Ergonomic

With all the advances we hear about in fields such as nanotechnology and electric vehicles, it’s easy to believe that simpler technology has evolved as far as it can go – that there is simply no way of improving things like the stapler, the dinner plate or the garden hose. Well, that line of thinking was recently proven wrong with the invention of a better type of sandbag. Now, as if to drive the point home, we hear about a better way of filling sandbags, and it’s a device called the GoBagger.  Read More

If you spend a lot of time behind the wheel of your car, then having a properly adjusted seat is of the utmost importance – not only does it maximize safety and driving skills, but it also minimizes back, shoulder and neck strain. With over a dozen adjustments available on some vehicles’ seats, however, it’s sometimes difficult to figure out the optimum combination of settings. Automotive parts designer Faurecia has what it is toting as the solution to this problem, in the form of its new smartphone-based SmartFit system.  Read More

There are a number of keyboards that claim to be ergonomic, but only one claims to be "truly ergonomic." Many input devices available today stagger the keys across the available keying area, resulting in even the most proficient touch typist having to move around more than is desirable. The makers of the Truly Ergonomic Keyboard claim that their redesign brings all keys within easy reach, which should lead to decreased discomfort in a world where most of us spend much of our lives tapping away in front of one computer screen or another.  Read More

It’s one of those dilemmas you probably never even realized existed... short scissors are better for fiddly cutting, and for cutting through tough materials, while longer scissors are faster on light materials, and better at cutting in a straight line. What are you gonna do, buy two pairs of scissors? Designer Jie Weng has what is apparently a better idea: scalable scissors. Just set the blades to the length you need and start cutting.  Read More

If you’ve ever tried holding something heavy out in front of your body, then you’ll know how much strain it can put on your arms and shoulders – there’s a reason that heavy loads are usually carried perched on top of the shoulder, or strapped to the back. But when you’re using handheld power tools or working with shovels, hedge-trimmers, chainsaws and the like, you usually have no choice. That’s where the Portable Support Tool Balancer comes in. The device is designed to take up to 95 percent of the weight that would be supported only by your arms and shoulders, and redistributes it throughout your torso.  Read More

Looking to make typing on tablet computers easier (and add another term to the mobile computing lexicon), French company AlphaUI is developing a “back-typing” concept that adds an external physical keyboard to the back of a tablet. The prototype device from AlphaUI is designed to attach to the back of smaller tablets with 5-7-inch displays and provides 24 standard-sized physical keys that are ergonomically placed within easy reach of the user’s fingers as they hold the tablet.  Read More

At Photokina 2010 in Cologne, Germany, Fujifilm has unveiled details about the upcoming Finepix X100, a compact camera with a retro style and impressive specs to match. The company claims this model, to be released in early 2011, will fill pro-photographers' need for a smaller back-up or substitute camera when a DSLR is inconvenient. With a 12.3 megapixel APS-C-based sensor and a fixed 23mm lens, the Finepix X100 will certainly be in the running for best pro compact on the market this spring.  Read More

Laptop computers are appropriately named, as they do sit nicely on your lap. If you’ve ever tried using one down there, however, you’ll know that it’s not the most ergonomic set-up imaginable – you have to bend your head down, keep your knees up, and feel your thighs getting toasty warm from the computer-generated heat that is evidently not able to disperse into the air. In order to position laptops in other ways, various companies have offered laptop stands to put on your desk, devices for turning your lap itself into a desk-like computer workspace, gizmos that allow you to swivel your laptop over from the passenger seat of your car, or that let you use it beside your bed. If only there was one that held your laptop in front of you while you were lying on your back... there is, of course, and Hong Kong-based company Omax has a variety of them to choose from.  Read More

Source R&D has just announced that its Warpia Easy Dock Wireless Laptop Docking Station has now been made available for online purchase. The system offers the convenience of a laptop and the comfort of a desktop in one package by enabling laptop users to wirelessly connect to any traditional desktop setup.  Read More