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After looking at some of the sample gestures for the keyboard, I have to admit I am somewhat impressed. Some very interesting ideas there. After looking at more of the sample gestures for the touch keyboard, I am still impressed, but wary.

It reminds me of the problems with 'logically designed languages'. (i.e. all words for colors in the language might start with "cro", "crob" is blue, "crog" is green, "cror" is red, etc. The problem being that a single typos in the word might still be a valid word of a similiar type, but not what you meant.) I suspect someone who became a total expert with the keyboard could do just fine, but an intermediate user could get highly frustrated -- forgetting to use/accidently using an extra finger in a gesture might cause some unwanted operation to happen, not merely cause the desired operation to not happen. Maybe the software is smart enough to second guess some of these issues, but...

Go to the company's page and look at the Enhanced Modifier Chords -- if you tap with six fingers on the home row, you get an Enter -- if you tap six fingers on the row above the home row, you get an Esc key press. (Personally, I would immediately redefine those two gestures to have far more difference between the two -- accidently hitting "Enter" when one meant "Escape" in some dialog boxes would be very bad.) Or the shift/control differences.

Of course, one could just not use the gestures, but then why bother with the keyboard?

Nonetheless, very interesting ideas, but it may not be ready for everyone.

Search around slashdot for some of my posts in the last few days about this.

Yes, the learning curve is high for most people, but in my opinion it is the best input device available to those willing and able to learn the skills. Typos in general will be a problem for a while, at first mostly due to learning things like the straight-column key layout and the keys with new locations (backspace/delete/enter). After you master that, the next big problem is hand drift. With the metal tent stand, the tendency is to drift outward down the slants. The way to prevent/correct this is to "center" the hands by putting all 5 fingers down on the Braille dots (on home row keys and the space/backspace keys), then moving the heels of each hand so that the fingers are naturally curved at a comfortable angle. After that you have to consciously avoid letting the heels slide around. Doing this, the fingers will quickly learn "where" each key is and you can type pretty much normally.

A useful yet annoying feature is the English model auto-correction. If you hit a "crack" between the areas on the pad marked as keys, the keyboard will guess which one you meant based on the previous letters typed. If it realizes it was wrong (based on letters following the missed key) it will automatically backspace and retype everything with the correction. The range that it applies to is only a couple words at most, but it was the first thing to go for me, since I often type on slow terminal connections and I don't really like the keyboard trying to be that smart.

Really, if you're willing to take the time to learn, and your hands are for the most part normal-sized (Michael Jordan might have a little trouble typing, but it would certainly be possible), then you should definitely invest in one of these. I believe that anyone who is willing to try and has no mental block against non-clickity keyboards can successfully use this keyboard.

(BTW, if you have a 15" powerbook, check this out. I submitted this to slashdot, we'll see if they post it)

I did a little research before I spent the cash on m y Fingerworks touchstream. I spend about 12 hours coding a day and had finally reached the point where I really needed to get something to help alleviate rsi. I've only had the device for a day and it's very awkward at first, but I believe I'll be back up to 70 wpm in a few weeks. Short of having surgery, or the greatly sought uis of gibson lore, I believe devices like these will hopefully prevent rsi for others. As for price, I make my living with my hands...what's that worth? I think perhaps the greatest hurdle these devices face is that it's nearly impossible to find an outlet to demo them.

This article seems to have been passed over without much viewing. All of the keyboards are really interesting designs, but I would like to point out one in particular. The TouchStream ST. Granted, it does have a pretty heavy price tag, ~$300, but if I had the money this is what I would buy. It completely gits rid of the need for a mouse, and it has a wealth of gestures that make your life a lot easier.

Here is the link for the portion of the article about this awesome keyboard.

This article seems to have been passed over without much viewing. All of the keyboards are really interesting designs, but I would like to point out one in particular. The TouchStream ST. Granted, it does have a pretty heavy price tag, ~$300, but if I had the money this is what I would buy. It completely gits rid of the need for a mouse, and it has a wealth of gestures that make your life a lot easier.

Here is the link for the portion of the article about this awesome keyboard.

I repeatedly drool over Touchstream keyboards. I can't justify the expense, but the entire keyboard is a touch-sensitive surface (like those laptop glide pads), and has an absurd number of macro functions (including ones for emacs).

Amen to that. I would give up my number pad to be able to set my mouse right next to the keyboard. At work I have a very adjustable keyboard tray that does a great job of holding my Natural keyboard at the perfect level... BUT it doesn't fit my mouse. I have to reach waaaay over to the right -- and up -- in order to get to the mouse that's sitting on the desk. I have StrokeIt (funny name, cool app) installed for the times I'm surfing or doing other mouse-intensive things, so I can use mouse gestures and keep from having to switch back to the keyboard as often.

