Blog Those Butts Off. Literally. The Walkstation; Computer +Treadmill

Being a blogger, or any job that keeps one 'tied to the computer', is a very sedentary lifestyle for the most part. Big butts, hemorrhoids and a lack of a social life can be some of the side effects. But now, with the advent of the Walkstation, a collaboration between The Mayo Clinic's Dr. James Levine and respected office furniture manufacturer, Steelcase, bloggers and computer geeks can actually get a work out while typing away.


Above: Dr. James Levine with his Walkstation

The Walkstation is the fully integrated combination of an electric height-adjustable worksurface with an exclusively engineered, low speed commercial grade treadmill. And it’s the first product in the entirely new FitWork™ category of products from Details designed to bring healthy habits to sedentary workers while they are actually working

Five years ago, Details, a subsidiary of the office-furniture manufacturer Steelcase, introduced a height-adjustable desk that allows people to stand while they work. Taking the concept a step further, the company recently unveiled the Walkstation, a height-adjustable desk connected to a treadmill. Office employees can now conduct meetings or peck away on their keyboards while using a specially designed treadmill that tops out at 2 miles per hour. The goal, says Details president Bud Klipa, is not to replace a trip to the gym, but to promote movement in the sedentary office environment, in turn creating a healthier workforce.The company developed the product in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic’s Dr. James Levine, who studies energy expended during routine daily activities. The curved desk comes in five different sizes, with a height-adjustment range of 241¼4'' to 52''. Priced at about $4,000, it is only available commercially.



The treadmill plugs in to a standard 110-volt outlet and features a noise-reducing belt, a high-torque motor designed for low speeds over long durations, a safety key, and a console that displays pace, time, distance, and calories burned. Klipa says first-time users are often surprised they can work while walking. “People tend to look at it and scratch their heads at first,” he says. “There really isn’t anything else like it on the market.”


Treadmill

Display console shows speed, calories burned, time and distance. Console may be visible or stored

2.0 mph maximum motor

High torque motor to withstand the rigors of slow speeds and possible higher weights for long periods of time

Whisper quiet for the office environment

Uses 3-8 amps depending on walking speed

Series 7 Height-AdjusTable Worksurface

• Height adjustment on the treadmill key pad
• Worksurface proportioned for limited reach
• Urethane High Profile edge spans entire front edge

Details, A Steelcase Company, Grand Rapids, Mich

Learn all about it here.

Anke Weiss' Working Sterling Silver Security Tags

Extra ID jewellery by Dutch designer Anke Weiss imitates the security tags attached to items of clothing in shops to prevent them from being stolen. The pieces are made from sterling silver and include actual security alarm parts.



Source: Dezeen

Designer Anke Weiss also makes one of my favorite rugs, the snow-angel rug. Made of sheepskin, it has a snow angel shaved within it:


To see more of Dutch Designer Anke Weiss' work, visit his site.

Hip, Luxurious & Really Remote: Posada de Mike Rapu Is Now Open

Located on mythical Easter Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, explora en Rapa Nui –Posada de Mike Rapu– is now open.




Around for only a few months, it's already one of the hottest and hippest destinations. A luxury hotel in a remote and beautiful location that offers guests some very interesting tours; choose between 5 or more different explorations that are selected according to climatic conditions, guests’ preferences, length and difficulty.





The group size maximum is 8 people, along with a bilingual guide who brings along all necessary equipment.

Important facts:
•All rooms have air conditioning.
•The nearest hospital is 5 hours away in Santiago.
•They do not offer horseback riding or scuba diving.

the climate:
With an excellent climate year-round, the average temperature is 21ºC (69.8ºF), with temperatures of 28ºC (82.4 ºF) during summer (January—February) and 14ºC (57.2 ºF) to 22ºC (71.6 ºF) in winter (June—August).




According to a nice in-depth review on hotelchatter.com:

"The hotel is set high up on a mound towards the south side of the island, a few kilometers away from the town. It's built to blend in, with spacious, rounded architecture, large stone walls and pillars of volcanic rock, wooden roofs and a covered bar and breakfast area. Rough and ready yet still reeking style, from its unpainted wooden furniture and bumpy walls to its unkempt grassy surroundings and stepping-stone paths.

There are only 30 rooms, all comfortable, complete and gorgeous. Huge, full-length windows from which you can watch the sun rise over the ocean. Waterfall showers and baths the size of swimming pools.

...the WiFi's dodgy and there's no tv, the rates are high but this price includes all food, drink, tours and transfers: 3 nights in a double room costs US$1,794 or US$2,334 per person, depending on room. From July 2008, rates rise to US$2,097 or US$2,730."

The hotel is located on a hill in the Te Miro Oone sector, on 9.6 hectares of land that faces the sea. The hotel is situated in the southwestern zone of the island, 5.6 km from Hanga Roa – the only town on the island – and it acts as a base for exploring this attractive and mysterious island, home to a culture whose origins and evolution remain unexplained.



Volcanic rock, native to the island and always used by the island’s inhabitants in construction, and wood from the mainland are the principal materials.



The hotel has 30 guestrooms that spread out from central areas that house reception, living areas, a bar, kitchen and services. Next to the common areas is the Casa de Baños Hare Vai, with a pool, massage salon and open-air Jacuzzis.





How do you get there? Fly to Santiago via an international flight. From Santiago, travelers must take a 5-hour flight to Easter Island. You can also arrive to Easter Island flying from Tahiti (Papeete). The flight takes 5 hours. explora staff will greet and transfer guests to explora en Rapa Nui.

Go here for booking, rates and more information.