cleaning
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Coway intros SWV-08AM megasonic cleaning apparatus
Now that the Ultreo toothbrush has made you a believer in the cleaning power of ultrasonic waves, why not pick up a cleaner sure to do the same for objects not located in close proximity to your incisors. The oh-so-sleek SWV-08AM megasonic cleaning apparatus is reportedly designed to "remove dirt and agrochemicals" from fruits, dishes, etc. with little to no detergent. There's also an integrated P-Sediment filter to make sure the water coming out is ultra-pure, and those two large buttons determine whether the blasts are strong or soft. Honestly, we're not exactly sure what this piece of kit will run you, but to our ears, it's just screaming "pricey."
Clean your PS3 fan with quick-n-easy test
Dusty fans can greatly affect a console's performance. They also generate a vexatiously louder than usual noise emanating from your powerful machine. If you want to keep things nice and tidy and/or want your fans running smoother, you'll want to have a quick look at this clip.It's basically a video instruction about running a fan test on your PS3 which also blows out the dust and essentially cleaning it up. What's nice is there's very little effort involved, so you can actually do this every day. Just a warning though, it's only for 40GB models -- doing this on other models will cause the unit to explode nothing to happen.[Thanks Jakob!]
It's Springtime for King Wrynn and Azeroth...
The days are getting longer and the nights a tad warmer. Now is a good time to go through and clean your house in the typical spring cleaning exercise. It's a good time to do that in Azeroth, too.For me this entitles a few things with my mounds of inventory items. First, I organize my bank alts. They each are assigned certain categories of items. For instance my first bank alt gets all my gems, raw ore, processed ore, and leather. My second bank alt gets all my enchanting mats, my herbs, reputation items, food, and other tidbits. Now both these alts have been around for about 3 years. In fact, my first bank has a /played time of 10 days at level one. As a side note having a level one bank alt at ten days really makes me question my sanity...but oh well, on with the article.
Keeping your screen clean
Although I can be a bit of a slob, I'm pretty anal retentive when it comes to keeping my electronics clean. That goes triple for my MacBook. Although I was pretty scrupulous with my last laptop, the glossy screen and black casing that shows all have required me to become even more attentive. Even though I don't have people touching my screen all the time, I manage to accumulate build up of fingerprints, smudges and dust marks (most likely from the keyboard) that require giving the screen a full cleaning every week.The Apple Blog has posted some some great tips/techniques for keeping your screen looking like new, and while they are directed for glossy screen owners, the same basic techniques can be used for any screen, be it iPod/iPhone, matte LCD screen (like on a MacBook Pro or older Apple laptop), iMac, etc.The key is getting the right type of cleaning solution an the right type of cleaning cloth. The author of the tips article recommends using monitor wipes from some sort of Office supply store, but I've found that unless you get individually sealed one-time use wipes (which can get expensive), the wipes tend to dry out very, very quickly, effectively making them useless. I prefer to use cleaning product like iKlear or a home-made 50/50 solution of isopropyl alcohol and bottled water. 99% of all electronics cleaners out there are essentially diluted isopropyl alcohol (add blue dye and some fragrance and ammonia and you have Windex -- don't use Windex on your screen).As for the right kind of cloth, you want to use a lint-free microfiber lens cloth (it will be slightly textured as opposed to a smooth microfiber cloth that you use for polishing/cleaning an iPod or digital camera screen, you can use a smooth microfiber cloth, but I have had much better results with the more textured ultra-suede cloths for laptop screens). Now for the actual cleaning:
Ladybug-styled robot to clean restrooms, give travel tips
Japan's no stranger to a wide variety of service-oriented robots, and it looks like it could soon become home to yet another mechanical being that does our dirty work. The Lady Bird prototype, which is set to hit production sometime in 2009, would scour the floors of public restrooms and keep things looking clean throughout the day. Reportedly, the bot stands about 1-meter in height and is equipped with amenities such as a water tank, brushes and a few other grime-busting tools to boot. Furthermore, it boasts obstacle detection sensors to avoid patrons while on the clock, and it even includes voice recognition software along with access to current traffic information in case someone has the urge to spark up a conversation. There's no word on what this thing will do should someone try to stuff it in their trunk for at-home use, but if all goes well, the creature is expected to sell for around ¥3.5 million ($31,713) when it goes commercial.[Via PinkTentacle]
SK Telecom develops phone-controlled cleaning bot
SK Telecom, never wanting to be outdone by clever hackers in producing totally useless and bizarre devices that no one really needs, is in the final development stages on a Roomba-style robot that can be controlled by your mobile phone. The circular cleaning bot will be able to receive direction from a phone user on where to scrub, buff, and vacuum, while the controller views all of the exciting, floor-sweeping action on his or her cell phone via a built-in camera at the front of the bot. This should be the prefect product for those who feel the Roomba makes life too easy by cleaning a room on its own -- although it's possible that this technology could be adopted by legions of young men hoping to get a better look up women's skirts. Only time will tell.
