
USBTypewriter - new and groundbreaking innovation in the field of obsolescence. - cskau
http://www.usbtypewriter.com/
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tjmc
This is a cool hack, but what I _really_ want is a hardware calculator keypad
that interfaces with the iphone. There are some great calculator apps but it's
just not usable at speed without physical keys. You could do a nice case with
the keypad on the inside and the phone in landscape.

~~~
alnayyir
Is that something you would pay for? Physical interfaces and keys are
something of an obsession of mine (I don't use any keyboards that don't have
Cherry MX switches, for example).

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tjmc
Yep - I'd definitely pay for a stylish hardware icalc keypad over a whole
calculator. Im studying mech engineering. So it needs to be more than just a
numeric keyboard - a scientific calc layout with brackets, exponents, logs and
trig functions at a minimum. I guess the ultimate would be e-ink keys that you
could relabel, but it wouldn't be too bad to use the screen for rarely used
functions and just have a sensible set nicely laid out in hardware.

~~~
jrockway
It sounds like someone needs to introduce you to computer algebra systems. I
recommend Mathematica, Maple, or Matlib.

~~~
tjmc
Slightly different issue. Entering equations quickly and accurately is very
hard with a virtual keyboard. I'd like to use my phone rather than a
calculator in situations when i dont have a full pc handy. I've used Maple
extensively and it's a great tool. But I'm not looking for a pc replacement,
I'm looking for a calculator replacement. The app side could certainly work
like Maple or Mathmatica.

~~~
jrockway
So you are willing to carry around a full mechanical keyboard to attach to
your phone and type complex equations, but you can't carry around a netbook or
something for that purpose?

I have to say, I'm a little baffled. Phones are for phoning. Computers are for
computing.

~~~
tjmc
Smart phones _are_ computers that are capable of phoning too. Netbooks and
laptops aren't ideal for entering a lot of numbers either because they don't
have a numeric keypad. Calculator keyboards are laid out better for working
with equations.

Let me put it another way - do you think calculators are completely redundant?

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cturner
I'd like to get a device the other way around - a daisy-wheel printer with
simple parts and a serial or USB interface.

~~~
rbanffy
It should be easy to adapt any modern (must put spaces between these two
words) typewriter. After all, they are all nothing more than very small
computers with a daisy-wheel printer built in.

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spiralganglion
Love the carriage return. Love the music in the video. Love the whole project.

Quaintly antique machinery and DIY — this is probably going to be a hit with
the steampunk community.

~~~
scrrr
The music is the reason why I can't watch it. Germany's music industry
apparently had YouTube block the video.. Pity.

~~~
shabble
Dragging this offtopic a bit, but is there any reason why YouTube couldn't add
an upload flag of 'audio optional' so that in situations like this, it just
muted the audio stream in the specified regions?

Then, if someone owns the copyright to the soundtrack, they file a complaint
against only that, and the video remains up. Or, they can file against the
whole thing, and have it completely blocked (assuming sufficient rights).

~~~
chrisfarms
Since the audio and video streams are muxed into a single file, and the
copyright "check" is done based on location this would mean YouTube encoding
every video twice (and for each resolution), effectively doubling YouTube's
storage requirements.... most people will then re-upload their video in a non-
infringing manor anyway, so it would be quite wasteful.

~~~
shabble
I was imagining something more along the lines of a server-side filter that
stripped the audio chunks out of the stream as it sent, although I have no
idea if such a thing is practical.

They've already re-encoded their entire library once (for WebM support), so in
theory they are capable of it. The storage requirements might be a killer
though.

I suspect it's technically possible, but maybe the potential revenue from the
effort wouldn't make economic sense.

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DanBC
I still use a typewriter. It's quicker to just bang out an address on an
envelope than it is to load the sticky labels into the printer, open the word
processor, type the address, then print it.

but this does seem expensive.

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jetbean
Why can't you just write it on the envelope? It's simpler and cheaper.

~~~
chopsueyar
Perhaps his penmanship is not the best? I've known several people that have
had crippling arthritis, making them unable to hand-write legibly.

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ck2
If I ever miss typewriters I just pull out my Model M keyboard, play on it a
bit and then put it away.

~~~
CWuestefeld
I just threw mine away, after basement flooding from Hurricane Irene. But it
was time anyway. To hook it up I needed too many adapters:

big keyboard connector --> small keyboard connector --> USB

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Drakeman
Looks to be a very interesting idea. In fact, I do want one. Buuuuut, I'd have
to wonder with those prices for the full models and DIY kits if he is not
overcharging by several hundred dollars. True, you're buying a piece of tech
for its look and feel more than functionality, but as a guy who's actually
bought, played with, and used old style typewriter, $700 is a bit much for
anyone.

Could any enthusiasts (I consider myself an amateur) weigh in?

~~~
epo
Looks like for your money you get a typewriter (presumably refurbished), a
display and the electronics. As you noted, he sells a DIY kit if you want to
provide your own screen and typewriter (with an estimated assembly/install
time of 6-7 hours for an experienced person.

Actually sounds like a fair price to me. But perhaps you are used to getting
your electronics assembled overseas on a massive scale by (essentially) slave
labour.

~~~
jcromartie
Display? No. Those are iPads in the Etsy store. The typewriters are
essentially USB keyboards. For $600-$800 you get an old typewriter and an pre-
wired-up Arduino board. You're paying for the integration of this
[http://www.etsy.com/listing/62642931/diy-usb-typewriter-
conv...](http://www.etsy.com/listing/62642931/diy-usb-typewriter-conversion-
kit) into the typewriter.

~~~
epo
My mistake, thank you.

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FuzzyDunlop
Now if this was done for a keypunch we could create hard copies of our code
too!

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tripzilch
Ooooh! Cute overpriced retro vintage hipster bait!

More power to you for selling these things for $500! Ha!

~~~
apgwoz
You can buy a kit, for $30^H^H79. Looks like the attention of the project made
him change his mind about cost...

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xorglorb
Cache[0] for those of us getting database connection errors.

[0]:
[https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http:/...](https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.usbtypewriter.com/)

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m0nastic
I may be in the minority that actually might purchase one of these.

I still use a typewriter for all my prose (currently an Olivetti) for the one
dumb reason that it's the only way I've found to stop myself from editing my
writing as I write it.

I'd been contemplating picking up a refurbished Selectric (as just the hum
that emits after turning it on brings back wonderful memories), but this would
have the added benefit of also making a digital copy (which I do at some point
want for editing).

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julius
video is blocked in germany :(

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jetbean
This seems to be a nice project todo in your spare time. Buying it? No thanks,
I don't see how this will benefit me. Selling these for 500$+ ? You must be
joking.

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mojuba
Nice hack, probably inspired by the movie _Brazil_.

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cowboyhero
Forget typewriters. I want a Bluetooth IBM model M keyboard for my iPad.

~~~
Game_Ender
You probably want to start here:
<http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/cus101usenon.html> (or with one of there
other models)

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jrockway
Wow, a bunch of switches that work like a bunch of switches. Groundbreaking!!
If there are 101 keys, there must be like 102 wires involved in this project!
Call NASA! Hire this guy!

~~~
Luyt
No wires, just many reed switches. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reed_switch>

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m0wfo
Not a windows key to be seen :)

