(Credit:
Dvice)
We've never understood trackballs. Like the folks over at Dvice, we too remember being told that everyone would be be using them in a few years. That was 1995.
We tried our hand(s) at it too, with one about the size of a softball that was attached to an even bigger mouse--both of which were supposed to eliminate RSI forever. Years of physical therapy later, we're back to our old wireless Kensington. But we digress; clearly there are those still loyal to the trackball, for Genius has invented one that can even be used on the road by clipping it onto the laptop itself.
Then again, the maker of the "Traveler 350" never seems to let logic stand in the way of a product idea. Genius is the same company that came up with a camera-speaker combo set. You do the math.
(Credit:
Coolest-Gadgets)
Perhaps more than any other piece of office equipment, the computer keyboard has been constantly morphed to keep its operators' hands out of the doctor's office. In the perennial battle against RSI, we've seen versions that break in two, glow in the dark and even skip the keys altogether. But instead of the hardware options, others continue to pursue solutions in the keys themselves--and a generation that goes beyond the QWERTY alternatives may be just beginning.
New Standard Keyboards, for instance, has developed an alphanumeric version that includes only 53 keys rather than the usual 104, according to Coolest-Gadgets. The NSK535 is intended for those who don't need all the keys on a standard board, keeping only those that are used most within the easiest reach.
But if you're someone with the opposite problem, fear not. You can always opt for a double-sided model or perhaps just stick more keys wherever you need them.
(Credit:
Tech Digest)
Just what we need, one more thing to confuse us on the desktop. We don't doubt Logitech's good intentions in developing the "NuLOOQ Navigation Tool," which Tech Digest says was apparently designed to lessen RSI by reducing "the repetitive use of shortcut keys and scrolling around trying to find the right button to click." There's just one thing we don't quite understand: Isn't the idea to use fewer devices, not more?
(Credit:
Elecom / Akihabara News)
For years repetitive stress injuries have sent manufacturers scurrying to build a better mouse, often at significant expense. But Japan's Elecom has decided to take a zen-like approach and look inward for the answer. Which is why it came up with the "M-D13UR" (such a clever name), a wireless optical mouse that changes shapes to suit its owner's needs.
The folding design makes it easier to store, and it definitely looks good. We have just one minor issue: It doesn't look like anything that would fit comfortably in one's hand, either folded or supine. But not having actually held it ourselves, we'll keep an open mind. Besides, we don't know anyone else who has a mouse that can do yoga.
A mouse that can eliminate RSI? We'll believe it when we see (and try) it, but here's one to make that claim.
According to Electronista, the Hela Glider Mouse supposedly staves off repetitive stress injury by behaving "somewhat like an air hockey paddle," avoiding muscle strain resulting from constant reaching to the side. The buttons and scroll wheel have been taken out of the mouse itself and embedded in its pad, which will undoubtedly be an adjustment for many people. But if it can avoid permanent crippling, as we have witnessed too many times, it may be worth at least a try for RSI sufferers--even at $380.
(Photo: Hela)
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