My neighbor's kid asked me to fix a 'broken' tablet that was just out of juice

He brought it over last Tuesday, looking real sad, saying it wouldn't turn on no matter what. I grabbed my multimeter and was about to start checking the battery connector when I noticed the power adapter was still in the box, never plugged in. I plugged it in for 30 seconds, hit the power button, and it lit right up. The kid just stared and said, 'Oh, I thought it was wireless forever.' Has anyone else had a simple fix that made you feel a bit silly for overthinking it?

2 comments

2 Comments

sean5021mo ago

Happens all the time with tech now. We're so used to everything being wireless and charging on pads that the basic idea of plugging something into the wall feels outdated. I've watched grown adults panic over a dead phone for ten minutes before they remember the charger exists. That kid's logic makes perfect sense in a weird way.

blakefox1mo ago

My buddy spent an hour trying to figure out why his new smart speaker was just blinking a red light and wouldn't connect. He was deep in the app settings, ready to return it, when his wife walked in and asked if he'd ever plugged it into the wall outlet. He hadn't. It needed actual power, not just Wi-Fi. The box was right there with the cord still wrapped up. He said he felt like a genius and an idiot at the same time.