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May 03 2012
Logitech Solar Keyboard Folio: A Slimmer iPad Keyboard Case
I have the original Logitech Keyboard Case at home, but I have to admit that it’s slightly too bulky to lug around everywhere. Logitech has upped the ante with their new Solar Keyboard Folio, which looks even thinner.
The new accessory will protect your iPad, and uses the power of the sun to charge it up. Solar power is a cool addition, and the whole package looks a lot more streamlined than their previous Keyboard Case. It works with Bluetooth, and just like their earlier keyboard, this one lasts a long time on a full charge. Logitech states that it can last up to 2 years, which is amazing. It’s too bad the solar panels can’t be used to recharge your iPad too.
The Logitech Solar Keyboard Folio is available for pre-order for $129.99(USD) directly from their online store.
[via Ubergizmo]
April 26 2012
Brydge iPad Keyboard: Admit It Apple, This is a Good Idea
It seems like every week, a new keyboard case for the iPad is released. I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple itself releases its own version, but if they don’t, the Brydge just might be the keyboard case that will win over devoted Apple fans: it looks good, it’s made of aluminum (and it’s expensive.)
The biggest selling point of the Brydge is that it just looks beautiful with the iPad, blending well with Apple’s laptops and desktops in both appearance and material. Sure, it also has built-in speakers, a full-sized keyboard and it holds the iPad firmly in place, but you can find those features in other keyboard cases too. Unless it turns out to have a major flaw the Brydge will sell based on its looks alone.
To prove my point, the Kickstarter fundraiser for Brydge met its goal of $90,000 (USD) within a day of its launch, despite not having a pledge option lower than $150(USD). $90,000 in one day, despite the fact that most – if any at all – of the backers have not tested the keyboard case yet and that inventor Brad Leong is a relative unknown.
I’m not saying Leong doesn’t deserve the success or that the Brydge is a scam – heck, I want one – just that he knows how to capture an Apple fan’s heart – through their eyeballs. You can pre-order the Brydge on Kickstarter with a pledge of at least $170.
[The Brydge via ZDNet]
April 24 2012
Making old organs more portable with MIDI
In the 60s 70s and early 80s, roadies would lug hundreds of pounds of musical equipment around to gigs. Although the 8×10 Ampeg bass cabinet wasn’t fun in the least, the absolute worst was the Hammond organ. These behemoths of tonewheel organs sounded great, but moving them was a pain. For better or worse, portable MIDI keyboards caught up with the sound quality of these old electromechanical monsters. Everything is still not right with keyboard players; a good set of organ foot pedals is still hard to come by. To solve this problem, [Jeremy] converted his old Hammond A-100 organ pedals to MIDI giving him all the feel and aesthetics of an ancient instrument without all the heft.
To transform the ancient A-100 bass pedals into a keyboard, [Jeremy] turned to the HighlyLiquid MIDI CPU. This small board provides a few dozen pins to wire up to switches and potentiometers. A new switch assembly was built for the bass pedals using a momentary push button switch under each key. These buttons are wired up to the MIDI CPU, and everything worked out wonderfully.
Although there’s no video of the newly portable Hammond organ in action (something off Zeppelin I, [Jeremy]…) there is a great Flickr photoset of the entire build. Awesome work, [Jeremy]
Filed under: musical hacks
April 17 2012
The Keyboard Light Switch: Type On, Type Off
There are some funky light switches around, but these keyboard light switches from the Italian company PLH are definitely distinctive. Instead of using plain switches, they decided to use something ubiquitous that almost everyone uses: a computer keyboard.
The switches are made out of a sheet of aluminum with black chiclet-like keys on them, reminding me of the keyboard on a MacBook. That’s not a bad thing, and it definitely makes these light switches unique. They’ll change the mood of an apartment or a room, especially if you replace all of your traditional light switches with these.
You’ll have to contact PLH to get yours, and I’m not sure that they’ll work in American homes since they’re designed for Europe, so you’ll want to confirm that before you order.
[via Jay Mug]
April 15 2012
Stop Walking on Sunshine; Walk on Keyboards Instead!
