Apr 15
There are a hundred different ways to organize your desk. But this classic, wooden organizer won’t just keep things looking tidy, it’ll give your entire workspace a Scandinavian sense of style.
Mar 18
You will never be far from your work with this unique desk. It will be very handy if you have a home with more than one story, since it will also give you some stairs while saving space in your home.
Designer Just Haasnoot commissioned Dutch design studio Mieke Meijer to create a staircase that combines the functionality of stairs, shelves, a desk and a cupboard – all in one unit. Viewed from above, it looks like a regular set of stairs.
I would advise the owner of this not to move the desk while someone is still upstairs. Not unless they want to see them take a fall. Nevertheless, it is a great design.
[via dezeen via Homes & Hues]
Feb 28
Lian-Li PC Case Doubles as a Desk
Posted in: Today's ChiliWe’ve featured a couple of PC casemods that incorporated a computer’s hardware into a desk. If Lian-Li pushes through with its prototype, you won’t need to be a modder to have a desk and PC case in one.
The DK01 is basically a tower case with legs. It has all of the features of an enthusiast PC chassis, including LEDs, a transparent glass panel and tool-less mounting. Lian-Li also said that the monitor mount shown in the image above will be included with the desk if it goes into production.
Head to Lian-Li’s blog for more images of the DK01 prototype.
[via Ubergizmo]
Feb 24
Jeff Highsmith is an amazing dad. The proof is right here. He built this awesome Mission Control desk for his oldest son. His kid needed his own desk so he could do his homework, so he used MDF (medium-density fiberboard) to construct a basic desk. Then, he designed a control console that is loosely based on NASA examples.
He used Arduino and Raspberry to program the numerous lights, LEDs and switches. It even makes all sorts of cool noises when flipping its switches and pushing its buttons. As you can see from the video below, it isn’t going to be easy, but you can follow along and create something similar if you want a cool desk of your own.
Good luck concentrating on your homework, kid. Don’t worry, it won’t be too much of a distraction. The top of the desk folds down and covers the controls for study time.
[Make: via Kotaku via Nerd Approved]
Nov 21
Stir Kinetic smart desk selling for $3,890, New Yorkers can try before buying
Posted in: Today's Chili
Remember the Stir Kinetic, the standing desk that learns your sitting habits and adjusts the height automatically? Well, it’s going up for sale today and yes, it’s as expensive as we said it would be. As promised, the hardwood desk starts at $3,890, though for now you’ll only need to pay a $300 deposit; the rest will get charged to your account when it ships in April. (The first 50 customers will actually get it in February.) Just so you know what you’re getting into, the desk has a super-minimal design, adorned only by a touchscreen, which you’ll use to lower the desk over its 26-inch range. You can also tap the screen to see how many calories you’ve burned and keep track of how much time you’ve spent standing. There’s also an “Active Mode” that allows the desk to move periodically, encouraging you to take a break. Additionally, the desk has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, along with four USB ports and eight AC sockets — a neat way of ensuring your cables stay put as you move the desk up and down.
As we’ve been saying all along, $3,890 is a heckuva a lot to pay for a desk, so in addition to having deep pockets, you better be sold on the idea that working while standing up is good for your health. If not, the company will be showcasing the desk at an in-person store, but just one: the Wired Web Store at 353 West 14th St. in New York. If you happen to live in the area, you can mosey on down starting December 4th and check it out in person (no purchase necessary if you just wanna get your kicks). As for everyone else, you might just want to revisit our hands-on video and call it a day.
Nov 20
I always loved playing with those Newton’s Cradle kinetic motion things when I was a kid. But other than being tested by the Mythbusters in a giant-size version, the classic metal desk toy hasn’t changed much over the years. Until now.
What you’re looking at is a new version of the Newton’s Cradle, upgraded with colorful LEDs. What’s cool is the orbs don’t just light up, they detect when they’re clacking against others and change colors when they hit. It’s even more mesmerizing than the original. Here, check it out…
You can choose from three different color modes – one which flashes on impact, another that fades, and yet another that cycles colors through the spheres. Back when I had a “real job” with a proper office, people would come into my office to chat, and I’m sure that they would have sat there and played with this thing for hours. Thank goodness I work from home now, and don’t have to worry about anyone but me (or the cat) playing with it incessantly. I suppose that could still be a problem.
Priced at $49.99(USD), the Kinetic Light Newton’s Cradle is a bit pricey, but it’s too neat to ignore. It’s available over at ThinkGeek now.
Sep 26
So far, we have read research papers as well as medical advice that informs those of us who are slaves to a desk job to get up once in a while and take a walk. It is good for the body, and will also help prolong your days here on earth. Hence, companies have been working to deliver standing desks that require you to be in an upright position, but that would also mean you will need to take a seat from time to time. Just how do you know that, when you are too engrossed in your work? This is where the Stir Kinetic Desk comes in handy, where it is said to be a thermostat-powered, touchscreen-enabled piece of office furniture which will literally ask you to sit down when it is time to do so.
