After a few months of use, oils, dust, drink drips, and food crumbs can build up in even the keyboards of our best laptops. No one is immune to this, not even tech experts like us. But there are ways to get your laptop clean again.
We’ve laid out the best ways to clean your laptop keyboard, whether you’re simply trying to disinfect or you need a deep clean. But there are a few critical steps to take before you start scrubbing.
Take a minute and go through the common-sense precautions:
If you have vital data on your laptop, back it up. It’s always a good idea.
Turn your laptop completely off. You may even want to remove the battery, if possible.
Make sure your laptop is unplugged and that there are no accessories attached (including USB dongles).
Make sure you have the space and time. Cleaning your keyboard isn’t something you should do on the go — remember, a desktop keyboard is easy to replace, but if your laptop keyboard gets damaged, that’s a bigger problem.
Everyone knows what this looks like. It may not be as bad as sticky stains, but over time, dust naturally builds up between and on the sides of your keys. If you want to get rid of it, grab a vacuum cleaner.
Wait! We mean grab the right kind of vacuum cleaner. The standard solution is a hand vacuum that comes with small brush attachments that you can slowly maneuver around your keyboard while sucking up the dust. A larger vacuum can work if it also has a dust attachment and isn’t too powerful. After all, you don’t want your vacuum to eat any keys.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
In a perfect world, the ideal solution is a micro vacuum attachment, which typically isn’t found outside of labs and specialized workstations. That said, you can always buy your own if you’re very serious about keyboard care.
Compressed air is another possibility, but we don’t recommend it. This double-edged sword will blast much of the dust and crumbs away, but it might also blow much of it further into your laptop, potentially causing more problems. A vacuum cleaner is usually a more efficient solution, so start there.
We’re talking about the crud that builds up as a result of oils, skin cells, grease, food dust, and everything else that might contribute to the gross stains and plaque on your keyboard. You can approach this cleaning mission by using disinfecting wipes, but we prefer using a melamine cleaning sponge, which excels at cleaning up grime such as this.
Once you have the melamine sponge, soak it in water, ring it out, and let it dry enough so that you aren’t leaving streaks of water across your keyboard. Gently rub a corner of the sponge on the soiled parts of the keys until the grime is removed. Melamine can be a very abrasive material if used carelessly, so go slow and try to avoid rubbing off any key characters. The material is also very easy to cut out into the right shape, so feel free to snip off a portion for more customized work.
You can use another type of sponge in the same way, but it may not be as effective, especially when it comes to the more stubborn stains.
It’s normal to worry about germs on your keyboard, especially if you’ve been working in an office or a classroom full of sick people. If your keys are a little too dirty and you’re wondering if they may have become a biohazard, then it’s time to get out the disinfectant.
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Specifically, get some isopropyl alcohol and a bundle of cotton swabs. Isopropyl is essential, because stronger versions thereof may accidentally burn off some of your keyboard letters. Cotton swabs or Q-Tips, on the other hand, are crucial because you don’t want any liquids near your keyboard, even when cleaning. Dip and dab a swab so that it’s damp but in no danger of dripping, and then start wiping your keys one by one. This somewhat tedious method is very effective but easier to do if, well, you’re a little bored and have some time to waste.
Spilling something potentially sticky across the top of your laptop keyboard is often cause for alarm. To reduce the odds of permanent damage, prioritize protecting your laptop’s internal components. Shut everything down, take out your battery, and unplug the computer if necessary. Don’t turn it back on again until you are confident that any liquid inside has evaporated. Depending on the type of spill (and how severe it is), it may take a day or two to dry out. If it looks like your operating system or data sustained damage, take your laptop in for repairs ASAP.
In the meantime, it’s time to clean your keys. For the surface of your laptop’s keyboard, you’ll want a simple sponge or cloth. Odds are you have to go a bit deeper to clean up more concerning residue that might be trapped beneath, which means you’ll have to remove your keyboard.
Laptop keyboards are all different depending on the manufacturer, the machine’s design, and the age of the computer itself. You can carefully pry off some as a whole unit, others you can ease open key by key. In some cases, you won’t be able to remove the keyboard at all — because the company didn’t manufacture it that way.
You can try to detach each key from the keyboard for optimal cleaning. It’s possible to remove each key with your hands if you’re gentle enough. You can carefully use tools, but make sure they’re not sharp enough to damage the inner workings of your laptop.
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You might have trouble removing the keys yourself or be too scared of breaking them in the process or damaging the computer itself. In that case, take it to a professional. Paying a professional will ensure they will clean it without damage.
If you know how to take your keyboard apart for cleaning, you might even be able to save it from a spill if you clean it right after the accident happened. In some cases — especially with exposure to moisture — your computer may be a lost cause. When in doubt, consult a professional for help. Or at least seek confirmation that it’s time to start shopping for a new laptop.