Computers are pretty much useless without the keyboard. If you didn’t have anything to type stuff to input, then you can’t really expect any output, right? As homage to one of the most key pieces of the computer (pun intended), some people thought that it would be mighty clever to make Flip-Flops in their honor. The result are these Keyboard Sandals.
You can’t actually type on them, although they can function as a rubbery massager to sooth and relax your tired feet.
They were originally designed by a Thailand-based rubber shoes company called Kito, and they were selling for about $30 a pair. Now a cheap knock-off of the design has wormed its way into China, where they’re currently being sold for cheap at 7.8 yuan (USD$1.23) a pair on Taobao. Of course you do have to figure out how to read Chinese to buy them.
[via MIC Gadget]
April 10 2012
NoteBookCase for iPad 2: iPad Air
We’ve already seen a number of keyboard cases for the iPad that are going for the laptop look. Here’s a case that has just the right color to make the iPad 2 look a lot like a MacBook Air, although it’s actually made of plastic. The only thing missing is the large glass trackpad.
Aside from the usual Bluetooth keyboard and protective case, the NoteBookCase also has a built-in 4,000 mAh battery, which you can then use to charge the attached iPad 2 as well as other gadgets, thanks to its USB port. While the NoteBookCase is designed for the iPad 2, there’s a chance it’ll fit the 3rd gen iPad as well, as many iPad 2 cases still fit the new model.
You can order the NoteBookCase from Fancy for $88 (USD). If iOS had integrated keyboard mapping support for games I’d buy something like this or the ZAGGmate.
[via Fancy]
March 31 2012
iCog Hades Keyboard for iPad Takes Your Typing to a Different Century
Your 3rd Gen iPad may be the newest tablet on the block, but you can instantly make it look a few centuries old by stuffing it inside the iCog Hades.
Handcrafted with care by John William Dunn of Victorian Steam Austin, the iCog Hades is basically a wooden iPad stand with a matching keyboard. Use the two together, and you can transform your close-to-brand-new device into a vintage, steampunk laptop. You can also detach the top lid from the keyboard to use it as a standalone bumper case for your iPad, if you prefer. The keyboard has custom brass covers and hooks up to your device via Bluetooth.
Of course, you don’t expect something this spectacular-looking to come cheap. The iCog Hades is priced at $424(USD) and is available from Victorian Steam’s Etsy shop.
[via Chip Chick]
March 08 2012
Keyboard Stationery Set Might Confuse Touch Typists
I’ve been using a keyboard for so long that I rarely look down at the keys anymore. The only time I’ve really had to adjust was going from my old PC keyboard to the flat and slightly different layout of my Mac’s keyboard – oh and when I used a netbook with its awful 95% actual size keys. But if I were to add one of these desk sets alongside my keyboard, it might keep my fingers on their toes. (Yes, I meant to say that.)
This Keyboard Stationery Set adds a few new tools to your desktop arsenal, including a mini-stapler (guaranteed to staple at least one sheet of paper together,) a hole punch (just need two more and they’ll actually be useful,) a brush (for getting Dorito crumbs out from your keys,) and magnetic storage for your paper clips (and erasing any credit cards or old floppies you have lying around.)
While three of the tools are appropriately labeled, the paper clip storage is quizzically identified as an “Enter” key, which should definitely keep things interesting if you place it in close proximity to your real keyboard.
The set is available in the familiar black or white keycap colors, but also an girly pink version too – presumably for those of you out there with Hello Kitty keyboards. You can find the black or white versions over at Kleargear for $11.95(USD), while PandaWill carries all three versions for just $8 – however, they will pick your color at random, so you may or may not end up with a pink one. Oh, and if you prefer grey, head over to mimoco. Why can’t one place just sell all of these again?
[via Mr. Gomulsang]
February 23 2012
Doing it right with a morse code keyboard
Hackaday has seen dozens of Morse code keyboards over the years, but [Hudson] at NYC Resistor finally managed to give that idea the justice it deserves. He built a USB Morse code keyboard with the same type of telegraph key the pros use.
