Positioning a monitor just got easier

The Neo-Flex LCD Arm by Ergotron, is the perfect accessory to add flexibility to your flat panel monitor. Simply push the side button with one hand while lifting the monitor with the other hand. Then position the monitor where you want it and release the button. It’s ideal for home and office use, especially for situations where multiple people are using the same monitor.

Biometric finger scanner can tell how old you are

So an Israeli company called i-Mature wants your kids to give them the middle finger. But only so they can scan it to make sure how old they are. They’ve developed a biometric scanner called the Age Group Recognition Security System that uses ultrasound waves to make more than a dozen different measurements of the bones in your finger, using them to calculate a guess as to how old you are. And of course you know what they want to use it for: to keep kids off of porn sites and out of “adult-only” chat rooms.

There may be some diagnostic uses for this device ...

Could the surface I stand on make that much difference?

"Based on industrial studies, it could, said Dr. Mark Redfern, professor of bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh, though the physiological reasons are not clear. Redfern, who studies human movement and ergonomics, published research in 1995 about people who stand to work for long periods of time.

In both the laboratory and on the assembly line, different kinds of floors and floor covering were rated based on the subjects' reports of discomfort, joint pain and fatigue.

The results varied, Redfern said, but the bottom line was that the harder the floor, the more discomfort people felt. However, if the surface was too soft, people also experienced pain, apparently because of the energy required to pick up the feet and move around."

Steroid as effective as surgery for Carpal Tunnel

"Carpal tunnel syndrome or CTS affects 3 percent of the U.S. population but there is no universally accepted therapy. Madrid researchers suggest steroid injection is just as effective as surgery for the long-term symptomatic relief of carpal tunnel syndrome -- for a year, at least -- and actually more effective over the short term. 'This is the first randomized controlled clinical trial comparing the two most common therapies for CTS,' writes study author Dr. Domingo Ly-Pen in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. 'Our findings suggest that both local steroid injections and surgical decompression are highly effective in alleviating the symptoms of primary CTS at 12 months of follow-up. Nevertheless, local injection seems superior to surgery in the short term.' "

One hip invention: Dentist files for patent for chair he developed

"William Kropa, who had hip replacement surgery in 2001, recently filed for a patent for an ergonomically correct rehabilitation training and exercise chair that he developed. "

According to documents on file with www.FreshPatents.com, the chair is made of a base that is on wheels. The seat itself has an adjustable inclination to provide correct ergonomics for the pelvis and lower spine.The front support bar, which is adjustable and connected to the seat, can be pivoted back or forward. The bar has a cushioned front support that rests against the user's abdomen.

The base could have retractable foot extensions and pads that could be used to provide resistance to the feet, allowing the user to stretch and strengthen leg muscles by various exercises. By flexing feet on top of foot extensions the user could stretch and strengthen calf muscles, or by placing the heels in front of the foot extensions, and pulling backwards one can strengthen hamstring muscles. Kropa said by placing the feet under the foot extensions and pulling upward, the user could stretch and strengthen the thighs, hip flexor, and lower abdominal muscles.

Smart scanner helps elderly shop

"Elderly and housebound residents in Bristol are taking part in the trial of a new device which could help make their weekly grocery shop easier.

A barcode reader is used to scan items from a catalogue - or off tins - and then the order is sent to the supermarket via the phone line.

The order is then delivered to their home by police-vetted drivers."

Ingenious solution adds printed text to Braille and tactile graphic documents

"A new printing attachment for Braille printers promises a new world for the sight-impaired and those who share their lives, enabling Braille documents to be shared with sighted colleagues, teachers, friends and family. The PIA prints the corresponding ink characters above or alongside the Braille embossing and allows for images to be embossed and printed. Anything that appears on the computer screen can quickly be made into a raised, printed image on paper with software translation of text to Braille in Microsoft Word and Excel."

"Braille readers often have difficulty communicating with sighted people at work and in the classroom," says Jeff Gardner, ViewPlus Vice President, Sales & Marketing. "Combining HP Inkjet with the ViewPlus Pro Embosser means Braille documents can now be shared with anyone."

Contour Design Announces RollerMousePRO

"Contour Design is proud to announce the immediate availability of its latest version of the extraordinarily popular 'Classic' RollerMouse, the all-new RollerMousePRO. Designed to perpetuate the enhanced health and safety features and increased productivity capabilities of the original, the PRO has substantial added functionality.

First introduced publicly at NECE (National Ergonomics Conference & Expo), 2004, the RollerMousePRO was chosen as the #1 input device at the show. Last month, at MacWorld in San Francisco, several people who used the demonstration unit exclaimed that we should have named it the 'Oh! Wow! Mouse.'"

Physical therapy is helpful from cradle to grave

"Barbara Boucher, a physical therapist and director of Rehabilitation Services at the University of Connecticut Health Center, believes there is no age limit for physical therapy, and has seen its benefits for 20 years.

Boucher has been involved in helping infants who are born with physical developmental problems, people recovering from injuries and surgery, preventive therapy, and loss of mobility during aging."

While most people may think of hospitals or clinics when they think of physical therapy, there are many other places where therapists help. Physical therapists are in school systems helping the developmentally disabled, in nursing homes, in rehabilitation facilities helping people who are ready to leave the hospital but not yet able to return home. They help paraplegics learn how to propel wheel chairs, and they are in health clubs helping people with fitness while avoiding injury.

Universal design' blends style with easy access for disabled

"The concept of universal design is generally traced back to the early 1970s, when work began at the Center for Accessible Housing at North Carolina State University to establish building codes for accessibility. These codes have been adopted by many states.

The federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, passed to ensure public accessibility, further raised consciousness. The graying of the American population is also expanding the market that experts predict will take universal design into the mainstream.

What has been learned over three decades is that products that are too obviously 'therapeutic' do not appeal."



A mechanized sink with adjustable heights, pull-out cutting boards and easy-to-reach storage bins are in General Electric's "Real Life Design" kitchen -- aimed at making cooking easier for people with and without physical impairments

Jablotron’s GDP-02 unportable cellphone for the elderly

A Czech company named Jablotron announced their new cellphone on Monday. If it doesn’t look like any other GSM handset you’ve ever seen, that’s because the GDP-02 “Grand” is really a desktop phone. Designed for elderly users who have difficulty with smaller phones, the phone features an illuminated display and a QWERTY keypad to allow users to send and receive text messages in addition to making calls. The catch is that since it’s a desktop phone it’s more or less the opposite of portable, though for a lot of old people not being able to bring their cellie to the mall might not be a problem.

Why bigger is better

"One of the largest impediments to this wonderfully large utopian vision of the web is the average designer's desire to make things incredibly small and compact. While that may look pretty and save space, it doesn't do much for usability. In fact, it can have a clearly negative impact. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I believe bigger not only looks just as good, but functions amazingly better."

A good arument for large fonts and buttons - Fitt's Law ...

A cell phone for grandparents

"Next Monday, Swiss mobile operator Orange will launch a cell phone for the elderly, with just three colored buttons, called Mobi-Click. It will be sold in Orange stores across the country as well as at The Post Office, according to Swiss daily, Le Matin.

'Mobi-Click concentrates on features, which make sense, like 'answering the phone automatically' in case of an emergency, or 'hearing loudly', thanks to the integrated loudspeaker."

And several other links to products for the elderly ...

Bush’s 2006 OSHA Budget Eliminates Training Grants

At a time when the Bush administration is seeking to reduce non-defense discretionary spending by nearly 1 percent, OSHA's 2006 budget is to increase by $2.8 – almost 1 percent of its current $464.2 million spending authority. Details of OSHA's proposed budget were released at a Feb. 7 press briefing in Washington, D.C.

The agency's current staff of 2,208 full-time equivalents would be preserved as the administration calls for few major changes to OSHA programs, with the exception of the elimination of the agency's $10.2 million training grant program.

The proposed budget calls for new spending in two areas: $1 million to expand compliance assistance programs of states operating their own OSHA programs and another $1 million to enhance OSHA's data collection and analysis capabilities.

Your boss calls it falling asleep on the job. You can call it 'siesta syndrome'

"Apathy in the afternoon is severely damaging the national economy, according to a new study conducted by British scientists. And the country's workers are drifting off thanks largely to their poor diet.

Double portions of burgers and fish and chips washed down with pints of beer or sugary drinks are sending office staff across the UK into a snooze zone.
Of 1,000 workers questioned, most blamed extreme tiredness for an increase in mistakes during the two-hour wave of weariness. The drop in output is also down to a natural break taken by the body at that time of day, as well as the onset of boredom.

The catering group Avenance, which commissioned the survey, said the slump was costing British industry millions of pounds. Its chief executive, Mike Audis, added: 'Less work and costly errors during the afternoon means the UK siesta syndrome is having a devastating impact on the company's bottom line and its reputation.'"

The Evolution of E-Commerce

"We've come a long way, baby!

Indeed, e-commerce has evolved from online billboards to a fully functional, personalized shopping experience over the past decade. While there were admittedly a few bumps along the road, the path from 1994 through the 2004 holiday shopping season is full of crucial milestones of Internet pioneers and technology innovators.

A stroll down memory lane reminds us of terms like 'stickiness,' 'eyeballs' and 'personalization' that once captured the essence of articles about what it takes to be successful on the Web. However, even as we look back at 10 years of growth, many analysts have one eye on the future and they are saying, 'we've got a long way to go.'"

Post-election fears focus on finances

"With the presidential election and makeup of the U.S. Congress finalized, the political landscape for the next couple of years is settled.

As we did four years ago, BioMechanics spoke with some of the leaders in the various practice areas we cover about how decisions made in the capital will affect the industry. In speaking with these leaders about clinical and reimbursement areas, certain questions were repeatedly raised: How does the administration handle the surge in new, and sometimes expensive, patient care technologies? How do all practitioners, manufacturers, and officials combat the near epidemics of obesity and diabetes? The population is aging and there is a need for practitioners and quality patient care-how are these needs being addressed?

Practitioners' concerns center on the challenge of providing quality patient care while reimbursement rates are declining and insurance premiums are rising. The issue of tort reform may seem distant to some practitioners, but for larger organizations, such as the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Podiatric Medicine Association, this is an issue that is driving good practitioners out of the profession and that needs resolution. "

Driver distractions multiplying

Presumably, you're not driving while you're reading this.

"Gazing at a newspaper may be about the only thing drivers aren't doing these days. Myriad tech devices have joined the 'traditional' distractions working to pull drivers' eyes from the road. Who could have imagined years ago that drivers sometimes would be watching DVDs playing in the back seat of another car?

The good news is that the consumer electronics industry realizes there is a problem. The bad news is that it's not quite sure how to balance safety needs with consumers' ever-growing hunger for cars chock-full of the latest, greatest gadgetry.

An expert panel at the recent International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas had a few ideas on the matter, although at least one audience member later suggested that technology has worked to actually reduce distraction - giving kids their own DVD player with headphones allows Mom or Dad to drive without a deafening backseat babble."