Wednesday 20 May 2009

Shop of the day!

Here we go again shoppers! Today we're going to delve into the world of crazy beds. This brilliant new design takes the shape of a giant casket. The bed was designed by Kris Van Puyvelde and Frank Boschman and incorporates a great use of colour and texture. It comes with an adjustible lid which allows you to either enclose yourself or relax in comfort whilst grabbing some shade. Of course it's not one of the most sensible bed designs around and most people wont be able to fit it in your average two-up two-down. As a concept idea its fantastic and hopefully a more affordable version will land in the shops soon.



Available from Royal Botania

Monday 18 May 2009

Shop of the day!

Today’s shop of the day brings us once again back into the world of covert op’s. Ever wanted to see what your kids are up to on their computer? Or maybe even a work colleague or a housemate? Sometimes you just need to know what’s going on and now you have the chance. Keyloggers have been around for ages. In the dark world of internet usage they are normally used by criminals to steal sensitive information, but now you can use them to keep tabs on people.

The Spy-Cobra is a USB device which installs a small hidden application on any PC which can log keystrokes, take screenshots and report upon people’s internet history. All you have to do is plug it in, install the software and then disconnect it. Once installed all you have to do is wait and then later re-plug the USB and transfer the data which can be viewed on another machine. 007 once again!



Available from Bimbambanana.com for $166.

Friday 15 May 2009

Shop of the day!

Here's another great eco gift out there for all you tech lovers with an environmental conscious. This charming little wooden USB 2.0 stick comes in both 1gig and 2gig variations and is made with genuine Samsung memory. Its’ got a great look to it and has a read speed of 22mb’s/per sec and a write speed of 11mb’s/per sec. It’s a great little gift for any IT user. Portable and small with a stylish wood finish. Love it!



Available from Woodenusb.com for $55 for 1gig and $65 for a 2gig stick.

Tuesday 12 May 2009

Shop of the day!

Well ladies and gents here's todays hot pick. Iv'e always been a fan of SkullCandy gear and whilst surfing through packets and gigs of spam I came across these great eco-friendly headphones.



The headphones have a great wood finish and they also features a braided foil cord and a 3.5mm gold-plated plug. The phones are finished off with a cheeky skull print. It's a great set for those who like tastefull wood finishes. Global warming activists and climate change campaigners will love it, great phones great buy!

$99 available from SkullCandy.

Monday 11 May 2009

Shop of the day!

I’m gonna try and mix it up a little on Shoppa-Dabba-Do from now on. Everday we at Shoppa headquarters are going to scan through web in order to bring the latest, craziest most beat-boxing funkiest gadgets and gizmo’s we can find from across the world.

So to start with here’s our pick of the day! Ever wanted to be a spy? How about a bit of a perv :(? Well yes here’s what you always wanted a pin hole camera tie! Apart from the bad print it’s almost unnoticeable and it comes with USB and 2gig’s of storage space, great for all you wannabe 007’s! A word of warning thou in my experience of digital editing 2gig’s is not a great deal so don’t expect it to last long. Average recording time may only last a couple of minutes and I’ve yet to see any images so I have no idea on the supposed quality.



$66 available from Brando

Friday 1 May 2009

RSI Troubles

For many who work in the computer industry RSI has become a common feature and annoyance of daily life. There are many forms of Repetitive Strain Injury. The most common form of RSI involves wrist pain caused by either typing or constant arching of the hand when using the mouse. For some people myself included it can be a nightmare to endure and deal with. Working on a computer for 8 hours a day at work and then going home and gaming for another few hours leaves me virtually crippled for the rest of the evening.

Aside from the pain the main problem with RSI is that there is very little treatment available from an advanced medical perspective. Sufferers of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can now undergo a form of surgery to help alleviate the problems, but the majority of RSI patients have no other choice but to deal with it as best as they can. If you are experiencing wrist based pain then there are several steps you should take to help quell the pain.

Step 1: As with most ailments your first step should always be to go to the doctors. A few simple stretches and tests can help discover if you have a more serious form of RSI like CTS or not. It’s best to try and catch RSI as soon as possible, so as soon as you start experiencing discomfort pick up the phone and make yourself an appointment. In most cases the doctor will suggest a course of Ibuprofen to deal with the inflammation in the wrist.

Step 2: The next thing you can do, and the doctor will advise this, is to minimise your amount of time on the computer. Of course this is not necessarily the easiest thing to do, especially if you work in the industry and like most IT professionals you like to mess about on your own computer after work. The best thing you can do is arm up with as many pads as possible, move your mouse central so you are not over extending and stretching. Another sensible step is to try and use the mouse with your other hand, but this is easier said than done and it takes a while to get used to.

Step 3: If you can afford it then another sensible suggestion is to arrange a few massage or physio sessions. These can help with overall muscle problems which will not cure, but will help alleviate some of the pain.

Step 4: Shop on for some ergonomic accessories. Wrist splints are not altogether advisory as they can potentially aggravate your RSI. It’s much more beneficial to change your habits rather than continue with the way you work.

I spent the last few days taking a look at some ergonomic mice on the net. Here’s my top 3.


3G Ergonomic Mouse

For those of you who once held an affinity with old school comps like the C64, Amiga A500 or Spectrum then this is the joystick mouse for you. The unique, ergonomic vertical grip design has been clinically proven to reduce muscle strain and discomfort associated with carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive stress injuries compared to using a traditional mouse. 3M EM500 Ergonomic Mouse enhances your comfort by keeping arms and shoulders in a more relaxed, neutral position.



Wow Pen Joy

The Wow Pen joy is basically a mouse turned 90 degrees clockwise. The mouse is ergonomically designed to be held in a hand shake like position. This removes the need to arch the wrist which is the main cause of RSI. It contains all the usual mouse functions, but unfortunately is not yet available in a wireless format.



PenClic Mouse

Is it a pen or is it a mouse…. Well it’s just a mouse. The PenClic mouse works as pen; you move the pen inside the unit as you would a pen over paper. The wrist-position when using it means a considerably reduced chance of RSI. The very fast optical sensor reacts immediately to hand movements.