Does anyone have any experience with any of the FingerWorks products? The TouchStream keyboard looks really tempting, but it's too much of an investment to try out sight unseen... especially since there's very little tactile feedback.

Amen to that. I would give up my number pad to be able to set my mouse right next to the keyboard. At work I have a very adjustable keyboard tray that does a great job of holding my Natural keyboard at the perfect level... BUT it doesn't fit my mouse. I have to reach waaaay over to the right -- and up -- in order to get to the mouse that's sitting on the desk. I have StrokeIt (funny name, cool app) installed for the times I'm surfing or doing other mouse-intensive things, so I can use mouse gestures and keep from having to switch back to the keyboard as often.

Does anyone have any experience with any of the FingerWorks products? The TouchStream keyboard looks really tempting, but it's too much of an investment to try out sight unseen... especially since there's very little tactile feedback.

I use one of these. Bought it myself, well worth it.

Right now we have reached the beginning of the transition away from button inputs to gesture inputs. There are of course many projects working on gesture inputs. The first that are really viable are the 2D ones from fingerworks.com. The next will be refined versions of the P5 Glove or the sensible phantom. I think eventually gesture based input will be the type used in Minority Report, (see the 1st and 10th images in the gallery).

Finally, I think we will move on to direct input. It's been shown that people can control very simple objects, (move a ball to the top or bottom of the screen), with electrodes connected to their head. Unfortunately so far it has not been responsive enough to see application. Input may also be of the form in Ghost in the Shell where people have wireless connections through implants in their body and also physical jacks in the back of their neck. (Another thing shown in the movie are fingers that come apart on wires to type. Rather than that I'd expect a low-power data transmission in the fingers so set the fingers in appropriately shaped cavities and have the data transmitted across the skin.)

Keyboards are nice. They have worked for a long time, but it is time to replace them. Slowly we can transition from keyboards, through the 2D gesture inputs of fingerworks to 3D inputs along the lines of minority report at which time, hopefully, direct input methods will be viable.

A bit of a dupe, but try this. Meets all your criteria except feel, and they claim to be good for RSI.

They the Fingerworks Touchstream keyboard - if you can afford it. The same area acts as keyboard (single finger touches), mouse, and gesture area (multiple finger touches). I haven't tries the keyboard version; I have the mouse/gesture only iGesture, and it does the job well. Not as well as a mouse, but better than al the other pointing devices I have triedl. The keyboard ought to be better, because it keeps your hands in the active area while moisung - and it is, of course, zero-force (and zero feel).

these arnt cheap, but may be what you are looking for? they have a fairly small keyboard.

these arnt cheap, but may be what you are looking for? they have a fairly small keyboard.

After looking at this, I am sure glad I don't use Emacs. Although,one really has to wonder how the Vim gestures would look...

Many have already seen this device, but I just got one of these keyboards, and the gesture system is amazing. It's USB and OS Independent.

Many have already seen this device, but I just got one of these keyboards, and the gesture system is amazing. It's USB and OS Independent.

I think that gestures with a single input are somewhat clumsy. Things like mouse gestures are the first step of a baby walking. We need input devices that track multiple inputs and hopefully, in the future, devices that track multiple inputs in 3 dimensions to really bring gesture control to maturity.

Perhaps you mean the Fingerworks keyboard. I have had the opportunity to play around with one for quite some time, and I am quite impressed. The gesture-based shortcuts are quickly learned (i.e., rotating your wrist like opening a jar will open the currently selected item). They are a little out of my price range ($330 for the top-o-the-line full ergonomic Touchstream ST), but the iGesture Pad is reasonable at $179. There aren't many places to try these things out at, but trust me, when you can ditch your mouse (since gestures take its place) and still have absolute control over inputs, it is quite worth the price. Another bonus - you can choose from QUERTY, DVORAK, Programmer's QUERTY, Programmer's DVORAK, and QUERAK, and you can change the layout at any time via software. Check it out here.

Perhaps you mean the Fingerworks keyboard. I have had the opportunity to play around with one for quite some time, and I am quite impressed. The gesture-based shortcuts are quickly learned (i.e., rotating your wrist like opening a jar will open the currently selected item). They are a little out of my price range ($330 for the top-o-the-line full ergonomic Touchstream ST), but the iGesture Pad is reasonable at $179. There aren't many places to try these things out at, but trust me, when you can ditch your mouse (since gestures take its place) and still have absolute control over inputs, it is quite worth the price. Another bonus - you can choose from QUERTY, DVORAK, Programmer's QUERTY, Programmer's DVORAK, and QUERAK, and you can change the layout at any time via software. Check it out here.

