ergonomics

Keyboards typically don't get the attention they deserve, but perhaps they should. According to Smartfish Technologies and a recent study by the U.S. Department of Labor, more than 28 million Americans suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome or some other repetitive stress injury due to repeated use of computer keyboards.

Smartfish Technologies recognizes the need for a more ergonomic solution and developed the Pro:Motion family of products, starting with the Automatic Moving Keyboard. The researchers at Smartfish found that the static nature of the most commonly used keyboards are the main cause of carpal tunnel, so they partnered … Read more

After years of writing about PCs, I've concluded that computer users care about only three things (in no particular order): speed, security, and reliability. But the fastest, safest, sturdiest PC in the world won't do you any good, if overuse has made you too sore to turn the darn thing on.

Organizations of all types and sizes are cutting workers, which usually leaves even more work for the people whom they retain. Computers have been a primary reason for the increase in worker productivity in the last few decades, but sooner or later, all those hours in front … Read more

The current generation of compunerds is totally screwed. We (yes, I'm one of you) spend at least eight hours surfing the Internet on a daily basis, weekends included! Those YouTube videos aren't going to watch themselves, right?

That's why ergonomics is so important. We need specific keyboards and mice to angle our wrists properly and alleviate all that unnecessary stress--I can't think of a bigger weekend downer than the dreaded "mouse arm."

Thanks to the brilliant minds at Brando Workshop, we now have another ergonomic tool at our disposal. The White Bread Wrist Rest … Read more

Sometimes my heart sinks like the quality of Steely Dan's later period when I think of all the techies who spend the greater part of their lives hunched over their laptops, in the hope of fame, power and riches.

Or at least respect. Or maybe just decent salaries.

Those techie spines must experience more pressure than the entrails of Madonna's publicist at show time.

I am therefore delighted to have discovered iPosture. iPosture resembles those little batteries you put into your watch or your pocket vibrator.

The idea is that you stick it to your bra strap, your … Read more

It's the end of the workday, and my hands hurt from typing. I suspect I'm not alone on this one--thus the proliferation of ergonomic keybords and mice. On Tuesday, Logitech announced its latest contribution to the genre, the Cordless Desktop Wave Pro.

Like its predecessor, the Cordless Desktop Wave Pro features both a varied key height to accommodate the different lengths of your fingers and a gently curved layout designed to keep your wrists and arms at a more natural angle. A cushioned palm rest gives your hands a comfortable landing spot between paragraphs.

The desktop set also … Read more

We thought we'd found the ideal laptop angle years ago with the "Easy Desk Aluminum," but that position can get a little old especially when used at play as well as at work. That's where the aptly named "Lazy Geek's Cushion" comes in.

Unlike many of its other products, Japan's Thanko may actually have come up with something useful with this, er, workstation, at least for those of us afflicted with terminal laziness. It supposedly claims to alleviate back and neck pain, though we have no idea if there's any actual … Read more

At first glance this looked like a few keys that had broken off a board or the last bite of a Hershey's dark chocolate bar. And we undoubtedly would have had more use for the latter than its actual purpose.

The "Ring Mouse" is an odd peripheral that's designed to be worn on a finger, with a tiny trackball controlled by your thumb. We really wish a video had been included with the product literature, because it sounds as if only a contortionist could operate it as described. And it's corded, as Boing Boing notes, … Read more

When Crave first started seeing workstation fitness machines, we thought they were just a passing novelty. But now we're seriously beginning to wonder--and worry--whether they're actually catching on.

The desk treadmill seems to be the most popular form of office exercise, as evidenced by the "Walkstation" and the "TreadDesk," respectively estimated at $6,500 and up to $4,000. But now they have yet another competitor that may end up being substantially cheaper.

The "TrekDesk" is an alternative to the other all-in-one setups, a universal workstation that instead attaches to a … Read more

For some reason, it seems that some Korean companies are convinced that there's a demand for mice that double as pens. First there was Wow-Pen, which continues to evolve its combos. And now there's a competitor with the inspired name of ISV PenandMouse. (With a moniker like that, we assume there's no need for a mission statement.)

ISV's latest offering is a wireless mouse that works with an accompanying 2.4GHz dongle and mousepad, according to Red Ferret. It has three programmable buttons and even a built-in scroll wheel somewhere.

If this trend continues, things could … Read more