Steelcase Sit-to-Walkstation

Steelcase announced today,

We're excited to announce one of our latest product additions to our store. Our popular Walkstation just got better. Now introducing our new Sit-to-Walkstation, a variation on our current Walkstation. Ideal for a personalworkspace. This sit-to-walk version provides an area where the work surface can be lowered for seated use. The user then has the flexibility to adjust from a seated, to a standing, to a walking position with room for a chair next to the treadmill.

Very smart. What an awesome work benefit that would be!

You can find the latest, here:

Of course, I'm biased towards my more intense, home-gym version, but if I were in a cubicle farm of these... well... I can certainly understand the speed being capped at 2mph. I certainly wouldn't want to be FORCED to work in a sweaty gym every day, but the, "stroll and work," model works! Well done!

Welcome, Statement of Purpose

[Due to recent publicity in Time Magazine, I'm reposting the welcome statement here.]

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Hello there. My name is Crockett.

I own an IT business. It is called CDLLC. My business has a blog, here.

I love life.

I mean, I love being alive, and I would like to postpone the cessation of my being alive as much as possible.

This blog is for the serious information technology worker concerned for her or his physical health. Let's face it, our generation has seen enough sedentary IT worker and computer addicts die of cardiovascular related illnesses anywhere from their late 20s to early 40s. This is serious.

So perhaps it's more appropriate to say that this blog is intended to help the IT/Knowledge worker stay healthy, and survive in an industry that constantly begs us to "please be seated."

The Ultimate Internet Treadmill Workstation, Wired Home Gym, and generally surviving and staying healthy as an information technology professional have all generated enough interest to merit splitting this topic off from the primary blog into this focused forum.

With that, to those seeking physical and fiscal health in this post-information-revolution era in which we live, I say, "WELCOME!" (from the treadmill, in fact).

Come on in, explore, and most of all SHARE your methods and experiences with countering what has historically been a purely sedentary vocation.

Kindest regards,
Crockett

Walkstation Featured on NPR

From http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100580348

Day to Day, February 11, 2009 · The Walkstation is a computer desk with a built-in treadmill. People have bought them and used them regularly. But what does this product say about our multi-tasking society?

This segment was originally broadcast on February 12, 2008.

Full audio here, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100580348

Pics

These were taken long ago. I have video, too, but I am painfully shy.

This months Candy- a little Zen to go with your GENIUS

A nifty way to mix things up musically when you're not listening to your text.

http://crockettdunn.blogspot.com/2009/01/little-zen-to-go-with-you-itunes-genius.html

SteelCase WalkStation DANGER? Editorial sent to TIME Magazine

[note: the following editorial was sent in response to Belinda Luscombe's November 26 TIME Magazine article entitled, "DANGER: Walking While Working," found here: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1862448,00.html.

You gotta ask- what lawyer forced the slapping of the word DANGER on at the last minute. I say, "Kudos to you, Belinda, for speaking of all the merits, and I am sorry your article title mis-represented the entire article and video."]

# # #
Dear Editor,

After reading Belinda Luscombe's article in your Dec. 8, 2008 issue, I was disturbed by the lead word in the title, "DANGER." This first, powerful word warns millions of readers against what can be a health-transforming, longevity-enhancing, mood-improving therapy in their busy lives.

According to one source, heart disease is the leading cause of annual death in the United States, representing 30% of all deaths in the United States. The same source attributes accidents to approximately 5% of annual deaths. However, about 50% of these accidents are motor vehicle related, leaving us with about a 2.5% annual death rate due to accidents, vs. a 30% annual death rate due to heart attacks.
As further evidence, I offer myself, along with all others who have been using home-built treadmill workstations for years: Switching from chair to treadmill for my morning email routine has helped me shed 35 lbs of body fat, lowered my blood pressure by 30 / 10pts respectively (systolic/diastolic), and dropped my resting heart rate by over 25 ticks per minute.

If happiness and health are dangerous, that's a risk we should all be willing to take.

Thirty-five pounds lighter and happier than ever,
From a Treadmill Workstation in Silicon Valley,
Crockett Dunn
[http://internet-treadmill-workstation.blogspot.com/]


[sources]
National Vital Statistics Report, Volume 53, Number 5 (October 2004)
National Vital Statistics Report, Volume 50, Number 15 (September 2002)

Review: Targus Pointer, Air Mouse

I'm kinda irked right now, because this is the first time my hobby of searching out the best of breed products for the treadmill workstation- you know, the "ultimate treadmill workstation" and wired home gym- has interfered with my productivity.

Let me rewind and be fair to Targus, though. Maybe I'm old and resistant to change, but this is the pointer of choice for the Nintendo Wii generation.

So here's the deal, this little guy has joystick style mouse controller, and it sets the mouse control panel with a great acceleration rate. I find it allows me to be more nimble than with the other air mouse. The joystick also pushes downwards, like most game controllers, for a left-click (normal click).

There are also two buttons above the "joystick," a right/left click, just like on a mouse. But you gotta use two hands if you wanna hold down the left click button. A more coordinated person could probably do it with the thumb-stick alone.

Below the thumbstick are 3 buttons, presumably programmable for presentations and slide shows: left, right, and special.

ADDED BONUS- it's got a red laser pointer built in- cats and dogs love it.

OK so why am I irked? It's not a mouse. I can't take a break from my areal coordination and place it on a flat surface like I can with the Gyration products.

Furthermore, after plugging the USB receiver into my machine, my Gyration mouse IS NO LONGER RESPONSIVE. So I'll have to either work sedentary or find time to uninstall/reinstall drivers.

Conclusion:
Wii-generation, give it a shot. Especially off-treadmill (bench press, hanging around the gym).
My-generation: Be prepared to invest time making your old mouse work if you choose to test the Targus device.