Perhaps you mean the Fingerworks keyboard. I have had the opportunity to play around with one for quite some time, and I am quite impressed. The gesture-based shortcuts are quickly learned (i.e., rotating your wrist like opening a jar will open the currently selected item). They are a little out of my price range ($330 for the top-o-the-line full ergonomic Touchstream ST), but the iGesture Pad is reasonable at $179. There aren't many places to try these things out at, but trust me, when you can ditch your mouse (since gestures take its place) and still have absolute control over inputs, it is quite worth the price. Another bonus - you can choose from QUERTY, DVORAK, Programmer's QUERTY, Programmer's DVORAK, and QUERAK, and you can change the layout at any time via software. Check it out here.

Perhaps you mean the Fingerworks keyboard. I have had the opportunity to play around with one for quite some time, and I am quite impressed. The gesture-based shortcuts are quickly learned (i.e., rotating your wrist like opening a jar will open the currently selected item). They are a little out of my price range ($330 for the top-o-the-line full ergonomic Touchstream ST), but the iGesture Pad is reasonable at $179. There aren't many places to try these things out at, but trust me, when you can ditch your mouse (since gestures take its place) and still have absolute control over inputs, it is quite worth the price. Another bonus - you can choose from QUERTY, DVORAK, Programmer's QUERTY, Programmer's DVORAK, and QUERAK, and you can change the layout at any time via software. Check it out here.

These guys have some intuitive ideas (without escaping the keyboard/pointer paradigm), and were featured on slashdot a while back.

Their layouts include Programmer's Qwerty, Programmer's dvorak, and their own "QWERAK".

There are attempts at this right now, but the best solution so far is probably the 2 dimensional equivelant from www.fingerworks.com. They have keyboards, mouse pads, and number pads all that combine both traditional input buttons and gestures to do things like cut and paste. Of course, like all new technologies, it's on the expensive side, but hopefully in the next 10-20 years we're controlling a 3 dimensional display by waving our hands. (Will make playing spell casting games a lot funner.)

How about the TouchStream ST?

I haven't seen this mentioned yet. I've always wondered about possible improvements over the standard keyboard/mouse combination that's become so ubiquitous. I like the idea of merging keyboard and mouse functions into a single area, especially since neither function slows down "access" to the other.

It's actually a flat "touch surface" rather than a keyboard. Not thrilled with that idea. I like the mechanical feedback of a real key. But overall it looks interesting.

I haven't tried this or spoken to anyone who has. I'd be curious to hear from anyone who's used one.

Fingerworks makes a good start. This is a little non-traditional, and I like it.

But, if we're going to stick to a solid mechanical design:

First of all, I would set an emphasis away from lazy ASCII-ism. I want to be able to type En and Em Dashes, as well has hyphens and minuses--not this silly "hyphen-minus". I could have this right now by killing macron, tilde, acute, and fixing the hyphen-minus as a hyphen. I'd kill backslash too.

Meta keys are nice, but need to be redesigned. All "edit" functions should fall under an "edit" meta, instead of "control". "Shift" has always bothered me for some reason, but I can't suggest a change in behavior beyond what I describe below.

Capslock is obviously the first against the wall when the revolution comes. I like CTRL in that position, a lot. I'd put my magical "Edit" meta right there.

Let's rename "Alt" to "System". Function keys are poo-like. I suggest we have the whole keyboard available for "Function", with the number row providing "F1-F12". Now, we can hold "System" and "Edit" and have "System Edit" keys. Isn't that neat!

Of course, all this could get confusing. So, my Keyboard Of The Future(TM) will have little displays on all the keys, showing their current function in BIG letters. No silly upper-lower-inthegroove-inblue print on the keys. Hold "Edit", and the Edit functions will be displayed instead of the typographical functions.

I'd like to note that Apple has taken some of these steps. You can get Em and En dashes with some keyboard combos with the hyphen key. It helps ever so much that MacOS X is totally Unicode. Juxtaposed with x86, Apple is a little bit more consistent with their Option/Apple/Control mechanism, but they still get things confused.

Really, I think my Dream Keyboard(TM) would be based on the FingerWorks keyboard, only combined with a display. Remember that magnetic paper slashdot covered endlessly? Seems like a perfect application right here.

