Contemporary Loft

Modern man solves cold mouse hand problems

2009-02-07T18:06:00.000-08:00

Contemporary thinkers agree thinking outside the box is the best way to solve a problem. Pictured above is the modern man's solution to cold hands. Cold hands associated with long hours sitting at the computer! And, we all spend way too much time holding our computer mouse.

The Mouse Hand Warmer is a blanket pouch to hold a warm mouse and warm mouse pad. It's novel, it solves the problem for many people who sit and work all day with a freezing cold hand. Plus, the infrared heated computer accessories generate healing heat to the muscles relieving tension and stress on the hand and wrist.

This is the ultimate mouse hand experience. To learn more, click here.

Grammy Janet's Place Sponsors Mouse Hand Warmer Giveaway

2009-01-28T13:03:00.000-08:00

Click Here to enter Grammy Janet's Place for a free Mouse Hand Warmer giveaway event. The event is sponsored in partnership with Bloggy Giveaway Carnival and IGMproducts.com. For more information CLICK HERE.

Bloggers Unite for Refugees, November 10th

2008-11-06T12:29:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite places online is Blog Catalogue. Please read the latest news....

This Nov. 10, all eyes will be on BlogCatalog members and bloggers who participate in Bloggers Unite For Refugees. Will you be one of them? Ever since we started helping bloggers unite for different causes, we've proven that a little good can go a long way in making the world a better place. This time, because of our work to increase human rights awareness, many members chose to go one step further to raise awareness for refugees — people who are impacted by these issues. So, on Nov. 10, thousands of bloggers will write about the various challenges faced by the 11 million people who have no country to call home and the 40 million more who have been displaced because of war and natural disasters.

*YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE*

By writing just one post for this cause, you can help raise awareness about refugees and help our partner, Refugees United, connect with local non-government organizations (NGOs) to help refugees in their search for lost loved ones. Their goal is to reunite children with parents, husbands with wives, and family members with friends. Participating is easy and you can learn more about this event at http://unite.blogcatalog.com. There, you will find action badges, source material for blog posts, and more information about these people who have no country to call home. With you help, I know we can encourage thousands of more bloggers to get involved and make Bloggers Unite For Refugees as successful as our last event with Amnesty International. It's one of those events that even if we reunite just one family, then we have made an immeasurable impact on the world. Thanks so much for your continued support! We really look forward to reading your posts and the posts of your friends on Nov. 10!

Inventor's Spot Gallery features mouse hand warmer computer accessory mousepad

2008-11-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

As seen on Inventor's Spot Gallery.

Earth Friendly
Uses No Electricity
No Cords to get Tangled
Made in USA
Free Shipping
No Sales Tax

Invention Gallery is a place to show off your favorite invention. Inventor's Spot ill examine your submission for posting on their site. Click here for more details.

The Mouse Hand Warmer featured on the home page of Invention Gallery keeps your mouse hand covered by a warm blanket. Constructed of a warm polyester fleece blanket material with a non-slip surface. Fits standard mouse pads and any size computer mouse. Hand wash and air dry.

Instructions: Slip a standard sized mouse pad inside the Mouse Hand Warmer, or can be used alone without a mouse pad. If using a wireless mouse, the net front provides a clear optical connection. When using an USB connected mouse, slip the cord through a small slit opening made in the center front net. Easy to keep clean by hand washing with a mild detergent and air drying. Made in the USA. Uses no electricity. No cords to get tangled on your desk!

Mouse Hand Warmer is an Earth Friendly Product

2008-10-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

IGMproducts.com is a green website. The Mouse Hand Warmer product is earth friendly and uses no electricity to keep your mouse hand warm. Unlike other USB computer accessories, the Mouse Hand Warmer insulates body heat under a warm, fleece blanket making the product energy-efficient at a time when energy is at a premium.

Lower your winter heating bill by staying warm while you work. Whether you work from home or at an office, the Mouse Hand Warmer computer mouse pad accessory will help reduce energy costs while keeping your hand covered by a warm blanket.

If you suffer from a cold mouse hand, the Mouse Hand Warmer will provide a comfortable experiece for your mouse hand. The materials used include cotton and fleece and are hand washable and dryable.

The Mouse Hand Warmer looks attractive on your desk top with a modern techie design using neutral gray, black and white colors, and there are no wires or cords to get tangled on your desk because it is an energy-free hand warmer.

Mouse Hand Warmer, Tech Ticker, and a lady with overworked gray cells!

2008-10-23T00:18:00.000-07:00

A lady with overworked gray cells has got a simple yet marketable product that can keep your mouse hand warm in a chilly environment. The Mouse Hand Warmer is nothing but a small 12 X 12 inches blanket where you put your mouse and hand in it to feel the warmness inside.

It will cost $15 for a lazy guy suffering from cold mouse hand syndrome but it may cost cheaper if you’re a DIY guy like me.

Product Page
Press Release

Say Goodbye to Your Mouse… I Don’t Think So!

2008-10-18T23:18:00.000-07:00

Mouse Hand Warmer - a blanket for your computer mouse.

from Onuralp Soner

Leading survey company Gartner’s expert Steve Prentice estimated that computer mouse will fall out of use in about 3 or 5 years as touch screens and face recognition systems will take its place. What an estimation isn’t it? I don’t really think that mouse can disappear in such a short time. At least the designers and game players will need the use of it as its really a very short period for developing the hardware and software needed for such movement sensitive systems.

