THE GOODS : No More Tossin’ and Turnin’ All Night
Sleepless in Schenectady, St. Louis or Spokane? Check out a new latex foam mattress designed to offer more quality sleep time. Its secret: It decreases the pressure between body and mattress so users don’t toss and turn so much during the night.
Manufactured by Connecticut-based Talatech International, the latex foam mattresses have been constructed through the use of a computerized bedding evaluation system called Ergocheck. The unique system, developed in Germany, uses a specially engineered sensing pad fitted with 684 individual monitors to measure the physical pressure between a tester’s body and the mattress.
During many trials, the Talatech mattress put less pressure on test subjects’ bodies than innerspring mattresses, giving them a more restful night’s sleep. Computer printouts show test results of a person lying on his or her side as the Ergocheck system measures how much support is placed on the mattress and how much support the mattress offers.
The higher the pressure on the body, the more circulation is inhibited, causing muscle aches, tossing and turning and other discomforts, according to test studies. In the bottom photo, the blue areas indicate circulation shut-off when the tester is lying on an innerspring mattress. The latex foam mattress seems to provide better pressure equalization, showing less heavy pressure points.
“Sleep studies show that people typically toss and turn 120 to 140 times a night (on an innerspring mattress),” says Talatech President Jonathan May. “In tests of the latex foam ones, the figure is reduced to 15 to 20 times.”
Latex foam mattresses have been popular in Europe for about 10 years, selling about 3 million a year for 20% of the European mattress market, May says.
And latex, which comes from rubber trees, is a natural, biodegradable material that is hypoallergenic. Each Talatech mattress is constructed with thousands of air channels to allow ventilation. The mattress covers are 100% cotton with wool-blend quilting.
May says the Talatech mattress is “the last bed you’ll ever have to buy because it lasts a lifetime,” and it comes with a lifetime warranty. It also has a 30-day money-back guarantee if you don’t like it.
Talatech latex foam mattresses are available in twin, full, queen and king, as well as custom sizes. They’re not cheap, though. A queen set, which includes an all-wood foundation box with a one-inch latex layer on top, costs $1,399. A queen mattress only is $1,199.
For a brochure or to buy directly from Talatech, call (800) TALATECH. Or the Talatech latex foam mattress will be available through Ortho Sleep Centers in California in June. Call (800) 698-ORTHO for a store in your area.
Finally, a Cheaper Digital Camera
Casio is about to introduce a new entry in the rapidly growing digital image market--the QV-10, a hand-held still camera that can do all sorts of image tricks and costs a fraction of those already on the market.
At $800, the QV-10 allows the photographer to see instantly on a 1.8-inch LCD color screen an image of the picture taken.
The little camera (which weighs only 6.7 ounces without the batteries) can hold up to 96 still color images at a time. Pictures can be added or deleted at any time, and images can be edited by transferring them to a personal computer using an optional transfer package. Or images shot with the QV-10 can be transferred to a TV or VCR by using a special cable, creating a video picture book.
The QV-10 has a fixed focal length lens that can shoot from two feet to infinity, but can also take close-ups at five inches. It has a high-speed shutter, 1/8 to 1/4000 seconds.
QV-10 is due out in July in nationwide electronic, computer, camera and office stores. For more information, call (800) YO-CASIO.
Wiping the Slate Clean
Meguiar’s, the Irvine-based company that has been making superior furniture polishes and car-care products since 1901, just introduced Clear Plastic Detailer, which removes residue from transparent plastics in one step. It’s great for computer glare screens, copy machines, bike helmets, CDs, glasses or convertible back windows.
The new Meguiar’s detailer has an anti-static formula that repels dust and removes surface dirt without scratching. Simply spray it on the surface, spread it and wipe dry. The detailer also is biodegradable, non-flammable and nontoxic.
Clear Plastic Detailer ($5.95 for an eight-ounce bottle) is available at Trac Auto and West Marine stores. If you can’t find it in your area, call Meguiar’s at (800) 854-8073.