For his project, [Hudson] got his hands on a wonderful iambic paddle that is usually hooked up to CW rigs. Unlike previous Morse keyboards we’ve seen, [Hudson] used iambic paddles, a telegraph key with one lever for dits and another for dahs. Because the dits and dahs are separate electrical connections, it’s extremely easy for the microcontroller – a Teensy - to parse the Morse code and send the correct letter to the computer.
[Hudson] also added some audio feedback for the dits and dahs, and designed a laser-cut enclosure for the Teensy and speaker. Check out the video of the iambic keyer keyboard in action after the break.
Filed under: peripherals hacks
February 16 2012
Microswitch keyboard gives those lazy thumbs a workout
Upon first sight there will be no doubt in anyone’s mind that this is a hacker’s keyboard. [Tim Tyler] built the odd-looking conglomeration of keys a few years ago with the goal of improving the man-machine interface. Why waste all that thumb space with just one long keyboard when you can have at least nine keys per thumb?
After some additional consideration this isn’t all that unorthodox. We’ve seen keyboards that split the hands; in fact you can buy them. This just adds the thumb matrices and that rack of programmable keys above the alpha-numeric portion. It’s rather organ-like with its multiple ranks, don’t you think? Check out the demonstration video after the break. It certainly has a keystroke sound that is all its own. The sound is different from the clackity “M” keyboard and its modern relatives thanks to the microswitches that make up each key.
This may be the way to go if you that other scratch-built keyboard looks way too normal for your tastes.
[Thanks Geekabit]
Filed under: peripherals hacks
February 15 2012
Building a keyboard from scratch
After over a year of work, [dmw] is nearly done with his Humble Hacker Keyboard. It’s a keyboard that has been influenced by some pretty crazy looking designs, but meets all of [dmw]‘s needs for a compact, programmer-oriented key layout that’s easy to type on.
[dmw] posted a pseudo-build log over at the geekhack keyboard forums. Every single part of this keyboard is custom-made. The key caps were made by Signature Plastics, the case was made by Shapeways, and the custom PCB for the key switches came directly from Express PCB. The key switches are blue Alps sliders (one of the best key switches available) with a few white Alps switches taken from an old Apple keyboard.
After soldering a hundred diodes and switches, [dmw] installed a Teensy++ to convert the closing key switches to something his computer can understand. This turned out to be a perfect of the Teensy because of the USB peripheral libraries that already exist. The source is up on github, so if you’ve ever wanted to replace your Model M with something more ergonomic, here’s your chance.
Filed under: peripherals hacks
February 10 2012
WASD Custom Keyboards Put ColorWare to Shame
Computer mice come in many shapes, sizes and colors, not to mention variety in the number of buttons. But there’s less variety to be found in keyboards, or so I thought until I saw the V1 Custom Mechanical Keyboard by WASD Keyboards. The company lets users make the typing device of their wildest dreams – or nightmares.
WASD Keyboards uses Cherry MX mechanical switches, so after creating your design you’ll choose the color and type of switch you want. You can also order a dampener if you don’t want the trademark clicking sound that mechanical keyboards make. You can also choose the font of the text on each key and whether the text will be engraved or lasered in. If you really want to get creative you can upload your own design or even send custom art for each of the keys.
Above is my design for a Technabob-themed keyboard; you can see more at WASD Keyboard’s website or have a look at the gallery below for more user-created designs.
Head to WASD Keyboards to design and order your own V1 Custom Mechanical Keyboard. Prices start at $140 (USD). The company also sells a Semi-Custom version of the keyboard, which is still brimming with tweakable specs.
[via Gamerfront via The Red Ferret Journal]
February 08 2012
Single hand keyboard for tablets
To us it makes a lot of sense to hold the tablet in one hand and type with the other. That’s exactly how [Adam Kumpf] has implemented this one-handed typing interface which was originally conceived by [Doug Engelbart].
