Microsoft Surface Coming To AT&T Stores

Microsoft’s Surface computer will make its commercial debut April 17 in AT&T stores in New York City, Atlanta, San Antonio and San Francisco.

Microsoft first unveiled the Surface back in May 2007; the coffee-table like computer allows touch screen interaction with various surfaces, can recognize objects places on it and even interact with things like mobile phones.

AT&T said it planned to use the Surface to allow customers “to learn about the growing universe of mobile applications and devices.”

I had the opportunity to have a quick play with a Surface earlier this year and it’s one of the cooler things to come out of Redmond in the last 12 months, but I can’t help but wonder: isn’t putting a Surface in an AT&T store like driving an Aston Martin into a Ghetto? To be fair, interacting with a Surface at an AT&T store will be better than trying to interact with AT&T staff; not only will it be quicker (even if you queue for an hour to use it), it will actually be more polite and be able to explain the product its offering competently.

A demo video from May as follows:

http://www.youtube.com/v/FlZxuqjJDgk&hl=en

Reduce Health Risks Due to Long Hours at Computer with Break Reminder

Some of the common occupational hazards for workers who sit too long in front of the computer are eye strain, back pain, numbness, carpal tunnel syndrome, RSI (Repetitive Stress Syndrome), headaches, dizziness, or breathing problems. When we sit and type at the keyboard for hours, our muscles are tense and our posture may be incorrect, thus creating various health problems. It’s even users are only reading websites such as Tip and Trick. It is important to take breaks in between and correct our posture so that we do not suffer from these physical risks. Therefore, the Break Reminder program is a little known but highly useful feature for users who want to be reminded to take breaks.



Available free for home users, Break Reminder is designed to alert users to take a break from working in front of computer periodically. Users can do their preferred settings and allow the program to remind them. For instance, users can choose to activate the micropause reminder (seconds), rest break reminders (minutes) or whole screen black out option. The last is suitable for die-hard workaholics or chronic patients of back pain. Users can also choose to act on the reminder or ignore it. There are three operational modes:-

(i) Basic timed reminders - set times

(ii) Key/Mouse sensing - computer use influencing break times

(iii) Key/mouse triggering of each successive timed period. (resumption of timing on return to PC use)

There is even an audio option; users can choose a sound scheme to signal when the break begins and ends.