Slashdot Mirror
A One-Handed Keyboard For $25
Bruce Perens writes "Slashdot has often featured attempts at improvement upon the QWERTY keyboard. Here's a one-handed USB keyboard that you can buy for $25 online, or a bit more at the CompUSA. There's one catch: someone will have to design a keying pattern and hack up software for it. It's a task just crying out for an Open Source project." Bruce has also included on the linked page code with which to read the output from the device.
let the stream of one-handed web surfing jokes begin...
"Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true." - Homer Simpson
about what the other hand is doing. "I tried to have phone sex, but the holes were too small" - Sage Francis
Saying that you can buy a one-handed keyboard for $25, but you have to roll your own software, means you're not buying a one-handed keyboard for $25. That's like saying you can buy your own crystal meth for $25 - sure, the ingredients are only $25, but you have to know the recipe and risk life and limb cooking the stuff.
Not that I'd know about those things. (And that applies to both coding my own keyboard drivers as well as cooking meth.)
What's your damage, Heather?
What is the sound of one hand typing?
elSpike out.
My daughter only has one hand. I used to think she had a really hard time typing because of the style of typing she used on AIM, it was very fast but did not make much sense. Then I realized all the kids type that way. She can type about 15-20 wpm with just her one hand. I guess it depends on how handicapped someone is but if someone handicapped learned to type with this device, they would be "stuck" using this device any time hey needed to type.
Writer must be stuffed, this couldn't possibly become a successfu... oh Bruce Perens, ^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h
Wow, great idea! Lets start coding! Where's the source-forge page?
man xmodmap
As long as the one-handed keyboards gives any kind of output, it can be mapped al gusto.
Imagine what you could do with two of those!
the previous version of the nostromo, the n50 ( same thing w/ less keys and less orange ) had some linux software written for it avalible here
I actually own the n52, upgrading from my earlier n50.
As a gamer (yes, I admit it), I do find these devices useful. After about 4-5 gaming sessions, I became extremely comfortable with the device, and began integrating its usefulness into more traditional applications (like 3DS Max). Given the included software (albeit Windows), you are able to map keystrokes (macros as well) to the device, to which you can reconfigure/reinitialize the mapping through an app that sits in the systray (Loadout Manager).
Now onto the bad stuff. The n52 makes some improvements over the n50 (extra row of keys, dpad, thumb shift key), however the response of the keys themselves seems to have suffered a setback. While I was never completely satisfied with the response of the n50 keys (not enough tactile feedback for these fingers), the n52 has this even less so. More importantly, the keys sometime stick, making you depress some of the keys more than once in order to execute the keystroke - a pretty large issue when it comes the one thing a keyboard should do well.
Hopefully, the problems I encountered with this n52 is a defect with this particular unit (/.er's, chime in!).
All-in-all, the n50/n52 are good and versatile products, and I recommend them for those looking for a one-hand input device - particularly if you come across them at a cheap price (I bought my n52 for $35). The software support is a little flimsy, but Belkin seems to be more focused on this as their products are growing in popularity.
Another extremely interesting input use... The ILL Clan (a Machinima team I co-founded) use these devices to puppeteer their virtual characters during their Machinima productions/live performances - mapping the keys to facial gestures, lipsync and triggered animations.
Rejected from about a year ago, even, so who says Slashdot doesn't keep up with the times? :)
Here's my old review, in plain text glory:
Review of the Belkin Nostromo Speedpad n52
The Belkin Nostromo Speedpad n52 is a reworked version of
the n50: both are gaming peripherals that combine a small keyboard,
a D-pad, and a scroll wheel into a small, ergonomic package. Using
the included software, you can bind keys and macros to the Speedpad
for use in games and applications. So, for example, instead of using the
typical WASD layout on your keyboard, you can map those keys to the
Speedpad, along with keys for throwing grenades, switching weapons,
etc.
With macros, you can initial multiple actions, such as targeting
the nearest enemy, following him, and going into attack mode, all
with a single keypress.
The n50 is probably the best gaming peripheral I've ever owned: I
find it indispensible for FPS and MMORP games. When news of the
n52 began to filter out, I was hoping that many of the flaws of
the n50 would be eliminated, but that the core utility of the
device would be maintained. I'm happy to say that I was not disappointed.
Firstly, some of the flaws with the n50:
* Lame "scroll" wheel was really not a scroll wheel, but more like
a throttle: it did not have full 360 degree motion.
* Shift state indicators in a bad spot: the n50 (and n52) has three
"shift modes" that you can switch between, allowing each key to have
more than one use, depending on the shift mode. However, the n50's
shift mode indicators are on the left side of the unit: when you are using
it, your hand blocks the ability to see those indicators.
Minor problems, really: the scroll wheel was easy to just disable, and after
a while, you didn't worry about the shift mode indicators.
The n52, though, fixes both problems: it has a 360 degree scroll wheel (that also
can act as a button when pressed, just like many mouses) making it actually
useful. The shift indicators have been movies to the right side of the
controller, near one of the new thumb buttons. Now you can see the shift
state at a glance.
There's a new row of keyboard buttons, adding 4 more buttons in good positions.
Your pinky will now be able to trigger death and destructions much more easily.
The new thumb buttons, though, are a disappointment. The idea is great: two
buttons above and below the dpad on the right of the controller. However,
the round orange button above the dpad is extremely difficult to press without
Pros:
* Great ergonomics
* More buttons
* Better positioning of shift indicators
Cons:
* New thumb buttons are a little annoying in placement and use
Vincent J. Murphy
Spandex Justice
My QWERTY is just fine, as long as I use one hand at a time:
Fred was a fat ass
"Hop on my jolly polonium puppy, you union ho'..."
Greedy Fred created extra stewardesses
"Union ho?" I'll kill you!
Badass stewardesses cratered Fred
Unholy, huh?