Good ergonomics are just as important to people like us–who use the keyboard practically every waking second–as getting freelance gigs and paying the bills. If you aren’t changing up your setup every so often you run a greater risk for carpal tunnel syndrome and a host of other maladies.
Don’t use the same keyboard height, design, or placement all the time. Change everything from time to time, and switch to a more finger-friendly design like these Compucessory ergonomic keyboards. Your wrists will thank you later.
One of the best tools a freelance writer can own is a good digital camera. Supplying your own images for an article can make you more marketable, and any steady reader of this blog knows we are digital camera evangelists here. Writers who don’t take their own photos wind up cheating themselves out of the extra cash you often get for supplying images together with the story.
“Which camera should I buy?” Naturally this is the first question non-photographers always ask. There are two basic kinds of cameras; the point-and-shoot (P&S) variety and digital SLRs. SLR stands for “single lens reflex” and this basically means that what you see what you look in the viewfinder is the exact image the lens sees.
I strongly advise writers not to buy the cheap P&S model. For professional use, even as a beginner, P&S cameras are too limited and you will grow out of them as soon as you learn the difference between what an indoor shot with no flash looks like at 100 ISO vs. 800 ISO. What does THAT mean? We’ll save that for another article.
No…I didn’t spell Koncept wrong, it’s the name of a company that makes these neat LED lights. Save money, save energy and be very cool all at the same time. Available in black, white, blue, aqua, red and silver, these sleek desk lamps are space savers too. You won’t be buying a bulb anytime soon with these….
The Asus Eee 2-gig seven-inch micro laptop is a fascinating tool for a frequent traveler. If you’re a travel writer on the go, this unique laptop might just be the tool for you. This laptop has no hard drive or CD drives. You can add an external CD/DVD drive.
The Asus uses solid-state technology instead of a traditional hard drive and stores programs on a two-gig flash drive. It turns on instantly when you press the button, and you can expand storage space with a 4-gig SD card. This model comes with the Linux operating system pre-installed but you can install WinXP if you aren’t Linux proficient.
So why would you want this laptop? For starters, the lack of a hard drive with moving parts makes this much more durable and rugged than traditional laptops. The size is great for your travel needs, especially if you are packed for a long journey. In spite of its tiny size, it features a full keyboard. Built-in Wi-Fi lets you surf from any wireless hotspot. Then there’s the price…simply amazing for the writer on a budget. Yes, this isn’t as powerful as a MacBook Pro and it’s not recommended if you need to edit video or other high-end apps. But if you are a writer and need a light, tough tool to take anywhere in the world? This is a damn fine travel companion.
G-Tech’s amazing Smart Fabric roll-up keyboard is light, ultra-portable and can be rolled into a neat little tube when you’re not using it. Use this Bluetooth-enabled keyboard with any laptop, smartphone or PDA. No more achey thumbs! You can type a proper message with the first full keyboard that can fit into your pocket. It’s a great, eye-catching gadget that makes you as portable as you want to be–and when your keyboard weighs only 1.6 ounces, you can stash this in a backpack or purse with no hassle.
Feeling retro? This great, colorful retro office wall clock is just the thing. It’s a sturdy metal design with exposed aluminum hands & numbers and runs on a single AA battery. If you love thrifting, retro designs and furniture, or just have a thing for the color green, this is a must-own.
Good ergonomics are just as important to people like us–who use the keyboard practically every waking second–as getting freelance gigs and paying the bills. If you aren’t changing up your setup every so often you run a greater risk for carpal tunnel syndrome and a host of other maladies.
