The Aeron Office Chair by Herman Miller, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, is so innovative and aesthetically pleasing it has a permanent place in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Designers Don Chadwick and Bill Stumpf sought to create a chair that is anthropometrically inclusive and environmentally benign.
Aeron does more than accommodate, it truly fits people of all sizes. Design research included thermal testing and pressure mapping to determine weight and heat distribution. Herman Miller advanced the radical idea that a work chair should fit like a piece of clothing. Rejecting standard anthropometric data, they created more inclusive tables. They then designed a small chair to fit a 1st percentile female, which adjusted larger at many key points, and a large chair for a 99th percentile male, which adjusted smaller. Finally a third chair, for the middle range of sitters was created.
Research determined that the natural pivot point for reclining is the ankle, and the chair works this way, rather than forcing pivoting at the pelvis. Known as kinematic coherence, this example is an integral element of the Aeron design.
Thermal comfort is another strong attribute of the Herman Miller Aeron Office Chair. The patented Pellicle mesh allows sitters to remain thermally neutral– becoming neither heated or damp through contact with foam padding. Chairs with a breathable surface actually lower office thermal control costs.
The chair’s components contain a high proportion of recycled material, and is itself 94% recyclable.
Although expensive, the Aeron lives up to its lofty design goals.
The LaCie iamaKey Thumb-Drive is one of the better thumb-drives that is available. More and more people are choosing to carry flash drives with them at all times, but this means that the drives must be inconspicuous, carry a lot of data, and, most importantly, stand up to abuse.
This thumb-drive is all of that and more. It fits very well on a keyring, as promised, and looks just like a key, albeit a little larger. Unless it was inspected closely, nobody would ever know that it is a flash drive. The drive is remarkably strong, and even waterproof to a degree. It does not flex at all when plugged into the computer, even with the keyring and the weight of the other keys attached. It has excellent transfer speeds. The drive also has remarkably low failure rates after one year: approximately 4%, as compared to the industry standard of around 12%.
There is only one problem with the drive. This is that the serial number is not included on the drive itself. Rather, it is included in the disposable packaging that comes with the drive. The manufacturer has chosen not to honor warranties without a serial number, so this can pose a problem. However, given the strength of the drive it is unlikely that anyone will encounter a situation in which he or she needs to call in a warranty.
Overall this drive is highly recommended. However, a customer should make sure that he or she copies the serial number onto a text file and puts it in multiple locations before throwing away the original packaging.
Who knew that a bunch of magnetic balls could be so much fun? Buckyball Magnetic Building Spheres, or Buckyballs for short, are small super strong magnetic balls that stick together. Each pack you buy contains 216, which is enough to build lots of complicated structures. As simple as the idea is, it is surprising how much fun they are. Shipped in a nifty case as a cube, you can literally peel off layers of spheres and unfold it into a giant T. Some simple rearrangement and you have a pyramid. Use an old credit card and you can dice them any way you want. Really, the only limit to what you build is your imagination. Or, if you are like me, it is more fun to just break them into random shapes and reassemble them differently, not really having any shape in mind. They are a wonderful toy to fidget with.
Buckyballs are not the only type of toy like this. There are other brands, but they generally have smaller, more cheaply made magnetic spheres. Unlike Buckyballs, their spheres start to fall apart into metallic flakes. Unlike their competition, you can also choose from a different colors. In addition to the classic chrome finish, you can also get gold silver and black. No matter what color you choose, each Buckyball will be made of high quality grade N35 Neodymium magnets that are 5mm in diameter.
These may be the perfect desktop toy. They just beg to be fiddled with. If you need something to do while you think, or are just bored of working, these will provide the perfect distraction for you. Just remember to start working again afterward. For such a simple toy, they are really addictive.
As a moderate whiskey sipper I enjoy a few good blends but like to take the edge off with a couple of ice-cubes. Using ice dilutes the overall balance of the flavors so I do not get the real taste of what was intended by the distiller. Being somewhat of a technology geek I decided to try various ice-cube alternatives to test the effects on the taste of my favorites. I am happy to say that I have indeed found an acceptable alternative to the common ice-cube.
Whiskey Stones are a new innovation for the whiskey and bourbon connoisseur out there who likes their spirits on the rocks but hates diluting their favorite libation with ordinary ice cubes. Just drop the stones into the freezer until ready to use. Put them in the bottom of your glass, cover them with two fingers of your favorite beverage, wait five minutes to chill, and enjoy.
These little soapstone wonders cool your drink without diluting the mild nuance of your favorite brand. Whiskey Stones allow you to taste what the distiller meant for you to taste. They impart a “stony” chill to your drink that leaves the real taste intact. They are non-porous so they will not pick up any strange flavors or odors. They can be reused after you are finished by just rinsing them off and letting them air dry before replacing in the freezer. The best thing is that they hold their temperature a fairly long time so enjoy rocks these and sip away.
Once upon a time, the Sony Walkman was the last word in portable music devices for the budget audiophile. Nowadays, it has stiffer competition from Apple and Microsoft but Sony is still putting out a quality device.
The latest iteration of the Walkman is one of the most elegantly designed music devices on the market. Essentially just a pair of headphones, the user is able to slip them on and off with ease when traveling. Playlists are randomized but users can quickly scan songs with the press of a button.
The controls themselves are intuitive. As their is no external media device attached to the headphones, users will control the Sony Walkman by pressing buttons which line the earbuds. For the most part, this is a very intuitive control system but new users might take a little while to get used to controlling their music without being able to see their input.
Of course, what really matters is the sound quality. Audio from the Walkman can be played surprisingly loud for such a small, compact device. The device can really pump the bass and there’s very little audio distortion.
The headphones are waterproof, making them excellent companions for long jogs out in the elements. Sony claims they can even be used in the shower, although there haven’t been many tests to see how well it actually preforms under these circumstances.
Overall, the 2GB Sony Walkman is a great way to get your portable music without breaking the bank for flashier digital music players.
Cool things, gadgets and lifestyle for those who appreciate design, style and general cool stuff. We highlight everything that you should have or aspire to have to enhance your life for luxury, style & geek cred.
