DIY web site Instructables steps through how to build a laptop stand for your supine computing needs for about $15. Once you’ve bought all the necessary materials, the actual stand won’t take more than about 30 minutes to put together, and the end product is virtually the same as the $140 Laptop Laidback stand pictured here. A better laptop stand for bed [Instructables via Make]
Good magazine has an interesting chart in their latest issue that details how much energy your vampire devices use, and how much it costs you to keep them plugged in. The guide differentiates between devices that are in “active” (ready to leap to life) and “passive” (just plugged in) standby modes, and some items are real shockers. A plasma TV, for instance, can cost about $160 per year just to keep plugged in. That Wii you got your hands on? $25 before you even hit one virtual tennis ball. The takeaway for me, at least, is thinking about putting some devices on power strips and turning them off if I know I won’t be using them for a day or more.
Vampire Energy [Good Magazine via CNET News]A recent study at the University of Missouri-Columbia reaffirms that a sedentary life increases your risk of diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity, but the study suggests that even if you get in the recommended 30 minutes of activity 5 days a week, sitting for the remaining 15 and a half hours of the day is still trouble. The solution? According to the article, just standing up more frequently throughout the day to type or do chores can do wonders for your health and double your metabolic rate. If you’re interested in incorporating a healthy stand-up into your daily computing, consider an adjustable desk or the more extreme Treadputer.
MU study finds that sitting may increase risk of disease [EurekAlert]
