Sit Up Straight! A Webcam Turns Your Computer Display Into A Parental Surrogate

Poor posture is a topic that my poor mother constantly harped on me about as a child. And considering how poorly I'm sitting as I type these words, her efforts were largely for naught. Nonetheless, her spirit lives on in Philips' 24-inch ErgoSensor Monitor, which leverages a built-in front-facing image sensor and software developed by DigitalOptics Corporation in order to implement multiple functions beyond conventional videoconferencing purposes:

• It measures inter-pupillary distance (spacing between your eyes) to ascertain if you're sitting too close to (or for that matter, too far away) from the display
• It also claims to be able to discern if your neck is non-optimally angled
• It reminds you to take a rest break if it decides that you've been lingering too long in front of it
• And if you're conversely away from it for a while, it automatically enters a low-power state

Currently available in the European Union, it costs 285 euros (~$375 USD). U.S. availability and price are not yet available. For more, see the coverage here:

• Ars Technica
• Gizmodo, and
• Wired

And hey...don't slouch!