Even if it is developed it can not be produced in big quantities so the price wouldn’t be something that every end user can afford. Also I remember one other estimation of this company about linux systems. If I remember correct they estimated that more than %70 of the operating systems would be linux in the year 2008. This mouse thing is more than an estimation I guess there is some kind of a business tactic behind it. Its really hard to understand and reason the big company games so I just don’t give any importance to such news anymore.

Mouse Hand Warmer Mouse Pad Computer Industry’s Newest Gadget

2008-10-17T20:46:00.001-07:00

IGMproducts.com introduces a new product to the computer accessories market just in time for chilly weather. The Mouse Hand Warmer -- not available in any stores and only available through the manufacturer is brand new, a novel idea and provides a solution for the cold mouse hand syndrome.

Desert Hot Springs, CA., October 17, 2008. Does your computer mouse hand get cold? Do you sit long hours working at the computer with an exposed mouse hand? Does the winter chill or air-conditioned room make your mouse hand cold and fingertips numb? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re not alone. There is a serious, cold mouse hand problem hitting the computer geek population, and IGMproducts.com has the cost-effective, energy-efficient solution.

"The Mouse Hand Warmer came about after spending over 12 years sitting at a computer working long, late hours with a very cold mouse hand," said Anna Miller, creator of the Mouse Hand Warmer.

The Mouse Hand Warmer was made to solve the cold mouse hand problem. Once the Mouse Hand Warmer blanket was developed and used, it proved to solve the problem, and IGM decided to manufacture and sell the item to the computer accessories market.

There’s no known medical term for the cold mouse hand condition. We asked Doctor Oz from the Oprah Winfrey Show by contacting him through Oprah.com. The Mouse Hand Warmer is an energy-efficient way to keep your mouse hand covered by a warm, fleece blanket. Just like crawling under the covers on a cold night, the Mouse Hand Warmer provides a warm, cozy blanket for your mouse hand. Simply slip your computer mouse and hand inside the Mouse Hand Warmer blanket with or without the use of a standard sized mouse pad, and your mouse hand is covered and kept warm as you work.

The Mouse Hand Warmer mouse pad is made in the USA and is the registered trademark and patented product of i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. The Mouse Hand Warmer uses no electricity, and there are no cords to plug in or get tangled on your desktop. It is available just in time for cold weather and when the cost of energy for heating is of key importance. Work long hours, keep warm and keep your energy bills lower by using a blanket to cover your exposed mouse hand.

The Mouse Hand Warmer has a non slip surface and is constructed of hand-washable fabrics. It is compatible with optical or USB connected mice of all sizes and shapes. It measures about 12 x 12 inches and has plenty of room inside for freedom of computer mouse hand movement. The only place you can obtain one of the techie gray, black and white mouse blankets is through the manufacturer who is currently seeking distributors of the product. To learn more about this novel computer geek accessory, visit http://www.IGMproducts.com.

We’ve tested the product, and it works! We’ve received positive feedback from computer users on Amazon.com, Etsy.com and eBay.com. Now, we’re ready to launch the product for resale. For more details, comments or to become a distributor of the Mouse Hand Warmer, please contact the manufacturer through their website at http://www.IGMproducts.com or by email at Webmaster (at) IGMproducts.com.

About IGMproducts.com
IGMproducts.com is the ecommerce site of i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. (IGM). Anna Miller is the President of IGM and has been creating, computing and selling online since the early 90’s. She is considered an Internet Pioneer and Ecommerce Entrepreneur. IGM's former ecommerce sites have been named Best of the Web by People StyleWatch Magazine and a top online resource by About.com. For more information, please visit IGMproducts.com.

How to Move your Mouse cursor without Mouse

2008-10-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

Photo credits:Mayawolf

from Blur Not

I suppose many of us would have encountered a situation whereby you need to use your mouse but your mouse simply refuses to work. The well known Tab key may help sometimes but things will be much easier if you have the mouse. In this guide, you will get to know how to move your mouse cursor without the actual mouse. Read on.

Most of your would have chance upon the sticky key during your routine of using the computer. That is pretty common, considering the fact that it is activated when you press the SHIFT key 5 times. But have you heard of the MouseKeys?

Follow the given steps to activate the keyboard mouse:

First you would need an account with administrative rights.

To activate this feature, press Alt+Shift+NumLock keys. A small MouseKey box will appear as shown.

Alternatively, you can navigate via:
Start -> All program -> Accessories -> Accessibility -> Accessibility Wizard

Click on Settings button if you need to adjust the mouse cursor detail settings.

After which, you will be presented with a dialog box and now you can manage all your "mouse settings" to adjust the acceleration and speed. Now for the controls of your mouse pointer:

-> 1,2,3,4,6,7,8 and 9 keys are used to move the mouse cursor into different direction.
-> Key 5 is used as left click button.
-> Insert key used to hold down mouse button.
-> + Sign used to double click on any object.
-> Delete button used to release the mouse.
-> Click on NumLock button to disable this keyboard mouse feature.

That should solve your temporary need for a mouse. Pretty cool huh?

Homemade mouse warmer & other mouse mods

2008-10-11T16:22:00.000-07:00

from MakeZine

Keep your hand warm for those cold winter nights of web surfing with this do-it-yourself mouse warmer, just add 20 resistors and up the amp on your USB

Related: Mousey the Junkbot by Gareth Branwyn. With a few spare parts, you can turn an old computer mouse into an amusing robot.

Mouse Hand Warmer by IGMproducts.com.

Can Oprah and Doctor Oz solve the cold mouse hand problem?

2008-10-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Oprah & Doctor Oz.... help us solve the cold mouse hand problem!

Searching for an answer to define the "cold mouse hand" syndrome, Oprah and Doctor Oz were sent an online letter. We haven't heard back from them, and if/when we do, you'll read about it here.

Here's what we wrote:

Many people may not be aware of a condition called "Cold Mouse Hand." It affects computer users who work using a computer mouse. It's not carpal tunnel and shouldn't be confused with other mouse hand medical conditions. I believe the "cold mouse hand" problem is a fairly new discovery.

I started using a computer in the early 90's, and I owned and operated an ecommerce site for over 12 years. My work required me to sit in front of a computer using the mouse. A/C offices, fans, drafts and chilly weather would cause my mouse hand to get so cold my finger tips would become numb. The only relief to the cold mouse hand was to stop working, and that was not an option. I tried pulling a sweater over my mouse hand and wear fingerless gloves to keep it warm and that didn't work. I bought computer gadgets that promised to keep the mouse hand warm, and they were either non-ergonomic, caused pain, or were too small.

In February 2007, after suffering from a cold mouse hand for many years, I decided to obtain a provisional patent for a "Mouse House Hand Warmer" to address and fix the problem. But, I was still too busy operating my business to do anything with the patent.

In May 2008, I sold my ecommerce site and decided to research the cold mouse hand problem to focus on a solution. I was surprised to discover the problem was experienced by many people.

In June 2008, I made a Mouse Hand Warmer using blanket fabric, tested the prototype, and it worked. The Mouse Hand Warmer was born! I don't suffer anymore from a cold mouse hand.

If Doctor Oz finds the mouse hand syndrome, not carpal tunnel, but the "cold mouse hand" problem, an interesting, new topic, please ask him to shed some light on this mysterious computer geeks' situation. If you look for little inventions to address new problems, I will participate by sharing the problem and the solution with your audience. I hope you find this story and it's solution unique and worthy of a discussion topic.

Nights are getting chilly: Keep your hands warm

2008-09-24T15:14:00.001-07:00

We sit and work for long hours at the computer every day. There's really no relief in sight. Most of us have jobs or hobbies that keep us glued to the screen with our hand on the mouse. We've battled with avoiding illness and pain associated with the computer mouse by using an ergonomic mouse and gel mouse pads. Yet, one of the most obvious items we seem to neglect is the exposed mouse hand that gets cold during certain temperature conditions.

Some people call the Mouse Hand condition "mouse hand." Others refer to cold mouse hand as a result of poor circulation. Whether it's one or the other, the solution is keeping the mouse hand warm and covered by a warm Mouse Hand Warmer.

For more details about how to keep your mouse hand covered and warm, click here.

Customer Testimonial: Mouse Hand Warmer blanket

2008-09-18T17:47:00.001-07:00

by Sally Montaine

I had my doubts. I was skeptical and didn't think this little gadget would actually keep my mouse hand warm, and I was wrong. The Mouse Hand Warmer is like crawling inside and under warm covers. It's made of a fleece blanket material and actually insulates the heat generated from my body. I used to work hours on end with a freezing cold mouse hand. Now, using the Mouse Hand Warmer, my cold mouse hand is relieved, and I can work as long as I need.

The Mouse Hand Warmer has a non slip surface and lots of room inside to move my hand as needed. I use a standard sized mouse pad and a very large ergonomic shaped mouse inside the hand warmer. Last week I had to travel to Canada. I packed the Mouse Hand Warmer with my laptop. When I arrived, I forgot to pack my mouse pad. That was not a problem. The Mouse Hand Warmer's bottom works as a mouse pad, too. I was all set. The room I had in Canada was quite chilly. I was able to prepare my presentation without pain or a cold mouse hand.

If you are considering a computer gadget to relieve "mouse hand," you should consider this new item being introduced online this year.

Cold Hands, Cold Feet, Circulation and Cholesterol

2008-09-14T14:27:00.001-07:00

Do your hands get cold? Solutions for cold hands.

By Richard Heft

The body is like a car. If you want to be a good mechanic, you have to learn the whole car, read the entire manual, cover to cover, several times or more before you become proficient. knowledgeable. While all my parts, articles have a whole view and answers, they are by no means whole. Do not be fooled by the part. Learn and obey the whole (body), otherwise, you will be punished by the part, i.e. cold hands and feet.

The body digests, transforms food, nutrients into blood into structure into function, into health or disease.

There are only two kinds of nutrients in food: building and cleansing. Building nutrients (protein and fat) build, fuel and warm. Cleansing nutrients, foods (water, minerals, sugar, fruit, vegetables ad grains) reduce, cleanse, cool and moisten.

Protein and fat (meat, eggs, chicken, fish, cheese, beans, etc.) build, fuel and warm the heart, hands, feet, etc. Low protein, low fat (milk, yogurt, beans, nuts, seeds, yeast, spirulina, etc.) and high carbohydrate (pasta, bread, salads, tropical fruits, juices, smoothies, cold drinks, etc.) diets, in the extreme, tend to weaken, thin and cool the blood, which in turn, weakens, thins and cools the body, especially the extremities: head, hands and feet.

Low protein and low fat diets weaken all function, including digestion.

Too many cleansing foods, drinks, especially raw vegetables, salads, tropical and citrus fruits, juices, sodas and or cold drinks, in the extreme, tend to dilute and weaken digestion, acid and enzymes, reducing nutrient absorption, blood, energy, elimination, etc. while increasing coldness, weakness, shaking, dampness (excess moisture, mucous, phlegm, cysts, etc.), pallor, etc.

Decreased blood supply via menstruation, hemorrhage, chronic illness and or surgery can also thin the blood and reduce circulation.

