Pen Based Input Improvements

December 21, 2008 by Eliot 10 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcE3XBytN-U]

Lately we’ve been focusing on multitouch technologies, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t interesting research going on in other areas of human-computer interaction. [Johnny Lee] posted a roundup of some the work that [Gonzalo Ramos] and others have done with pen based input. The video embedded above shows how pressure can be used to increase control precision. Have a look at his post to see how pen gestures can be used for seamless workspace sharing and how pen rolling can give additional control.

The Future Of Annoyance

December 19, 2008 by Eliot 44 Comments

ae83_phantom_keystroker_v2

[Garrett] posted about ThinkGeek updating the Phantom Keystroker to support random capslocking. You may remember that [Garrett] built the Stealth USB CapsLocker for April Fool’s day. The tiny device would randomly turn on the victim’s Caps Lock. This update to the commercial product has inspired him to refresh his own design. He suggests few possible options: random inserts, erratic volume control, or random sleeps. He’s also planning on making it more accessible to hacking. What would you add?

Measuring Current Through USB

December 17, 2008 by Caleb Kraft 29 Comments

usb_current

[gmgfarrand] wanted to be able to measure the current being pulled through his USB. He realized that even though he could just cut open the wire and measure at any point, a permanent tool for this would be quite useful. This is a simple modification that shouldn’t take long. All you need is a spare USB cable and an enclosure. He ultimately filled his enclosure with glue to keep everything in there and solid. lets hope his soldering holds well.

Orbita Mouse

December 15, 2008 by Caleb Kraft 30 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qCwlw9DO7g]

The Orbita mouse seems to be finally coming to production. After watching that video, it seems that the mouse could be quite nice actually. We’ve seen several people build jog wheels for their computer and others try to make scrolling more ergonomic, and this product seems to add both decently. Well, it could probably be more ergonomic, but it is a start. At less than $100 it isn’t cost prohibitive either. The question is, have any of you built an alternative? Using a puck shaped device seems like it could get bothersome on the hand, how would you improve the design?

[via Engadget]

Standalone Printer Display Hack

December 12, 2008 by Caleb Kraft 16 Comments

print_joke

[Sprite_tm] sent us his latest project. He has found a way to display custom messages on a laserjet printer without a computer. He’s using an ATTiny2313 to send signals through a parallel port. This project is so cheap and quick to install it could be disposable. Just program your message before hand, pop it on and walk away.

MMO Treadmill Input

December 12, 2008 by Caleb Kraft 10 Comments

tread1

Remember those guys who used treadmills to run in World of Warcraft? They have posted an instructable on how to build the treadmill input device yourself. We know that all you World of Warcraft players are just dying to try to do all your running in the real world.

Multitouch Pinball Instrument

December 9, 2008 by Caleb Kraft 9 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpDltKLZSrM]

This is an interesting twist on multi touch input. [s9lucas] is using a simple multitouch system as an instrument that uses solenoids and pinballs to make music. He has taken the basic multitouch tutorial and combined it with an Arduino bell tower. The end result is possibly more fun to watch than it is to listen to, but that’s fine.