I want one of these guys. Plus, either with lighted keys, or better yet, a whole "key screen" (LCD?).

Give me a TouchStream anyday. =) I don't want stupid red light, black with print is the way to go. Same effect, but no red light. I can see where these projection keyboards would be useful though, but I can see where they wouldn't be (work, school, home). Of course, on an airplane, travelling, etc, it'd be great. Just imagine a screen, and that's your laptop. Oops.

Still, it's good technology, even if not applied in the best sense here. Imagine your house is X10
controlled(sans the pop-ups, of course). You pull out one of these things with custom buttons you did on your PC. Hit the lights that you want on/off and the wireless transmitter sends it back to the server to do it. Or you could have these 'magic' buttons built into a painting or art(-wannabe) object, and access them anytime anywhere, but keep them out of place. (Yes, this example took the technology and not the specific use of the projection keyboards).

I like my WindowMaker. It's not a Win95/XP clone like KDE and Gnome tried to be. But they aren't fully Win95/XP clone that they tried for either, they all moved on. Gnome has multiple panels, as does KDE(ok, they keep up with each other instead of diverting, to me that is kind of pointless), as does Windows. But with Gnome and KDE is makes more sense to use the multiple panels, with Windows there really isn't a reason except to make it look better.

I do agree with Dvorak that WIMPs is a bad idea, but I do think that it is one of the best concepts out there. Although I don't have icons except when I minimize a window. What I would like is a scrolling desktop(and a CPU that could even support it if I coded it). I want to watch my MPlayer Window _over_ the Mozilla Window, but if I move the mouse towards the scrollbar(where MPlayer is covering), the Moz window would move over or the Mplayer window would dynamically shrink, to transparency would occur allowing me to use the scrollbar without having to move the mplayer window.

Everyone thinks that 3-D Window Managers are next. I say 3-d accelerated Window Managers, but having a box with windows on each side _really_ doesn't cut it in my book. It's neat. It's neat to program. It's neat to play with. Gotta get back to work now, good-bye. Just because 3-d is a big gaming thing and not used for regular Windows does not make it "The Next Big Thing(tm)" in my book.

What I would like to see, and this is off-topic, is XML menu specification. So you can download, install a program, and then install a menu item for it with whatever Window Manager you are using. It just needs a few fields. If someone wants to go with this idea and wants me to help(put my money where my mouth is) just e-mail me and I've got no problem.

What I also want to see is the death of X-Windows. It's served it's term, but it isn't getting any better. I want to see DirectFB succeed, but it needs to be multi-platform. I'm on FreeBSD so I can only run it under SDL ontop of X-Windows. But FreeBSD has something similar in the works set for probably 6.0 or whenever the person finishes it.

Communication and features between other type of hardware, specialized, would be great. And the framework to support it. Example, FingerWorks has some great products and great concepts. Once I get the money I'm going for their keyboard. I'd like to see a framework to make it work with any GTK, Gnome, KDE, GNUStep, and a generic library to add support for it to any program. That way have a custom gesture(when it is created) that will allow you to launch a program. I want to be able to hit numlock twice(Example) and type in 0805040206 and launch a program of my choice. For me, memorize 5 numbers, adding a '0' before it, and typing that in is much faster than moving the mouse, opening the menu, finding it, and clicking it. The generic framework, standardized would be best, would add the ability for, say, Mozilla to receive the two numlocks, to realize that it is a registered event handler, and to pass it off to the framework and do what is asked. Say, even passing it off to the 'server' so to speak to figure out what to do, although I think if it was implemented on a window manager level it would be best. That way you have a generic framework to work with as far as developers go, possibly a generic XML exporter of all your functions that you've specific(scanning the bar code, with your CueCat, of your favorite foot powder say, brings up userfriendly), and a generic XML importer to bring into the Window Manager. But having it Window Manager based, so that it fits in with Accessibility theory(I believe?). It _is_ a part of KDE Control Panel, it _is_ a part of Gnome Control Panel, it _is_ a part of that little WindowMaker configuration program. Easy for developers, easy for users, easy to switch between.

Sorry for the long post.

...on why, perhaps, folks get slashdotted:

-rw-rw-r-- 1 jdf jdf 57197 Dec 17 10:12 original.html
-rw-rw-r-- 1 jdf jdf 10425 Dec 17 10:28 text.html

Yes, that's 47 kilobytes of javacript, headers, footers, CSS, and associated crap for about 10K of real info. Sure, there's also pictures and such, but this is basically 4x the original in overhead alone. Anyhow, here's the text from the site:

Pick a toy--any toy--for holiday gift-giving.