Poor circulation also tends to cause coldness, especially in the extremities. It can be caused by blood clots (thrombus), embolism (blocked blood vessel), infarction (area of dead tissue), arteriosclerosis, cirrhosis, excess weight (obesity), chronic illness, menstruation, hemorrhage and or extremely cold weather. In each case, the source of coldness will be clearly identified.

High cholesterol, arteriosclerosis, cirrhosis, etc. tends to reduce circulation producing coldness in the extremities. The coldness, however is short lived, intermittent as clogged arteries, veins, etc. It increase pressure and energy which in turn increases temperature, this heats as do high protein and high fat diets.

Lasting coldness (hours, days, weeks, etc.) is generally created by deficiency via diet (low protein, low fat, fasting), menstruation, hemorrhage, surgery, chronic illness and or environment. It is natural during the winter for the hands and feet to become cold, shaky as blood rushes back into the abdomen and chest to protect, nourish and warm the vital organs. It is also the reason why hot remedies (hot baths, soups, herbs, etc.) are generally used in the treatment of colds, especially at the onset.

A certain amount of occasional coldness in the hands and feet is normal. Too much is abnormal.

Protect your mouse hand from the cold

2008-09-12T22:34:00.000-07:00

It's not rocket science. It's practical, common sense. If your mouse hand gets cold, cover it with a cozy, warm blanket. That's exactly what the designers at i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. decided to do this season when they introduced the new computer geek gadget called the Mouse Hand Warmer. Available online through Amazon, Etsy and at IGMproducts.com. Click here for more pictures and details.

Don't suffer with a cold mouse hand all winter long! Work 24 hours a day with a warm hand! Don't laugh, after all the coffee and deadlines, you'll be really happy you no longer have to deal with a cold mouse hand. From one Geek to another, the Mouse Hand Warmer is your solution to cold number fingers. It's really works.

No more cold mouse hand

2008-09-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

Working inside a cozy mouse house hand warmer is the solution to a cold mouse hand. Winter is just around the corner. The evening will be getting chilly and a drop in temperature will be felt for the computer user.

When the mouse hand gets cold there's not much you can do. Either stop working or cover your hand with a warm blanket.

The Mouse Hand Warmer is a fleece blanket designed like a pocket to fit a mouse pad and mouse. See the photos above as an example. For more details click here.

Computer mouse facing extinction NO WAY!

2008-08-31T15:34:00.000-07:00

Cold Mouse Hand? Warm Mouse Hand? NO Mouse Hand?

Touch and gesture recognition tech taking over
from Pocket Lint

The humble computer mouse could soon be a rarity on desks around the world.

According to industry experts, alternative technologies, including gesture, movement and facial recognition interfaces could see the mouse and mouse mat pushed into the past.

Gartner has published a report, which states that computer giants including Microsoft, Intel and Apple are promoting gestural interfaces for future use.

It also found that consumer entertainment companies such as Sony, Panasonic and NEC are also moving towards new control systems, and are already demonstrating applications using facial and movement recognition.

Author of the report Steve Prentice says that using a mouse for desktop working would still carry on for a while but "for home entertainment or working on a notebook it’s over".

However, some disagree.

George Foot, director of sales and marketing at Kensington told IT Pro: "There will undoubtedly be change, driven by technology. Just look at the impact the Wii has had and how Wi-Fi has changed how and where we work. People need to be able to use and interact with their data as efficiently as possible, but new multifunctional mice have proven more than capable of meeting this need".

"Gartner’s predictions for the end of the mouse are ahead of their time. The mouse is an integral part of how we interact with our PCs and will continue to be for the foreseeable future."

Mouse Hand Warmer from IGM Products

2008-08-21T21:02:00.001-07:00

Keeps your mouse hand warm without the use of electricity! Featured on This Next!

World News: No more cold mouse hands!

2008-08-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

The Contemporary Loft reader is a modern-day thinker with a very slick, organized desk top. The photo above illustrates the clean lines and neutral colors of the Mouse Hand Warmer - a new computer gadget being introduced early this Fall by i-GlobalMall.com, Inc.

Keep your mouse hand warm, keep it covered and not exposed to drafts and chills. Wear a long sleeved sweater, slip your mouse pad, mouse and hand inside the Mouse Hand Warmer blanket pouch and work without a cold mouse hand.

We'd like to say this is a very cool idea, but it's actually a very warm idea. Have you ever suffered from a cold, numb mouse hand? If so, you understand. The warm fleece blanket is a cozy place to keep your mouse hand when you work.

Don't laugh, this is a great gift idea for all the computer geeks in your life. And, you don't have to live in Alaska, Canada, New York or Wisconsin to reap the benefits. I live near the beach in California, and it gets chilly here after dark! World unite! Get a warm mouse hand. See the Mouse Hand Warmer!

Introducing the Mouse Hand Warmer images slideshow

2008-08-14T22:34:00.000-07:00

The Contemporary Loft blog received the Mouse Hand Warmer images today in a slideshow format. The contemporary design of the Mouse Hand Warmer makes it a perfect fit for today's post and update. We're hoping other desk accessories will be made available to match the Mouse Hand Warmer. We think pencil cases and lap top cases made in the same gray fleece would make a nice travel set. We're really looking forward to the Mouse Hand Warmer availability online. The IGMproducts.com site is under construction. We'll keep posting updates as received.

If you'd like more information about the Mouse Hand Warmer, contact Service(at)i-GlobalMall.com.

