Crave

Typing on the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

In testing Lenovo's IdeaPad S10-2 and IdeaPad S12 Netbooks this week, an interesting thought occurred to us. Technically, both laptops are nearly similar inside: Intel Atom N270 processors, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive. What differentiates them more than anything else are their screen sizes (10.2 inch and 12.1-inch) and their keyboards.

While screen size has been often discussed among Netbook owners, keyboard size and comfort hasn't as much. And, to a degree, it's the only true factor differentiating smartphones and Netbooks as far as interface is concerned. The real advantage to Netbooks is that you can type on them, like a laptop. But here's the question: are almost-regular size keyboards more difficult to use than intentionally small keyboards on MIDs and smartphones? Click through to hear us out. ... Read more

(Credit: Dr. Todd Sinett/Perigee Trade)

Dr. Todd Sinett is in today to talk about his revolutionary idea about chronic back pain and his book "The Truth About Back Pain: A Revolutionary, Individualized Approach to Diagnosing and Healing Back Pain." Meanwhile, Justin is still out with the swine flu, but Dr. Sinett more than fills the gap left by Justin's absence with his first appearance on The 404. We promise he'll be back again soon.

There are times when we get a call from a PR rep about a possible guest and we get skeptical. After all, The 404 is a show ostensibly about technology and culture. But then we get gems like Dr. Michael Breus, the Sleep Doctor, and now Dr. Todd Sinett, the Back Doctor.

According to the Back Doctor, there are three primary causes of back pain, and for the most part, we only treat the first, which is physical and structural. He says that, actually, digestive and mental health are incredibly important to the health of your back, and high stress plays a key role in back pain.

On the show, he demonstrates some health exercises to strengthen your back. Additionally, he teaches us how to sit properly at work and eat properly at home. He doesn't believe that people "don't have time" to eat well. Apparently, salads and oatmeal every single day of your life isn't healthy for you. He even says that food from McDonald's occasionally is OK, as long as you eat a balanced diet every day.

Check out today's show and call us out if we're talking crap about your health. Leave us a voice mail at 1-866-404-CNET (2638). It's all toll free. Finally, we love your e-mails to the show: the404 [at] cnet [com].

EPISODE 342

That's why they call it a laptop.

(Credit: Belkin)

Belkin's looking out for your lap's well-being. While laptop heat hasn't been proven to cause permanent damage in the nether regions, it can't hurt to be safe, we suppose.

Still, does anyone really need a product like the CushDesk? At $30 (available now), it's like a lap pillow with a hard surface for laptopping on. We've often worked with laptops on our laps, and while we haven't had any brushfires, the temperature can often become uncomfortable. So if nothing else, consider it a heat sink, with an added bonus of an upward-angled hard surface (which could also aid in what might be called "laptop droop.")

Boasting an "easy to clean" exterior, according to Belkin's press release, the overall concept is slim and innocuous enough to be useful if you're a frequent couch worker.

Available in colors both muted (black/gray) and flashy (espresso/fuchsia), the CushDesk claims compatibility with any laptop, PC or Mac, up to 17 inches. We're still skeptical of the needless peripheralization of our mobile electronics, especially since a flat board could conceivably do the trick just as well. There also doesn't seem to be any room to rest a mouse or any other USB plug-ins.

Nevertheless, a previous version we reviewed, called the CushTop, was found to be decent enough for those who find laptops directly on their laps to be uncomfortable.

(Credit: Samsung)

At CES 2009 and again at a spring lineup show, Samsung showed off its HMX-R10, a full HD camcorder with an "Active Angle" lens that's been angled up 25 degrees so you don't have to bend your wrist to get a level shot with the camcorder. I had my doubts that this strange-but-clever design would ever make it to stores, but it's available now for $500.

Samsung must be getting good feedback about the design, too, since its decided to add two standard-def models to its camcorder lineup: the SMX-C14 and SMX-C10. The difference between the two is that the C14 has 16GB of internal flash memory and the C10 has none; though both have SD/SDHC card slots.

I like that the optical zooms are kept to a sensible 10x, as these models are really designed to be handheld and anything longer than that would make for a shaky mess. Other features include a 2.7-inch LCD, the capability to recharge by USB or AC adapter, editing and uploading software that runs directly off the camcorder (no need to install anything on any computer, though it's likely Windows only), and the company's Touch of Color finish, which gives the black body a hint of blue or red, depending on the model you buy.

Look for them in July. No pricing was announced, but my guess would be in the $250 to $300 range for the C10, and another $50 to $100 for the C14.

Samsung SMX-C14 and SMX-C10 camcorders--photos

The current generation of compunerds is totally screwed. We (yes, I'm one of you) spend at least eight hours surfing the Internet on a daily basis, weekends included! Those YouTube videos aren't going to watch themselves, right?

That's why ergonomics is so important. We need specific keyboards and mice to angle our wrists properly and alleviate all that unnecessary stress--I can't think of a bigger weekend downer than the dreaded "mouse arm."

Thanks to the brilliant minds at Brando Workshop, we now have another ergonomic tool at our disposal. The White Bread Wrist Rest is designed to fit neatly under your hand, elevating your wrist just enough to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome later in life.*

They're sold in individual slices for $6, but you can save $2 by purchasing two. Each one measures about 4.4 inches long, 5.5 inches wide, and a little over half an inch thick. You might not think that half an inch makes a huge difference, and you're probably right. In either case, Brando's got you covered! According to its Web site, the Bread Wrist Rest is also "good for decoration." Can somebody say...twofer?!

*Absolutely not guaranteed

(Credit: Logitech)

It's the end of the workday, and my hands hurt from typing. I suspect I'm not alone on this one--thus the proliferation of ergonomic keybords and mice. On Tuesday, Logitech announced its latest contribution to the genre, the Cordless Desktop Wave Pro.

Like its predecessor, the Cordless Desktop Wave Pro features both a varied key height to accommodate the different lengths of your fingers and a gently curved layout designed to keep your wrists and arms at a more natural angle. A cushioned palm rest gives your hands a comfortable landing spot between paragraphs.

The desktop set also includes the MX1100 laser mouse, which is contoured to fit more comfortably in your hand (read my colleague Rich Brown's Logitech MX1100 review). The mouse also incorporates Logitech's handy MicroGear Precision scroll wheel, which has two modes: hyper-fast, to scroll quickly through pages with a single flick of your finger, and the click-to-click scrolling mode common on all computer mice.

Both devices use a 2.4GHz wireless connection, and the keyboard includes built-in 128-bit AES keyboard encryption. The set requires three AA batteries (two for the keyboard, one for the mouse).

The Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Pro will start shipping in September for $129--not bad for an entry-level ergonomic set, but more than the current going rate of the similar Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000.

(Credit: Thanko)

We thought we'd found the ideal laptop angle years ago with the "Easy Desk Aluminum," but that position can get a little old especially when used at play as well as at work. That's where the aptly named "Lazy Geek's Cushion" comes in.

Unlike many of its other products, Japan's Thanko may actually have come up with something useful with this, er, workstation, at least for those of us afflicted with terminal laziness. It supposedly claims to alleviate back and neck pain, though we have no idea if there's any actual ergonomic value to it. Then again, it can't be any worse than spending every waking hour on one's back.