Thanks to the integrated thermal sensor which will be able to tell automatically just when you are ready to start cracking at work. It will also go ahead to record your individual standing and sitting patterns, which will be processed to the number of calories burned, in addition to how long you have been sitting down or standing up. A 4.3-inch color touchscreen display has been thrown into the mix, right in the lower left corner. Not only that, the Kinectic Desk boasts of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity so that it can synchronize to fitness and wellness apps. Why not set physical goals for yourself while you work? The Kinetic Desk allows you to do so, such as standing for 25% of the day, or to let the desk move lower or higher to encourage a change in position. Of course, the asking price of $3,890 is probably not something most of us can afford, so this remains the domain of the rich and famous.
Stir Kinetic Desk Reminds You To Take A Seat original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Sep 26
Stir’s Kinetic Desk is a standing desk that learns your sitting habits, moves when you need a break (video)
Posted in: Today's Chili
If Apple were to build a desk, it would look like this. Much like Nest, maker of the world’s sexiest thermostat, Stir is a company founded by someone who worked on the first iPods, and, it too is trying to make a mundane household item fashionable. In this case, of course, the product in question isn’t a thermostat or even a home appliance, but a standing desk. The Kinetic Desk, which will ship in the first half of 2014, has a thermal sensor that can tell when you’ve arrived, and over time, it learns how long you prefer to be on your feet before taking a break. To lower the desk over its 26-inch range, just double-tap the built-in touchscreen, located on the left end. From there, you can can set goals, like standing for 25 percent of the day, as well as see how many extra calories you’ve burned, or monitor how much time you’ve spent sitting. CEO and founder JP Labrosse tells us that the desk might eventually integrate with fitness-tracking services like Fitbit, though it won’t at launch. Still, the desk has WiFi and Bluetooth radios baked in, so if Stir ever did want to share data with third-party services, the hardware would at least be able to support it.
Like an iPod, the Kinetic Desk has just one button. Press it and you’ll be telling the desk to enter “active mode,” which will remind you to take periodic breaks by rising up and down ever so gently when it’s time for you to stop what you’re doing and walk around. (It’s less distracting then it sounds; in fact, Stir is using the name “WhisperBreath” to describe it.) Also like an Apple product, the desk has a stark design: it’s powered by a single cable, with eight AC ports and four USB sockets tucked into two hidden panels at the top of the desk. That makes for a minimalist look, of course, but it also means you don’t have to worry about dragging cables (and knocking things over) when you adjust the height of the desk. Once this starts shipping, you’ll have two color options for the lacquered wood surface, and four choices of accent colors for the underside and in the two charging drawers. As for the starting price, you’re looking at $3,890 and up — suffice to say, you’d better already be a standing desk convert before taking the plunge.%Gallery-slideshow98401%%Gallery-slideshow90897%
Source: Stir
Sep 25
I won’t even try to pretend this is a new project, but I just happened across the for the first time and it’s awesome. One of the most iconic scenes in all of the Star Wars films is when Han Solo was frozen in Carbonite at the end of The Empire Strikes Back. Some very artistic geeks at Tom Spina Designs created a replica of Han Solo’s chemical hibernation and used it to make a really cool desk.
The desk looks a lot like the floating thing Solo’s Carbonite statue was embedded in complete with panels on the side facing away from the desk user. The Carbonite statue is made from fiberglass and covered with a glass top allowing it to be used as a normal desk.
I want to know how much something like this would cost to make, it’s safe to say “lots” is the answer. I think if Jabba the Hutt ever went legit, this would be the desk he would use.
[via This Is Why I’m Broke]
Sep 25
David Wrobel designed a desk for gadget freaks, gamers and other heavy computer users. The Paradise Desk is filled with ports, power plugs and other convenient features that solve several annoyances associated with using computers or gadgets. It’s a desk, a USB hub, a power strip and more.
For starters, the Paradise Desk has seven USB 3.0 ports, three of which are in at the center of the desk. There are three more at the back and one on the upper left. On the upper right of the desk are four power outlets, while on the lower right are 3.5mm jacks for a microphone and two audio output devices.
There’s a switch on the desk for flipping between the audio outputs. You can plug in a pair of headphones and speakers at the same time, and switch between the two without unplugging one or the other.
The desk also has a DVI input and a platform for a computer tower. The cables for the various ports are hidden on swing drawers and come out of the leg near the platform. To top it all off, the surface of the desk is covered in carbon fiber vinyl and two LED light bars at the rear provide ambient light.
Pledge at least $349 (USD) on Kickstarter to get a Paradise Desk as a reward. David has more features lined up as stretch goals for his fundraiser, including an HDMI port and a cup holder. I’m surprised he doesn’t have an option to order a desk with a computer inside. Or a desk with a built-in person. That one will really take a lot of work out of our hands.
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