How to clean up water-damaged electronics: the rice bowl
Sure, you could meticulously disassemble and clean your water-logged gear, but why go to all the trouble when the help you're looking for is right in your kitchen? Rice -- not only is it nutritious and delicious, its absorbent nature can be harnessed to dry out your toilet-soaked gear, as one (un)lucky BlackBerry-wielding Washington Post blogger discovered recently when he dropped his phone in the worst-possible place. But half an hour with a blow dryer and a night submerged in a bowl of uncooked rice managed to get his handheld back up and running -- unfortunately, we suspect no amount of rice will absorb the lingering thought of toilet water in your ear whenever you're on a call.[Via Digg]
Roomba revisions coming in September?
There's not much that gets us more excited than new cleaning bots -- yes, we're unabashed iRobot fanboys -- so we always want to be the first to know when a fresh product comes along (we did a little happy dance with our dog when the Roomba for Pets was announced earlier this month). Luckily, then, we caught wind of the linked thread on Roomba Review (your home for all things, um, Roomba), in which a purported insider delivers some details and pics of upcoming revisions to the Scheduler, Discovery, and Roomba Red models: the 560, 530, and 510 (whose supposed retail packaging is pictured above), respectively. New features are said to include a 'lighthouse (peripheral to indicate which room is cleaned)' and integrated display, with upgrades also coming in the form of a redesign (pictured after the break), easily-swappable parts (wheels, motors, etc.), greatly improved battery life (1,500 hours versus the current 350, allegedly), and automatically-activated virtual walls. Pricing will range from CAD$300 to CAD$450 ($279 to $418), according to the RR member, so now we have to squirrel away at least that amount of dough along with however much more it's gonna cost to pick up those completely new bots we've been promised for the holidays. [Via Electronista]
Windex 1 - HDTV 0
Here's a tip for all you HDTV owners out there. Do not, we repeat - DO NOT use any type of surface cleaner on your HDTV screen. There are numerous reasons not to such as it can remove a clear coat or scratch the screen but simply don't do it. The latest episode of DL.TV gives a great example on what could possible happen. It appears like someone (can we assume the wife without offending anyone?) sprayed an excessive amount of cleaner on the screen which then dripped down into the crack at the bottom of the screen. From there the liquid worked it's way up between the screen and protective clear plastic. We feel for the guy and hope he figures out a way to clean it but let this be a lesson to everyone...Do NOT use any cleaning product on your HDTV - gently wipe dust with a soft cloth and tell the kids to keep their grubby little hands off.
Hello Kitty USB-powered keyboard cleaner sweeps and creeps
We know, you're probably already a proud owner of the Hello Kitty Desktop Vacuum Cleaner, but just in case that sucking action has dwindled a bit after months of constant usage, here's yet another alternative to freeing your keyboard of all those germs. The Hello Kitty USB-powered keyboard cleaner gets all the juice it needs from one of your lonely USB ports, and features two separate cleaning heads to get all the nitty gritty out from between your QWERTY keys. Furthermore, the cleaning utensil resides nicely on the back (photo after the jump) of an included Hello Kitty figurine when it's not surveying the deep, dark crevice between the left and right bracket keys, but we highly doubt the bristles are machine washable. Per usual, we've no idea how much toy sellers plan on charging for this somewhat useful (but entirely de trop) keyboard sweeper, but we're confident that the hardcore fans out there will find a way as they always do.[Thanks, Jeffrey]
NASCAR themed Track Vac runs circles around dirt
If pimping out your Roomba to sing, dance, or flash doesn't really interest you, or you'd simply feel more comfortable still holding the reins of your trusty vacuum cleaner, Track Vac's NASCAR-inspired vacuum is just the thing. Officially licensed and laced with decals, this RF-controlled device burns out around your hardwoods and carpet to suck up dirt, dust, and small chunks of gravel, and even makes "authentic" start-up and power drain sounds to give you that familiar Sunday afternoon thrill. Sporting five vacuums patterns and a wireless remote to steer it around, the racer even includes its own "Pit Row" when a recharge is in order. Additionally, you can switch the tidying functions off and crank things up in Race mode, which is certainly a surefire way to convince your kids to clean up quickly if they want to frolic. The NASCAR Track Vac is available now for reliving Talladega Nights every time your floor gets a bit trashed for $279.95.[Via CNET]
$170,000 Japanese-style Roomba takes home the gold
