Latest news with #peripherals
Forbes
02-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Could The Threat Of RSI Be A Shot In The Arm For Ergonomic Mouse Maker Contour?
The market for ergonomic peripherals and other items like standing desks is on the rise. Last month, I looked at the Logitech MX Ergo S trackball, a device that can often be a good solution for anyone who is in danger of developing Repetitive Strain Injury or other postural problems from repeated use of a mouse. This month, I want to look at other ergonomic mouse options to see how they could help alleviate muscular strain from excessive mouse usage. Contour Design was founded in 1995 by Steve Wang who noticed the prevalence of wrist pain and carpal tunnel syndrome in some of the CAD designers he knew who were using their computer mouse all day, Wang decided there had to be a better way to design an input device that could reduce the risk of RSI-type injuries. The development of ergonomic mice and keyboards was also driven after the first generation of computer users began to develop injuries and ended up suing their employers for not ensuring they had a safe working environment. The threat of multi-million-dollar lawsuits also helped to fuel the demand for better mice. The Ubnimouse is another product from Contour Design and has an adjustable tilt as well as being ... More available in left and right-hand versions. Fast forward 30 years and Contour has morphed into one of the leading developers of ergonomic computer peripherals. The brand is known for its flagship RollerMouse. The company may be relatively small, but it is a global concern that focuses solely on developing products that re-engineer how people use their computers. Contour's goal is to save the hands, wrists, shoulders and livelihoods of workers around the world who spend long hours working in front of their computers using software like photo editors, CAD design, video editors and other mouse-intensive applications. While traditional mice are fine for pointing and clicking, they aren't designed to suit individual user's unique needs. A normal mouse may be relatively harmless when used in short bursts, but when pushed around for eight hours a day, five days a week, for most of the year, they become something else. Problems may not arise until after 30 years and that's when people can begin to see serious injuries developing. The Unimouse can be tilted to just the right angle so the user puts less pressure on their wrist. A standard computer mouse forces users to put their wrists flat on a desk surface. This can cut off the medial nerve that runs through the transverse carpal ligament that serves as a protective sheath for the nerves. It functions a little like a garden hose, where the nerve running through it is like water running through a hose. Now imagine how manipulating a mouse by moving it from side to side can cause the wrist to pivot. That's a bit like pinching and kinking our analogous garden hose, which can obstruct or stop the flow of water. Over time, those kinks create a weakness in the hose, which becomes even more prone to kinking. That is how carpal tunnel syndrome develops. The problem of excessive mouse use is also exacerbated by the user constantly having to reach for the mouse, which can cause shoulder strain. To counter this, some people prefer to keep their elbow on their chair armrest and pivot the mouse that way. This action can cause painful conditions like tennis elbow.\ To combat these problems, Contour makes something called the Unimouse. It's a vertical style mouse that places the hand into a handshake-like posture, forcing the wrist to be placed flat on the desk to remove contact stress and greatly reducing pivoting. Thes changes in posture can help reduce the factors that cause carpal tunnel syndrome. The Contour Unimouse is available in both left and right-hand versions with a range of connections. The Contour Unimouse has an adjustable body angle and thumb support for a 'natural posture' with the mouse. The ideal setup would be a combination of thumb support position and body angle where the user has full control over the mouse but without the need to actively grip it. This helps reduce the fatigue that using a mouse all day can cause. The Unimouse is also designed to boost productivity thanks to six programmable buttons that enable users to create personal shortcuts and streamline tasks across various applications. Additionally, the Unimouse has a long-lasting rechargeable battery that runs for weeks on a single charge. The Contour Design Unimouse has a rechargeable battery that runs for weeks on a single charge. With its smooth and precision scrolling, the Unimouse is suitable for use by anyone who needs detailed control, such as CAD designers, graphic artists and power users. Using a combination of ergonomic design, customizable features and reliable battery life, the Contour Unimouse is all about comfort and efficiency and has controls like left and right buttons, scroll wheel, plus backwards and forwards buttons for web browsing. Contour's other main ergonomic input product is the RollerMouse Red. Claimed to be the closest thing to a 'cure all' for RSI-type problem, the device has a centralized design and rollerbar control that encourages users to vary their posture when working at a computer. The device allows for finger and thumb control and can be used ambidextrously. The variety of usage styles helps eliminate the regular cursor control and repetitiveness that be the root cause of RSIs. The RollerMouse Red from Contour is not cheap but it does offer some advanced solutions for people ... More with or in danger of contracting serious injury from repetitive use of input devices. The RollerMouse Red also includes a built-in palm support and rollerbar that can relieve contact stress on the wrist as well as encouraging movement with the whole arm instead of just pivoting at the wrist. The centralized placement also helps to keep shoulders relaxed and elbows in. With adaptations for all the functions people are likely to use on a computer, the roller bar ensures minimal stretching while its central working position protects against back, neck and shoulder pain. The narrow wrist rest is made from vegan leather and memory foam. There is also an antibacterial surface which is high resistant to infection. The RollerMouse Red's narrow wrist rest is suitable for smaller hands and compact workstations. With built-in copy and paste buttons, it's also easy to quickly transfer text or images between programs. For other frequently used shortcuts, some of the device's buttons can be customized for those functions. The Roller Mouse Red forces the user to adopt safer mousing posture. For anyone who has ever suffered from some form of repetitive strain injury knows the long-term pain and disability these conditions can cause. With more of us working longer hours at home, often in less-than-ideal seating and working conditions, ergonomics has never been more important. However, there's less chance of employers sending ergonomic specialists to the homes of workers for a workspace assessment. With that in mind, it's reasonable to speculate that the market for ergonomic input devices could see significant growth, especially if legal action increases from employees injured by working long hours at home with poorly designed devices. The Contour RollerMouse Red is available now from Contour and with prices start at £349 / €403 and the Contour Unimouse is priced from £82 / €94 depending on type of connectivity.
