Single-handed, Offline, Portable Data Input? 39
One Armed Bandit asks: "By now everyone knows the available single handed keyboard alternatives. What I've not seen available is a true portable one-handed offline input device. Gary Friedman's final concept for the DataEgg is a fantastic one. Unfortunately, it never made it to the market. I - for one - would pay a premium for this kind of device. I think one of the reasons that this hasn't been built is because of the requirement for users to learn a new input mechanism. In my experience, this is a more difficult perception to overcome than a skill to acquire. How many of you can navigate your various electronic devices by touch? Is anything on the market? Does anyone have a pet project?"
"The high points would be:
- Single handed operation (probably chorded)
- Local file storage
- On-board display for visual feedback and document review
- Uplink to host (USB, IR, Wireless)
There would be more of them but . . . (Score:5, Funny)
Re:There would be more of them but . . . (Score:1)
On the other hand, you have a very shallow learning curve, as almost every Slashdot poster is very familiar with the one-handed "chording" required. And advanced users have even learned how to keep from getting their keyboards sticky in the process.
(Compare this to the demonstrated inability of most of the Slashdot crowd to ever learn how to handle softer, more feminine curves.)
<voice="Triumph the Insult Comic Dog"> Hey, I kid, I kid!
You're all Cassanovas here. Su
Re:There would be more of them but . . . (Score:2)
There IS no other hand, you insensitive clod! RTFA!
Cell phone with noise cancelling headset. (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Cell phone with noise cancelling headset. (Score:3, Funny)
Are you sure you're wearing that thing the right way?
Re:Cell phone with noise cancelling headset. (Score:2)
Sure but... (Score:2)
I can't count the occasions which I'm walking down a noisy street (hence no voice recognition) and dying to jot down my stream of consciousness (without using two hands for a stylus and walking in front of a bus)? I would kill for something like this!"
Wouldn't a digital recorder built into a pen or something like a mobile phone with voice recorder built in be much better for this task?
As for the device itself, the above usage of voice brings about what I think is the best interface and that's voice.
Re:Sure but... (Score:2)
In other words, the statement "Improvement of our existing speech-to-text technologies may be required" is not only completely correct, but it nullifies your entire statement -- it's like saying that it's quicker to get to NY via matter transporter, but impr
KISS (Score:5, Funny)
I don't know. I happen to like PEN AND PAPER.
Re:KISS (Score:3)
Try some of these [google.com]
Re:KISS (Score:2)
Re:KISS (Score:2)
A small recording device; people use them all the time. Record your notes, transcribe them later.
Handykey (Score:4, Informative)
There used to be a FAQ about such keyboards; look at any of the RSI resources. Also look at the pages about the "Behemoth" nee' "Winnebiko" project, they used the one of the "bat" keyboard sticks.
You might also look at some of the one-handed layouts for conventional typewriters that Dvorak came up with, along with the more well known layout. It depends on what you're trying to do...
ASCII chording keyboards (Score:3, Interesting)
There was a commercially-produced keyboard of this form, known as the MicroWriter. It was - probably still is - quite popular among blind/disabled/special-needs users, though that was not its primary market.
First incarnation was a hand-sized device with 6 keys (only the thumb had to move) with about 8K of RAM and an 1802 processor. It was intended for use as a portable word-processor. The same mechanics and case were used as an auxiliary keyboard for the BBC Micro (using a resistor network on the switches, fed to an analogue input port on the micro).
Re:ASCII chording keyboards (Score:1)
Folks /w arthritis & other disabilites hate th (Score:1, Insightful)
Worse, I can guarantee you that I couldn't hold it and push buttons - I don't have the grip or finger strength. I can hold a standard cellphone in one hand - but my thumb doesn't wrap around far enough to hit the buttons, and I wouldn't have the strength to anyway.
This, and most one-handed input methods I've seen
Re:Folks /w arthritis & other disabilites hate (Score:1)
Check out the Half Keyboard [halfkeyboard.com]
I haven't tried one yet, but they have a demo that lets you practice on half your real keyboard. It seems pretty cool.
CyKey (Score:5, Informative)
Re:CyKey (Score:2)
Can't remember name (Score:2)
Re:Can't remember name (Score:1)
Re:Can't remember name (Score:1)
a fancy new mobile phone (Score:2, Interesting)
you can operate it single handedly, it has local file storage, a display and can trasmit data via bluetooth or irda or even email if you want to pay.
it can also act as a telecommunications device. modern phones like the siem
big deal (Score:3, Interesting)
What would be nice to have would be a chorded one-handed keyboard with Bluetooth. A small display would then go into the glasses or into a wrist watch. That's a much more convenient arrangement than putting everything into a single "data egg" (with a proprietary and patented layout to boot).
Re:big deal (Score:1)
But how is keeping the display and chorded-keyboard apart going to keep it from being patentable? If you put any sort of effort into optimizing it, whoever comes up with it is likely going to have done some sort of innovation. That could include the layout of the device, or the way the chording works. And then s/he's going to be a
Re:big deal (Score:2)
Because Bluetooth keyboards and Bluetooth HMDs already exist; what would there be to be patented?
The main patents they can have on the DataEgg is the precise chording and design patents.
And what is really wrong with it being patentable? I understand being pissed off at abuse of the patent process, but shouldn't it be more important that it works well than that no one is patenting it?
For a data entry metho
Re:big deal (Score:1)
And yeah, what you're talking about doesn't seem all that new. But rest assured that if there is something new about it at all, and your statement "What would be nice..." suggests that it would be, then someone who combin
Morse Code (Score:2)
SoftAva's Q12 (Score:2)
The SoftAva Q12 [softava.com] is a prototype of just such a device.
Unfortunately, they don't produce the hardware, they simply licence it out, and I don't know if anyone is actually shipping it.
Might be worth following... I'm sure someone will find it useful someday....
Filewalker (Score:1)
morse code (Score:3, Insightful)
Put a morse code key between your fingers. A simple microcontroller could translate to ASCII and store on Flash.
A little shorthand to shorten up longer words and you're set.
Not efficient, but very cool.
KISS again (Score:2, Interesting)
Logitech Digital Pen (Score:2)