Tech Blog

Keyboards are filthy places to put your fingers.  Especially keyboards that are shared by a lot of people.  When it comes to the flu, the Centers For Disease Control has stated, "the virus can live on hard objects up to 8 hours. Flu viruses may be spread when a person touches a hard surface (such as a desk or doorknob) or an object (such as a keyboard or pen) where the virus has landed and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Routine cleaning of surfaces will help stop the virus from spreading in this way."  That's why you should wipe down your keyboard with a disinfectant, from time to time, to keep bacteria minimized.  Experts suggest your personal keyboard could stand to be wiped down weekly, while a shared keyboard should get a daily dose of disinfectant.  First, I'll warn you that all experts recommend that you first shut down your computer, then unplug the keyboard, before you launch your mission.  I think they're just covering their butts and, if you use only dampened cloths, all your cleaning solution will stay on the keys.  I'll give my own disclaimer...use any of these methods at your own risk!  If your keyboard needs more than disinfecting, if there's a lot of particulate between the keys because you're always eating your morning croissant over your keyboard, you may want to clean between the keys.  Small vacuums are made for keyboards and can remove debris, but you may want to just use a can of compressed air to blow away the grunge instead of sucking it up.  A new product has been developed just for cleaning the debris out of your keyboard and disinfecting it at the same time.  We found Cyber Clean at Radio Shack for 5 bucks.  It's like a cross between Silly Putty and Slime.  It smooshes between the keys and encapsulates the gunk it pulls out.  It also contains a disinfectant.  Cyber Clean was invented for electronics, like TV remote controls, phones, and similar devices with little buttons.  Just push it on and pull it off.  I don't know how effective it is but it's kind of fun to use!  The $5 package can be used more than once and the substance changes color when it's at the end of its usefulness. For really dirty jobs you can pull all the keys off your keyboard, starting with the biggest ones, and wash them in water with dish detergent.  You may want to take a photo of the keyboard first to make it easier to replace all the keys.  When the keys are off you have great access to the base of the keyboard for more efficient cleaning.  Now, lets try to get rid of some of the nasty bacteria or viruses lurking across your QWERTY keyboard!  For years, I've sprayed my shared keyboard with Lysol spray.  Just a light spray on the board and mouse, and it's never damaged anything over all that time.  But, a direct spray is NOT RECOMMENDED!  If you want to clean the keyboard with a spray like Lysol you should first spray a cloth with the Lysol and then wipe down the keyboard.  Tests have been done on pre-moistened disinfectant wipes and the results were very good.  They're probably the easiest way to quickly wipe down your keyboard and, if not sopping wet, can also be used on your laptop keyboard.  The rule here is to NEVER use wipes that contain bleach!  Wipes I've used are made by Clorox but specifically state that they contain NO BLEACH.  It's right on the front of the container.  Apple likes using Lysol or Clorox wipes.  The other effective way to clean some keyboards is by using 70% isopropyl alcohol, the bottle you're so familiar with at the drug store.  In fact, it's how Microsoft recommends you clean their keyboard and mouse devices.  Finally, people ask me quite frequently if you can put your keyboard in the dishwasher to clean it.  The answer is, probably,  but you have to air dry it several days before using it.  It's a practice that's not necessary for the average keyboard but, if you really want to do it you can find directions here...(and you're on your own!)  After you use one of the above methods to disinfect, remember to plug your clean keyboard into your computer before turning it back on.  Finally, if you mess up doing anything with your keyboard the good news is that a basic one is pretty inexpensive to replace.  Stay clean, and use your computer in good health.  If you're really paranoid about bacteria, you may want to buy the world's first self-sanitizing keyboard.  The Vioguard sells for $899 and, in some environments, makes all the sense in the world.

For all you white-knuckle fliers.  For those who won't even get on an airplane.  Virgin Atlantic has a course to cure you of your phlight phobia.  They boast a 98% success rate, but it takes a whole day and about $325.  But now, there's an app for that.  They've put their course into an iPhone app that can fly right with you, instructing you, relaxing you, reassuring you, and all for just $4.99.  It even has a button you can hit in case you get an in-flight panic attack.  I played with it a bit today and I liked it.  Knowledge of what's happening in the plane gives you comfort and the relaxation doctor is so good, you might want to use this app on the Kennedy expressway!  It's sooooo relaxing, however, that I hope no pilots are using it!  Here's a link to the actual course.  Here's more info on the app.  I like Sir Richard Branson.  He's an aviator who's working hard to put you and me into space!  He loves aviation and I'm sure he wants to see everyone love aviation.  Whoopi Goldberg is a graduate of the course, "I was a sceptic. I hadn't flown in 13 years but after doing their program, I understood that while my fear was real, there were many things I didn't know or had misinformation about, which they were able to clear up. So what happened? The program works. I now fly. It's that simple."