Remember to keep your laptop clean at all times, not just when things start to become unresponsive. As well as cleaning the keyboard, you should be familiar with how to clean your laptop display.
Fall means pumpkin spice, preparing for the holiday season, raking leaves, searching for Halloween costumes, and of course, curling up with hot new TV shows premiering and returning with new seasons. This October is busy with the return of popular shows like The Diplomat, What We Do in the Shadows, Law & Order, Abbott Elementary, and more. But there are also exciting new shows being added to the mix that you might not even have heard about yet.
As you’re planning how to spend your much deserved downtime and, more importantly, what to watch, don’t let these three hidden October streaming TV shows fly under your radar. They’re ones you won’t want to miss.
Loved Ella Purnell in Fallout and Yellowjackets? Check out her next project, a British dark comedy drama based on the C.J. Skuse novel that many are dubbing a gender-swapped version of Dexter. She’s Rhiannon in Sweetpea, a young woman on the brink. She feels ignored and unseen. Her boss and colleagues treat her like dirt and don’t take her seriously. An old high school bully has returned to torment her. She can’t help but fantasize about murdering the people who have done her wrong. One day, Rhiannon has a full-on breakdown and actually starts doing it. When news of a sadistic serial killer starts to raise Rhiannon’s profile in indirect ways, how can she possibly stop now?
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Sweetpea is a female serial killer series with dark comedic undertones about a woman who sets out to show everyone (albeit secretly), once and for all, that she’s no “sweetpea.” It’s always the quiet ones, as they say, and Rhiannon is tired of feeling invisible. With a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score following its first episode, Sweetpea solidifies Purnell’s position as one of the most talented up-and-coming actors of this generation.
If you enjoy Billy Crystal’s comedic work in movies, you might find it difficult to see him in such a dramatic role. But he nails it in Before, as expected, alongside equally talented co-stars Judith Light, Rosie Perez, and young Jacobi Jupe. Crystal is Eli a child psychologist grieving the recent death of this wife. When he meets with a new client, a young boy named Noah (Jupe), it seems as though this boy, who suffers from violent behaviors and hallucinations, has some type of cosmic connection to Eli and wants to tell him something. But Eli can’t figure out what’s going on, and as he dives deeper, the plot gets more and more troubling.
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Before is the perfect creepy, bumps-in-the-night show to watch as you gear up for Halloween. It premieres with the first two episodes a week before that spooky occasion and continues weekly through December 20.
When you hear satirical superhero show, you probably immediately think of Amazon Prime Video series The Boys. If you want something that angles more to comedy than raunch and gore, check out The Franchise. This satirical comedy from Armando Iannucci (Veep) and Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Spectre) centers around the crew that works within a superhero film franchise led by assistant director Daniel (Himesh Patel). But this isn’t Marvel; it’s a franchise that’s flailing and this crew needs a Hail Mary to save it.
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Peeling back the curtain behind-the-scenes of the making of such movies, it’s like a version of 30 Rock for movie-making versus sketch comedy TV. The Franchise is the kind of show that will have you both laughing and wondering how much is inspired by real life and how much is embellished (or not). From managing actors’ eccentricities to dealing with inflated egos and being weighed down by the immense pressure to succeed, every element is covered in comedic fashion. The Franchise may just become your new favorite show for light-hearted laughs.
Crude oil futures fell more than 2% on Monday after a press briefing by China’s finance minister disappointed the market.
Traders have been banking on more robust stimulus in China to boost the world’s second-largest economy. Soft demand in the world’s largest crude importer has weighed on the market for months.
“China’s monetary stimulus measures failed to stimulate and the weekend’s pledge from the finance ministry to borrow more was long on cliches and phrases but short on reassuring and convincing details,” Tamas Varga, analyst at oil broker PVM, told clients in a note.
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Here are Monday’s energy prices:
West Texas Intermediate November contract: $73.93 per barrel, down $1.63, or 2.16%. Year to date, U.S. crude oil has gained about 3%.
Brent December contract: $77.44 per barrel, down $1.60, or 2.02%. Year to date, the global benchmark is little changed.
RBOB Gasoline November contract: $2.1044 per gallon, down 2.19%. Year to date, gasoline is little changed.
Natural Gas November contract: $2.572 per thousand cubic feet, down 2.28%. Year to date, gas is ahead more than 2%.
The market, meanwhile, continues to monitor the Middle East in anticipation of a retaliatory strike by Israel against Iran. U.S. officials told NBC News that Israel has narrowed down the targets it plans to hit. These include military and energy infrastructure, the officials told NBC.
The latest Chrome Canary build (131.0.6772.0) showcases this revamped Chromebottom bar look, which positions the address bar at the bottom of the screen. This change enhances user experience by making navigation easier and more intuitive.
Chrome will get a bottom bar (again) to simplify navigation
The current implementation is straightforward. Google has relocated the address bar, allowing users to access it more conveniently. While this new layout provides a fresh perspective, it does not significantly alter the existing user interface. The three-dot overflow menu remains unchanged, still organized from top to bottom. Similarly, the tab switcher retains its original format, leaving some users curious about potential future updates.
As users interact with the Chrome bottom bar look, early reports indicate some minor usability issues. However, overall functionality remains intact, allowing users to navigate without major disruptions.
Historically, Chrome has attempted various designs, including an earlier version that also featured a bottom bar. This attempt, which began in 2016, evolved into a more complex interface over time. The new Chrome bottom bar look seeks to simplify this experience without introducing additional layers of complexity.
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Currently, other interface elements, such as the tab switcher, remain as they are. Observers are keen to see whether Google will refine these components as they move forward with this design.
You can already test it out, but only via the Chrome Canary app
Users can download Chrome Canary from the Google Play Store to try out the new Chrome bottom bar look. It’s essential to note that this version is experimental and may contain bugs, making it unsuitable for regular daily use. Once installed, users can activate the feature by enabling a specific flag. They should enter the following URL into their browser: chrome://flags/#android-bottom-toolbar. After enabling the flag, a simple restart of the browser is required. Users can then navigate to Settings > Address bar and select the “Bottom” option, 9to5Google reported.
Last year, Chrome for iOS adopted a similar bottom address bar, suggesting that this design shift could become permanent for Android as well. While many welcome the change, there are concerns that Google should avoid overcomplicating the browser.
Pokémon developer Game Freak has confirmed its servers were hacked in August. The breach meant internal materials — from source codes to early and even scrapped character designs — were circulating on social media over the weekend.
Leaked documents and images flooded Reddit and X after Centro Leaks began dumping it all on Saturday afternoon. It allegedly includes source codes for past games and codenames for the Switch 2 and the upcoming Gen 10 Pokémon games. There are also references to a Pokémon MMO, future movies and a new anime series. The leak revealed tons of beta character designs and concept art.
Moflin is an AI emotional support pet that thrives on cuddles.
Casio
Casio (of watch and calculator fame) is taking pre-orders in Japan for Moflin, the adorable robotic plushie with AI “emotional capabilities,” which debuted during CES 2021. Moflin, developed in a partnership with the Japanese startup Vanguard Industries, is meant to work like an emotional support pet — and is as fluffy as it looks.
Last week, robot vacuums across the country were hacked, allowing attackers to not only control the robovacs, but use their speakers to hurl racial slurs and abusive comments at anyone nearby. Specifically, it was the Ecovacs Deebot X2s, which has a reputation for being easy to hack. The company says it’s developed a patch to eliminate the security flaw — but that won’t roll out until November. Maybe October is a messy house kind of a month?
Redbox is dead, but its cuboid corpses remain in malls and shops nationwide. The machines are heavy and cumbersome, with a former Redbox executive suggesting it costs $500 to remove one kiosk. Note: Some machines are actually embedded in concrete. Some devotees have taken to adopting them regardless. Yet another note: These boxes use massive amounts of energy. Walgreens told a judge it costs the company $184,000 each month to power 5,400 kiosks, roughly $35 per month for a single machine. That was fine 10 years ago, when the company drew in $2 billion in annual revenue.
UMX, a game studio based in Saudi Arabia, has raised $4.5 million from Jetapult, an investment company backed by Accel Partners.
Jetapult, an India-based global strategic investment company in the gaming landscape, said the investment was an all-cash transaction.
In addition to acquiring equity, Jetapult will provide capital to support the expansion of UMX’s existing portfolio, expand its audiences across global markets, and build games in new genres.
Ali Alharbi, founder of Riyadh-based UMX, said in a statement, “This significant investment from Jetapult not only marks a milestone for UMX Studio but also heralds a new era for the Saudi Arabian gaming industry. We are thrilled to partner with a globally recognized leader in the gaming investments space. This collaboration will not only accelerate our expansion but also empower us with advanced tools and expertise.”
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The UMX Studio team
This will be Jetapult’s first investment in the (Middle East/North Africa) MENA region, with further investments planned in markets like South East Asia and Europe.
Jetapult’s team of global gaming experts, will help catalyse the studio’s capabilities to enhance user acquisition, scale monetization efforts, and adopt cutting-edge analytics and AI tools through their “Invest & Operate” (I&O) model.
Sharan Tulsiani (former head of Google Play Games in India and Australia/New Zealand) and Yash Baid (former principal at 3one4 Capital) founded Jetapult with backing from Accel Partners, Fireside and JetSynthesys, among others.
The company aims to support game studios with a scientific approach to sustainable growth in markets such as Southeast Asia, MENA, Eastern Europe, and Latin America, through a $100 million commitment over the next five years.
Origins
Left to right: Sharan Tulsiani of Jetapult, Ali Aharbi of UMX, Yash Baid of Jetapult.
UMX Studio, founded by Ali Alharbi in 2014, is one of the first homegrown game development studios established in Saudi Arabia. The studio develops high-quality mobile games featuring stunning graphics, engaging gameplay, and suitability for all ages. While it has been around for a decade, this is the first time that the company has raised money.
Saudi Arabia is now a thriving market for esports and casual gamers. One of the gaps in the ecosystem was a lack of quality local game development capabilities to build culturally nuanced titles for the passionate gamers in the region. UMX has been addressing this and has built its company profitably, targeting Arabic users that seek resonating content like sand dune-bashing, car modification, along with their overall love of racing.
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The company’s games have garnered over 70 million downloads till date, and the company has shown consistent year-on-year growth, driven by a portfolio of games that consistently top the Apple and Google charts in the region. UMX has 72 employees.
UMX studio has a history of building top-charting games on Google and Apple in the racing genre. The most notable being King of Steering, with a successful title named DriftX set to launch before Ramadan 2025. King Of Steering is the top-rated racing game in the MENA region – it has multiple game modes including multiplayer racing, free-roam drifting, and stunt driving. It’s MENA-domiciled maps and Arabic optimized social layers drive consumer satisfaction.
Climbing Sand Dune Offroad pioneered a more relaxed gameplay amenable to MENA audiences by allowing them to free-roam desert landscapes in off-road vehicles. It further allowed players to upgrade trucks, SUVs, and 4x4s in drag races, climbing sand dunes, and collect treasures with friends.
Jetapult’s view of MENA
Jetapult’s team
The investment comes in the context of the exponential growth of the gaming and esports sector in the MENA region with Saudi Arabia representing 39% of the Middle East’s gaming revenue from consumer spending and is the fastest-growing market in the region, according to Sensor Tower, 2024.
Jetapult said it is committed to UMX’s vision of fostering the Saudi Arabian market to become a hub for game development by harnessing Jetapult’s strategic expertise and UMX’s local talent and cultural nuance.
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Tulsiani, CEO of Jetapult, said in a statement, “Jetapult’s investment in UMX goes beyond providing capital; we bring a wealth of proven gaming expertise and cutting-edge technology to this partnership with an aim to enhance gaming experiences across the Middle East’s emerging development ecosystem.”
Jetapult is an invest and operate company backed by VCs like Accel & Fireside and a strategic investor like Jetsynthesys. The company’s primary function is to invest and scale mobile gaming studios in emerging game development markets like India, MENA, SE Asia, Eastern Europe, and LATAM. It has been operational since 2023 with a commitment of $100 million into investing and scaling mobile gaming studios.
Barath Shankar Subramanian, partner at Accel, said in a statement, “Jetapult’s investment in UMX Studio marks a significant milestone in expanding its presence in emerging markets like MENA, where gaming and game development is rapidly gaining momentum. Jetapult’s unique ‘Invest & Operate’ model, which was the core of our investment thesis, has the potential to transform the global gaming ecosystem, enabling growth for gaming studios and the exploration of new gaming genres.”
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If visible crease issues have so far been stopping you from picking up one of the best foldable phones on the market, we’ve got some good news: the rumor is that Samsung‘s next folding handset is going to have a far less noticeable crease.
This tip comes from serial leaker Ice Universe, who has one of the better track records when it comes to rumors. Apparently the “crease control” in the upcoming Special Edition of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is “better than ever”.
Now we’re not expecting this Special Edition model to appear anywhere outside of South Korea and China, but it augurs well for future Samsung foldables that will be available more widely – including the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
As per well-respected industry analyst Ross Young, the improvement may be down to Samsung using Ultra Flexible Glass (UFG) for the first time: this high-strength panel tech is a little thinner around the crease, meaning a more seamless look.
Crease is the word
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 special editionThis time, they have done a good job in crease control, better than ever.October 12, 2024
Foldable display technology has improved significantly down the years – don’t forget that the first Galaxy Fold phone launched in 2019 – but these screens still aren’t completely flat when they’re opened out, because of the underlying hinge.
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Even on our favorite folding phones, including the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the OnePlus Open, the crease is still visible – although to give credit to OnePlus, on the OnePlus Open you do have to be looking pretty closely to be able to see it.
We’ll have to wait and see for ourselves how much progress Samsung has made in this department, but it’s fair to say that progress is being made year-on-year. The crease issue is apparently one of the reasons we haven’t seen a folding iPhone yet.
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As for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition, previously leaked renders have suggested it’s going to be a thinner model, with larger screens on the inside and outside. It should make an appearance in the coming months.
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