November 2009 • Productsphere
Fully Integrated
A new generation of office products gives us the technology we need—without flaunting it.
By Paul Makovsky
In case you haven’t noticed, technology has become a vital part of today’s workplace, and in response, offices have been wired to accommodate a more collaborative work style. Designers and manufacturers have certainly taken note, offering products that skillfully illustrate the shift. Armstrong Ceilings’ DC FlexZone grid system, for instance, allows interior spaces to be easily repurposed and reconfigured without rewiring. And Teknion’s Powermat provides a central, wireless station for charging multiple electronic devices.
When it comes to technology, smaller is better—except, that is, for flat-screen desktop monitors. “Where a nineteen-inch screen was common, I think between twenty-four and thirty inches will become the standard on the desk,” says Peter Bosson, director of research at Colebrook Bosson Saunders, a company that specializes in ergonomic office solutions. “Bigger than that and you’ve got difficulty with ergonomics, because you can’t focus on the screen and the monitors intrude on your work space.” The following products should not only maximize efficiency but help us untangle the mess of wires that perpetually surrounds us.
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Using a single power source, this wireless technology charges electronic devices such as cell phones and handheld games. The gadgets magnetically lock onto the mat, and a light and a beep indicate when they
are recharging.
www.powermat.com
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