It seems that automated floor-suckers are getting all the attention of late, as we've had users parading their Roombas around with all sorts of unorthodox methods, teaching them to bust a move, and now how to pose for the cameras. While already recognized in one Tokyo ceremony, the Fuji Heavy Industries and Sumitomo-created vacuum has officially taken the gold in the Robot of the Year competition hosted by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. Due to its purported ability to replace "two live human beings" and clean out an area of "3,000 square meters in four hours on a single charge," the jumbo-sized Roomba wannabe can help those towering skyscrapers stay clean in a bustling world. Additionally, it can maneuver up and down floors, in and out of elevators, and around crowded workspaces with ease, but we're not exactly sure how many decibels of noise this thing cranks out while taking care of business. Nevertheless, the co-founders are selling the device for a whopping ¥20 million ($168, 011), but still claim that it will more than pay for itself after a decade or so -- you know, since it doesn't beg for health insurance or anything.[Via Plastic Bamboo]
OCD Spotlight: Flossing your Mighty Mouse
Recently, TUAW discussed how to clean your apple keyboard. Today, we focus on delinting your Mighty Mouse. Without taking it apart. Brendan Fenn, photographer and clean aficionado, has discovered a new way to clean the Mighty Mouse scroll ball that goes beyond the conventional dust free cloth and rubbing alcohol methods. He's figured out that a very thin strip of scotch tape, carefully looped under the scroll ball provides effective mouse ball rehabilitation when more traditional techniques do not work. Complete instructions and pictures are available at his site.
How to clean your Apple Keyboard
OCD sufferers of the world unite! Do the little bits and bobs of dirt and fluffy things that grow in your keyboard annoy you? Are you tired of trying to q-tip between your keys without really getting the job done? Fortunately for you, you're not alone. Website the mini Blog offers a great how-to today that guides you through the steps of getting your Apple keyboard shiny and clean and fluff-free. Don't forget to take a picture of your keyboard before disassembling it. It will really help when you need to reattach all your keys.
Why Apple's Mighty Mouse is like the Apple III
If you're old enough to remember the fiasco that was the Apple III, you may know what I'm talking about. The Apple III was supposed to be Apple's business computer. It flopped, in part because Steve Jobs demanded no fans were to be used in cooling the beast. The result? The machine would overheat, loosen the solder used to hold chips in place, and the machines became legendary for their craptacular performance. The fix by Apple was to hold the machine a few inches off the table, and let it go, making gravity jam those chips back into place. Nice huh?Well Apple's done it again with the so-called "Mighty" mouse. Their 3 or 4-button wonder is great, as long as you don't get hooked on using the little scrollball. Never mind the fact that you can't move in X and Y directions at the same time (as you can using 2-finger trackpad scrolling)-- the trackball is a piece of junk. I mean, the build quality is nice (just like those Apple III's had heavy-duty aluminum chassis), but after about a month of frequent use, the thing gets jammed with gunk, making it largely unusable. And yes, I wash my hands regularly...Apple's fix? Here's the parallel to Apple III: the fix sucks. You can't remove the ball, so you really never can get inside the mouse to properly clean it out. Apple's own KB on cleaning the Mighty mouse says, "hold the mouse upside-down and roll the ball vigorously while cleaning it to help dislodge any particles that may have collected on the internal hardware." You know, I'm getting tired of doing this every week, just to use a mouse. Apple's innovation is legendary, but sadly, they have lately been innovating new annoyances. From 3rd-gen iPod batteries, to breaking iTunes 7 to locking up the Finder, Apple's having a run of small but glaring mistakes in their otherwise newly-untarnished reputation. Or maybe I expect too much in the age of commoditized computing?
How to Clean Your Mighty Mouse
Apple has released an updated technical support document on the proper way to clean your Mighty Mouse. As much as I like my Mighty Mouse, I do have to clean it way more often than I ever had to clean my other mice like the basic two-button/scrollwheel Logictech one that I've been using for years. The most annoying problem with the Mighty Mouse is that it seems to very rapidly pick up dirt, grease, and other undesirable crud from my mousing surface. I clean my desk at least once a week with alcohol wipes and elbow grease, so it's not overly dirty.I agree with Apple's document that the lint-free cloth is a good way to get fingerprints off your mouse. Sometimes I'll just use paper towels and some iKlear display cleaner which seems to do a pretty good job of cutting through the crud. I've also, on many occasions, had to "vigorously rub" the scrollwheel nub while holding the mouse upside down to dislodge something that's causing the scrolling to not work properly.Apple's even posted a video tutorial on how to clean your Mighty Mouse.