A tribute to hands for a warm mouse hand

2008-08-13T16:14:00.000-07:00

HANDS
from Members.AOL.com

His hands are like antennae, gathering information as they flick outward, surveying the rock for cracks, grooves, bowls, nubbins, knobs, edges and ledges, converting all of it into a road map etched into his mind. --Karl Greenfeld (2001:60) on Erik Weihenmayer, 33, the first blind climber to scale Mount Everest (see below, Anatomy)

His hands rose, fluttered like wounded birds a few inches above the surface of his desk, slowly came back to a landing. --George C. Chesbro, Shadow of a Broken Man (1977:40)

Smart parts. 1. The terminal end organs below the forearms, used to grasp and gesture. 2. The most expressive parts of the human body.

Usage: Their combined verbal and nonverbal IQs make hands our most expressive body parts. Hands have more to say even than faces, for not only do fingers show emotion, depict ideas, and point to butterflies on the wing--they can also read Braille, speak in sign languages, and write poetry. Our hands are such incredibly gifted communicators that they always bear watching.

Observation. So connected are hands to our nervous system that we rarely keep them still. Indeed, the First Law of Nonverbal Dynamics could well be, "A hand tends to stay in motion even while at rest." When a hand is not moving or handling an object, it is busy scratching, holding, or massaging its partner. This peculiar tendency of the digits to fuss and fidget intensified as our fingers became major tools used to explore and shape the material world. The more gifted they became, the more we waved them about as sensory feelers.

Anatomy. Hands are the tactile antennae we throw out to assay the material world and palpate its moods. Most of the 20 kinds of nerve fiber in each hand fire off simultaneously, sending orders to muscles and glands--or receiving tactile, motion, and position information from sense organs embedded in tendons, muscles, and skin (Amato 1992). With a total of 100 bones, muscles, joints, and types of nerve, our hand is uniquely crafted to shape thousands of signs. Watching a hand move is rather like peering into the brain itself.

Cave art. Stenciled images of human hands are "common" and "sometimes dominate" areas of Ice-Age caves (dated between 35,000 and 20,000 years ago; Scarre 1993:59). In France's Gargas cave, hands are depicted with missing fingers or finger segments. "It is unclear whether the joints had actually been lost through frostbite or some other condition, or whether the fingers were bent in some kind of signaling system" (Scarre 1993:59; see below, Neuro-notes II).

Evolution. The 27 bones, 33 muscles and 20 joints of our hand originated ca. 400 m.y.a. from the lobe fins of early fishes known as rhipidistians. Primeval "swim fins" helped our aquatic ancestors paddle Devonian seas in search of food and mates. In amphibians, forelimbs evolved as weight-bearing platforms for walking on land. In primates, hands were singled out for upgrade as tactile antennae or "feelers." Today (unlike flippers, claws, and hooves), fingers link to intellectual modules and emotion centers of the brain. Not only can we thread a needle, e.g., we can also pantomime the act of threading with our fingertips (see MIME CUE)--or reward a child's successful threading with a gentle pat. There is no better organ than a hand for gauging unspoken thoughts, attitudes, and moods.

Embryology. Hands are visible as fleshy paddles on limb buds of the human fetus until the 6th week of life, when digital rays form separate fingers through a process of programmed cell death. Soon after, hands and arms make coordinated paddling movements in mother's amniotic fluid. Placed in water shortly after birth, babies can swim, as paleocircuits of the aquatic brain & spinal cord prompt newborns to kick with their feet and paddle with their hands.

Infancy. Babies are born with the primate ability to grasp objects tightly in a climbing-related power grip. Later, they instinctively reach for items placed in front of them. Between 1-1/2 and 3 months, reflexive grasping is replaced by an ability to hold-on by choice. Voluntary reaching appears during the 4th and 5th months of age, and coordinated sequences of reaching, grasping, and handling objects are seen by 3-to-6 months, as fingertips and palms explore the textures, shapes, warmth, wetness, and dryness of Nonverbal World (Chase and Rubin 1979).

Early signs. By 5 months, as a prelude to more expressive mime cues, babies posture with arms and hands as if anticipating the size and hardness (or softness) of objects in their reach space (Chase and Rubin 1979). Between 6 and 9 months, infants learn to grasp food items between the thumbs and outer sides of their index fingers, in an apelike precursor of the precision grip. At this time, babies also pull, pound, rub, shake, push, twist, and creatively manipulate objects to determine their "look and feel" (Chase and Rubin 1979).

Later signs. Eventually, a baby's hands experiment not only with objects themselves but with component parts, as if curious to learn more about relationships and about how things fit together (Chase and Rubin 1979). At one year, infants grasp objects between the tactile pads of thumb and index fingers, in a mature, distinctively human precision grip. Pointing with an extended index finger also begins at 12 months, as babies use the cue to refer to novel sights and sounds--and speak their first words.

Neuro-notes I. Our brain devotes an unusually large part of its surface area to hands and fingers (see HOMUNCULUS). In the mind's eye, as a result a. of the generous space they occupy on the sensory and motor strips of our neocortex, and b. of the older paleocircuits linking them to emotional and grooming centers of the mammalian brain, almost anything a hand does holds potential as a sign. Today, our hands are fiber-linked to an array of sensory, motor, and association areas of the forebrain, midbrain, and cerebellum, which lays the groundwork for nonverbal learning, manual sign language, computer keyboard fluency, and the ability to make tools of stone, silicon, and steel.

Neuro-notes II. We respond to hands and their gestures with an extreme alertness because specialized nerve cells in the lower temporal lobe respond exclusively to hand positions and shapes (see, e.g., Kandel et al. 1991:458-59).

___________

A special new gadget being introduced soon is called the Mouse Hand Wamer. It will be available online at IGMproducts.com. The site is under contruction and we'll post grand opening here soon. Check back or save the link - http://www.IGMproducts.com/

A perfect gift idea, and it's $19.95 free shipping & no sales tax! Images coming soon!

