With more employers, from all over the world, getting sued for repetitive stress injuries mainly caused by cheap keyboards (and workspaces), perhaps it’s time to take a long look at the exciting new ergonomic keyboards being offered, like the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 by Microsoft.

With all the bells and whistles packed into this keyboard, Microsoft could’ve easily bumped its price but instead, they chose to make it affordable which is very good new for everyone.

The layout is divided into two layouts of keys which are slanted 24 degrees away from each other to accomodate the "natural" angle of the user’s writs as they reach the keyboard from the sides of their body.

Furthermore, the two banks of keys slope upward toward the middle following a 14 degree slant which reduces the rotation of the user’s wrists.

The key response is both quiet and comfortable as the goal is to cushion the fingers, when typing. Most people should appreciate this.

This is a smarter keyboard than the "plain old" flat ones. At first, you might feel the typing is a little weird but after a while, you should love the way you can type for an hour and not feel as tired as before. In my case, I can blog for longer periods, hurray!

Beyond ergonomics, there are customizable hot keys including a zoom slider located on the ridge betwwen the two banks of keys as well as back and forward buttons for added control of your browser.

Please note that you’ll need to install the driver software from the included CD to use all of these "special" features.

Even though some people may resent the fact it’s not -exactly- the same as the "legacy" keyboards, an overwhelming majority of users may feel this is just what the doctor ordered… and in some case, it might even be litterally what their doctors recommended them!

With the long periods so many people spend typing on their computers, it’s about time we all got smart about which keyboard we choose.

As more people experience the wonderful convenience of PC videoconferencing, it’s only normal that Logitech would offer an all new webcam built with only the finest of ingredients.

Meet the Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision which delivers allegedly unsurpassed image quality, thanks in part to its five (5) extra-large lenses (where some are made of glass instead of plastic).

Add to that the RightLight 2 technology which helps acquire high quality images regardless of your ambient lighting and you know this webcam is a notch above others. For good measure, the RightSound technology delivers clear and echo-free audio using the integrated microphone.

It’s been a while since home and business users have been waiting for video calling that’s good enough to be dubbed “true-to-life” but at last, it looks like it’s finally here for all PC users.

Assuming the services are available in your area, all major video chatting applications should work nicely with this webcam, such as Windows Live Messenger, Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, AIM and Logitech’s own VideoCall.

Packed with cool features like Logitech’s VideoEffects to help express your unique personality by choosing an avatar or face accessory that suits your mood or even the quick preview button to see yourself before joining a video call, this 130$ webcam should be a hit… but, once it’s plugged into your PC, you’ll be the star!

Xtreme Fidelity (X-Fi) is a sound processing technology Creative hopes you’ll adopt in order to experience your MP3 music to a whole new level which, in the manufacturer’s own words, is “beyond studio quality”.

This advanced technology has been around for a while in various PCI sound cards but with the Xmod device, Creative is finally setting X-Fi free from the “install inside the PC box” stigma.

Compatible with both the PCs and the Macs, the Xmod device allegedly restores the details and vibrance the music you listen to inevitably lost during the MP3 compression process. Once plugged, in a matter of seconds (yes, your mom could do it), the Xmod goes to work to bring you surround sound on any stereo speaker system or headphones.

The moment you start listening to such enhanced music, it might be hard to go back but that’s ok since you can easily carry the Xmod device with you, wherever you go (even with your iPod). It’s truly plug-and-play and no software installation is necessary.

Anything that can breathe life back into anyone’s favorite music and movies is sure to be a crowd pleaser, especially since the price point is expected to stay under 80$ (street price).

Get ready to rediscover all those crisp cymbal crashes, wailing guitar solos, screeching tires and deep, booming explosions. Sound technology is all about awesome experiences and the Xmod is marketed to deliver exactly that.

If you’re going to go mobile, you may want to take a look at Fujitsu’s new LifeBook T-Series offerings.

