May 08, 2015

How to remove the rubberized coating on your mouse

I have a Microsoft Wireless 2000 keyboard/mouse combo, and while I like it a lot, I find that the rubberized coating on the mouse tends to wear away and/or get sticky feeling within a few months of heavy use.
I initially tried using Armor-All on it, and that helped a bit but not for long. So after reading about the issue elsewhere, I decided to remove the coating and just get down to the plain smooth plastic.
I used a Magic Eraser, lightly dampened at the corner with some 91% isopropyl alcohol I keep around for electronics cleaning. I had initially tried just a paper towel, but it was slow going; the Magic Eraser really moved things along.
Note: rubbing alcohol, especially in the stronger percentages, can harm wood finishes and other surfaces. I did all of my work on a dark hand towel folded so there were 4 layers of it between my work and the table.
Melamine foam, which is what Magic Erasers and other similar items are made of, is pretty cool stuff, and is deceptively spongy, but shouldn't be used on skin or other sensitive surfaces.

April 01, 2015

What Bias Lighting Is and Why You Should Be Using It

"There’s a good chance you've been watching television and working at your computer for years in a way that fatigues your eyes, increases your chance of headaches, and overall decreases your enjoyment and comfort. Read on as we show you how to create a comfortable and high contrast viewing experience with bias lighting."

March 09, 2015

Let's Have More Psych-Positive Technology

"Secondly there appear to be multiple negative psychological consequences to the use of successful tech products. We've seen studies showing reduced attention spans, memory problems, increases in distractibility, feelings of social isolation and mood swings. "

February 12, 2015

February 07, 2015

Surge Dread - Uber

"The problem that these people have with surge pricing is rooted in the certainty that one day Uber, which is undercharging for its services in a drastically unsustainable way in order to fuel outrageous levels of growth, is going to win. And, when it does, after eliminating taxis and other car services—and maybe some forms of public transit in some cities!—it will extract a terrible toll for the convenience, probably when people need it most. Not because Uber is evil or attempting to punish its users, but just because it’s good business; Uber is, after all, the most publicly pitiless company of our time. (This is the same basic reason that people are afraid of—and investors still love—Amazon: Prices are unbelievably low right now, but one day, when everybody else is out of business, it will finally screw everyone in a monumental way.)"

February 04, 2015

What happened when I confronted my cruellest troll

"I’m often deluged with hate online – and I’m used to being told not to feed the trolls. But after one of them stole my dead dad’s identity to abuse me, I decided to ask him why"

How to Get a Strong Wi-Fi Signal in Every Room of Your House

January 18, 2015

A Link is a Promise

"Summary: Any broken promise, large or small, chips away at trust and credibility. The words in a link label make a strong suggestion about the page that is being linked to. The destination page should fulfill what the anchor text promises"

A Comparison of 5 Tools for Building Classroom Websites

"In the chart below I compare five popular tools for building classroom websites."

January 17, 2015

Be My Eyes Lets You Help A Visually-Impaired Person See Via Their Phone’s Video Camera

"Be My Eyes, a new Danish non-profit ‘startup’, has taken a commodity technology, the humble video call, and, by combining it with a community of sighted volunteers, used it as the basis for an iOS app that lets you help a visually-impaired person ‘see’ through their phone’s video camera."

They do have a waiting list for those wishing an Android version.

January 10, 2015

Researchers work to counter a new class of coffee shop hackers

"If you’re sitting in a coffee shop, tapping away on your laptop, feeling safe from hackers because you didn’t connect to the shop’s wifi, think again."