workstation

The trend of exercising at the workstation is getting out of hand. Not only will it keep a rising number of employees chained to their desks, but companies apparently are aiming to dump even more work on the rank and file.

The latest reason for concern is the JW Treadmill Desk, a workstation that elevates the concept to yet another level. This torture device can be ordered with a built-in rack for multiple monitors, just in case you already don't have enough things to do at the same time.

AFC Industries, which manufactures the workstation, touts its ergonomic benefits … Read more

There may be something to the idea of building LCDs into desks, as well as the occasional coffee table. We thought it was just a passing fancy, but there's already another furniture maker planning to do the same thing.

U.K.-based i-Desk has embedded a TFT display into the back panel of its "ClassicX Variheight" and has similarly ensconced a keyboard flush with the desktop. Adding to its all-in-one concept, according to BornRich, even the hard drive is built into the front panel.

Its height can also be adjusted electronically to improve ergonomics, though it's … 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

Regardless of its function, this has got to be the ugliest workstation since the "TreadDesk." Even its name, the "flipIT DUO," is irritating--it looks like the shift keys got locked while they were writing the press release.

This contraption is designed to let two 19-inch monitors pop up from the desk surface like a reverse trap door, according to BornRich. But the saved desktop space is more than offset by its offensive aesthetics: It resembles an ill-conceived DIY project that gutted an old used upright piano and stuffed some computer hardware inside.

That would have been … Read more

It must be tough for the Nex-sys salespeople to keep a straight face while pitching their products as "workstations." Clearly, whoever ends up using the company's line of "V1" desks and chairs won't be getting much work done because they'll be too busy honing their skills on Halo 3.

While initially touting their workstations' ergonomic and space-saving designs, Nex-sys immediately adds that they can also be used as a "gaming chair, flight simulator, and racing simulator," as well as a "personal movie theater." In addition to its height-adjustable monitor … Read more

There's some kind of conspiracy in the air. A managerial one. First there's a concept to make us more productive by strapping a laptop to the waist, and now we find that there's yet another attempt to tether workers to their desks with a new built-in treadmill.

Judging by the photos, it looks as if the "TreadDesk" could even elevate and fire up while you're still typing away, not missing a beat on that Excel spreadsheet. This invention of the devil already has some competition, however: Just a few months ago the "Walkstation&… Read more

Where's a work desk when you need one? This may be the answer--a rolling luggage cart that doubles as a desk and can be tucked away quickly and neatly when they call for final boarding.

Sure, you can always prop your laptop on your lap (otherwise why call it a laptop?). But when you have to balance a mouse, your cell phone, a music player, and possibly even an external drive, you'll need a full-fledge working surface.

To keep everything at a manageable 11 pounds, this 2-in-1 movable desk is molded in lightweight ABS plastic with an anodized … Read more

Last night, my audio production class took a field trip to local studio Glenn Sound for a brief introduction to miking technique: which microhpones to use for a particular sound, where and how to place them, and so on. It wasn't completely foreign to me--I've recorded in probably a dozen studios, but always on the clock and paying by the hour, and audio engineers tend to shrug off poorly-phrased technical questions in favor of showing you the end result.

One of the demonstrations showed us how different distances between microphone and source can give you different sounds. Most … Read more

Following unusual workstations has become something of a hobby for Crave (we don't get out much), but usually they involve conditions that are designed for maximum comfort. So one can appreciate our alarm upon viewing the "Walkstation" for its obvious threat to our stated pursuit of laziness, even while working.

This tortuous apparatus is essentially a standing-height desk attached to a treadmill, combining work with exercise for the ultimate in multi-tasking. Made by office furniture company Steelcase, the Walkstation is scheduled to make its formal debut next month for a reported price of $6,500. (That would … Read more