Willkommen to our German Distributors

Continuing the Parade of our international distributors are two lovely companies based in Germany.

CIB is a one man band hat helps seniors and not-so-seniors learn to use computer and internet technology. Karsten Hitze  is a Microsoft certified consultant who offers recommendations, training, support and maintenance to users who are unfamiliar with technology but who want to learn to use it.  Karsten make computer use easier than driving a car, as he puts it, and with less bumps for the novice.  Check out his site here.

Our second German distributor is Gett.  Gett is a larger company, with a very different focus.  Gett is a data input company, which means they direct their attention to the products and services that allow their customers to be more efficient with their data input.  With emphasis on products, technology, and support, Gett's goal is to offer their consumers the specific items they need and assistance to use them well.  Check Gett out here.

Building a Better Mouse

Building a better mouse - that's a large part of what we're about here at Chester Creek: better mice, keyboards, and computer accessories for you.  That's why our mice are designed so carefully, from the standard-sized ReaderMouse with its incredible comfortable grip to the ChesterMouse, designed for those who have the hardest time.

Our three small mice are the ChesterMouse, the LittleMouse, and the TinyMouse.  All three are sized to fit a child's hand, which also happens to be just about perfect for many individuals with motor or dexterity struggles.  These mice are easier to grip, and the buttons are easier to reach.  Like the ReaderMouse, all of our small mice have optical tracking.  This means no trackball to clean or lose.  Smooth optical tracking makes use of a mouse even easier.

The ChesterMouse

The ChesterMouse is a favorite with parents and teachers of young children as well as special-ed instructors. The Chester features one large button, keeping confusion about left- and right-clicks out of the equation.  You'll never have to worry about accidental right click changes.  Further, this mouse is both sturdy and extremely easy to use for those with dexterity issues.  In many situations, users are even employing the ChesterMouse as a more affordable alternative to a capability switch.

The LittleMouse

Next on our line up of small mice is the LittleMouse.  Chester Creek's LittleMouse, as its name implies, is small, an easy fit for little hands.  With two buttons, its perfect for those learning to use a computer and for those who don't want or need the distraction of a scroll wheel.  Featuring teacher requested color coding, the LittleMouse's left click is "Green for Go," while the right click is "Red for Stop," making learning easier than ever.

The Tiny Mouse

Our final small size mouse (as of now) is the TinyMouse.  Like the ChesterMouse and LittleMouse, the Tiny Mouse is half the size of a standard computer mouse.  It fits easily into the tiny hands of children, with buttons easily controllable for those who struggle with dexterity or arthritis.  The TinyMouse features both left- and right-clicks, as well as a smooth-rolling scroll wheel.  The color-coded buttons can be found on our TinyMouse as well, this time in bolder red, blue, and yellow, depending on the mouse.  That's right, the TinyMouse comes in both black and white to match your computer and keyboard.

The FunKeyBoard & FunMouse

For even more fun, check out our FunKeyBundle; with a bright red case, fun, color-coded buttons, and a matching FunMouse to boot, computing has never been more fun.  Our FunMouse is just like a TinyMouse with even more eye-catching color.

As always, Chester Creek has worked hard to bring you only the best in computer accessories.  All of our small mice - the Tiny, Little, and Chester Mouses - feature rugged construction and a one-year warranty on home use (six months for institutional use).  Additionally, these mice are RoHS and CPSIA compliant, completely safe for your loved ones, young and old.

Practically World Famous!

Check us out on CNN!  Mario Armstrong discusses technology and seniors in a CNN Saturday segment entitled "Internet Savvy Seniors."  That is our VisionBoard2 White, ladies and gentlemen.  How cool are we? Practically world famous!

Colors of the Wind

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for."
-Georgia O'Keefe

We see the world around us through an array of colors. Red apples, green grass, blue skies. The colors we see affect our impression of the things that we are seeing, whether we know it or not. For instance, a bright red has been shown to stimulate the autonomic nervous system, creating a slight change in pulse and blood pressure. These effects occur because color is perceived, not only on the surface of the brain, but also in the limbic system, which is often referred to as the "primitive brain." Red, given this fact as well as its cultural associations, can influence people to be more risk-averse and detail-oriented. Even blind, color-blind, and blind-folded individuals have been shown to experience different physiological sensations under different color lights.