Analyst Predicts Computer Mouse Obsolete in Five Years

2008-08-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. announced recently a new Mouse Hand Warmer to be available online. We'll post more details about the new geek gadget soon. Check here often.

by Donald Melanson from Switched

As you may have noticed, we're not ones to put much stock in analysts' predictions, especially when they involve the demise of something as entrenched as the mouse in as little as five years. Still, that's the limb Gartner analyst Steve Prentice has walked out on, sort of.

While he first qualifies things a bit by saying that the mouse "works fine in the desktop environment but for home entertainment or working on a notebook it's over," he later seems to get considerably more definitive in stating that "the idea of a keyboard with a mouse as a control interface is the paradigm that I am talking about breaking down" (the keyboard, he says, is here to stay).

In place of the mouse, Prentice sees things like facial recognition systems, multi-touch, and even devices like OCZ's mind-reading Neural Interface Actuator taking over. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to start practicing thinking really hard so we don't get tripped up during the transition.

Electric Blankets or a Hot Water Bottle?

2008-08-09T19:05:00.000-07:00

When you get a chill the first thing you think about is an electric blanket or a hot water bottle, but what happens when your mouse hand gets cold? What do you think of then? You are in the midst of work, can't stop, just want the cold hand to stop being cold. Soon, you'll be able to slip your mouse pad, mouse and hand inside a MOUSE HAND WARMER. The Mouse Hand Warmer is the trademark of a new computer gadget and will be made available online only within the next few days. We'll post more details and information here soon. In the meantime, dream about a warm mouse hand because the chills are gone!

By John Gibb

Winter nights can be very, very cold – so cold, in some places, that no matter how many blankets and quilts you put over yourself, you never seem to get any warmer. The solution to the problem, of course, is to snuggle yourself under an electrically heated blanket: just plug it in, and keep warm. Seems easy enough, right?

Well, not really. Unfortunately, electric blankets have got something of a negative reputation. As recently as a decade ago, they had a tendency to injure their users, by causing electric shocks, burns or even fires. Older electric fires are still causing thousands of fires a year today, and people who can’t feel heat can still be burned even by safer modern electric blankets.

Used carefully, however, electric blankets can be safe, as long as you make sure to buy a new one (never buy one second hand) and check that you are sensitive enough to heat to feel if it gets too hot. You may also consider simply using the electric blanket to warm the bed up before you get into it, but not actually sleeping underneath the electric blanket, instead unplugging and removing it before you go to bed. Make extra sure that the blanket never gets wet, and that you don’t use it together with any other blankets. Finally, you should replace the electric blanket every few years, or sooner if it starts to look like it is in bad condition.

For many people, though, having to deal with all these risks to use such a simple thing seems too much trouble. The best and most common alternative to the electric blanket is probably the hot water bottle, as hot water bottles cool down rather than getting warmer over time, and can be fitted with special soft covers to avoid burning you. They are also much cheaper.

Mouse hand warmer pictures coming soon!

2008-08-02T11:05:00.000-07:00

The modern thinker is continuously coming up with solutions for modern-day living. That's the case for a small company in California, i-GlobalMall.com, Inc., who is soon to release a new consumer product called the Mouse Hand Warmer. We'll post images as soon as they are made available.

The Mouse Hand Warmer is a soft polyester fleece blanket to slip your mouse hand inside keeping it warm as you work. There's no cords to attach or get tangled on your desk. The Mouse Hand Warmer is a convenient case-style item in a modern design to complement your office or desk top.

A person's mouse hand gets cold for a variety of reason:

air conditioned office

cold winter drafts

poor circulation

working long hours into the night

drafty rooms

open windows

poor insulation

energy conservation

Most of the contemporary thinkers know there's a solution for every problem. We believe the Mouse Hand Warmer is a modern-day marvel soon to hit the streets a winner!

We'll post pictures and details about the new computer mouse product soon. The Mouse Hand Warmer is scheduled to be available for 2008 holiday shoppers. Save this link and stay tuned for more information coming soon.

The who’s of who US retailing

2008-08-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

Walmart - Walmart - Walmart

from Marketing Web
Compiled by Pedro de Gouveia

Earlier this month (July 2008) the USA’s National Retail Federation’s venerable retail trade publication STORES magazine announced the results of its 2008 Top 100 Retailers Study.

This study reflects many of the changes that will ultimately define this era. For the first time, the retailing of digital downloads and personal telecommunications devices by non-traditional retailers are included.

Technology companies like Dell, Apple and its iTunes Store are represented, as are wireless communications providers and handset sellers AT&T and Verizon.

Walmart remains the No. 1 retailer by sales - a position it isn't likely to lose soon, as it alone accounts for 22% of aggregate Top 100 sales. Change is afoot, however, as pharmacy chain CVS has vaulted into the No. 3 spot as a result of its acquisition of Caremark. This reflects the growth and evolution of the health and wellness industry as served by "drug"/pharmacy stores. Home Depot managed to hold on to the No. 2 spot despite the poor state of the US housing market, while Kroger, the supermarket leader, slipped one place to No. 4.

Mass merchants are well represented in the Top 10, with warehouse club operator Costco Wholesale ranking fifth, Target sixth and Sears Holdings - parent of Sears, KMart and several chains of hardware and home furnishings stores - in the eighth position.

No. 7 Walgreen has been overtaken as the volume leader among pharmacy chains, even though it has been beefing up through acquisitions. Rounding out the Top 10 is SUPERVALU, which this year has its wholesale and distribution business included in total revenues.

