Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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MusicPlug
Turns your crusty computer keyboard into kids music machine
  (+10)(+10)
(+10) 		  [vote for,
against]


With computers being so cheap these days, we've all probably upgraded our systems a few times in the last 10 years. In the process, you may have kept and extra keyboard around as a spare in case you spilled your coffee in the wee hours of the night.

Kids like computers, even the little ones. My daughter who can barely walk likes to bash the keys on a regular basis.

This idea is to create a little (independant) music box that plugs into your spare keyboard and allows the bashing to translate into musical sounds - or maybe even some (please no) ELMO.

The little box would consist of a cheapo Microcontroller with a little speaker (maybe $5 total in parts). The box could be battery powered or plug into the wall.

The idea here is that the kids can hash your old keyboard without hashing your computer.

You could get even put the device into and EDU mode where it speaks out the letters/numbers they're pressing.

Sorry old keyboard, you thought you could just lay there and sleep...

proee, Feb 06 2007

MIDIbox http://www.midibox.org
dig around the forums, there's code for a PS/2 input somewhere [BunsenHoneydew, Feb 09 2007]


Short name, e.g., Bob's Coffee

Destination URL. E.g., http://www.coffee.com/

Description (displayed with the short name and URL.)







       Involves recycling, children's educational toys, intuititve design, and music. [+]
daseva, Feb 06 2007
   

       You'd have a wierd talking child.   

       "Daddy, Help Insert Control, Alt I End U. SCROLL LOCK!!!"
theleopard, Feb 07 2007
   

       They already make musical keyboards for children. They have for several years.
21 Quest, Feb 07 2007
   

       "Musical keyboards" as in a little synthesizer/electronic keyboard, or actual QWERTY computer keyboards you can play music (well, cacophony) on?
Veho, Feb 07 2007
   

       as in a little synthesizer/electronic keyboard
21 Quest, Feb 07 2007
   

       But this is different. It would turn a QWERTY keyboard into a musical instrument. Well, noisemaker. Kids like to hammer on computer keyboards, they like the noisy feedback, and they like things that go *beep*. And with that many keys, you could turn it into a serious musical instrument. An advantage over the millions of PC applications that do that same thing would be the portability of a Music Plug (plus a PS/2 keyboard).
Veho, Feb 07 2007
   

       Yes, this would be a QUERTY board, I am sure. Who is scared of spilling coffee on a MIDI keyboard? Nobody.
daseva, Feb 07 2007
   


 
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