TrekDesk, the $479 height-adjustable workstation that attaches to a treadmill, joins a growing population of walk-while-you-work desks.
(Credit: TrekDesk)The TrekDesk press release is packed with all sorts of alarming statistics about adult obesity, as well as alluring statistics about the benefits of walking. The combination is designed to make you want one, and want one now, in spite of the product's $479-sans-treadmill price tag.
Why go for a lovely walk outside, or exercise on an ordinary treadmill inside, when you can walk at your desk--without even sweating? It is "Easy to Do" and "Requires No Extra Effort." (The All Caps mean they Really Mean It.)
TrekDesk is by no means the first attempt to turn sedentary workstations into something less sedentary, and should not be singled out as such. For two years now, the JW Treadmill Desk has boasted a built-in rack for multiple monitors, just in case you don't have enough things going on.
And the aptly named Walkstation's $6,500 price tag seems intended to guilt its owners into years of use to make up for money that could have been spent on such healthy items as gym memberships and fresh produce.
With our increasingly mobile workstations, humans are already eating, driving, and admit it, even using the toilet while working. Now that we can walk while we work, what does a workaholic multitasker have left? Sex?
Arimaz's MyDeskFriend is a robot penguin that talks
(Credit: Arimaz)We admit we're suckers for cute robots around here, especially ones that are connected to the Internet in some way (remember the Nabaztag?). So I was especially excited to find that Arimaz's MyDeskFriend is not only a robot that can communicate with your Facebook account, it comes in the form of a tiny robot penguin with an adorable little hat.
Meant as a "social-media companion," the MyDeskFriend penguin can be integrated into your Facebook profile. You can then "feed" or "exercise" the penguin via a Facebook gameplay interface to keep it in a happy mood (it has five different moods, each of which is indicated by the color of the penguin's eyes), and you can let your Facebook friends play with it via the gameplay interface as well. You can also set it so it'll alert you when your friends have logged on, read you your Facebook messages, poke your friends, and more.
Aside from the Facebook integration, it's similar to the Nabaztag in that it can also read out information from RSS feeds, e-mail, stock quotes, weather forecast, Twitter posts, instant messages, calendar appointment alerts, and more.
The MyDeskFriend can actually move around as well. It has infrared sensors that keep it from falling off a desk, and it reacts to physical stimuli like petting and shaking (which will also affect its mood)--take a look at the video below to see how that works.
It'll also memorize around 15 voice commands. Interestingly, Arimaz says MyDeskFriend has an autonomous lifecycle software that lets it develop its own "personality" over time, depending on how you treat it. It's a little like a Tamagotchi in that sense.
Arimaz's MyDeskFriend is set for release this September for $99 each.
(Via Gizmodo)
The FreeAgent Go Pro for Mac external hard drive.
(Credit: Seagate)Mac users have had many options for external storage lately. Two weeks ago, Western Digital unveiled its new My Book Studio II for Mac, and Seagate just now released a few of its own.
The company announced Wednesday a new lineup of portable and desktop FreeAgent external hard drives designed specifically for Macs. This includes two portable external hard drives, a regular-size external hard drive, and a docking station.
... Read moreOne day, your computer will be a big-ass table with pictures of other people's kids all over it. We know it, Microsoft knows it and--judging by its fancy X-Desk surface computer--Epson knows it too.
The X-Desk works in much the same way as Microsoft's alternative, the Surface. An Epson projector positioned in the base of the table projects an image up toward a diffuser on the surface, while infrared Epson cameras beneath recognize objects and gestures.
Epson reckons it'll be used in retail outlets for interactive gadget comparisons; in bars and clubs for interactive cocktail menus; in hotels for checking into rooms; and in houses of the future for looking at pictures of other people's kids. You know the sort of thing.
Watch the video, learn more, and let us know what you think below.
(Via Crave UK)
(Credit:
Bornrich.org)
If you are one of those who has to put up with messy colleagues (hint: like the one to my left), the SpaceStation desktop organizer could probably do the trick. But what if they need more than just organization, something along the lines of an overhaul? Then you'll probably need to invest in an "Out of Sight Out of Mind" (OSOM) table.