By Joan Lynch, Maura Butler, and Matt Miller -- EDN, 12/12/2002

Holy spokes, Bikeman!
Attach Hokey Spokes to your bike, and you'll have not only the coolest ride in the hood, but also the safest. Inventor and MIT graduate Dave Hoch wanted to take the terror out of night bike riding and designed the transparent "blades" to wirelessly communicate patterns or words with each other. You can put up to six blades on each wheel; a computer on each strip controls 16 LEDs in a variety of colors. Each blade costs $29.95 at www.hokeyspokes.com. Illumination Design Works, 1-617-924-4014.

Keyboard portability on a roll
Road warriors who prefer a full-sized keyboard with their laptops or PDAs will appreciate the Manhattan True-Touch Keyboard. When you're on the move, you can roll up the flexible, plastic unit and tuck it away. The keyboard features a QWERTY design and 104 raised keys that provide goodand quiettactile feedback, but using them will take some practice. Choose from PS/2 or USB connectivity. Units are dustproof and moistureproof and offer a lifetime of 15,000,000 keystrokes. Keyboards are available for around $27 from ThinkGeek, www.thinkgeek.com.

The "PC" PC
In an environmentally friendly move, NEC designed its PowerMate eco PC with 100% recyclable plastic and a 15-in. LCD flat-panel screen that contains no boron. The motherboard is made with lead-free solder, and the computer has no fan, which reduces the amount of dust dispersion for users with respiratory problems. The eco contains a 900-MHz Crusoe processor and a 20-Gbyte hard drive. And of course, it's Energy Star-compliant. The eco starts at $1599. NEC Corp, 1-800-338-9549, www.nec.com.

Free space
Combining a DVD player with a hard-disk-based PVR (personal video recorder), the Scenium Digital Media Recorder (DRS7000N) could be just the thing for overcrowded home-entertainment centers. The $599 unit features progressive-scan output for the clearest pictures and plays a variety of discs, including MP3 CDs and DVD+Rs/RWs. The PVR section handles the usual trick features, such as pausing live shows, and offers more than 30 hours of recording on its 40-Gbyte disk. Best of all, unlike PVRs such as TiVo, there's no fee for the EPG (electronic-program-guide) service. RCA/Thomson, 1-317-587-3000, www.rca.com.

The power of pictures
CyberLink's PowerProducer lets you produce your home movies and photos on DVD or CD for sharing with friends and family. If you're completely inexperienced, a step-by-step wizard-style program eases the way. It takes just three steps to import photo or video files from video-capture devices; you can then add special effects; adjust color; and trim, merge, and split video. The "QuickBurn" feature captures video from DV camcorders directly into DVDs in one click. Prices begin at $49.95. CyberLink USA, www.gocyberlink.com.

Mouse exterminator
Rid your desktop of mice with the iGesture Pad. The touchpad, which is just a bit smaller than a mouse pad, lets you use finger gestures to complete the same operations you would with a mouse. The $179 pad recognizes hundreds of hand gestures, including those that let you point, click, drag, and scroll. Twist your hand to open a file; spread your fingers to zoom. The USB-connected device is thin and small enough to travel and accepts commands from the right or left hand. Hmmm, wonder how it handles gestures you might make when your computer isn't behaving the way you'd like it to? FingerWorks, www.fingerworks.com.

Carry all
The multifunction Duex is an MP3/WMA player, voice recorder, and data-storage device in one portable package. Take off the bottom of the device to find a USB plug for attaching to the appropriate port on a computer. You can drag and drop music, image, video, and data files from the PC to the Duex and vice versa. The device features 128 Mbytes of memory for two hours of MP3 playback, four hours of WMA playback, and eight hours of voice playback; a backlit LCD shows song information in numerous languages. One AAA battery gives you more than 12 hours of music play. With a headphone/neckstrap, USB cable, software CD, manual, and one battery, the Duex mp302 costs $179. Innogear,
www.innogear.com.

Click it, stow it
The ultrasleek Pocket Digital is a handy, stylish way to capture favorite moments. The credit-card-sized digital camera captures and stores 52 high-resolution images at 1.3 megapixels. The lithium-polymer battery endures for hundreds of pictures and recharges through the USB connection. Image downloading is a snap. $129.95. Logitech, www.logitech.com.

