Pen Tablet to the rescue!

If you’re starting to get that tingly feeling in your wrists it’s a warning. You could be showing symptoms of carpel-tunnel syndrome. Perhaps a Pen Tablet could help.

Hey I’m not a doctor, but if you prefer to treat the cause of the problem, or better yet prevent carpel-tunnel altogether read my earlier post about my own experience.

The pen tablet has been a key factor in eliminating discomfort in my wrists. Try this simple exercise to understand how poor ergonomics using a typical mouse can cause problems for some people:
1.) Sitting down at your computer in an armless chair, put your hand at your side. Make sure it’s relaxed.
2.) Lift your arm from the elbow, and rest it on the table. Notice that your hand is resting on the “pinky” side of your hand, with the thumb on top.
3.) Now, grasp the mouse as you would work with it. Notice how your wrist twists and possibly bends? A pen tablet can help eliminate the twisting and bending in your wrists and perhaps reduce injury.

I have two pen tablets that I have purchased. One is in my home study, the other is with my computer at work. Both are made by Wacom and are Graphire models that are discontinued. They were priced at roughly $100, and easily hooked up to a MAC or Windows machine.

Outside of the possible health benefits, there are many useful operational and creative advantages.
1.) Multiple pointing modes: Mouse, pen, multi-touch finger
2.) You can customize the way the pen, mouse, or even your finger are used with individual programs. That feature can be a major productivity boost when you switch from Microsoft Word to Adobe Photoshop. The included software keeps track of which tool and the software you are using.
3.) You can write or markup documents as though you were writing on paper.
4.) Pressure sensitive pen makes the process of retouching photos or drawing more intuitive. Basically the more pressure you use, the wider the stroke.

Which one should you buy? There are many tablets out there, starting at $70 and going into the thousands. My personal suggestion is to check out the Wacom product line, and compare with others you find.

Do you have experience with a pen tablet and have recommendations? We’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment.

Remember, technology is your friend!
-John (aka Founding Geek)

Keyboard and Mouse Ergonomics

A few years ago at work, I started to feel a tingle in my wrists when I would work for a prolonged time at a computer keyboard. I knew what it was – carpel-tunnel syndrome.

The only thing that was giving me the discomfort was the keyboard and mouse. Just like most of you my wrists were bent in some awkward position to use the computer and that was causing the tingling and numbing sensation. (I might have to make a short video to demonstrate this wrist bending thing). So how could I use a computer and minimize bending my wrists? Several ways.

Posture:
Make sure you have correct posture and seating position (tips here, diagram here) when using a computer. Here’s a diagram showing correct position of your mouse hand. Here’s a diagram showing correct position for your hands on a keyboard.

Equipment:
I made a couple changes to my keyboard and mouse as well. I purchased an ergonomic keyboard and a pen tablet to help me keep the proper hand position. Future posts will feature the keyboard and pen tablet I purchased.

With these changes, I have not again experienced the pain/numbness associated with carpel-tunnel.

Why am I doing this blog? Answer here.

Would you like to share your experiences with carpel-tunnel syndrome and workplace ergonomics? Please share with your comments.

-Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka “Founding Geek”)

Palm Pre

The Palm Pre went on sale in the U.S. on June 6, 2009. I was a first-day purchaser.
Did you know that Smart-phones have been around for awhile now? Since 1993, according to WikiPedia. My first smart-phone was a Palm Treo 650, then at Palm 755p, and now the Palm Pre. OK, maybe there’s a bit of brand loyalty bias, but not as much as you think.

No, the first smart-phone was not the iPhone. It was just the first smart-phone that was marketed properly. Here’s one of the first commercials for the iPhone.

Truth be told, my Palm 650 (and most smart-phones) could do most of what was in the commercial, except maybe the GPS trick. The first commercial demonstrated what most of us with a smart-phone already knew – a smart-phone becomes a 2nd brain! The iPhone is a great phone. In fact, there are several good choices in the marketplace today.

So why did I choose the Palm Pre? Several reasons.
1.) Palm webOS: I think this is a promising OS because anyone who knows CSS, HTML and XML will be able to develop for this new OS without having to learn any new programming languages.

2.) Synergy: This technology combines e-mail, contact, calendar, and messaging. I have e-mail accounts with google, mac.com, aol, comcast, yahoo, hotmail…, well you get the idea. All the inboxes can be accessed in one folder. Contacts: if you have different information in your various accounts, it all show up in one contact on the Pre — assuming the name is the same.

3.) Multi-tasking: My co-workers know I always have many windows (applications) open on my work desktop. It’s called “Windows” you know… On the Pre, you can have multiple applications open and easily change between them with a flick of your finger. Here’s a demo.

4.) Full QWERTY keyboard: I like having a tactile touch to the keyboard. Some people complain that the keyboard is too small. Well, it’s smaller than the Treo 755p, but you get comfortable with it in time. Do you want a bigger phone? Sure you could have it slide sideways, but that has other limitations. Get over it. Life is a series of compromises.

5.) Size: Not a big part of my buying decision, but I benefit I enjoy now. Because the Pre is a slider, you can have a small phone in your pocket or purse.

6.) WiFi: Great around the home and other places – even the local grocery store.

7.) Sync with iTunes: The Palm folks piggybacked on the popularity of iTunes. You mean I can sync with my iTunes library?

What have I learned since my purchase?
webOS: The operating system is rock solid. Just like the early iPhone users, Palm Pre owners are waiting for more applications. At this publication, they are starting to be released. There are applications through the Palm app store, and homebrew apps available here.

sync: Sure, there is software to do a hardwire sync, but with a phone so connected to the Internet, you’ll need to see what’s best for you. Here’s an application for a hardwire (or WiFi) sync.
My thought was to use the easiest, least software intensive way to merge data. I have a .mac account, and a google account. I personally think that using Google contact and calendar and allowing the Pre to wirelessly sync works better. My advice is to cut the cord and use a Google account. I use Spanning Sync to keep my Google account in sync with Apple AddressBook and iCal.

Keyboard: It is small, but you’ll get comfortable with it.

Battery life: Depends on how you use the phone. Basically, you have a computer in the palm of your hand. What do you expect? If you listen to a podcast to/from work, have it check e-mail every 30- 60 minutes, search the web a handful of times and receive a few calls, you’ll get a days use before you have to charge. If you’re coming from a smart phone you’ll understand. If you’re coming from a phone, you should have a charger at work. In my opinion, you should always have on in the car. What if there’s an emergency and your battery is dead? Have a car charger regardless of the phone you have.

e-mail: I find it easier to check e-mail on the phone than on my compter!

build quality: Could be better, but it’s not poor. There is a little flex in the slider.

Touchstone charger: Seemed like an extravagance when I bought it. But it makes perfect sense. Why should I have to plug in my phone. Why can it work like by toothbrush?

Apps: Just like when the iPhone launched with a new OS, it took time for the apps to roll out. I consider myself a power-user when it comes to the smart-phone, so miss some of the applications I used with my Treo. However, if you just use the phone for contact information and normal personal information management, you’ll be fine.

overall: The Palm Pre is my 2nd brain. The OS is very stable. I really like Synergy it makes checking my schedule, contacts, events, and e-mail surprisingly easy. WiFi and Bluetooth work well. Battery life is about the same as my Treo 650 and 755p.

In subsequent posts, all address applications and accessories that I have found and use.

-Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka “Founding Geek”)