Blue and green, conversely, have been shown to have a calming effect on individuals and to stimulate creative thinking. Certain shades of blue have even been shown to slow the heart rate. It is for this reason that "cardiac blue" is so frequently used in medical centers and hospitals. The debate about certain color improving productivity has gone on for a long time. The truth is, different colors can encourage different types of productivity: red for detail-oriented work and blue for creative work. Blue has also been shown to act as an appetite suppressant. Yellow caution signs and the like work well because yellow is an attention-getting color. Too much yellow, however, can cause headaches and irritability because it over stimulates the eyes.

Similarly, experts advise refraining from over use of color. More than six bold colors in any one piece (wallpaper, for instance) can be overwhelming and inhibit cognition.

Children are usually drawn by warm, bight colors. Using these colors in learning environments can have very positive affects. A classroom decorated in friendly colors can reduce stress, improve visual processing, increase focus and attention span, and aid brain development in visual thinking, problem solving, and creativity.  In fact, color speeds up learning and retention by as much as 78% and use of bold colors (as oposed to black and white) can increase IQ by up to 12 points.  

For special needs children specifically, color can be either helpful or harmful, depending on how it is used. Regular, geometric patterns can be used to stimulate the pattern seeking part of the brain and reduce visual stress (in comparison with irregular or more complicated patterns). Autistic children in particular can be overwhelmed easily by color. Researchers have found that approximately 85% of autistic children see colors with greater intensity than do their neurotypical peers. This is not to say that the learning environment of a child with an ASD (Autism spectrum disorder) should be devoid of bright colors or decoration, but rather that bold colors should be used carefully, in that setting. In fact, we have heard from several parents and instructors that children on the spectrum benefit greatly from our colored keyboards because of the color-coding.

Dyslexic children generally benefit from well-used color.  A study has shown that 80% of dyslexic children showed increased understanding of read materials when displayed with a colored overlay.  Color-coding by character set can help with spelling on keyboards for those with dyslexia. Those with ADD and ADHD are also helped by the use of color.  Color has been shown to help with focus for these individuals as well as individuals with Down Syndrome by maintaining interest and breaking monotony.

The benefits of using more color are not limited only to children; repetition of colors has also enhanced the memory of nursing home residents and productivity across most demographics.

My Mother is on Facebook

I was having a hard time coming up with a topic to write about today, so I took to browsing the internet – my solution to a wide variety of quandaries.   Among ideas like “Great things about my community” and “When I feel frustrated…,” I found this topic.  It’s true.  My mother is on Facebook (all the time).  My Grandmother has a Facebook, too.  And my Grandfather.  My mom’s best friend. My best friend’s mom.   My aunt.  My elementary school office lady.  While Facebook definitely began as a network for peers, it has grown into so much more.  Facebook has five hundred million active users.  500,000,000. On any given day, half of those users log on. 

It is not just the younger generation surfing the net these days.  While older users are busily learning the ins and outs of the world wide web, they are also learning how to interface with the hardware that gets them there.  For a lot of these users, however, this presents problems.  They may have never learned to type, and hunt-and-peck for every letter.  They may not have the eyesight to read the monitor or the keyboard.  Arthritis may make typing or even using a mouse increasingly difficult. 

That’s where some basic assistive technology devices come in.  For virtually every stumbling block to access, there is a tool to get past it.  Chester Creek specializes in this arena.  We are here to offer you, your mother, your grandmother, your grandfather, your mom’s best friend, your best friend’s mom, your aunt, and your elementary school office lady everything we can, to help you do what you want to do with a computer, from typing away on email correspondence to hitting level 47 on Farmville.  Come stop by the Creek and take a look around; I can virtually guarantee there is something you will look at and say “That would be perfect for ___!” 

And speaking of Grandmothers, happy birthday to our favorite pay-roll/accountant/accounts payable/accounts receivable lady, Karen!

Moderate Monday Magics and High Visibility Keyboards

The only fun hijinks in the office here today include adventures in boxland and a heated discussion about the inadequacy of cordless phones.  With the rolling in of the new year comes the rolling out of old files.  Box them up and put them some place, never to be seen again. Of course, this involves assembling the boxes.  Watching Tasha do so? Mildly entertaining. Watching Karen make the attempt?  Hilarious.  They come in a big flat package, perforated cardboard sheets you magically fold into a box, the way a square of paper magically becomes an oragami crane.  Magic.  If you know how.  If you don't, hilarity.