Digital Trends
25-05-2025
- Digital Trends
I used to ignore my peripherals, but these 3 things made me change my mind
It's been nearly 20 years since I built my first PC. Those first attempts were shaky, scary, and of course, very budget-oriented, but I was immediately hooked. But PC building is an expensive hobby, so in my chase for the best graphics cards and top-shelf processors, I always neglected my peripherals. Years later, I've learned my lesson, and I know now that finding some balance between loading up on components and ignoring them in favor of expensive peripherals is important. Here are the four upgrades I splurged on in the last couple of years, and why I think you should do the same. Recommended Videos High-quality gaming mouse Before I ever entertained the idea of building my own PC, I was already a gamer. I started gaming when I was just a few years old, and that was mostly on the SNES. Despite that fact, I never really played games that relied heavily on having a good mouse. My early PC gaming memories include titles like RollerCoaster Tycoon, Pharaoh, Civilization, The Sims, and Diablo 2. (I bet you can guess my age based on that information.) I later moved on to World of Warcraft and got hooked for, well, a very long time. A mouse was needed, sure, but it was never a make it or break it kind of situation. I never got into first-person shooters or MOBAs, so I didn't need a speedy mouse; I just needed something that worked. The result? I continuously bought $5 to $10 mice that lasted a mere few months before needing to be replaced. I thought that was good enough, but boy, was I wrong. The concept of the Razer Naga mouse was always intriguing to me. As I often play MMOs and games that require a bunch of keybinds, assigning different combinations of Shift or Control was getting annoying. I never had the budget to support getting a better mouse, though, so I ignored the hunch for years — until I finally decided to take the plunge and get myself the Razer Naga V2 Pro. Getting a proper mouse was an eye-opening experience. The feel, the speed, the accuracy, and the addition of so many extra buttons really transformed my gaming experience. This mouse wasn't cheap, and I tried out a few midrange mice before it, but ultimately, I got stuck on this one — and I love it. My only regret? I don't think I'll ever be able to use a super cheap mouse again without wishing I had something better. I might just stick to various iterations of the Naga as long as they're being produced. Mechanical keyboard I've always abused my keyboards — anyone who types as much as I do does the same thing. I don't just use my keyboard for games, I use it for work and for fun (I like to write in my spare time, too, who would've thought). As such, I went through keyboards the same way I went through mice: Very, very quickly. Being on a tight budget for many of my PC builds, I always just bought any sort of keyboard. The kind that's just called 'gaming keyboard' and barely even mentions the manufacturer. I eyed the big brands with some jealousy, but I always settled for those $10 to $20 no-name alternatives. Funnily enough, reading articles right here on Digital Trends convinced me to reconsider my stance on expensive keyboards. One of my colleagues covered a lot of mechanical keyboards and curated a list of the best gaming keyboards. Reading about them convinced me to give it a go, and wow, am I glad that I did. If you're a little skeptical like I was, let me tell you: Mechanical keyboards are not just an unnecessary expense. If you like a click-y type of keyboard that really responds to everything you type, as well as a keyboard you can fully customize, you really should just try one. Me? I owned my mechanical keyboard for all of five minutes before declaring that I'd never ever go back to membrane. It's just way too good. Decent monitors (that actually match) I'm one of those people who are still holding on to their dual monitor setups instead of switching to ultrawides. What can I say — my neck hates it, but I can't imagine scaling back to just one monitor. Both for gaming and for work, I use my second monitor nearly constantly, and sometimes, I almost wish I had three. (I'm talking myself out of it, I promise.) But, much like keyboards and mice, I always just prioritized my displays a lot lower than my actual PC. I'd spend more of my budget on components and then tell myself that I'd maybe get a better monitor one day. Then, once I saved up, I'd instead be tempted by something like more storage, RAM, or a better GPU. When I upgraded my PC last year, I chose to balance things out a bit more. The truth is that having a great PC and low-quality displays is a waste; a monitor needs to be good enough to keep up with your GPU, after all. As a result, I finally upgraded to 1440p monitors with 165Hz refresh rates. Those monitors are kind of the standard now, but I used 1080p 60Hz for years. It's like night and day. The refresh rates are almost a necessity with a decent PC, and more screen real estate, thanks to the higher resolution, is super welcome, too. Again, I ruined budget monitors for myself, and I can't imagine going back. Balance is important It's entirely possible to get by with low-quality peripherals. I did it for years, and I still had a blast using each and every PC I've ever built — no complaints. I knew that it wasn't optimal. Having a cheap monitor with a high-end PC doesn't make much sense, but then, I mostly had mainstream PCs that couldn't aim higher than 1080p anyway. When you're trying to stay within a certain budget, it's easy to focus on the one thing you know is going to be a huge upgrade, such as pushing for more RAM or a better processor. It's true that my pricier (although not super high-end) peripherals don't increase my frame rates in games, but they certainly boost the enjoyment I get from using my PC. I love every single keystroke on my mechanical keyboard; my mouse (kind of) makes me play better (sometimes); my monitors finally feel right and can keep up with my GPU. Gaming experience doesn't always need to equal frame rates. It took me too long to realize that, but from now on, I know I'll always balance it out. If you're in the same boat, treat yourself to a better keyboard or a new headset when you can — you'll love it in a whole new way.