The end of e-mail angst?
Neo (Nelson Email Organizer) might be just the ticket for reducing the stress associated with your daily barrage of e-mail. This add-on for Microsoft Outlook lets you work alongside or outside Outlook. Neo automatically sorts and prioritizes messages into intuitive folders. Searches are quick, and complicated filters are not necessary. The program deals with spam and bulk mailings and manages groups of messages by the type of attachments they contain (for example, all Excel files or Word documents together). Neo costs $39.95 for one copy; site licenses are also available. Caelo Software Inc, 1-250-354-5580, www.caelo.com.

Power protection
As more and more electronic equipment finds its way into more and more households, UPS devices could become commodity items for the average home owner. Six UPS models from Energizer will help protect home offices, home theaters, and PCs from power surges, spikes, brownouts, and outages. They automatically save open files, safely power down systems, and protect hardware when threatening power irregularities arise. Features include visual and audio warning indicators and USB connectivity. Prices range from $59.99 to $279.99. Eveready Battery Co, www.energizerups.com.

Surreptitious snapper
Fitting into the palm of your hand, the Mini Pen Cam 1.3 offers a still-image resolution of 1248960 pixels. Using its 16 Mbytes of flash memory, the device can store as many as 50 full-resolution pictures or 160 snapshots snapped at VGA resolution (640480). The $79.99 gadget also gives you the ability to shoot AVI-format movies, although their quality tops out at 624480 pixels and a choppy 10 frames/sec. In addition, the device, which runs on two AAA batteries, connects to a PC via USB to function as a Webcam. Aiptek, 1-949-585-9600, www.aiptek.com.

In touch, on the go
BlackBerry now lets you make and receive phone calls. The palm-sized BlackBerry 5810 wireless handheld device operates on GSM/GPRS networks to allow communication via wireless e-mail, SMS (short messaging service), or integrated GSM phone services, including call waiting, call answering, conference calling, and call forwarding. It comes with an earpiece and microphone for hands-free operation. You can even click on a telephone number inside an email message to place a call. The $499 device incorporates Java 2 Micro Edition. Research in Motion, www.blackberry.net.

Dude, you're gettin' a PDA
Like the PC before it, the PocketPC platform continues to attract more and more manufacturers. PC powerhouse Dell recently joined the fray with an aggressively priced model called the Axim X5. The device features a 3.5-in. transflective TFT with 240320-pixel resolution, as well as both CompactFlash and Secure Digital expansion slots. Two variants are available. The $299 model has a 400-MHz XScale processor, 64 Mbytes of SDRAM, and 48 Mbytes of flash ROM. A $199 configuration steps down to a 300-MHz processor and 32 Mbytes of each type of memory. Dell Computer, 1-800-999-3355, www.dell.com.

Risk averse
If you carry your office in a pocket-sized device, you're asking for trouble. What if you leave it on a plane or in a cab? The iPAQ h5450 tries to reduce the danger with integrated biometric security. A thermal fingerprint reader means only you can access your priceless data, and you can even add a layer of safety by combining the fingerprint sensor with a password. The $699 pocket-sized PC also includes a 400-MHz XScale processor, built-in IEEE 802.11b and Bluetooth capabilities, and an SDIO (Secure Digital Input Output) expansion slot. Hewlett-Packard, 1-650-857-1501, www.hp.com.

Bragging rights
The Zaurus SL-5600 gives the gadget geek ample reason to crow. It not only features a cool physical design with a hideaway keyboard, but also runs a version of Linux. The PDA boasts a 400-MHz Intel XScale processor, CompactFlash and Secure Digital expansion slots, 64 Mbytes of flash, 32 Mbytes of SDRAM, and a juicy 1700-mAhr battery. The device is slated to appear early next year, and pricing hasn't been announced yet, but its predecessor, the SL-5500, currently goes for $375. Sharp Electronics, 1-201-529-8200, www.sharpelectronics.com.

Stop graffiti
Thumb-pecked keyboards have become so popular on handheld devices that even Palm, the originator of the Graffiti handwriting-input system, now offers them. The $549 Tungsten W, slated for the first quarter of next year, features a tri-band GSM/GPRS radio and supports phone calls (via a headset), Web browsing, e-mail, and messaging. Powered by a 33-MHz Motorola Dragon-ball VZ processor, the PDA includes a Secure Digital expansion slot, Bluetooth, and a 320320-pixel color display. Palm, 1-408-503-7000, www.palm.com.

I don't know about you guys, but I usually don't look at the remote control when zapping between channels, changing the volume. Expect for the most exotic functions, I never need to look down and find the key. I just "touch type" on the remote control.

With this new device, that wouldn't be possible. Ok, you can have several remote controls integrated into one. But we already have that with normal remote controls...

So, really, apart from the geek fractor, this thing just sounds like a pain to use. Imagine a keyboard without keys! Oh, but wait...

