ergonomic

Ford recruits 'virtual soldier' for ergonomic tests

Ford's newest employee has moved from the army to the assembly line. But since he's virtual, that type of job change shouldn't pose a problem.

Designed to test the safety of Ford's auto factories, Santos is a virtual avatar that can mimic and record all the physical strains and pains that plague us poor humans. By reaching, lifting, and stretching in his own virtual world, he can provide feedback on how those activities might affect an actual person.

Initially created for the U.S. Department of Defense to help find ways to relieve physical strain on soldiers, Santos is now working at Ford testing the ergonomics of assembly lines. His job is to perform the same physical tasks that a factory worker would perform when building a car to gauge their impact on the human body. The automaker's goal is to improve the quality and safety of its factories before assembly lines are even created.

… Read more

Get a 'Keyboard Upgrade' for your iPad

The iPad's onscreen keyboard hasn't won many fans. In portrait mode, it's a bit too narrow for touch-typing. Landscape mode is more accommodating, but if you're holding the iPad in your hands, the keyboard's actually a bit too wide for thumb-typing.

Enter Keyboard Upgrade, a data-entry alternative. It's a split, two-piece keyboard, one you can size and position to your liking:

For example, suppose you want to type with your thumbs. You can drag the two halves of the keyboard (which by default is smaller than the standard landscape keyboard) to either corner of … Read more

Smartfish ErgoMotion Keyboard gets into the groove

LAS VEGAS--As anyone that spends 8 hours or more in front of a computer knows, a proper ergonomic peripheral set up is crucial to enjoying a comfortable work day and alleviating arthritic pain down the road. Smartfish and Hitachi Maxell have partnered up and announced what they claim to be the next generation of ergonomic peripherals, starting with the ErgoMotion keyboard--a creative input device that shifts angles to accommodate the ever-changing hand positions users experience throughout the day.

You might need some time to adjust to the ErgoMotion Keyboard's uniquely curvy design, there's no denying its ability to alleviate stress on the wrists and fingertips. Over time, the keyboard uses onboard intelligence to monitor the style and frequency of your typing and develops a system to automatically change position, preventing repetitive injury and encouraging circulation to your digits as your work.

The Smartfish ErgoMotion Keyboard will be available for purchase in March 2010 for $150. More pictures of the device after the jump.… Read more

TigerDirect.com has the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 for $49.99, after $9.96 Instant savings.

Save $9.96 on the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 from TigerDirect.com >> Regular price is $59.95 >> Sale price is $49.99 >> Savings $9.96 (16.61%) >> Click here for deal

Novothink unveils Apple-certified solar charger for iPod, iPhone

The greening of homes and gadgets is a growing consumer trend, and many exhibitors will debut their eco-friendly products at CES 2010. Last week, we highlighted the Electronic Houskeeper and the PICOwatt, two devices that monitor in-home energy use. Today allows us to highlight the Surge, an iPhone and iPod Touch case with solar panels.

Solar chargers like Solio are chunky and need to be carried around. But the Surge solar case is sleek, ergonomic, and certified by Apple. Two hours of sun exposure power 30-60 minutes of talk time. The Surge features an LED battery-level indicator.

The charger is … Read more

ErgoMotion mouse swivels, pivots to save your arm

I switched from mice to trackpads and trackballs years ago after my wrist started getting all janky on me after a few hours a day of work. That's because seesaw mouses like SmartFish Technologies' ErgoMotion laser mouse didn't exist back then.

The mouse, which just launched officially, isn't static like most, but rather has a Y axis and X axis pivoting motion so it fits more naturally in your hand as it moves. When you push a mouse forward the geometry of your hand is different than when you pull it back. The mouse is designed to … Read more

Uncanny valley of keyboards: Do small keys bother you?

In testing Lenovo's IdeaPad S10-2 and IdeaPad S12 Netbooks this week, an interesting thought occurred to us. Technically, both laptops are nearly similar inside: Intel Atom N270 processors, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive. What differentiates them more than anything else are their screen sizes (10.2 inch and 12.1-inch) and their keyboards.

While screen size has been often discussed among Netbook owners, keyboard size and comfort hasn't as much. And, to a degree, it's the only true factor differentiating smartphones and Netbooks as far as interface is concerned. The real advantage to Netbooks is that you can type on them, like a laptop. But here's the question: are almost-regular size keyboards more difficult to use than intentionally small keyboards on MIDs and smartphones? Click through to hear us out.… Read more

The 404 342: Where doctor says I need a 'backiotomy'

Dr. Todd Sinett is in today to talk about his revolutionary idea about chronic back pain and his book "The Truth About Back Pain: A Revolutionary, Individualized Approach to Diagnosing and Healing Back Pain." Meanwhile, Justin is still out with the swine flu, but Dr. Sinett more than fills the gap left by Justin's absence with his first appearance on The 404. We promise he'll be back again soon.

There are times when we get a call from a PR rep about a possible guest and we get skeptical. After all, The 404 is a show ostensibly about technology and culture. But then we get gems like Dr. Michael Breus, the Sleep Doctor, and now Dr. Todd Sinett, the Back Doctor.

According to the Back Doctor, there are three primary causes of back pain, and for the most part, we only treat the first, which is physical and structural. He says that, actually, digestive and mental health are incredibly important to the health of your back, and high stress plays a key role in back pain.

On the show, he demonstrates some health exercises to strengthen your back. Additionally, he teaches us how to sit properly at work and eat properly at home. He doesn't believe that people "don't have time" to eat well. Apparently, salads and oatmeal every single day of your life isn't healthy for you. He even says that food from McDonald's occasionally is OK, as long as you eat a balanced diet every day.

Check out today's show and call us out if we're talking crap about your health. Leave us a voice mail at 1-866-404-CNET (2638). It's all toll free. Finally, we love your e-mails to the show: the404 [at] cnet [com].

EPISODE 342 Download today's podcast Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Belkin's CushDesk: Because you can't be too careful with your lap

Belkin's looking out for your lap's well-being. While laptop heat hasn't been proven to cause permanent damage in the nether regions, it can't hurt to be safe, we suppose.

Still, does anyone really need a product like the CushDesk? At $30 (available now), it's like a lap pillow with a hard surface for laptopping on. We've often worked with laptops on our laps, and while we haven't had any brushfires, the temperature can often become uncomfortable. So if nothing else, consider it a heat sink, with an added bonus of an upward-angled hard … Read more