Ergonomic mouse-the next generation of mice.

Dr. Engelbart holding the first mouse.
gajitz.com

Many of us weren't around when the first mouse was invented in 1964 by Dr Engelbart, But it would be a technology that would forever change the way humans interact with computers. Instead of being bound by a keyboard, we could be able to select anything on the screen instead of having to navigate a maze of buttons with the arrow keys or memorizing hundreds of commands. Unfortunately, the general concept of the mouse hasn't changed. It doesn't look much different than it did 20 years ago. And the current design can cause wrist problems in people who use computers frequently, and in this day and age, that's just about everyone. When we use a mouse, most people tend to rest their palm on the back part of the mouse which in turn makes their wrist bend. When you move

City Ergonomic's DXT Mouse 2 Wireless
cityergonomics.com

the mouse, your wrist doesn't really move, you just move your arm. Keeping your wrist in this posture for years can begin to cause painful and expensive problems in your hand, fingers, wrist, and even your arm. However, this company cityergonomics.com has redesigned the mouse to be much more practical. It's part of a new type of mice known as an ergonomic mouse. Ergonomic mice are defined as mice that are designed to reduce risk of problems such as carpals tunnel syndrome that can originate from using mice. Ergonomic mice are also designed to fit the natural shape of the hand better than tradition mice to provide more comfort. Examples include gaming mice since they are very well adapted to fit peoples hands (but they promote the constant use of a mouse, which is what's going to wear down your wrists). City Ergonomics call their new mouse the DXT. At first look, it doesn't look much like a traditional mouse. It is designed so that you hold it sideways, similar to the way you might hold a joystick (or a pencil if you are left-handed). The size of the mouse itself is about the size of your palm. The design of the mouse makes your wrist move more than when you hold a traditional mouse, which in turn can prevent many joint problems later on. The design of it allows for much more accuracy. The newer version of the mouse, the DXT 2, can support 2000 DPI (Dots Per Inch) to allow for more accuracy when trying to select something particularly small or buried in a pile of clickable objects. This can be helpful in CAD programs, FPS games, Strategy games, image manipulation programs, painting programs, writing/note taking programs, and so much more. The DXT comes in two models: wired and wireless. The wireless version has a built-in rechargable battery. The battery can be charged in 90 minutes with a standard micro-USB cable (most likely the same one you use to charge your phone). It even has a rapid-charge mode, where after being plugged in for 30 seconds, it can power itself for 2 hours. After being fully charged, the battery will last you approximately two weeks under normal usage. The wireless adapter will work from about 30 feet (about 10 meters) away. No drivers are needed since they use the generic USB pointing device drivers provided with every modern operating system. And the mouse is built to last with a sturdy construction out of zinc and strong plastic.  Pricing is around $100 USD depending on which country you live in and which model you want. Pricing it in the hundreds puts it with high-quality gaming mice. But with a design to save your wrists, it can save you thousands of dollars down the road.

UPS power supplies - are they really worth it

It's 11:00 PM at night and you are at work finishing up a presentation for tomorrow. Suddenly, the power goes out. Now this is the part you have control over. You can choose to lose all of your work and leave the presenter (or you) hanging tomorrow. Or you can choose to have your work saved, for a thousand dollars or more out of your wallet. You may think "is my work really worth all of that money?" UPS power supplies can save your work (or game) when the power goes out, at the expense of your paycheck. UPS power supplies are basically like big batteries. When power is flowing it charges up. Then when disaster strikes, it switches to a battery and, in some higher end models, alerts you and your computer through USB that you are on battery power and you need to save and shutdown. UPS power supplies can be priceless for those who tend to forget to save their work every once in a while. But as with every helpful product, they come with disadvantages. Like all tech products, mixing and matching products and manufacturers can lead to headaches. One such example is some desktop product lines from Dell refuse to turn on when connected to certain power supplies that don't produce a 60-hertz sine wave signal. Another example is that most UPS power supplies don't support Linux. This means that if the power goes out and you are not physically close to your UPS unit to hear it beep, It will do you no good other than make you lose an extra 10 minutes of work. And OS X users are no better off. I'm not saying that UPS power supplies are bad, I'm saying that people need to carefully consider whether or not they really need a UPS. If you are already in the habit of saving every few minutes, a UPS may be more of a hassle to maintain. But if saving never crosses your mind until you finish, or you live on an unstable power grid, a UPS may be worth your consideration. UPS units are like insurance. Some people will invest in it, never need it, and their investment goes to waste. But others will get it, and the power will go out, and the work it saves may be worth tenfold the price of the UPS.

Rokitboost Excess 2000 iPhone 5 Charger Case

Do you happen to remember all the amazing stuff that hit amazon with the "30-pin Apple connector"? I will admit that I have had my share of amazon products and I will say that most of it was junk, but there were some legitimate products that served a useful purpose. But back to Apple devices, since Tim Cook changed the charger port on the bottom of the iPhone 5, all 30-pin port devices are now useless. Tech companies have been contracting out engineers like crazy to upgrade their product for the iPhone 5. One product that I find neat is the Rokitboost Excess 2000 Charger Case. This product is very straightforward to use. You open the top part of the case, slide your iPhone 5 in, and replace the top. Charging is simple too. There is a micro USB port on the bottom of the Excess 2000 that you can use to charge the Case and the iPhone 5 at the same time. When you unplug the Excess, it will continue to charge your iPhone 5. Based on an equation from fusionteq.com:





2000 MaH


divided by


2000 mA


-------------


1 Hour


Even though this device can only charge your device for an hour, the power that is given could last several hours. It takes 2 amps to charge an iPhone, but an iPhone uses less than that. According to the tech specs of the iPhone 5, when charging at 2 amps for 1 hour, it should charge the battery to around full depending on how much use and strain you have put on your battey. Now that's not to say that this thing is garenteed to add 2 hours to your battery. My iPod touch 4G can usually last about 5-6 hours on light web browsing and note taking. But if I play a particular game (the biggest battery drainer I know of is Star warfare: Alien Invasion) at 100% battery, my iPod will usually die within 30 minutes. So you can't compare time, because it depends on what you are doing. 2000 MaH should last you at least 2-6 hours so long as your not playing any kind of 3D games or using WiFi or cellular.







Along with great battery life, this product is also visually appealing. The back of the case where the battery is stored is extremely thin, so it's not fattening up your iPhone. The only big part is the bottom where you plug in the micro USB cable. The bottom is also designed so you can still plug in your headphones while the case is on (unlike some chargers I know). All in all this is a great device that has a small physical footprint and adds several hours to your battery. If you want to buy it, Click here. And to anyone with a Raspberry Pi who wants to make it battery powered, check out the full store at rokitboost.com for their battery powered USB chargers. Have Fun!







Don't forget to comment and share this article with your friends! And for anyone on the lookout for project Chicago, I am finishing up with two mini projects to go before it will be launched. Unfortunately we will not be able to meet our deadline of finishing it before the end of the summer. I will continue to work on it as fast as I can. Have Fun!