"A GROUNDBREAKING ADVANCEMENT IN THE FIELD OF OBSOLESCENCE!"
Meet the new invention : the "USB TYPEWRITER" invented by Jack Zylkin .USB Typewriter circuitry can transform your old manual typewriter into a retro-futuristic marvel. Use a gorgeous
vintage typewriter as the computer keyboard for your Mac or PC, or type with ink-on-paper while electronically recording your keystrokes! The USB Typewriter also makes an outstanding keyboard dock for your iPad or tablet PC.
USB Typewriter can still write on a paper. Infact, you can write on paper while recording your keystrokes to a computer -- that way you will have both a hard copy and a soft copy. You don't even need to turn on your monitor.
The USB Typewriter not only has built-in Control, Alt, Cmd, and Backspace keys, but also a "Fn" key which, when held down, accesses secondary functions for all the keys, so that the typewriter keyboard supports a full complement of modern functions.
The USB Typewriter is designed so that tablet computers such as the iPad act as virtual "paper" when placed on the platen. Any tablet that has a "USB On-The-Go" feature (also called "USB OTG") will work with the USB Typewriter.The USB Typewriter works conveniently with many smartphones -- any phone that supports "USB On-the-go" -- but will not work with the popular iPhone and Nexus phones.
HOW IT WORKS :
The USB Typewriter system consists of three main components: the Sensor Board, the USB Interface Board, and the Reed Switches.
1) The Sensor Board :
The sensor board is a long strip of flexible metal contacts which clip easily underneath the keys of the typewriter. Each contact is attached to a different pin on a chain of shift registers, which act like a fireman's "bucket brigade", passing a signal down the line from one pin to the next (see the animated picture below). When the signal being passed down the row of shift registers is intercepted by one of the keys the microcontroller is alerted to a keypress.
2) The USB Interface Board :
The USB Interface Board features an Atmega168P microcontroller (i.e. an Arduino chip), a USB socket, and some supporting components. By sending the CLK and SER signals, it controls the operation of the Sensor Board (again, refer to the animation below), and by monitoring the "chassis" signal, it can detect keypresses. The animation shows that the Interface Board can tell which key has been pressed, based on which pin of the sensor board was active when the chassis signal was detected. The interface board also controls the USB jack that connects to your computer.
3) The Reed Switches :
Because the Sensor Board only detects keys that strike the crossbar, several important keys go undetected. These include Shift, Space, and Return. To deal with those keys, we use tiny switches that close when in the presence of a magnet.
WHY JACK WORKED ON THIS? (in his own words)
"The idea for USB Typewriter all began in late 2009, when I found a clunky old Royal typewriter on the side of the road. After a little spit polish and elbow grease, I was really amazed by how pristine this machine was underneath its century's worth of rust and dust. And even more amazing: it still worked!
Typewriters are just really beautiful and elegant pieces of technology, and it has always struck me as sad that they are now neglected and almost forgotten, especially considering that most computer stuff today is so disposable and utilitarian. People love typewriters, and lots of people have them on their mantlepiece or in their attic, but there is just no place for them on a modern computer desk. So, with the USB Typewriter project I am trying to help people rescue typewriters from garages and attics and put them to use again.
USB Typewriter has been in business since June 2010, and since then has helped to rescue almost 1,000 typewriters, while constantly improving the conversion process to make it as easy as possible. The USB Typewriter has been featured by NPR's Morning Edition, The Martha Stewart Show, CNN HLN, WIRED, Gizmodo, and many others. It was named one of the "Top 10 iPad Accessories" by PC Magazine."
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