MacBreakZ 4: Looking for alpha testers
It has finally happened: We have time to develop version 4 of MacBreakZ , our Personal Ergonomic Assistant.
MacBreakZ is what is commonly known as an "Ergonomic Rest Break Timer".
It is common knowledge that spending long, uninterrupted periods of time in front of your computer is the cause of many of our modern day occupational health disorders:
- tension in neck, shoulders, upper and lower back
- headaches
- tendinitis of the fingers, hands, wrists and elbows
- carpal tunnel syndrome
- writers' cramp
- and many other cumulative trauma diseases, occupational overuse syndromes and repetitive strain injuries
MacBreakZ combats these problems in a number of ways:
- reminds you to take breaks based on your health profile and your actual computer usage
- provides ergonomic advice and tips
- demonstrates and times stretching exercises that you can do in front of your computer
This type of software requires a high degree of adaptability and a particular sensitivity to the social factor influencing your work.
If you work in a home office and you are already suffering from one or more of the problems mentioned above, you will be looking for something that can help you recover and you won't care about much else. If you are, however, only looking to prevent injury and perhaps want to go home without a headache every day, you may be much more sensitive to what your co-workers think. You will not want to look silly doing strange stretches in an open plan office and you might be afraid that using a rest break timer might make you look less efficient or "injured".
Many of these things depend on your work setting and environment, the presence or absence of injury and your own mind set.
This is why, it is important for me as a product designer to be in touch with you, the end users of the product.
The development of A Better Finder Rename 7 was the first time, I developed a new product version in tight cooperation with a small number of alpha testers. This experience resulted in an end product that was far superior to what I could have achieved without the active help of this dedicated group of people.
This is why I want to attempt to replicate this approach with MacBreakZ 4.
I am looking for people who have time and effort to expend, who are interested in technology and have the desire to contribute to this project. Being accustomed to using MacBreakZ , ergonomix or any other break timer program will be an advantage.
If you feel like you might want to take part in shaping this new product and following it through its various development stages, please drop me a line at reiff@publicspace.net
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