The Week 07Feb2020

The best of...office ergonomics

Consumer

Detroit Free Press

The newest member of Ford’s pickup empire

“could be a super-size hit.” The F-Series

Super Duty Tremor arrives with many family

advantages, of course: F-Series trucks easily

outsell every other vehicle in America, and

the new Super Duties offer a “drastically”

re-engineered frame and bigger engines

than ever. But to the family’s class-leading

towing and payload ratings, the Tremor

adds the capacity to play. Throw anything

in its path—dirt moguls, “an axle breaker of

a rock crawl”—and this beast will eat it up.

Autoblog.com

The Tremor’s chief rival, the Ram 2500

Power Wagon, still holds a slight edge in

off-roading capability—thanks largely to

disconnecting sway bars that enable su-

perior wheel articulation. The Ford has far

more power, though, especially with the op-

tional 6.7-liter diesel V-8. That mill produces

a class-leading 475 hp and 1,050 pound-feet

of torque. “If the numbers don’t make you

laugh, the acceleration will.”

Four Wheeler

To us, the Tremor is “the perfect Super

Duty.” Not only will it “handily go anywhere

the Power Wagon will,” it’s also “just as at

home in the backcountry as it is towing a

load down the highway or hitting the town

for a swanky dinner date.” Ford’s engineers

deserve an ovation. This is “a truck so lack-

ing in compromise that we’re not sure how

they even pulled it off.”

32 LEISURE

Tip of the week...
How to brew better tea

Best apps...

For buying light fixtures

And for those who have

everything...

Unlike most

smart-home

control hubs,

Mui “looks

like something

you’d buy at a

lumberyard,

not Best Buy.” Created by a Japanese start-

up, the internet-connected device resembles

a 2-foot-long 1-by-4 and is meant to be

hung on your wall so you can put away your

Amazon Echo or Google Home. When the

Mui is tapped, it becomes a touch-sensitive

display panel that lets you control room

temperature, lighting, music, and more. The

secret is the array of LED lights that sits be-

hind the device’s wood veneer surface, and it

represents a “head-smackingly simple” solu-

tion to our world’s growing overproliferation

of cold, dark screens.

$549, mui.jp

Source: DigitalTrends.com

QChoose loose-leaf. “This is the single best
way to instantly improve your cuppa.” The
cheap teas in most tea bags contain more
bitter tannins, and the leaves are ground
so fine that you’re more likely to oversteep
the tea and increase the bitterness. Whole
leaves produce greater flavor complexity.
QMind the water. Though fresh tap water
is usually fine for making tea, that won’t be
true if you have hard, or mineral-rich, water.
If your tap water tastes chalky or metal-
lic, consider using a filter. In certain cases,
the heating of the water reduces mineral
content as well.
QLower the temperature. Don’t assume
the water should be at the boiling point.
Many herbal teas can steep at 212 degrees,
but the ideal for most black teas is 205-212
and a steeping time of 3 to 5 minutes. Aim
for 170-180 degrees for Chinese green teas
and steep for just 2 to 3 minutes.
Source: WashingtonPost.com

QLumens.com is “an awesome resource”

for lighting “every nook and cranny of your

home.” You can order anything from single

bulbs to large chandeliers, and it’s easy to

browse by categories such as floor lamps,

wall sconces, and accent lights.

QCircaLighting.com, a favorite of design

pros, has thousands of products to choose

from. “Shop by type, designer, or even get

inspiration for every room in the house.”

QAllModern.com, “your go-to spot for buy-

ing modern furniture on a budget,” has a

huge lighting section, with options “in every

category and at every price.”

QGantri.com sells 3D-printed lamps and

table lights made by independent designers.

A relative newcomer, “it’s about to become

your favorite destination for unique lamps.”

QUrbanElectric.com specializes in trendy

high-end lighting, including a lot of industrial

fixtures. Custom pieces are also available.

Source: HouseBeautiful.com

The Ford Super Duty Tremor: What the critics say

Ready for work or fun, from $37,680

The QOR360 Ariel

Tired of your standing

desk? This “active stool”

designed by a former

trauma surgeon has a

patented rocker seat

that promotes constant

motion. The Ariel also

puts your knees below

your hips in a way

that encourages good

posture and increases

circulation.

From $350, qor360.com

Source: Wall Street Journal

Logitech MX Ergo

Logitech’s innovative

trackball mouse features

a hinge on its base that

allows you to tilt it by

20 degrees, reducing

the wrist twisting that

causes carpal tunnel

syndrome. You’ve prob-

ably never tried a more

comfortable “horizontal”

mouse.

$100, logitech.com

Source:

ErgonomicTrends.com

Microsoft Sculpt

You could choose a

fully split keyboard to

better address shoulder

strain, but the afford-

able Sculpt is “a great

keyboard if you’re just

testing the ergonomic

waters.” It tilts your

hands properly and

“feels natural to use

straight out of the box.”

$89, staples.com

Source: TheWirecutter.com

Datexx

TimeCube Classic

Most of us need remind-

ers to leave our desks

and move around more

often. To limit seden-

tary time to 20- minute

spans, simply set the

TimeCube down with

the “20” up; its “forceful

but not abrasive” beeps

will stir you.

$25, datexx.com

Source: NYMag.com

Rain Design mStand

If you work full-time on

a laptop, it’s probably

time for a laptop stand.

This one isn’t adjust-

able or portable. But

the angle is perfect, it

“has some serious heft

to it,” and its anodized

aluminum fi nish is

very Apple.

$45, raindesigninc.com

Source: Reviewed.com