Here follows a closer look at how the rankings panned out in the different retail categories:

CLOTHING STORES:
2008 has not been kind to apparel retailers, who had high hopes coming off a 2007 in which the different categories of clothing sales increased across the board. Total clothing sales rose 3% last year to just under $200 billion, led by children's clothing (up 6%) and menswear (4%). Dresses for women and girls and dress-up looks for men (suits, tailored clothing) were the big sellers.

Fashion retailers began marking down spring and summer items as early as March, and fall merchandise began showing up in stores prior to Memorial Day weekend.

This drop in consumer demand has been a boon for off-pricers like Ross Stores, which operates the Dress for Less chain. Middle-of-the-road retailers like Gap have found the going pretty rough. Gap sales fell 4.8% in the first quarter as same-store sales dropped 11% across Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic units.

DEPARTMENT STORES:
Macy's has been reviewing parts of its approach to homogenisation; JCPenney has been playing up its national identity; and Sears Holdings has continued to struggle with finding a permanent cure for it's numerous merchandising and operational ailments.

Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren, wants 15% of the product in each of the chain's stores to reflect local tastes. This, even as the company has instructed that each store should have a toy department operated by category specialist FAO Schwarz.

With $2 billion in cash and manageable debt, JC Penney is finally in good shape to weather any economic storms. According their CEO, Myron E Ullman, the department stores to worry about are the regional operators lacking a broad-based cost structure to ride out a downturn. Thirty years ago, there were 65 department store companies, he says. "Now, we have a couple of solid competitors that we respect."

Sears continues to flounder amid quarterly losses, management changes and sagging sales. Investors are getting impatient. Dillard's is battling too, having admitted to entering some markets it shouldn't have and announcing plans to rein in costs. The company will continue closing stores, with six earmarked for this year.

PHARMACY STORES:
Cheap prescription drugs from the likes of Walmart (which claims to have saved consumers more than $1 billion since rolling back medicine prices in September 2006), Target and major supermarket chains aren't worrying the large pharmacy chains. CVS, Walgreen and Rite Aid have ignored the bargain-basement approach to pharmacy pricing, absorbed the punch from the competition and moved on.

A snapshot of the industry shows that pharmacy stores accounted for 40.4% of the $260 billion in domestic prescription sales last year, with supermarkets ringing up 11% and mass merchants 9.9%. Mail order houses handled 20.5% of the script business; independent druggists, 18.2%.

ENTERTAINMENT STORES:
This is a new category this year, replacing the more narrowly-focused booksellers category. Though it might, at first glance, appear to be a mixture of diverse specialty stores, there is more overlap and convergence than the companies' traditional realms would indicate.

This is best demonstrated by national bookseller Borders. Their current concept stores bring together digital and internet options with the hands-on approach to books, CDs and DVDs. Borders is opening 14 of these prototype stores this year, combining 170,000 book, music and movie titles on the shelves with digital centres where customers can download e-books, mix and match songs on CDs and create electronic photo albums and family histories.

Apple's iTunes Store is now the largest seller of music, surpassing Walmart , Amazon .com, Best Buy and Target. In May iTunes broke the news that it would sell movie downloads, starting the same day the titles are released on DVD.

Blockbuster, once viewed as a dinosaur lumbering toward extinction, has reinvented itself to the point where rentals constitute only half its revenues. Blockbuster's Total Access program enables it to compete with Netflix and other electronic retailers, while video games constitute a growth area for store merchandise. With the release of the highly-anticipated "Grand Theft Auto IV" earlier this year, for example, Blockbuster enjoyed a 4.5% share of the sales, compared with the 1% to 1.5% share it usually captures in game sales.

DIY/BUILDING MATERIALS STORES:
Store preferences and loyalties are being severely tested this year as home improvement retailers battle through another depressed summer in the housing market. Home Depot and Lowe's have commenced with retrenchments. Home Depot is closing 15 underperforming stores and reducing the number of new-store openings by more than half.

Lowe's has postponed openings for 20 stores - primarily in Florida and California, where housing woes are particularly acute.

Still, a couple of smaller chains are showing that the entire home improvement segment hasn't fallen into disrepair. Menards is a Top 100 retailer that is employing a novel strategy in its site selection process by buying plenty of land around new stores. The company then puts in utilities and engages local home builders to develop the real estate with the understanding that materials will be purchased from Menards.

For example in Yorkville, Illinois. Menards purchased enough real estate for more than 160 single-family homes and 69 townhouse condominiums. Once these units are occupied, Menards has a ready-made core group of consumers in the immediate vicinity.

Lumber Liquidators has carved out a specialty niche in this segment by selling flooring at deep discounts, whether it's 80c per square foot for down-scale laminate or 10 times as much for tropical hardwoods. The 130-store retailer, generated just over $400 million in sales last year and plans to open stores at a rate of 30 to 40 annually until it reaches a minimum of 300 locations and its goal of becoming a billion-dollar company.

SUPERMARKETS:
Among supermarkets, the "big thing" is all about going small.

British supermarket chain Tesco, the world's third-largest retailer, took the USA by storm last year when it began opening 10,000-sq.-ft. Fresh & Easy convenience grocery stores in western cities like Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas.

Filled with prepared foods and private-label products, these stores were widely seen as being the catalyst in transforming the US supermarket industry from big or medium-sized box operations to community food stores.

After an initial burst of energy, Tesco has slowed down its store opening programme. Wal-Mart has seized the opportunity to the launch its response in the form of Marketside, a community grocery store of about 15,000 sq. ft. These stores have kitchens and eat-in food counters. These stores will also debut in Western cities.