Staying true to its name, the modular desktop system will allow your cubicle neighbor to customize his or her workstation. When any of the modules are not needed, they sink under the table, keeping the desktop free of clutter. Push a button and the compartments will miraculously appear back on the surface. And for the colleague sitting behind me, there's even an insulated food storage module. Throw in the Surface Clean, and we're all set for a cleaner working environment.
Erm, can someone convince a furniture house to put this concept into production, pretty please?
(Via Crave Asia)
Seagate announced on Monday its fall 2008 lineup of FreeAgent external hard drives, including desktop and laptop models. They come preformatted for either Mac or PC file systems.
Seagate's new FreeAgent Go drives come in different colors and have an optional docking station.
(Credit: Seagate)The laptop models, dubbed FreeAgent Go, come in four colors for PC users--silver, black, red, and blue--and only silver for Mac users. The Mac version, however, features both USB 2.0 and FireWire connections, while the PC version has only USB 2.0. The new drives also feature a docking station for easily connecting to a computer.
The FreeAgent Go drives feature Seagate's latest 2.5-inch 5400RPM internal hard drives that offer storage space up to 500GB. These new FreeAgent Go external hard drives are thin and light--measuring 0.49 inch by 3.15 inches by 5.12 inches (PC version) and 0.69 inch by 3.15 inches by 5.40 inches (Mac version)--and are bus-powered, where they draw power directly from the computer's port.
The desktop models include the FreeAgent Desk drive (Mac) and FreeAgent XTreme drive (PC) that can provide up to 1.5TB of storage. The Mac version offers USB 2.0, FireWire 400, and FireWire 800 connections, while the PC version trade the FireWire 800 for eSATA. The two models are designed to stand either vertically or horizontally and are both made of brushed aluminum. There's another budget version of the FreeAgent Desk (PC) that features only a USB 2.0 connection.
Regardless of what platform the new FreeAgent drives are preformatted, all are compatible with both Mac and PC (though some reformatting might be necessary) and come with Seagate Manager software. The software provides scheduled automated backup and multicomputer synchronization. The drives are compatible with OS X's Time Machine and offer software-based AES-256-bit encryption and Seagate DrivePass password protection for Windows users.
The FreeAgent drives will be available in October with suggested prices ranging from $160 to $350 for the laptop models and from $160 to $300 for the desktop models.
(Credit:
Solutions.com)
We really like the idea of eco-friendly water-powered gadgets. Exhibit A: the H20 desk calculator. Add a few drops of tap water to the removable battery and put it back in the product for up to three months of use. When the display begins to fade, just make another trip to the sink.
This isn't the only water- or electrolytic-liquid-powered calculator around, but online seller Solutions notes that the battery in this one can be taken out, stored in a dry state indefinitely, and activated when needed. It can be "re-energized by the addition of water again and again," supposedly lasting a lot longer than alkaline batteries.
The calculator has a standard 12-digit display and takes care of your basic adding machine functions. It sells for $24.95, which seems more than reasonable if promises of an Energizer Bunny-type battery persistence bear out.
Readers, have you used an agua-powered clock, calculator, or other gizmo? If so, how did it work? Are H20-powered cell phones and MP3 players next?
(Via Gadgetastic)
(Credit:
AFC Industries)
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 and horshoe-shaped desktop for convenience, according to Coolest-Gadgets. But we think it's just one more step toward encircling the entire body so no one can escape.
(Credit:
LapWorks)
It may not fit the standard definition of ideal ergonomics in the HR handbook, but this looks like something that would fit right into our style of work. Especially for those times when the "Geek Cushion" results in the inevitable crick.
LapWorks' new lap board is aimed at gamers, but we see it as perfectly suitable for all manner of slothful computing. The "Gamers Desk" is designed to follow the migration of play from the desktop to the living room, with a 26.75-inch wide platform roomy enough for controllers, keyboards, mice, and other gaming gear.
There are scads of other laptop desks, of course, but this one tries to cater specifically to gamer needs, from its gun-metal design to ventilation slots to avoid overheating. And as Engadget suggests, its abundance of non-skid rubber pads would come in handy for the inevitable Red Bull spill.
(Credit:
i-Desk)
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 unclear whether the monitor can be lifted or lowered independently. i-Desk says this and other products it makes are geared toward those with physical disabilities but, judging by the apparent popularity of this type of furniture, we think they would find a market with the population at large.
