OESF Portables Forum
Everything Else => Zaurus - Everything Development => Distros, Development, and Model Specific Forums => Archived Forums => User Request for Applications => Topic started by: ClintReese on April 18, 2004, 07:49:36 pm
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Hello. I\'ve been reading about wearable computers on the internet for a few years now, and I\'ve made a few attempts at building some. In my exploration, I came across a device called the \"Half Keyboard.\"
http://halfkeyboard.com/wearable/index.html (http://halfkeyboard.com/wearable/index.html)
It seems to cost about $300 and seems to be mainly built for OS\'s like the palm OS.
Now that I have my Z-SL-5600 running Python, though, I am thinking of a cheaper solution.
Why couldn\'t the Z be configured so that a person could hold it with one hand, and type with one thumb on only _half_ the keyboard? One might have to type 2 keys for each character, but it should be possible.
This might make the Z _truly_ mobile. If one must type with both hands and focus on the device, how can one do something which requires true mobility at the same time?
All I need now is a sutable text editor. I\'ve considered many, The writer of PyPE was even nice enough to expalin to me why my trying to adapt his editor wasn\'t a very good choice for this application.
Does anyone know how I might make this work? Any other ideas?
Clint Reese
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You mean you\'d turn the 300x400 screen into a keyboard? How would you see any of the text editor then? The picture on the 1/2 keyboard site shows a keyboard on one wrist and a screen on the other. I\'m not quite sure what you mean, but I\'m intrigued. I have found the best way to really type on the zaurus is to network it and use VNC...not the really mobile solution ;p Most apps that I think are good for the Z are those which don\'t require alot of keybard input, using only the thumb control or the stylus.
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You mean you\'d turn the 300x400 screen into a keyboard? How would you see any of the text editor then? The picture on the 1/2 keyboard site shows a keyboard on one wrist and a screen on the other. I\'m not quite sure what you mean, but I\'m intrigued.
You are correct that this isn\'t exactly what I meant. After giving it some thought, I have come to the conclusion that building this application may be simpler than explaining it right now, though.
I have found the best way to really type on the zaurus is to network it and use VNC...not the really mobile solution ;p Most apps that I think are good for the Z are those which don\'t require alot of keybard input, using only the thumb control or the stylus.
Exactly. Only thumb conrol, for now. Since I can\'t reach both halves of the keyboard comfortably while holding the Zaurus in one hand, this means only using half of the keyboard. It just reminds me of Matias\'s \"halfkeyboard.\"
I know that seems like a very slow and uncomfortable way to input. I would prefer a one-handed chording keyboard such at the \"Twiddler\" lying over there in the corner, but I don\'t know how to make it work with the Zaurus. Maybe if I interface the Zaurus with a PIC through the serial port, I can set up my own chording keyboard. I\'ve already built some prototypes of such input devices. Of course, they won\'t let me carry that on a plane, but if I build apps which are popular enough, maybe I can convince someone \"sharp\" to mass-produce them.
Clint Reese
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I would prefer a one-handed chording keyboard such at the \"Twiddler\" lying over there in the corner, but I don\'t know how to make it work with the Zaurus.
Clint Reese
Speaking of the \"Twiddler,\" does anyone know of anyone who has gotten it or another one-handed chording keyboard working for the Z? I think that shall be one of my goals, as I mention above.
By the way, this isn\'t a school project. My senior project in C.S. in which I built a glove interface for wearable computing was years ago. This is mainly passion and purpose now.
Clint Reese
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Most of this email is random rambling about me having completed this project.
OK. I finished the basics of this application a couple of days ago.
It just took a few hours to 5 days of planning and coding. Maybe 20 hours? Of course, I was learning how to program in Python for the first time while doing it.
It is very hard to use right now, and doesn\'t have all of the features which I want to include before release. But, it works. I can modify the text editor with another copy of itself, save it, and run it again with only half of the keyboard, and all with a text editor which I wrote from scratch in Python.
It was a nice little project for learning some Python.
Now I need to get the asii text output to display larger letters. Something like figlet
http://www.figlet.org/ (http://www.figlet.org/)
whould be nice, but I don\'t like FIGlet\'s license
ftp://ftp.figlet.org/pub/figlet/program/u...tic-license.txt (http://ftp://ftp.figlet.org/pub/figlet/program/unix/figlet221/Artistic-license.txt)
so I may end up doing something substandard from scratch again if I can\'t find some freeware.
I told some people who had helped me here that I would let them know if I developed any interesting apps, so I had to post something like this.
Clint Reese
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Of course, they won\'t let me carry that on a plane
Why not? I can\'t possibly imagine hijacking a plane with a one handed chording keyboard. (just the image makes me roll over laughing)
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Of course, they won\'t let me carry that on a plane
Why not? I can\'t possibly imagine hijacking a plane with a one handed chording keyboard. (just the image makes me roll over laughing)
I haven\'t really tried, but I think it almost goes without saying these days that home made eletronics just aren\'t allowed as carry-on on planes in the U.S. Dr. Steve Mann had much trouble with his wearable computer on a plane in Canada, as I recall. I think he said something about security ripping the electrodes out of his skin, causing him to bleed.
I think they gave an international flight an escort because someone was wearing some sort of electric blanket with wires sticking out. They also claim to have found a gentleman with wires sticking out of his shoes, and who supposedly had explosives in them.
They fear electronics unless they are from a \"trusted\" source, that\'s all.
Clint Reese