GeekSugar

Totally Geeky or Geek Chic? Electric Table

GeekSugar — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 13:05:58 -0700

The electric table is "decorated" with electrical outlets on all sides and mixes electronic aesthetic with furniture and function. As the designer Broberg and Ridderstrale points out, this encourages the integration of gadgets in our homes.

"Depending on how it is used, the electrical appliance turns into "electro-decoration," says the designer.

Power source issues are a big deal at my house and at my office, so I am naturally intrigued by the idea of being able to hook up my phone and computer right at my desktop. I'd prefer the outlets be hidden under the table top, but this is still a clean way to avoid the ugly black surge protector - assuming this table has a protector built in.

What Electronics Can Be Recycled?

GeekSugar — Thu, 28 May 2009 09:01:16 -0700

You can't escape the grocery, electronics or movie rental store without seeing a small cell recycling drop box, but how can you dispose of larger, more ecologically dangerous gadgets? Electronics companies have - or been forced to! - put considerable resources into making their products recyclable. A handful of states have even passed laws that require companies to take back their goods (Apple, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Sony all do so at no charge), but you can always be green by selling or gifting the item, or giving it to a reuse effort.

To get the scoop on electronics that can be recycled, read more.

Accepted AT All Locations	Accepted AT Most Locations	Rarely Accepted
Computer Monitors CPU's (Central Processing Units) Televisions with Cathode Ray Tubes and Flat Panel Displays Printers Laptops Cables Keyboards Mouses	Answering Machines Camcorders Compact Disc Players Copiers Duplicators Electric Typewriters Fax Machines Hard Drives Mobile Phones Modems Pagers Printed Circuit Boards Radios Remote Controls Stereos Tape Players Telephones Telephone Equipment VCRs Word Processors Batteries PDAs Games (Video)	Microwaves Smoke Detectors Large Household Appliances (Refrigerators, Washing Machines, and Air Conditioners) Toasters Fans Vacuum Cleaners Lamps Specialty Cookers

This list is based on data from the EPA. Check out the EPA's guide to where you can donate or recycle your electronics.

Daybed: Workstation Of The Future

GeekSugar — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 08:00:50 -0700

I was unable to attend ICFF 2007 last month, but my top secret spy was sweet enough to sneak a peek at the Humanscale Design Studio's prototype for its new chaise lounge workstation. It's geek, it's chic and sadly, we can't get our mittens on it yet.

The piece was designed to marry a modern lounge chair and ottoman with an ergonomically designed laptop computer support. The result, which is tentatively being called the "Daybed," is a sleek and simple workstation that's easy on the body and the eyes. It can be adjusted to suit any user - whether it's being used as a laptop desk, a full time work station or a coffee table.

According to the designers, Daybed’s high back curves around the user’s head to provide neck support and privacy, while built-in speakers positioned at ear height may be connected to a laptop computer or other peripheral device. While reclined, the backrest also supports the elbows, reducing stress in the arms and shoulders. For additional images, read more

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Daybed’s laptop tray is adjustable in both height and angle for a healthy, ergonomic work position. It has an integrated power strip, port replicator, and cable storage area, which are strategically positioned beneath a flip-up mousing surface on one side of the tray, while an extendable document tray may be slid out, as needed, from the other side. Essentially, the Daybed has more integrated power features than the Broberg and Ridderstrale's Electric Table and is about 9 bajillion times more chic than the iMedia chair. We already know that overheating laptops can cause fertility problems in men - not to mention the potential to burn your legs and cause damage to your computer- so I suspect more and more people will be in the market for ergonomic media tables that keep their laptops off their laps in the near future. Here's hoping this concept makes it onto the market.

Forget LCD; Go for Plasma, Says Maker of Both

GeekSugar — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 13:10:11 -0800

The LCD vs. Plasma debate has been a hot topic for geeks everywhere for the past few years with some extolling the greatness of the plasma, and other saying it would "burn out" before its time.

However, the tables have suddenly turned - well slightly - as the New York Times reports Panasonic, the consumer electronics company owned by Matsushita Electric Industrial and the world’s biggest seller of plasma TVs, has altered its "to each his or her own" stance. (It must be noted that the company sells a full line of popular LCD sets as well.)

Panasonic now says it believes that plasma technology is under unfair attack from competitors making “desperate attempts” to denigrate what it sees as plasma’s superiority, Bob Greenberg, Panasonic’s vice president for brand marketing is quoted as saying.

For Panasonic's six facts you need to know before you buy a flat Panel TV, just read more