Ergonomic input devices recommended by ExtremeTech

I read some reviews at ExtremeTech about keyboards and mice. They recommend the SafeType Keyboard for ergonomic keyboarding. Their recommendations for ergonomic mice are the Zero Tension Mouse and the Quill Mouse (renamed to Aerobic Mouse?). The principle behind all of these devices is vertical positioning of the hand. That seems realistic for mice, but can anyone type with their hand in a vertical alignment?! ExtremeTech claims it's possible after a week or so of practice.

Free break reminder software for Windows and Linux

For all Linux and Windows users, there is an excellent, free break reminder program called Workrave. I like how the rest breaks come with animated exercises (usually a feature that only comes with paid software).j

Tech: Wacom tablet

If you don't like the mouse, an alternative is the Wacom tablet. I'd like to try one someday.

Ergonomic book holder: Atlas Ultra

I'm a fan of nice ergonomic stuff -- fun and useful for your long-term health. I have a cool Goldtouch keyboard and I have my eye on a Herman Miller Aeron chair (when I have enough money to justify the cost someday).

One thing I've noticed recently is that there is no ergonomic way to read a book if the book is lying on a horizontal surface (like a table). My sister suggested a book holder. A quick web search, several months ago, led me to the website of Atlas bookholders.

I now have two Atlas Ultra bookholders (in black). OK, I have expensive taste, but I really like them. They're very adjustable and they come with little metal rods which act as page stoppers.

Now I can read my books without crunching my neck and back. I'll avoid developing academic hunchback syndrome as illustrated in this comic.

ADD in geeks

Here's an article about health problems in the geek population that I found via Lifehacker.com.

I like the part about ADD. I do feel like ever since I've started using computers a lot that I have a hard time listening. It's hard for me to follow audio arguments and sometimes I assume the speaker said something completely different from what he/she actually said. I'm good at visual information processing since I've been reading since I was 6 years old. Using computers reinforces this. In fact, I'd rather read the New York Times online than listen to the 6 o'clock news. TV/radio news is "too slow."

But as the author of the article says, it should be possible to train yourself to listen. Maybe I should practice listening to audio books or NPR broadcasts.

Rollermouse

I recently heard about a new breed of mouse called "Rollermouse." It is well known that the conventional mouse gives the user pain after many hours of use, which may even lead to tendinitis or repetitive strain injury. But there are jobs where a mouse is required, for example, graphic CAD design.

Apparently, there are several inherent ergonomic design problems in the conventional mouse. First, the palm down facing desk position of the hand is unnatural. Second, when the user reaches out to his/her left/right to grasp the mouse, the arm is extended and strained. I'm not sure if the Rollermouse solves the first problem, but it addresses the second -- the mouse is right next to your thumb when you are typing on the keyboard. It's an interesting idea, good enough that PC World gave it an award for one of the top 100 PC products of 2005. I may give it the Rollermouse a try someday, particularly if its price drops.