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The best ergonomic keyboard
By Melanie Pinola This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to ergonomic keyboards. Ergonomic keyboards are designed to reduce strain by keeping your hands, wrists, and arms at more comfortable, natural positions than you can get with a standard keyboard. After spending months testing 10 of them, we recommend the Kinesis Freestyle Edge for anyone who does a lot of typing and is concerned about their posture or hand, arm, or shoulder pain. The Kinesis Freestyle Edge is the best option due to its fully split design; its responsive Cherry MX mechanical keys; the ability to tent the keyboard to 5, 10, or 15 degrees; its zero-degree slope and low profile; and its programmability. You can position the halves of the keyboard as close together or as far apart as you'd like in order to reduce shoulder strain and neck tension. With the recommended Lift Kit accessory, you can also tent each half (raise the inner edges of the keyboard halves) to keep your wrists at a neutral angle. Although it could take a bit of time—at least a few days, if not weeks—to get used to typing on a fully split keyboard, the Freestyle Edge was the easiest to get comfortable with thanks to its standard, familiar key layout. And if you'd like to remap keys for a different layout, you can do so in just a couple of clicks. If you're interested in better ergonomics than a traditional keyboard and don't want to spend a lot of money, we recommend the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard. It has a partially split, slightly tented design and a negative slope attachment that put your wrists in a more ideal typing position. Although it's not adjustable like fully split keyboards and its membrane keys aren't as enjoyable to type on or as durable as mechanical keys, this is a great keyboard if you're just testing the ergonomic waters or prefer laptop-like chiclet keys. Plus, the Sculpt connects via a 2.4 GHz wireless USB dongle, so you don't have to deal with the unsightly wires typical of fully-split ergonomic keyboards, including those of our other picks. If you want the most adjustable and customizable ergonomic keyboard and don't mind paying more and dealing with a steeper learning curve, we recommend the ErgoDox EZ. This is the ergonomic keyboard for tinkerers: You can adjust the legs on the fully split keyboard halves to any tented and negatively tilted angle, you have your choice of 12 different switch types, the keycaps and switches are easily replaceable, and the open source firmware lets you remap keys and modify the backlight to your liking. But the ErgoDox EZ's unique layout and blank modifier keys take time to learn, so it's not for someone who just wants to plug in their keyboard and start typing. The ErgoDox EZ is for people who want their keyboard to fit and feel just so—and are willing to put the time and effort into relearning how to type.
Fujitsu's HOAP-2 robot wipes whiteboards clean -- humankind next in line? (video)
They've taught them how to flip pancakes and shoot arrows, and now they're teaching humanoids to erase your whiteboard. That's right, the same folks who brought you iCub in a feathery headdress are back at it with Fujitsu's HOAP-2, a humanoid robot that looks like it's related to the Jetsons' maid, and can wipe a dry erase board clean via upper-body kinesthetic learning. While scientists force the robot's arm through a number of erasing movements, an attached force-torque sensor records the patterns, allowing HOAP-2 to mimic its previous actions, and voilà! You've got a blank slate. Sure, this little guy looks perfectly harmless in comparison with the bow-and-arrow-wielding iCub, but replace that eraser with a switchblade and the human race is in a whole world of hurt.
Kinesis K2 solar / wind charger hands-on: Captain Planet approved
Kinesis' K2 solar / wind charger will power any USB device and is guaranteed to disappoint people mistaking it for a handheld fan. Of course, if you're feeling less environmental, feel free plug it into an AC outlet to reenergize the thing. Anticipating popular demand, we've put video after the break.%Gallery-41422%[Via OhGizmo!]
Flickr Find: The Cocoon
Mitch Haile shared this set with our Flickr Pool to show us the ridiculously awesome setup he has in his office. From what we can tell, he has: a 24-inch Intel iMac a 15-inch MacBook Pro a Mac Pro with six (!) monitors several PCs a couple of Kinesis Freestyle keyboards The six monitors include four HPs, one ViewSonic, and a 30-inch Apple Cinema Display. The Mac Pro has three video cards. The whole shebang is served by two APC uninterruptible power supplies. Nice. Me, I just want a reason to keep an ice bucket on my desk. Thanks, Mitch!
Kinesis makes its keyboards even more ergonomic with new accessories
As if a keyboard split down the middle wasn't enough, Kinesis has now rolled out a pair of new accessories that promise to make its Freestyle keyboards, including the Solo (pictured above), even more ergonomic -- or, if you desire, even less so. Those include the Freestyle V3 accessory, which clips onto the base of the keyboard and gives you three different slope settings, and the Freestyle Ascent Multi-tent, which'll let you independently set each keying module in ten degree increments all the way up to 90 degrees, and lock 'em in at the desired distance apart from one another. If that sounds like the solution your wrists have been looking for, you can apparently grab both of 'em now, with the V3 running $25 and the Ascent setting you back a hefty $200 -- the Solo keyboard itself demands an even $100.[Via BIOS]