Sporting the Intel Centrino Duo Mobile technology, the LifeBook T4210 delivers a more powerful computer that is also a master at convertibility.

In just a few twists of the brilliant 12.1” XGA LCD display screen, you can show your desktop to the person sitting in front of you (without turning the computer’s base, per se). That’s a nice way to quickly share screenshots with colleagues in business meetings or with classmates when working on a school project.

And that’s not all because by twisting the industry’s first bi-directional display screen’s hinge all the way while pushing it towards the keyboard, you instantly get a tablet PC.

You read that right, your portable computer instantly morphs into a fully “pen-driven” tablet PC!

The navigation in this mode is both smooth and engaging as it resembles the feeling of holding a book. If you read lots of e-books, you’ll probably love the new form factor. Furthermore, in this more compact mode, the LifeBook T4210 feels a lot less bulky (read: light and tight) and is a snap to carry along, especially from office to office or even, from room to room.

On the connectivity side, it’s well equiped with standard Wi-Fi, Gigabit ethernet, modem and an option to add Bluetooth 2.0.

Overall, the Fujitsu LifeBook T4210 portable computer provides above average reliability and convertibility so if you have a use for such a product, it’s a sensible buy.

We’re all part of the changing landscape of information technology and as such, it’s always a blast to review the growing trends that have an impact on our wired (or "wirelessed") lives.

Although this review doesn’t intend to cover every trend, it’s focusing on two of which you’ve already heard of and in most cases, they really get people talking, thinking and moving.

Let’s take a look at how open source and telecommuting can help you get ahead in regards to both your budget and your work.

Open source gains tremendous momentum – if you’re not on the open source train already, you should jump in, now!

Having unlimited access to every single line of code is the ultimate garantee your security isn’t compromised by your operating systems, applications or scripts.

Commercial software might be fun, in a way, because they deliver results but remember you have no control over their "inner workings" so you can’t seriously ensure your customers their data in safe in your hands.

With open source, you’re -finally- the master of your domain.

Telecommuting is hot, again – if being stuck in highway gridlocks every other business day isn’t enough to motivate you into setting up your office at home, think about the awesome new technologies, many of them open source, that can help you be more productive than ever for your organization, without ever leaving the comfort of your own home… office.

Fuel prices are going through the roof and trafficwise, morning and end-of-day rush hours mean roads are transformed into open-air parking lots.

This inefficient use of human resources all over the Western World is about to change, thanks to visionnary leaders from all industries who now understand telecommuters are -very- good for business.

Furthermore, many managers now see their teleworkers as a sort of "local branch" where customers can be provided with even more "locally tailored" counseling. Absence leaves drop to a minimum for telecommuters and not having to maintain as much downtown office space, amenities and parking lots means huge savings… and organizations are transforming to bank on the long neglected telecommuter option.

Teleworkers are the future, videoconferencing is the future, high-speed internet access from the home is the future and rapid advances in high-performance mobility gear and applications will futher accelerate this powerful trend.

The rise of open source and telecommuting are probably linked, in many ways.

It’s now much more realistic for a teleworker to setup his own Customer Relationship Management system using open source solutions like SugarCRM or vTiger. These powerful scripts can be operated using the Mozilla Firefox browser on any flavor of Linux, which means the total "software" setup has an initial cost of… zero.

In other words, it’s a lot easier to work from home and still run business class applications to service your customers in a very integrated fashion.

Open source enables telecommuters to work with technology in ways "closed source" can’t (or won’t allow). Having the possibility to adjust a web script, for instance, at code level means every telecommuter can tailor a very "local" user experience for his customers, therefore strenghtening the business relationship in a way that’s impossible to achieve from an office downtown, far away from the customers and many of their most pressing concerns.

Distributed workplaces and openly crafted IT solutions are a winning combination for any worker who intends to win back his quality of life and companies that wish to make more money while retaining the top talent.