Editors’ Picks: Digital Discoveries
Jarred Walton, senior editor, and Zak Storey, deputy editor, share their recent technology loves
If you haven’t cleaned out your PC’s internals lately—in the past six months at least—stop reading. It’s time for some spring cleaning, so grab your screwdriver, crack open your case, and take it outside for a good internal dusting—and don’t forget your keyboard. But wait, are you using canned air? Not only can that stuff be bad for the environment, but it’s completely unnecessary. There are far better alternatives.
I’ve used a small Shop-Vac in the past, but it’s big, noisy, lacks small nozzle attachments, and isn’t nearly as convenient as the DataVac ED-500. Don’t let the diminutive size fool you, as it really blows— it has a 500W motor for just that purpose. Whether it’s blasting dust from your case or removing crumbs and other tasty morsels out of your keyboard, it has six attachments, from the tiny air-pin pointer to the larger airflare nozzle, to get the job done.
The retail price is a bit steep, but you can pick this up from Amazon for around $70. That’s about the same price as a dozen or so cans of compressed air, but without the extra landfill and chemicals. It’s especially good in offices where there are lots of computers to clean. $118, www.metrovacworld.com I have a thing for weather—no, seriously. I come from a family of builders and farm laborers on my father’s side, and some of my most cherished childhood memories are of waking up every morning at 6 a.m., sitting downstairs with my pops, and watching the weather forecast, trying to figure out whether he’d be going to work that day or not. During my teenage years, I’d often spend my summers working as a laborer for all manner of construction professions, and post varsity, it was that same work that tided me over until I found my first “proper” job here at MaximumPC.
So, weather’s really important for me. And when meteorology and technology come together, I get perhaps a little over excited. Whether it’s live lightning strike maps, or fancy smartphone apps, it’s all awesome. The EarthWindMap site is by far the best thing I’ve found lately. It’s a live and interactive weather map, powered by a ton of organizations, depicting all sorts of neat visual representations of our planet’s habits, from wind speed to temperatures, pollution, wave size, and even a “Misery Index,” which tells you just how miserable the weather is on a neat little scale. You can even look into the future, and best of all, it’s free. Free, https://earth.nullschool.net