Ergonomics is quickly becoming a major movement in the work place and one important aspect of ergonomics is being able to generate a healthy sitting (work) posture.  This requires the proper equipment.   While there are many ergonomic chairs around that help to keep you comfortable throughout the day, many people still keep their keyboards on their desk.  By using a keyboard tray, most people will find that their arms and hands stay more comfortable due to being in a more natural position.

This in turn, helps relieve back and neck discomfort which can result in a higher overall level of productivity and employee moods.  This is especially true when using the proper chair set to the right adjustments with a keyboard tray, and having your computer monitor(s) set to the right height and angle.

Keyboard trays usually have room for a keyboard and mouse pad, and attach to the underside of your desk.  They connect to an arm that allows them to be pulled out, so you can type and click with your arms comfortably on the arm rests.

Keyboard trays are available in a variety of styles to fit any office decorating scheme, and are being produced by some of the top office manufacturers in the world including Fellowes, SAFCO, 3M and more.

Recently I started using one of the new MX Revolution mice made by Logitech .  Previously, as far as I was concerned, if you’ve seen one mouse, you’ve seen them all.  Now, I find it hard to imagine what it was like before I started using one.  The Logitech MX Revolution cordless mouse is a fully programmable 7-button mouse that will change the way you use your computer.

By using laser technology, even the basic point and click accuracy is improved over any other mouse, which makes it great for browsing the web, but it really shines in programs like photoshop where pinpoint accuracy is so important.  Not only is the mouse precise and fast, but it is also extremely comfortable.  Its ergonomic shape feels very natural in your hand, and in my opinion, minimizes cramping and discomfort.

Another great feature is the brand new Microgear precision scroll wheel, which is the first free spinning scroll wheel.  This works great for scrolling through giant documents and spreadsheets in mere seconds.  Also all seven buttons are programmable so you can have different clicks do different things.  I have my thumb wheel set up with my music player, so I can skip songs and adjust the volume without having to pull the program up on my screen.

Early this year, Fellowes put on their social media hats and created a contest letting users describe their creatives ways they've tried to clear a paper jam. We blogged about the contest at the time and am happy to see that they now have their winners selected.

It sounds like the final decisions were tough, and here are just a couple or the creative ways users have tried to un-jam paper shredders. Or, you can see all five winners plus a few honorable mentions.

GUMMING UP THE WORKS

“Bubble gum, lots of bubble gum, pushed into the underside of the shredder teeth to grab the bits of partially-shredded paper. Then using the CO2 keyboard cleaner spray to freeze the bubble gum, then pry it out with a screwdriver. Had some good results, but sometimes not even this helped.”

 

SHARP THINKING

“Using a diamond-power-edged hacksaw blade, I was able to clear a bad paper jam which had several staples and other stuff layered within it. Of course, I wore a leather glove to directly handle the blade so it could be guided into the shredder’s paper slot. Oh, did I say, I ended up throwing this paper shredder away soon thereafter? :)”

This was definitely creative. At OrderPaperShredders.com, we're happy to sell many different paper shredders, including the PS-79i jam-proof shredder that Fellowes gave away for their contest.

  Many people as they start their workday need to have their morning cup of coffee or in Design & Development Manager Nate Ende’s case a pot of coffee.  While enjoying their morning coffee people also run the risk of the dreaded accidental spill on the keyboard.  These spills will ruin your everyday keyboard or at the very least cause some of the keys to stick, turning typing into a nightmare. Kensington has put an end to this problem by developing spill-safe keyboard designed to withstand these accidental spills.

The Kensington spill-safe keyboard consists of a sealed membrane design that allows liquid to run through, without damaging the keyboard electronics.  This keyboard has a sleek design that compliments today’s PCs and the slim profile saves valuable workspace.  The spill-safe keyboard consists of 104 keys and has a sturdy metal back to provide extra strength.  It is both PS/2 and USB compatible and is for use with PCs running Windows 98 or later.

    There is also a demand for the spill-safe keyboard in the restaurant and medical fields where many liquids are near keyboards in areas of high congestion. They are also popular in the janitorial supply area for people who would like to prevent liquid and cleaning solutions from accidentally getting into keyboards.    

    There were numerous accidental spill stories around the office talking about the number of keyboards that have been destroyed from different beverages.  These could have been avoided if people were equipped with the spill safe lifetime keyboard from Kensington.   

On nights and weekends I play in a Rock ‘n’ Roll band.  Although the actual playing part is really fun, the set up and tear down can be exhausting.  One way I’ve found to make this easier is by using hand trucks to haul gear between the vehicle and the stage.

Hand trucks basically give you the advantage of adding wheels to something that doesn’t already have them.  This works great for really heavy items because you can just push or pull them to where you want them instead of carrying them. 

Using a hand truck to roll my heavy amplifiers and equipment on and off the stage helps me save my energy for what’s really important, playing music.

Usually when I’m trying to decide what to cook for dinner, I just settle on whatever recipe I can find fastest.  One way to get all of your recipes in one place, and organize them is by using index cards. 

Index cards are usually a little thicker than regular paper, and smaller in size which makes them the perfect medium for storing and recording different dinner recipes.  They are available in different colors, which can also help you use some different organization techniques.  Most can be written on, and some can even be used in inkjet and laser printers.

By using a system that works for you when storing index cards, such as by name, main ingredient, type of cuisine or any other characteristic you can easily determine what you’d like to cook.  For example, if you have your cards sorted by type of meal, and you feel like you're in the mood for Mexican food, all you have to do is open your index card file to the Mexican food section and pull out which meal you’d like.

A recipe collection can be one of the most useful possessions you have, and by keeping it organized you can continue to build it into an extremely diverse selection of dishes, while still being able to easily find meals you're hungry for.