To date the only traditional supermarket players to open a smaller format store, has been the Safeway Group with its Market by Vons, a 15,000-sq.-ft. store in Long Beach, California.

Kroger already operates 780 convenience stores, under several banners, including Kwik Stop, Loaf & Jug and Tom Thumb Food Stores. Instead of entering the neighbourhood store battleground, the company appears to prefer concentrating resources on larger concepts like its Marketplace super-centre and more traditional Fresh Market stores.

SUPERVALU had opened a smaller-format store called Sunflower, but pulled the plug in the aftermath of its acquisition of a multitude of Albertsons locations.

RESTAURANTS:
McDonalds continues to have to rebut the ongoing activists and their allegations regarding the source and content its food. It is using TV, print advertising and its corporate website to respond to some of the more radical and fanciful allegations.

"We're engaging in a conversation with our guests because we feel it's important for them to know the truth about our food," says Molly Starmann, head of domestic marketing for McDonald's.

Yum! Brands - operator of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell - is one to watch, particularly as it turns itself into an international juggernaut with roughly half of its operations and profits coming from outside US in countries such as China, Thailand, France, South Africa and the UK.

All eyes seem focused on Starbucks to see if founder Howard Shultz can give the coffee giant a caffeinated jolt of renewed growth in espresso time, after the company recently announced that is would be closing down 600 stores in the next year or so.

OFFICE SUPPLY SUPERSTORES:
This retail segment includes the likes of Office Depot , OfficeMax and Staples, which only have approximately 10% of the office supply superstore share of market.

Contract specialists have a 21%, specialty stores 20% and mass merchants 18%. The Federal Trade Commission doesn't read the statistics this way, however, and has adamantly opposed any alliance, union, merger, marriage or other combination of domestic office superstore retailers - even though each of these companies' market share is in the low single digits: Staples (4%), Office Depot (3.4%), OfficeMax (2.3%).

Nipping at their heels is FedExKinkos, which has copying, printing and other services found at a typical office supply superstore.

As a result, all the companies have had to find unique solutions to achieve the size necessary to remain competitive in the US market. Staples and Office Depot have looked overseas for partners, while OfficeMax is still coming to terms with its acquisition by timber company Boise Cascade.

Staples already have extensive overseas operations. This includes a foothold in China (where it has partnered with UPS) and the 2007 opening of its first store in India. Last month, Staples announced it had reached an agreement to acquire Corporate Express, a Netherlands-based contract dealer in office supplies.

The four-month negotiation resulted a $2.7 billion deal that Staples executives hope will put further distance between the retailer and its rivals. Faced with sluggish sales in its North American division, Office Depot is entering India by partnering with Reliance Retail. The joint venture has acquired eOfficePlanet, which uses a direct sales force to peddle office products and services to businesses.

LARGE FORMAT RETAILERS:
"The bigger they come, the harder they fall" is an axiom that has been ascribed to everything from trees to celebrities. Large-format value retailer power players are working hard to prevent it from being applied to them any time soon. In addition to keeping their finances in order, they all are polishing their altruistic credentials in order to show a beneficent side to the public, whether it is championing environmentalism, cutting prescription prices or espousing other forms of good corporate citizenship.

SMALL FORMAT RETAILERS:
Dollar stores were all the rage just a few years ago, touted as the perfect weapon to counter the big-box mass merchants' march across the landscape. Things have changed. Today these small-format value retailers are struggling to get their share of the dollars consumers are trying to stretch in a tough economy.

Dollar General has scaled back expansion plans from recent historical levels. Its current CEO was appointed a year ago by its new owners private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. Drug store and supermarket veteran Rick Dreiling was brought in to get costs under control.

He's doing so by weeding out underperforming stores and combing through the inventory to eliminate underproductive SKUs. He has also reshuffled his senior management team in order to get the right combination to implement his strategies.

Family Dollar, which reinvented itself a few years ago, has made a number of positive moves, pursuing an urban strategy that has largely kept many of its new store locations from bumping into the Wal-Mart juggernaut.

Inside the stores, Family Dollar has been using general merchandise - particularly home goods and apparel - to create a "treasure hunt" ambience while expanding supermarket merchandise to drive traffic. Larger grocery sections were installed in about 2,800 of the chain's 6,500 locations during the current fiscal year.

NON STORE RETAILERS:
Amazon is the standard-bearer for retailers without stores but there is nothing standard about what the Seattle-based company has accomplished, growing into a $15 billion entity while operating in the black. Amazon is more about the future than last year's results or this year's performance, and it has blazed the e-commerce trail with operations so sophisticated that some observers view it as a technology company that happens to sell goods. Its potential is seen as larger that its accomplishments.

It's so cock sure and confident that it lets other merchants piggyback on its capabilities through its web services operation. On its own, Amazon sells jewellery, watches, house wares, consumer electronics, home goods and all kinds of general merchandise, although books, music and movies account for half the revenues.

QVC and IACI/HSN have e-commerce operations, but their main selling vehicle remains television. But just as online retailing has made a dent in the sales of brick-and-mortar merchants, so has it impacted TV-reliant home shopping retailers. A recent Nielsen survey indicated that, worldwide, 85 % of people with internet access have used it to make a purchase.

HSN.com has been transformed into a dynamic stand-alone storefront with more than 40,000 products. The site provides shoppers with a wide range of unique features, including When-To-Watch e-mail reminders, an interactive Program Guide and Weekly Product Reviews. At QVC.com, improvements included a wish list, the ability to print pre-paid return labels and improved auto-delivery management.