Windows 7 have a lot of neat features, but before to shove it into your computer you have to make sure you have what it takes.  Many Windows XP users may not  want to try at all - and Vista users have to decide between 32 and 64 bit versions.  Then there's the question of whether to just upgrade...or do a clean install.  When Windows 7 launched we did an interview with our favorite computer tech guy, Mike DiMichele.  His site, www.savemybutt.com is a great resource for computer fixes and his blog has Windows 7 advice.  The Tribune ran an article with some good information about making the switch.  You'll find it here.  But be sure to run the free Microsoft tool that'll analyze your computer and tell you if you have the right stuff!

Every time we change the clocks we remind you to change the batteries in your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector.  But that may not be good enough.  Did you know that smoke detectors have a life span of about 10 years, and then lose their effectiveness?  For carbon monoxide detectors it's about half that.  Experts say if your smoke alarm is 8 to 10 years old (or older) you should replace it, and 5 to 7 years for carbon monoxide detectors.  You manufacturer can tell you the recommended time to replace various units.  The unit we showed this morning is a combination smoke/carbon monoxide detector, like the one shown here, from First Alert.

First, let me get one thing straight.  I've used the iPhone since day one. It was the third one that went out the door at the Michigan Avenue Apple Store.  I loved the first iPhone and I love my current 3G S.  I've played with a lot of phones that have been touted as iPhone killers.  Sorry, guys, these past phones didn't even come close.  But today, just before its unveiling, I got my hands on the new Droid from Motorola and showed it to you first in Chicago on CBS2.  I really think this is the closest anyone has come to having a phone that's even close to the iPhone's elegance.  Now, I've only had it for a short time but here are my initial impressions.  On the plus side it's solid, with none of the cheap feel of so many "sliders" I've tried.  It's speedy, with a super fast processor and with multiple processors to handle different functions.  It's gorgeous, with a display that has to be the highest resolution out there.  It's a nice phone to browse with, having a display that shows an entire web site from left to right, zooming easily when needed, scrolling quickly and smoothly.  You can even have a number of things running at the same time.  It's Android 2.0, the first phone to have it, it takes voice commands, it's friendly, and a lot of apps are available for it.  Finally, for those who hate the virtual keyboard idea, it has a slide out QWERTY keyboard.  The thinnest QWERTY phone.  If you like a virtual keyboard on the screen, it offers that as well in portrait and landscape modes.  The battery can be removed (what a novel idea) and it is touted as having a longer battery life than the iPhone.  That little battery door on the back also allows access to the tiny SD card.  It comes with 16gig and cards can currently take you to 32gig.  It also has a 5mp camera. What I don't like thus far is the weight, which is more than an ounce heavier than the iPhone, and the smudgy screen which picks up my fingerprints like the original iPhone did.  Is this an iPhone killer?  It's the closest anyone has come and I'm glad the local guys at Motorola are the ones who did it.  Those of you who would not, could not, and have not made the move away from Verizon just for an iPhone finally have a quality choice.  The Droid will be available November 6, for $199, with the standard 2 years from Verizon.  Learn more at their web site.

Who knew there were so many robots when it comes to the flu?  There's the Swine Flu symptoms robot that gets worse and worse if you don't treat it.  There's the coughing robot that simulates the spewing of the flu virus.  It shows you just how far the flu flew with every cough! (I was told today that the range is about 7 feet.)  Finally, the flu virus robot (NOT actual size).  If you REALLY want to become smart about the H1N1 flu, read this article and watch a few of the short videos located here.  This all came out of a great visit this morning with some doctors at Elmhurst Memorial Center For Health.  I got a lot out of it and I hope you do, too.

New iMacs and a new mouse from Apple.  That news should hold me over until the Apple tablet computer finally comes out!  I'm still salivating over Apple's announcements yesterday, especially this new Magic Mouse that picks up on your hand gestures, like you use on the screen of an iPhone or iPod Touch.  Let's go overseas for an overview of the new iMac family.  Back in the USA, the New York Times had an interesting take on Apple's financial news of yesterday...which was also out of this world.  If any of this bores you, please read the post below and see if Windows 7 excites you.

Windows 7 goes on sale tomorrow.  This morning our guest was computer expert Mike DiMichele.  He's been using Windows 7 in Beta for quite some time.  Mike's web site is www.savemybutt.com and he has a ton of information there to help you make up your mind when it comes to Windows 7, and has written many pages on it at his blog.  Mike's an expert computer technician, who can even remotely tap into your computer (with your help) to solve your problems and sweep away those viral disasters.  He can be heard every Wednesday night on WGN Radio's Steve and Johnnie Show.