Work-from-Home in the Zombie Corona-pocalypse

It's spring of 2020 in the suburban neighborhoods around Detroit. The morning sun tries to burn through clouds of diesel and gunsmoke. The 'Rona has taken control of our cities and running rampant in a post-apocalyptic dystopia where armed forces hide behind pockets of detritus, desperately fighting a losing battle against a virus that gave birth to a population of looting zombies roaming through the countryside ... wait a minute ... it's 2020. Some people might want it to be true, but it's not.

Instead of roaming through a wasteland of rubble and hopelessness, millions of people now have to work from home. The rubble and hopelessness are all in heads of those who are so fearful of this situation, they're probably hiding in their bedrooms with their guns unlocked-and-loaded, waiting for looters. Or just hoping that they can justify shooting a human being dead.

Don't worry, those looters are just your neighbors asking for a roll of toilet paper. Give 'em if you got 'em. Otherwise, enlighten them about the fact that bidets exist and are more hygienic and they can save themselves money, trees, and ammunition.

And let's presume those conspiracy theorists are right in that this was a plot by Big Toilet Paper to spawn real zombies, you can choose to embrace it and be like Ed:

Let's go back. This is about Working From Home, or telecommuting, also known as The Ole' Normal for some of us. There's really only one tip:

Comfort = Ergonomics + Rest

That's right. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a dedicated workspace at home. I get it. But as long as we remember the basics, we are on track to a more comfortable, productive home-workspace.

Ergonomics: A desk > The kitchen table

We've all seen a similar image like the one below, so I won't go into the details.

The sit/stand desks common in many offices have been widely adopted over the years, but at home, I still rock a dedicated standing desk because of the extra storage space, and to give myself a reason to step away from the desk to sit down and rest.

A good chair = an investment

Probably the most important piece of office furniture, but it's not necessary to splurge on it. Just don't use an old folding chair. When I'm not standing, I switch been that stowable Mogo Seat that's propped up next to my desk, and a couch on the opposite wall.

Any Good External Webcams > Laptop Webcams

Not too long ago, Dell had released a version of their XPS Laptops with the unfortunate design decision of placing the webcam below the screen. They're actually solid laptops and many are being re-issued and recycled, but when in a teleconference meeting, you'll quickly know who has one because you can see the awkward face angles and their fingers typing on their keyboards. Even with external monitors, many of us still rely on our laptop webcams.

Let's take a look at a desktop webcam that was released in 2012, the ubiquitous, consumer-friendly Logitech C920. Compared to many laptop webcams, the C920 streams your video in 1080p, works relatively well in low-light conditions, can be placed in a better location, and records voice audio clearly with the built-in stereo microphones.

Before the pandemic, the market was flooded with them for under $50. Since the Stay-Home orders across the world, I've seen them listed for over $250 on Amazon... used.

If the job requires frequent live presentations, invest in pairing a decent webcam, like the Logitech Brio, with a clear desktop microphone, like the MXL AC404.

Mice and Trackballs > Most trackpads

Trackpads are the most convenient option when a mouse, or trackball mouse, isn't in a comfortable or accessible. This is especially true if the laptop is propped up with a Roost Stand to maintain a healthy posture.

Mice are a personal preference, so I won't recommend one here. I currently switch between a Logitech Ergo trackball mouse and a Logitech MX Master because of the Flow functionality that allows me to seamlessly navigate between different machines and share my clipboard between them (i.e.copy and paste images, text, and files).

Mechanical keyboards > Most laptop keyboards

Now that the laptop is probably raised so the top of the laptop monitor is at eye-level, and a comfy mouse is in your hands, the laptop keyboard is now in an awkward location. Let's segue into the topic of keyboards, a topic where personal preferences and opinions on them are so strong, the bloodiest wars throughout human history can be traced back to these differences in opinions. I've read, on the Reddit AMA's, that Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great were avid Cherry MX Blue fans, while Vlad the Impaler's less known moniker was The Gateron Evangelist. 

I can tell you why I use the Logitech MX Keys at home - the low profile keys are spaced just right for touch typists, and for the Flow feature that dynamically connects the keyboard to the machine that the mouse pointer is currently in.

Noise-canceling headphones/earbuds

Sure, it's a personal preference, and it's easy to get stuck in analysis paralysis when it comes to headphones, especially when there are so many options out there. And why do all the review sites recommend more expensive ones? Simple - because they make more affiliate and referral money from selling those models.

Let's go over what considerations to weigh in before going out and getting one:
1. Will a new set of headphones improve productivity over the current set right now?
2. Audiophile? Again, will a new set improve productivity? If so, don't bother with the "true wireless earbuds". Get a audiophile-friendly set of headphones or earbuds. Stop reading here.
3. Comfort. Comfort. Comfort. Avoid headphones that are, in any way, heavy, run hot, or can hurt after several hours of use.
4. Battery life. If they're comfortable and work well with the intended use cases, then battery life must be factored in. If your favorite wireless headphones can't be worn through a full day's work, then bite the bullet and get an ancillary set.
5. Lastly, active noise canceling (ANC) is only necessary when there's a lot of noise to block out. If the office is already quiet, go to town with open ear headphones.
6. There's nothing wrong with trying out and experimenting with different headphones to see how they work for you.