologically-advanced nation might hold some sway at 1 Infinite Loop.

While we've seen a few snazzy band-aids in our day, not to mention talking first aid kits, a nanofiber bandage that can heal typical skin wounds faster is about to go mainstream. University of Akron professors Daniel Smith and Darrell Reneker are growing ever closer to bringing their invention to life, as a trial just wrapped up in Columbia that they hope will "win them FDA approval for clinical trials in the United States." The duo used electricity to spin ultrafine polymer fibers while infusing them with chemicals that open a wound to oxygen; then, the treated fibers "reduce inflammation, kill bacteria and repair slow-healing wounds faster than conventional methods," according to Smith. Moreover, the creators have already found a Minnesota-based firm willing to mass produce the nanobandages should they receive the green light, but the professors are hoping to build the new manufacturing plant in Ohio if at all possible, and have products on retail shelves "by 2008" at the latest. Given the presumed popularity of the quick-healing bandages, the team is continuing to work on other "nanofiber products" in their spare time, hoping that the mending aid is just the beginning of a long line of sweet nano-based products to come.

[Via MedGadget]

For Leica enthusiasts and digicam freaks alike, we're sure the day that uber-expensive M8 landed on your doorstep was one of pure elation -- or maybe not so much, depending on your luck. Turns out the nearly $6,000 piece of kit wasn't as refined and ready to shoot as the lofty pricetag may lead you to believe, but Lieca is apparently aiming to please those deep pocketed customers by offering up some quick fixes and a few bonus filters to boot. Folks suffering from "banding issues, mirror / ghosting effects, and IR sensitivity quirks" can register on the company's website by December 6th in order to have Leica contact you to set up a return. Unfortunately, this means your finicky M8 will be out of your palms for a few days (or weeks), but at least it'll come back with a "firmware upgrade" to eliminate the banding / ghosting problems, as well as "a basic kit of two UV / IR filters with diameters of your choice" to counteract the "faulty color rendering." While we aren't sure how long the gurus in Solms will hold your precious M8 captive, we do know the additional filters won't ship until February of next year, and if you're worried about picking up a buggy M8 as of now, Leica has assured us that all units shipping after November 27th will sport the internal upgrades right out of the box.

[Thanks, Derek M.]

Here's one that doesn't happen very often ever. As bad as we rumor mongers pry and pry to get inside of ole Steve's brain, sneaking a peek behind closed Cupertino doors is all but impossible (even for Mr. Dell). Nevertheless, a clever Mac user got numerous undercover photographs of the inside workings at an Apple authorized repair center (Flextronics International) in Tennessee. Rather than pulling out any MacGyver-based stunts, he simply wrote a script -- dubbed Walking Study -- that instructed his MacBook to snap a photo (and upload it to his Flickr account) with the built-in iSight each time it awoke from sleep. When his dear 'Book got sent out for repair, however, the fully-functional webcam continued to perform perfectly within the secretive confines, giving everyone a glimpse of an incredibly average looking warehouse. Although the stealthy camera didn't snap any shots of (potentially) forthcoming iPhone or widescreen iPod prototypes, we've got to give credit where it's due -- Toby Mckeys got closer to the Apple's core than we've seen in quite some time.

[Via TUAW]