Who cares how long it takes to get nix onto one of these machines

How long until the nix users realize this is just a stupid piece of hardware - the cool part is the outstanding handwriting recognition. Hardware vendors were never able to successfully get a tablet pc off the ground because the software behind the hardware was never sufficient.

How long until someone gets recognition software of this quality running on any version of nix - prolly never.

How long until http://www.fingerworks.com helps put out a tablet pc? That would be cool - I won't need a keyboard for the three finger salute. Mice are the work of the devil.

The magnetic screen is better than pressure sense because it is more resilient to wear and tear - dropping the tab is probably not healthy for it.

The magnetic screen is better than static boards because they are less/not sensitive to dirty screens. Heck I could butter up my tablet and still annotate my notes. Mmmmm butter.

Sorry all you mouse gesture devotees out there, multi-finger gestures on a touch surface are even better than mouse gestures 'cause you don't have to draw a whole symbol!

With multi-touch gestures, the finger combination and direction of motion at the beginning of the slide immediately determine the command. See:

http://www.fingerworks.com/gesture_demo.html

Plus you can mix them in with typing and pointing as well, all in the same space!

...unix seems to be designed for qwerty....

A lot of tools (like vi & emacs) rely heavily on the QWERTY layout as well. Just look at the letter navigation keys in vi: i, j, k, l (I think this is different in vim, but I'm not sure). In emacs, C-x, C-c isn't nearly as quick to type on Dvorak (but then again maybe that's a good think for any of us who've done it inadvertently while trying to C-x, something-else), and you can forget about the ease of C-x, C-c, C-v for cut, copy, paste in most GUIs.

Apple had an interesting idea of providing a keyboard layout (available at least with OS X) which is Dvorak by day (with just the shift, or caps modifiers), and QWERTY by night (with any of the control modifiers). This way, the positional benefits of keyboard shortcuts remained.

I'm sure one could create an Xmodmap file or keymap file which would create a similar layout. Alternatively, FingerWorks has come up with a compromise between the two layouts, which, they claim, requires less time to retrain, and remains truer to QWERTY. You still don't get the "copy" in cut, copy, paste, but it may be worth a look....

My friend has a touchstream keyboard which he used full-time for a couple weeks. His emails constantly looked like the parent post. He attributed this to lack of tactile or auditory feedback.

On the other hand, I use a small two-way alphanumeric pager (size comparison, closeup). You end up typing on it preying-mantis like, holding the front with your thumbs nad the back with your pinkies, and typing with your two pointer fingers. Typing is definitely slower, but you don't end up making constant mistakes like with the other keyboards mentioned.

May point is... as far as I know, mini keyboards are the best solution so far, there are worse solutions available.

Upon further looking, I've discovered FingerWorks' press release for the iGesture, which gives a good overview of the device. And, I found this review as well.

Or, for the link-impaired: http://www.fingerworks.com/stealth_product.html.

Anyhow, Adrian, I see from FingerWorks' website that they also offer a product called the iGesture Pad, a combination trackpad/gesture surface. That's right -- using various gestures, you can emulate all kinds of functions :).

This fascinates me, and I was wondering if you could tell me more about using the gestures with your Touchstream (a separate device from the iGesture Pad, but still with gesture capabilities).

Or, for the link-impaired: http://www.fingerworks.com/stealth_product.html.

Anyhow, Adrian, I see from FingerWorks' website that they also offer a product called the iGesture Pad, a combination trackpad/gesture surface. That's right -- using various gestures, you can emulate all kinds of functions :).

This fascinates me, and I was wondering if you could tell me more about using the gestures with your Touchstream (a separate device from the iGesture Pad, but still with gesture capabilities).

Or, for the link-impaired: http://www.fingerworks.com/stealth_product.html.

Anyhow, Adrian, I see from FingerWorks' website that they also offer a product called the iGesture Pad, a combination trackpad/gesture surface. That's right -- using various gestures, you can emulate all kinds of functions :).

This fascinates me, and I was wondering if you could tell me more about using the gestures with your Touchstream (a separate device from the iGesture Pad, but still with gesture capabilities).

Or, for the link-impaired: http://www.fingerworks.com/stealth_product.html.

Anyhow, Adrian, I see from FingerWorks' website that they also offer a product called the iGesture Pad, a combination trackpad/gesture surface. That's right -- using various gestures, you can emulate all kinds of functions :).

This fascinates me, and I was wondering if you could tell me more about using the gestures with your Touchstream (a separate device from the iGesture Pad, but still with gesture capabilities).

