improve posture
prevent back pain
Buy Postureminder now for only £19.99

System requirements & frequently asked questions

System requirements

Postureminder works on PCs meeting the following minimum requirements:

- Microsoft Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4*, XP with Service Pack 2*, Vista or Windows 7

- Intel Pentium 1.5GHz processor or equivalent

- 256Mb RAM (512Mb recommended)

- 140Mb free hard disk space


*Windows Service Packs
Windows Service Packs are the way Microsoft updates Windows to keep it secure and reliable. If you have Automatic Updates turned on, or keep your copy of Windows up to date using Windows Update, your computer should be up to date and able to run Postureminder.

Installing Postureminder
Postureminder is very quick and easy to install, but as with most PC software, you will need Administrator rights to install it on your computer. This is normally only an issue in corporate environments where your IT department may have limited your ability to install software yourself.  Please ask your IT support staff to contact us if they have any questions.


Webcams

If you are using Postureminder with a webcam to receive advanced posture reminders, please note the following.  Some webcams have fun software included with them for face tracking or visual effects, and some advanced cameras also pan and tilt to track your face. You will need to turn these features off when using Postureminder.  The best way to do this is often to only install the webcam drivers, not the accompanying software.

You may also find that some webcam models pop-up a control panel whenever Postureminder accesses them, which can be annoying. If this happens, normally there will be a setting in the webcam software to switch this behaviour off. Otherwise, you may find that uninstalling the software that came with your webcam (but leaving the webcam drivers) prevents this happening. Please refer to your webcam manufacturer's instructions to turn off this behaviour in your webcam's settings.

Postureminder has been tested with many USB webcams. However, you may encounter problems or performance issues if your webcam is particularly old or low quality, particularly in very dark or very bright lighting conditions.

If your webcam struggles to generate good quality images due to the lighting in your environment, you may need to improve your lighting and/or adjust your camera settings. In most cases if your webcam cannot generate good quality images it's a sign that your working environment is not suitable for long-term computer working, and may lead to eye fatigue.  Please refer to your webcam manufacturer's instructions on how to get the best out of your webcam.

Frequently asked questions

Is Postureminder available for MacOS?
Currently Postureminder is only available for Windows. We hope to release a MacOS version in the future but currently don't have a timescale for this
 
Does Postureminder spy on my working habits?
One thing that Postureminder will never do is spy on your working habits. We believe that Postureminder will only produce the desired health benefits and cost savings if it is trusted as a purely health-focused product, not a Big Brother system to check people are working hard.

Postureminder is a real-time system that discards all images the moment it has finished checking the user's posture. It does not provide any centralised reporting of working habits whatsoever, and collects no information on working times, rates or breaks. The only statistics Postureminder collects are about posture and hydration habits, and these are solely for the user to review to see whether their posture and hydration is improving over time. The Postureminder license strictly prohibits anyone from modifying the software to provide any spying functionality

What webcams can PostureMinder be used with?
Postureminder will work with most modern USB webcams. However, performance will vary, particularly in environments with poor lighting, or where strong natural light is present. Also, if your webcam has face tracking or other fun software features, please turn these off as they will interfere with the operation of Postureminder

I share my computer with other staff ("hot-desk"). Will Postureminder work for me?
Postureminder has a laptop/hot-desk setting which lets the software know that it shouldn't assume your webcam, computer and furniture are always the same. It will therefore prompt you to set up your current working environment as well as possible, and then re-calibrate, each time you log on. This takes typically 30 seconds-1 minute and provides a useful reminder that you shouldn't just accept the way the last user set up the computer, chair etc. Your personal preferences and settings will be stored as part of your network Roaming profile, so you won't have to adjust these each time you use Postureminder. Simply switch on laptop/hot-desk mode in the Settings-Posture panel within Postureminder.

I use a laptop - will PostureMinder work for me?
Postureminder has a laptop/hot-desk setting which lets the software know that it shouldn't assume your webcam, computer and furniture are always the same as last time you logged on. It will therefore prompt you to set up your laptop as well as possible, and then re-calibrate, each time you log on. This takes typically 30 seconds-1 minute and provides a useful reminder that you should set up your laptop as well as circumstances allow each time you start-up. Simply switch on laptop/hot-desk mode in the Settings-Posture panel within Postureminder.

 

If your question isn't answered above, please contact us via enquiry@postureminder.co.uk

What our users say...

Andy Woods, PhD (Trinity College Dublin):
"Postureminder's gentle reminders to sit up straight are great - I am a psychologist and recognize that consistent unobtrusive feedback is essential in making any such change in your life. Thank you PostureMinder for improving my posture :-)"

Margaret Chou, Marketing Administrator, Lamri Ltd:
"I bought Postureminder 18 months ago and it's made a significant improvement to my working style. I spend a large proportion of the day at my desk but with Postureminder I don’t end up hunched over my mouse exacerbating my shoulder problem. This is the next best thing to having my chiropractor sitting next to me and a whole lot cheaper"

Aaron Gerstonkorn, Muniworks, US:
"Really love your product, it has really kept me in the right position and helped reduce eye strain with the micro breaks"

Tim, Business Recovery Partner, leading UK accountancy firm:
"Better habits are ensuing...It's certainly helped me"

Sue, Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant:
"It proved very useful in identifying when I was not sitting correctly. It helped me to improve my posture a lot. I’d definitely recommend it to computer users, especially those with existing musculoskeletal disorders"

Liz, Software Tester, Manchester:
"I'd been having back problems for three or four years and even had to take time off work when it got too bad. I've also had physio to try to help alleviate the pain. Since I started using Postureminder my back pain has definitely improved"

Diane Kermode, MD of Beechwood Occupational Health Ltd:
"Postureminder is a good, uncomplicated product which acts as a safeguard for businesses to use to protect and educate employees. It will be very useful for those with pre-existing postural or musculoskeletal problems"

David Nesbitt, Private Chartered Physiotherapist, Whetstone, North London:
"As a physio I have found Postureminder really complemented the advice I have been giving my patients regarding posture and their working environment. A great concept, very user friendly and an essential tool for all computer-based workers"

PC Advisor magazine review:
"Postureminder is ideal for those concerned about how they sit now, or want to prevent problems in later life. The sooner you can start sitting right the better."

Michael van Straten, Health Journalist of the Year:
"Backache is one of the most common reasons for lost days at work and it's also a frequent problem for young children. Latest research shows that long periods at a computer can cause backache, pain in the neck, headaches and RSI...Around 32% of us sits for 10 or more hours each day, slouching in front of PCs and TVs. This bad posture is the trigger for back pain. [This] award-winning system will change how we all sit at computers. PostureMinder is new software that watches while you work. It sends webcam messages if you slouch, shows how to set up workstations and tells when you need a break"

Leading Physiotherapist Christopher M. Norris MSc MCSP MBAcC:
"Norris Associates have been providing occupational health services to bluechip industries in the Northwest for over 20 years now. During that time we have worked with clients such as Jaguar, Shell, Kelloggs. One of the factors which is the source of many painful conditions in office workers is prolonged sitting at a computer. This constant low level stress causes muscle fatigue, neck and shoulder pain, and back conditions. To combat this type of occupational stress our physiotherapists often recommend taking regular breaks and performing simple stretching exercises to prevent accumulated stress in the body tissues. Well, now we have found an excellent software program which encourages users to do just these things"

All reviews >>