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Showing posts with label high tech. Show all posts
Showing posts with label high tech. Show all posts

High Tech Desk With High Price Tag Has High Hopes: The Stir Kinetic Desk


Stir Kinetic Desk Hero IIHIH

Many of us spend a good portion of our waking hours at desks, using computers and other devices to communicate and collaborate with the world around us. The folks at Stir felt that there was an incredible opportunity to re-imagine the desk as something powerful, life-changing and even lovable and that's how they came up with the pricey $3,890 Stir Kinetic Desk.

Stir Kinetic Desk 8 IIHIH

The people behind Stir are from places you’ve heard of: Apple, Disney, and IDEO to name a few. This includes industrial designers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, software developers, user-interface designers, marketers, media folks, and a whole bunch of smart business creators.

In recent news Stir has secured $1.5 million in a seed funding round led by Vegas TechFund and Zach Ware. Josh Makower, John R. Woodard, Richard Klein, and other Apple alumni also contributed to the round, according to TechCrunch.

The startup will use the new capital for the expansion of its production and distribution. It will also develop more ways to increase the functionality of the kinetic desk, the report added.

So what makes an almost $4000 desk a worthwhile investment?

Stir Kinetic Desk features IIHIH

Here's how it works:
The Stir Kinetic Desk is driven by software, and adapts to your work style. It knows when you arrive, and tracks standing time and extra calories burned.Stir Kinetic Desk 1 IIHIH
Stir Kinetic Desk How it workd IIHIH

The Stir Kinetic Desk also learns from your patterns and preferences. In active mode, the Whisperbreath feature gently moves the desk up and down one inch, inviting you to change position. It’s a gentle, tactile reminder to breathe deeply and change things up. The desk learns when it’s best to remind you, so that being more active is effortless.

stir_Kinetic_Desk  readout (Credit- Sarah Tew_CNET)

Beneath the desk’s sleek exterior, sophisticated electronics learn users’ patterns and preferences and coordinate the desk functions with user goals. A presence sensor identifies when a user is at the desk so that calorie burn and percent-standing metrics are accurate. A database tracks each user’s goals and progress and automatically invites movement at appropriate times. The “active mode” switch on the front of the desk turns on and off reminders. A color display with a touch-sensitive interface provides user interaction and feedback.

Stir Kinetic Desk 5 IIHIHStir Kinetic Desk 4 IIHIHStir Kinetic Desk 2 IIHIH

The user interacts with the desk through a 4.3-inch color LCD touchscreen (approx. 2” x 3.5”). A user can command and control the desk with gestures through the simple touch-sensitive interface.

Stir Kinetic Desk 3 IIHIH

Data on progress and history are provided through a series of graphical and text-based data visualization tools. These tools allow a user to be in touch with fitness progress toward individual fitness and health goals each day, week, or longer.



Working at a desk also means connecting to power sources and accessory devices. The Stir Kinetic Desk is equipped with bluetooth and wi-fi hardware and has built-in ports for both AC and USB power. Your desk will be neat, clean, and free of pesky cords that can distract you from being inspired or anchor you in a sitting position.

connecting

The Stir Kinetic Desk has a set of proprietary algorithms and custom interfaces to allow the desk to sense, learn, and adapt to the needs of each individual user. The firmware also tracks usage and remembers data and preferences.

Health and Wellness
Stir's surveys indicate that less than 30% of other sit/stand workstations successfully engage their owners and deliver the full health and wellness benefits of sitting less. They are either too hard to use, disrupt other worktop equipment, or simply get left in one position for too long because you’re thinking about something else. The Stir Kinetic Desk was created to eliminate these barriers.

People around the world are studying the ill effects of what is now being referred to as the "sitting disease" and below are a few examples:

”Sitting is the smoking of our generation.“ - Harvard Business Review

Each 8-hour day sitting can cut 2.5 hours off of life expectancy. - British Journal of Sports Medicine reference in NYT

”When you sit for an extended period of time, your body starts to shut down at the metabolic level.“ - Marc Hamilton, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri (Women's Health: Your Body's Biggest Enemy - The dangers of living a sedentary life)

50-minute daily productivity improvement with sit/stand - Miami University Study

Detailed Technical Specifications*
Stir Kinetic Desk specs IIHIH

• Dimensions
Top Dimensions: 58.5” x 29.5” x 3.5”
• Adjustable height:
Approximately 25” – 51”, electrically actuated
• Weight: ~150 lbs.
• Dynamic load capacity: 75 lbs.
• Static load capacity 200 lbs.
• Capacitive Touchscreen input: color 4.3” screen
• Power ports: 8 AC & 4 USB
Two (2) power ports at back corners of desk, with 4 AC and 2 USB each
Each port compartment is 12” x 8.5” x 2.5” and can be used to hide or store cables or other power equipment

Materials and Colors:
Stir Kinetic Desk 6 IIHIH Stir Kinetic Desk 7 IIHIH Stir Kinetic Desk 9 IIHIH

• Desktop is a hardwood core with a variety of premium finishes including hardwood and hard-coated polymer options
• Power port covers are powder coated metal, hinged in coordinated colors
• Desk legs are powder-coated metal, available in coordinated colors
• Desk underside is lacquered high density fiberboard, available in 4 colors
Green: Pantone 361C
Ultramarine: Pantone 2728C
Crimson: Pantone 200C
Charcoal: Pantone 426C
Electronics
• Line Voltage: 100-120V AC
• Frequency: 50Hz to 60Hz, single phase
• Operating Temperature: 50° to 85° F (10° to 29° C)
• Relative Humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing

Simple assembly required including attaching legs with bolts and attaching the middle underside panel.



