laptop
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Background: Most laptops include a built-in camera, typically located just above the top edge of the screen. This type of camera is generally marketed as a “video chat” or “conference call” camera. The issue: When a person is on a video call, they tend to look at the image on the screen instead of directly…
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Background: Since laptops are so convenient and portable, many people work in locations that are not set up for long-term ergonomic comfort (for example, dining room tables or coffeeshop counters, e.g. Figure 1). The issue: Since these locations were never designed for laptop use, they are typically set up in such a way that the…
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Background: At many companies, employees take a laptop to/from work every day. In the past, laptops were heavy enough that it would be incredibly obvious whether a laptop was in a bag or not. The issue: Modern laptops are light enough that it is possible to take a laptop bag (Figure 1) to work without…
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Background: Some cars have a “remote start” feature to start a car before you actually get inside. This feature is typically used in regions with extremely cold weather. The issue: Some people like to entirely turn off their laptops when traveling or over a weekend. But then they have to wait a couple of minutes…
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Background: Many types of cars—e.g. hatchbacks, SUVs, “crossover” vehicles—do not have a secure trunk space. Although these vehicles often come with retractable covers that can hide the contents of the trunk, they often don’t have 100% coverage. (So if you have a laptop sliding around in the back of your car, it’s entirely possible that…
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Background: Do you own a crowded coffee shop? No? Well, you should remedy that, and then read on! The issue: In large cities, coffee shops are often entirely occupied by people doing work on their laptops. Coffee shops have come up with various strategies for dealing with the pros and cons of being a low-cost…
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Background: Millions of laptops are destroyed every year by spilled drinks (Figure 1). Unfortunately, this is a difficult problem to address, because laptops and beverages are frequently in close proximity. Fig. 1a (top) and 1b (bottom): You have probably either experienced this situation first-hand or observed it happen to someone else. If only there had…
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Background: If you go into a coffeeshop in a major city, there is a good chance that you will find it entirely colonized by patrons with laptops who use the shop as a “home office.” Even if you wait for half an hour, you might never get a table. Woe! Previously, this issue could be…
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