ergonomics
Peripherals
Mouseblisters Counteract Your Sweaty Palms
4:20AM Sean Fallon | So mind-bogglingly complex that it took over a year to develop—little rubber chunks called Mouseblisters give sweaty palms better mouse gripping capability. Apparently, this will help reduce RSI and tendonitis symptoms. More »
Random Stuff
Samurai Ergonomics
1:00PM Brian Lam | I have ignored computer ergonomic professionals my entire computing life, but this winter, a pain in my lower back would not go away. Instead of listening to “experts” I followed the advice of ancient swordsmen. More »
Design
Ergonomic Workstation: The Ultimate in Geeky Gaming Comfort
4:10AM Sean Fallon | The Ergonomic Workstation from Ergo Motions may look like a dentist’s chair, but I must say that if my dentist had this thing in his office, I would be in there for a root canal right away. Ergo Motions mission is to help gamers and heavy workstation users avoid the repetitive stress injuries and posture issues that often result from sitting on your arse and typing away on a computer all day. The Ergonomic Workstation Phase I prototype appears to do that–and much more. More »
Peripherals
Wow-Pen Joy Mouse Has Not a Pen, Wow, Nor Joy in Sight
10:46PM Addy Dugdale | From the people who bought you the Wow-Pen Mouse, now get your hands around the Wow-Pen Joy Mouse. This shark fin-shaped mouse is F to the Ug to the Lee, but its ergonomics can only do good things to you (or something). It supports Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista, weighs 200g and has a resolution of 800 dpi. Expect it to hit around the middle of March, price will be around US$30. Gallery for those of you into ergo-porn below. [Aving USA]
Gadgets
LINDO “Hip-office” Design Has Us Bent Double
12:45AM Gizmodo US Edition | We love gadgets of all kinds here at Gizmodo, particularly the ones that look like this: meet the LINDO, an ergonomic solution for a “hiptop” office support for your new laptop computer. It sounds a little like an idea we’ve heard before, and is apparently a genuine attempt at avoiding those “serious damages to health” caused by monotonous desk-sitting that orthopaedists warn us about. Designed by HK Ergonomics, it fits all by itself, without belts, and you can use it while sitting, standing, walking, leaning, kneeling and it’s also apparently suitable for those who like to work in the lunge position. [HK via LikeCool] More »
Gadgets
Chair Lifts and Separates Your Butt Cheeks For Maximum Comfort
12:30PM Sean Fallon | The makers of this unique looking Ayur Chair claim that it can provide “perfect lumbar support while ergonomically lifting and separating your butt checks for optimum comfort.” Since I have never sat in one, I can’t really back-up this claim. However, I can see how it would be beneficial when you have a serious beefer on deck and you need to do a little “lifting and separating” to ensure that everyone else in the office doesn’t hear it. Is that worth the $550 price tag? Probably not, unless you have some serious gastrointestinal issues. [Product Page via Electro Plankton via Geekologie] More »
Gadgets
Faraday Stool: Because Electrical Towers are Naturally Ergonomic
1:00PM Sean Fallon | As you might have guessed, the name of this unique piece of furniture derives from Michael Faraday —an English scientist known for his contributions to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. So, that partially explains why they went ahead and designed a stool that bears more than a passing resemblance to an electrical tower. Another explanation involves a desire to use steel wire to create a stool that is light, solid, and ergonomic. That sounds great, but by the looks of things my arse would tell a different story. Prices available upon request. [Product Page via Josh Spear] More »
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11:16AM Seamus Byrne | Microsoft’s hardware division has delivered some top quality peripherals for 25 years now (well, the quality in the early days would be laughable by current standards). Their focus on improved ergonomics has been an important part of that evolution, and now their latest offering – the Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 – attempts to take a big leap forward in mouse comfort. I’ve been using it full-time for the last couple of weeks to see how big a difference this new slanted design makes to wrist comfort. It takes some getting used to, but it is a definite improvement. My big question: why did they stop at a slant when a true ergonomic mouse should go into a vertical handshake orientation? Read on for my thoughts on why this feels like a missed opportunity to those looking for real relief from strain at the desktop. More »
Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 (Verdict: Close, but stops short of ergonomic bliss)
11:16AM Seamus Byrne | Microsoft’s hardware division has delivered some top quality peripherals for 25 years now (well, the quality in the early days would be laughable by current standards). Their focus on improved ergonomics has been an important part of that evolution, and now their latest offering – the Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 – attempts to take a big leap forward in mouse comfort. I’ve been using it full-time for the last couple of weeks to see how big a difference this new slanted design makes to wrist comfort. It takes some getting used to, but it is a definite improvement. My big question: why did they stop at a slant when a true ergonomic mouse should go into a vertical handshake orientation? Read on for my thoughts on why this feels like a missed opportunity to those looking for real relief from strain at the desktop. More »
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Ahrend 750 Office Furniture Elecronically Adjusts For the Freakishly Short
9:30AM Sean Fallon | Tall or short, the Ahrend 750 Office Furniture System will give you the fit you need thanks to a built-in electronic height adjustment feature. Users can raise or lower the desk with a simple push of a button. Plus, an LCD display makes re-adjusting the desk to your preferred height a snap. It’s kind of like the office version of the “sleep number bed.” Co-workers would exchange their numbers during casual conversation and the short and small-torsoed would undoubtedly be singled out and ridiculed. [Ahrend via Designboom via OhGizmo] More »
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