* Specifications subject to change. Product includes wifi and bluetooth hardware. Software to use these features has not yet been developed. Wifi and bluetooth features will not be enabled initially and the timing for offering any additional features using wireless communication functions will be at Stir's sole discretion, and with terms of use to be determined by Stir. User presence sensing accuracy can be impacted by some environmental factors; 100% accuracy not guaranteed. Stir desktops are made from natural hardwoods and are hand crafted and finished and therefore may have irregularities in the surface and finish.

Order the Stir Kinetic Desk here

Visit Stir for more information

Time Wrapped Around Your Finger. The Ring Clock Becomes A Reality!



This award winning rechargeable time piece was initially designed by Gusztav Szikszai two years ago, sparking a lot of interest, with many people in various forums asking how they could get hold of one.

Ellie Konig and Quang Dinh Know How To Do A Wedding Video. Take Note, Soon-To-Be-Marrieds.


above: Quang and Ellie captured in their on-site reception photo booth, one of over 800 pictures by which they now have to remember the special occasion (courtesy of Quang Dinh's facebook page)

Like most newlyweds, the lovely Ellie Koning and handsome Quang Dinh wanted to capture the afterparty of their Aug. 11th nuptials on video. Unlike most couples, they used small Seattle-based production company Super Frog Saves Tokyo to do the job. (On the company's official facebook page, the folks at SFST they say they made this video for their "boss.")



The video was shot at the reception site Sodo Park in Seattle Washington in a photo booth, a now popular trend at weddings. The result is a recorded total of 4 minutes and 27 seconds of sweet jubilation unlike most painfully tacky wedding videos.


above: one of the photobooth still images from their wedding

It's been featured on MSN, Glamour.com, Jezebel and more and is rapidly turning Ellie and Quang into social media stars.


above: a still from the video

Shot at super high speed on the RED Epic camera, this 160 frame per second video unfolds in slow motion to Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” and captures the guests with simple wedding favor props like confetti, bubbles, poppers and silly string in a photo booth.



The joyful and ebullient energy conveyed is so much better and more touching than drunken statements made to camera or master shots of a dark room full of spastic dancers.

Congratulation to the happy couple, shown below in a more subdued and romantic photo from their wedding (photo courtesy of Ellie's facebook page):


Contact Super Frog Saves Tokyo to do your wedding video, or any other cool storytelling video you may need at video@sfst.com


http://www.sfst.com/

LED Surfboards Light Up The Ocean.






Pukas, who has the biggest surfboard factory in Europe, designed some special awesome colored LED surfboards. Along with Juan Mari Indo, they developed the technology and aesthetics of the lightweight glowing boards and sent them off to some surfers to try them out.







Some of the “Leds by Pukas” were sent to Portugal for Tiago Pires’ joy. The second surfboard was pro-surfer Joan Duru’s new toy. And the third, well, the third didn’t last too much as Aritz thought surfing on a solid 6ft. barreling swell on Hossegor’s beachbreaks would look great. It looked amazing indeed, but it was a 5’6 meant to be ridden for airs or less heavy stuff. No photos or videos for his attempt and that board ended up broken (sad face).




In the video below you can listen to Juan Mari Indo’s thoughts on the surfboards, a decorator-adventurer-artist who has been key on the development of the LEDs, along the whole crew at the Pukas factory, specially Johnny Cabianca:


Nike 6.0 launched a huge campaign for The Chosen featuring 22 year old Biarritz surfer Naum Ildefonse surfing with the “Leds by Pukas”, directed by Surface to Air:


Naum Ildefonse with his LED by Pukas:



Surfers Tiago Pires and pro-surfer Joan Duru were filmed surfing on the LEDs by Puka in the following video:





So if you feel like ordering the most special surfboard you could ever imagine, send them an e-mail at olatu@pukassurf.com because you might be able to own one…

About Pukas Surf:
Their surfboard factory is the biggest in europe, placed between Mundaka and Hossegor in the nearby area of San Sebastian and Zarautz, Spain's Basque Country. The shops and the surfschools are part of a group that employs close to a hundred people.

Pukas

Thanks to Pukas and Fitenia Surf Shop for additional images

Smart Baby Monitor Works with iPhone or iPad. The Only Thing It Doesn't Do Is Change Diapers.





The Smart Baby Monitor from Withings is truly a game changing device for new moms and dads. Sleek in design and compact in size, it's packed with the latest technological features that will put any nervous parent at ease.





It's design looks very "apple" with its touch screen interface and it can be used to monitor your baby wirelessly with your iPhone, iPad or iPad Touch via Wi-Fi, Ethernet or Bluetooth.



The Smart Baby Monitor has a high resolution screen (zoom, pan tilt and night vision), crystal clear sound, detects movement and noise, has sensors to monitor the temperature and humidity in the room, can send you four different types of alerts, a built in loudspeaker to play lullabies (you control the volume), controllable LED color changing light acts as a soothing night light and it's rechargeable with an included USB cable.

Works on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch:

Night Vision and History:

Alerts you to noise, temperature and activity:

Monitors room temperature and humidity ( Farenheit or Celsius):

Plays your choice of lullaby (you control the volume, too):



Color Changing LED nightlight:


The Monitor comes with a free iOS application available from the App Store: compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and 3 accounts can access the Smart Baby Monitor simultaneously, so both parents and a nanny can all be watching baby, if need be.

Languages available: EN, FR, DE, ES & IT



It does more, too. Get all the details here.

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