There is nothing more satisfying for a finger work-out then using a laboriously slow old school typewriter.  Or on those cloudy days where you feel a bit melancholy and in the mood to write the start of a novel you’ll never finish, you may need to punch down on those exhausting keys of a manual typewriter to get the creative juices flowing.

Today I present you that possibility and better yet, with a touch of technology to  make your craving a bit more current.

A well known steampunk modder [Jack Zylkin] has taken the traditional typewriter and transformed it’s key punching into a digital conversion of letters and numbers.  Using some customized PCBA, a USB connection and a bit of code it’s now possible to sync your great grandmother’s typewriter with your computer, or in this video, your iPad.

Your craving wont go without some minor cash flow issues, as you can purchase a pre-made [or pre-mod I should say] USB typewriter or you can buy a kit and down grade your very own typewriter and keep the family air loom alive and kicking.

To get more details visit the Etsy Shop to make your purchase or gather more information.

The all new Kensington Ci70 USB keyboard is ultra slim for those seeking minimal usage of work space real estate.  In addition, the Ci70 includes a small USB hub for connecting those USB powered gadgets.

The USB keyboard comes with two full size USB type A connectors to connect MP3 players, cameras and promotional USB drives and one mini-USB connector for syncing mobile phones and digital cameras.

Kensington indicates the USB keyboard is 35% smaller then a typical keyboard, but don’t mention the height of this “slim design.”  It appears to be about 1.5cm at the keyboard and 3cm at the back where the hot buttons are located.

The Ci70 retails for $50, but we found it at Amazon for just a little less.

Have you ever thrown your hands up in frustration because you simply want to use the Monitor, Keyboard and Mouse of a laptop to access a server or other standalone device?  I have, but never know what product could help…now I do.

The Portable Laptop KVM Adapter from StarTech is specifically designed to turn your notebook into a portable KVM station.  Simply connect the adapter between your standalone [or GUIless device] and notebook and you’re off and running.

I would think the biggest market for such a product are large data centers where they need to access any number of servers without a full KVM installation.

“Aside from a rack mount LCD console, which can be expensive, server administrators and technicians would typically have to use a server room ‘crash cart’, which is a cart comprised of a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. Although a typical ‘crash cart’ is somewhat mobile, it lacks the portability of our Laptop KVM Adapter, which provides identical but more convenient control”.

The NOTECONS01 USB 2.0 Laptop KVM Adapter offers immediate BIOS-level access to the connected computer from the laptop control point, as well as the ability to handle full configuration of the attached PC, server, or other headless machines such as ATMs, kiosks and VLTs.

But the portable USB KVM station doesn’t come cheap, the MSRP starts at $470.

Thanks Andrea!

Review: Adesso Wireless USB Trackball Keyboard

Don’t you hate it when you buy a new gadget and don’t have the batteries it needs? This new keyboard from Adesso avoids that let down. Batteries ARE included. No more scrounging around for those AA Batteries that you need just to get this keyboard to work

This little keyboard is great for the multi-media user. With the 100-ft range you can sit on the couch, relax, and set up your music without having to get up and go to the computer. Or if you are that Fortune 500 CEO and you are doing a presentation in the conference room. You can now walk around the room and still control your media presentation. Even if you are just the basic computer user you will find much utility and love for this little guy. It is an easy to use, plug-n-play, keyboard that requires no

Most of us are typical PC users or laptop users and have become accustomed to our keyboard size and key locations, but for a select few, you run off a table PC or Netbook.  If that’s the case, then you’re probably looking for a nice, compact, portable travel keyboard.  Today we found your item.

The Atek OnBoard USB keyboard is compact in size, layout like a full QWERTY keyboard and sturdy case for portability.  The OnBoard uses a slide out protective case during transit and an inflatable wrist pad for once you’ve settled in.  The keyboard uses a USB cable to connect and has a tight wrap-around storage area for the cable iteself.

Atek is proud to divert away from the traditional portable USB keyboards such as fold-up, roll-up and miniature keyboards.

The OnBoard has 99 keys (missing are the Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause Break, and right side Ctrl and Windows keys) together with separate numeric keys and a full (if squashed) F-key row.  It weighs under 1.4lbs.  The ‘board measures 14-3/4 inches long and the cover can act as an angled stand.

It’s not often you hear “vertical” and “keyboard” in the same sentence so I jumped on this article when I heard Kensington re-styled their C170 keyboard to include a vertical mounted USB port.

So now that I’ve settled the vertical+keyboard question, the next is why?  Look at the picture, then make the jump.

It’s nice to see the continued growth of U3 software for flash drives. Take my latest find, an educational music package for kids, MusiCan. The music is clearly aimed at children and my little one loves MusiCan and the animated screens which go with it.

There are various levels of learning in each collection from identifying animals to learning your way around a keyboard. Here are a couple screen shots: