STACK #239 September 2024

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STACK ’ s TECH tips

1 The little things. If you’re looking for an earring or a lost screw in a Five creative tips for using a vacuum cleaner

hard-to-get area, fit a thin piece of cloth over the vacuum nozzle and secure it in place with an elastic band. It will save you sifting through a heap of dirt, hair, dead skin, and whatever other ghastly detritus a vacuum picks up! 2 Hair of the dog. If you’re running late and can’t find a lint roller, throw on the upholstery attachment to remove any pet hair that's stuck on your clothes. 3 Time to vent. Ditch the feather duster, shove on the soft brush attachment, and hit the vents and plantation shutters for a thorough de-dusting. 4 Duct and cover. If you have a ducted heating/cooling system in the home, it doesn’t take long for the filters to clog up, and this will have an adverse effect on efficiency. Remove the filters and gently vacuum to clean them before putting them back 5 Track it. Take a look along any window track, and chances are it's clogged with dirt, grime, and dead insects. Fit the crevice tool, go to work, and enjoy the satisfying rattle of dried bugs shooting up the hose.

SEPTEMBER

DYK?

Engineer Hubert Cecil Booth invented the first powered vacuum cleaner. After designing a machine that would suck, Booth formed the British Vacuum Cleaner Company. The house cleaning service was extremely expensive, and the machine was so heavy it had to be moved from house to house by horses.

Technology has become an integral part of Australian lifestyles and continues to advance in leaps and bounds. From smartphones to smart homes, STACK keeps you up to date on the latest consumer tech in user-friendly terms, along with key points to consider before you buy. If you love tech, you’re in the right place.

What tech has been floating the boat of the writers at STACK recently? You can find it right here every month.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

1979

What was the hottest tech in…

A longish time ago in a galaxy quite near actually, NASA set Black & Decker a challenge. Its mission, which it chose to accept, was to design a small drill that could be used to extract samples from the lunar surface.

espresso 15T 15.6" Full HD Portable Touchscreen Monitor It won’t make you a coffee, but this Aussie-designed and engineered display is one of the best premium portable monitors available. The espresso 15T monitor provides extra screen real estate where and whenever you need it, from business presentations and spreadsheet work to artistic design, Netflix, or gaming. And it's fully compatible with both Windows and Mac devices. Boasting a wafer-thin design and simple plug-in-and-play connection via a single USB-C cable, which also charges the display from the host device, this 15.6-inch monitor is ultra-lightweight at 865g, making it the perfect fit for a laptop bag or backpack. The touchscreen display adds a tablet-like functionality when connected to a laptop, and screen configurations can be easily customised using the free espressoFlow app. So, if you need more screen space on the go without the hassle of lugging a bulky monitor around, this piece of Aussie ingenuity is a

Not ones to let the learnings behind said device go to waste, Black & Decker turned the project into research for consumer product ideas. What arose was a cordless

vacuum called the Spot Vac that held rechargeable batteries in the handle. It became part of a range of devices like hedge trimmers, shears, and a cordless drill. Largely deemed a commercial failure, B&D became aware that the Spot Vac was being dragged out of the tool shed and into the kitchen, where it was used to clean up food spills. Bing! There went the eureka moment! Designer Carroll Gantz went to work on an iconic solution that no one

knew they needed: the Dustbuster. A marketer’s dream, the beige handheld rechargeable vacuum cleaner hit the shelves of stores globally in 1979. The practical and versatile Dustbuster was a worldwide selling sensation. It quickly became the convenient go-to for spills around the house, eliminating the hassle of dragging out the traditional vacuum. Its concept remains as essential in today's home as it did back in ’79.

In our October issue, we’re focusing on tech you can use in the great outdoors. With the weather improving (except in Melbourne), it’s time to shake off the winter blues and get outside! On The Radar

compact and user friendly solution.

SEPTEMBER 2024

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