Monday, 26 November 2007 @ 8:50pm.

Here are a few things I recently learned…

(1) How to Clean:

Laptops –

“The tips for cleaning flat-panel sets also apply to laptop screens, while a damp cloth can be used on the shell and touchpad. Use compressed air to dust off the keyboard, ports and fans — but first stick a toothpick in any fans so they won’t be damaged by overspinning. Your user’s guide should show how to detach the keyboard so you can use the can of compressed air on the internal components. If your keys are gunky and the user’s guide indicates that they are removable, use swabs and undiluted isopropyl alcohol to remove any residue.”

Cell phones –

“A soft cloth dampened with a 60/40 mixture of water and alcohol is the ideal way to wipe off your phone and kill bacteria. If the keys are somewhat unresponsive (and you don’t mind potentially voiding your warranty), follow instructions in the manual to pop the front and rear panels off your phone, and remove the battery and keypad. Use a swab dampened with undiluted alcohol to gently clean the circuit board beneath the keypad, and the power/data connector on the side or bottom of the phone.”

The aforementioned information came from MSN at http://men.msn.com/articlepm.aspx?cp-documentid=5602444&GT1=10618 .

(2) If you live in Australia and happen to see a trolley (i.e., shopping cart) someplace that it shouldn’t be, click on http://trolleytracker.com.au/ to report the information or call them at 1-800-641-497. You could win money for reporting a lost trolley, not to mention feeling good about cleaning up your local neighborhoods.

(3) Ebay is great. Okay, I probably already knew this, but I have reconfirmed it. One difficulty, though, is if you have an American account, but try to do stuff in a different country such as Australia. There should be more options for personal account settings so buyers and sellers don’t get confused.

(4) Christmas sweets are a bit different here than in the U.S. For example, I have seen a lot more fruit cakes, mince tarts, and Christmas puddings on sale. :) I have not seen any pumpkin pies, which was quite a bummer for Thanksgiving by the way.

(5) I still like the feel of grass underneath my bare feet. Liked it as a kid, and still do as an adult. :)