As you can see, there’s a large contextual area for each finger on your right hand. Letters and navigational keystrokes are input through this interface based on single touches, or combinations up to and including all five digits. This offers up 32 possible combinations (including all on and all off) which is enough to cover the modern English alphabet.
[Adam's] demo page works for most tablets so give it a whirl. Yes, it works with iDevices too which is a surprise as we would have thought this was using Flash. If you’re not near a touch-sensitive device you can get the gist of the operation from the demo video embedded after the break.
Now, who’s going to be the first to make this into a replacement keyboard on iOS 5?
Filed under: multitouch hacks
February 05 2012
TypeWay App for iPad Adapts the Keyboard to Your Typing Style
When I type using my iPad, I become a one-finger typer. I usually type with at least four to five fingers when I’m using a regular keyboard, so that’s saying something. Instead of being able to bang out sixty-five words a minute, I’m now limited to approximately just somewhere around the fifteen word mark.
However, that can soon change with TypeWay. In fact, you can get back to typing using all ten of your digits, if that’s what you’re used to or if that’s what you’d want to do. The virtual keys in this app for your iPad will automatically change position and placement in order to adapt to your hand position and typing habits.
TypeWay isn’t just a keyboard app; rather, it’s text editing software complete with basic iOS 5 features like cut, copy and paste, spell-checker, suggestions for word correction, and multi-touch features. The developer made it this way since you can’t replace the regular virtual keyboard that comes with your iPad (though we wish that Apple would some day allow for this.) One other caveat is that the TypeWay keyboard currently only supports an English international keyboard in landscape mode.
You can purchase TypeWay from the iTunes App Store for $5.99 (USD).
[via Chip Chick]
February 01 2012
Hackaday Links: February 1, 2012
The only thing he needs now is a micro and RTC
For [Dino]‘s 44th Hack A Week extravaganza, he made powered window blinds in five minutes. It’s a simple build with a small gear motor and a bit of tubing to adapt the shaft to the control rod of the blinds. Good job [Dino].
BecauseCamelCaseWillKillYourPinkieFinger
The wonderful [Lizzie] over at LUSTlab realized that typing meta keys really slows down the development process. The result? Foot pedals for the Shift and Command keys. No build log for this one, but it’s just a set of old racing pedals and a disused keyboard.
So much cooler than a potato
[mdevaev] out of Russia built a fully articulated GLaDOS replica. Here’s the build album and the relevant MLP forum post. This GLaDOS is tiny – probably less than a foot long, but it moves around and speaks (Russian, which is weird). Somebody get us a couple of motorcycle fenders so we can build the 1:1 scale version.
Visualizing a plane of fog
[greg] was looking for a way to visualize the chaotic turbulence of air. He mounted a laser on a computer fan and held some dry ice above the beam. The result looks like it could make for an interesting photography project, but check out the video if you don’t believe us.
We were asking for it
We asked for battery charging circuits that don’t use specialized parts. [Petr] found this one that only uses few transistors, a MOSFET and a voltage regulator. In one of the Hackaday comments, [atomsoft] had the idea of putting a USB plug on the traces to save a bit in component costs. [mohonri] said he designed one, but we have yet to see it. Perhaps next links post…
Filed under: Hackaday links
January 22 2012
Shove a Hub into That Keyboard
As masters of technology, our desks are often cluttered with odds and ends. We have cables spewing out of every nook, and our computer ports full. The last thing we really want is more stuff getting in the way or buried under piles of technical documentation when adding something like a USB hub. That is where [Michael] comes in, shoving a small USB hub into his Logitech keyboard.
The keyboard is already USB, and the hub has 3 forward facing ports and a fourth single port in the rear. Taking the 2 devices apart he used the already there USB cord from the keyboard replacing the input cord of the hub. Then he removed the rear port and directly wired his keyboard onto the hub.
From there, its just a matter of figuring out where he wanted the hub, and cutting out the plastic. He used a knife, and had fond memories of some minor cuts, which leads us to recommend being (more) careful. A little application of fire to blade goes a long way.
Once the keyboard is back together he has a convenient 3 port hub on the back of his keyboard that looks factory and saves clutter.
Filed under: peripherals hacks
January 09 2012
The matrix reloaded: now better than the movie
If you’re looking for a custom controller for a MAME cabinet build, CNC machine, or just want to control a robot build, you’re going to need to wire up some buttons. You could wire up a bunch of buttons to a microcontroller, but if you use an old computer keyboard the work is already done for you.
[Rupert] sent in a great tutorial on repurposing old keyboards. The build is very, very simple: just take a multimeter to each contact and measure the rows and columns for continuity. Once [Rupert] had the matrix codes for every button on the keyboard, he wired up a length of ribbon cable to the keyboard PCB. From there, a small breakout board provides all the connections that a MAME cabinet would need.
Opposed to a custom keyboard encoder like an I-PAC or a homebrew solution, [Rupert]‘s build is very easy and can be built for only the dignity required to dumpster dive for a keyboard.
Filed under: peripherals hacks
Vioguard Self-Sanitizing Keyboard is Now FDA-Approved
Keyboards can get pretty filthy. It’s the one part of your computer that you probably come into contact with the most, aside from your mouse.
And if you’re the type who sometimes eats dinner while you’re streaming some videos or surfing the Internet, then you know for a fact that your keyboard is filthy. Now for regular, healthy people like you and me, that might be okay. But if this keyboard is in a more sensitive environment, say a hospital or in some other medical setting, then it’s a huge no-no.
To answer the need for a truly clean and self-sanitizing keyboard is the Vioguard, which has now been approved by the FDA. The Vioguard has a proximity sensor that will eject the keyboard when there’s a human who will presumably type something close by. When it’s not in use, the keyboard will then be housed in a UV resistant receptacle where the keyboard will be exposed to a constant stream of UV light.
The Vioguard uses 80W when it’s sanitizing the keyboard actively, and 3W when it’s on standby. No word on pricing yet, but I have to say… Now this is neat.
January 02 2012
Hackaday Links: January 2, 2012
The worst computer keyboard, ever
[Gerardus] found an old BBC Master Compact computer for $15. The only problem is the computer didn’t have a keyboard. It’s not a problem if you can make a keyboard out of an old breadboard. It’s not a Model M, but it works.
Emergency ribbon cable repair
[Thomas] works in a hospital. One night, a piece of equipment went down because of a bad ribbon cable. Doctors were yelling at him to get the equipment up and running so out of frustration, he took stapler to the cable. It held up until a replacement arrived. Check out these pics: one and two.
Nobody remembers Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland
Here’s [Alan]‘s gigantic Nautilus art car with a huge mechanical iris. Just watch the video and be amazed. We won’t hazard a guess as to how much money went into all that brass and copper, but we can confirm an Arduino controls the iris. Check out the build page.
Light up street art
[Grissini] put up an instructable for a light box that displays [Bansky] street art. We’d go with some RGB leds and a [Keith Haring] motif, but more power to ya.
A theater wind machine
This wind machine was built by [Willaim] for his High School’s choir concert. It’s basically a concrete form tube with plastic lids taped on and a piece of pipe serving as an axle. The machine makes a wind noise with the help of some nylon pants.
Filed under: Hackaday links
December 15 2011
TabStrummer Keyboard-Guitar Combo is the Real Keytar
It’s hard to tell if the Tabstrummer hails from the future or the past. One thing is for sure, it looks downright awesome. It’s a stand-alone programmable MIDI controller that is half guitar and half keyboard. Chords can be programmed into it and played back by pressing a button.
The TabStrummer uses an Atmel microcontroller, a MIDI output and an audio-out jack. The 12 memory buttons can be programmed with any chord/tab that can be played on a 12 fret guitar, and all the buttons can be programmed into any of the 300 memory SONG locations of TabStrummer’s internal memory. To listen to the TabStrummer, you can use headphones or connect it to your sound system or TV.
Geeky musicians would certainly love to get their hands on this instrument. To hear the TabStrummer in action, check out the video below. It sounds pleasant enough.
[via Hack-a-Day via Geeky-Gadgets]
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