Or, for the link-impaired: http://www.fingerworks.com/stealth_product.html.

Anyhow, Adrian, I see from FingerWorks' website that they also offer a product called the iGesture Pad, a combination trackpad/gesture surface. That's right -- using various gestures, you can emulate all kinds of functions :).

This fascinates me, and I was wondering if you could tell me more about using the gestures with your Touchstream (a separate device from the iGesture Pad, but still with gesture capabilities).

Or, for the link-impaired: http://www.fingerworks.com/stealth_product.html.

Anyhow, Adrian, I see from FingerWorks' website that they also offer a product called the iGesture Pad, a combination trackpad/gesture surface. That's right -- using various gestures, you can emulate all kinds of functions :).

This fascinates me, and I was wondering if you could tell me more about using the gestures with your Touchstream (a separate device from the iGesture Pad, but still with gesture capabilities).

Or, for the link-impaired: http://www.fingerworks.com/stealth_product.html.

Anyhow, Adrian, I see from FingerWorks' website that they also offer a product called the iGesture Pad, a combination trackpad/gesture surface. That's right -- using various gestures, you can emulate all kinds of functions :).

This fascinates me, and I was wondering if you could tell me more about using the gestures with your Touchstream (a separate device from the iGesture Pad, but still with gesture capabilities).

I find the lack of pricing disturbing. They have all this 'whiz-bang' stuff on their page, various methods of contacting them, but no prices. Hrm... developmental problems? Someone forgot to update the web page? Who knows....

From the bottom of the Tech Page

Price: $289

Available: August 2001 But this seems to be the only spot they mention it.

A solid flat surface keyboard -- it's Dillinger's keyboard from Tron! w00T!

"You shouldn't have come back, Flynn"

Judging from their picture of the keyboard here, they want you to put your LEFT hand on the RIGHT side of the keyboard (and presumably vice versa)! Call me an anatomical traditionalist, but that just doesn't seem that comfortable to me.

-Mark

Ok, well everyone here seems to be down on this technology but I think it would really be useful. People are complaining about the sensitivity but from what I understand it reads your hand position, not the points that you are touching. That means that your hand does not even have to touch the surface to make a gesture.

No. The technology used in our MultiTouch surface produces images of the hands and fingers as they approach the surface. In effect, a video is created that records the complete motion of all fingers and the other parts of the hands.

It also goes on to say that after you start the gesture/keyboard input you can rest your hand on the surface. It is supposed to be smart enough to differenciate between gestures and resting (I'd like to see that!).

And I agree that it would be great for Macintosh users (layout/graphics operations).

BTW: Check here for details, including the price of $289 (which puts it in the ballpark of the Happy Hackers Keyboard).

--
Later...

Ok, well everyone here seems to be down on this technology but I think it would really be useful. People are complaining about the sensitivity but from what I understand it reads your hand position, not the points that you are touching. That means that your hand does not even have to touch the surface to make a gesture.

No. The technology used in our MultiTouch surface produces images of the hands and fingers as they approach the surface. In effect, a video is created that records the complete motion of all fingers and the other parts of the hands.

It also goes on to say that after you start the gesture/keyboard input you can rest your hand on the surface. It is supposed to be smart enough to differenciate between gestures and resting (I'd like to see that!).

And I agree that it would be great for Macintosh users (layout/graphics operations).

BTW: Check here for details, including the price of $289 (which puts it in the ballpark of the Happy Hackers Keyboard).

--
Later...

the thing that amazes me is that on the Why Switch to Fingerboard? Page, it says

"The FingerBoard uses standard mouse and keyboard drivers. You don't have to install any additional software on your system."

But on This page it shows a number of gestures that are tied to common functions such as CUT, COPY, Back/Forward on browser, etc. Well, how does it know to do those things if you don't install seperate software? I mean they are useful functions, but is there a linux driver to interpret the gestures? And do I really want yet another background process running in my systray and splashing a startup screen on the windows box?

i dunno. Neat idea, but i have no beef with my IBM keyboard.

the thing that amazes me is that on the Why Switch to Fingerboard? Page, it says

"The FingerBoard uses standard mouse and keyboard drivers. You don't have to install any additional software on your system."

But on This page it shows a number of gestures that are tied to common functions such as CUT, COPY, Back/Forward on browser, etc. Well, how does it know to do those things if you don't install seperate software? I mean they are useful functions, but is there a linux driver to interpret the gestures? And do I really want yet another background process running in my systray and splashing a startup screen on the windows box?

i dunno. Neat idea, but i have no beef with my IBM keyboard.