h a l f b a k e r yIt's not a thing. It will be a thing.
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USB Data Entry
Save commonly typed info on USB Memory Device for easy data entry | |
Today, I found myself installing several software packages onto 45 computers. (and no, I could not mirror the drives) What I will have to design, if it is not available, is a USB Data entry device.
This device would look similar to the digital thermometers currently available.
One end would be a USB
plug, and the other would have a button, a wheel, and a 30 character digital readout.
This device would plug into the USB port on the Mac keyboard, (or via supplied cable) into the USB port on the PC Case)
It would capture keystrokes, and allow me to store several different text strings.
I could then move to a different computer.
Whenever the appropriate data entry prompt occurred, I would select the appropriate string, using the wheel at the top, then press the button to cause the data to be inserted.
(Picture to follow)
(?) Not quite as nifty but available immediately.
http://www.sunmax.c...il.asp?catalogID=56
Keyboard Wedge Scanner (USB adaptor available). But, you would have to carry around a piece of paper with a bunch of barcodes on it. [half, Oct 05 2004]
(?) USB Data Entry Pen
http://www.geocitie...am1/halfbakery.html
How it would look, (adapter cable not included) [senatorjam, Oct 05 2004]
The software it should run
http://www.roboform.com
Talk to this guy and see if e can whip something up.. Does what you want, but just in software for now [JackandJohn, Oct 05 2004]
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Annotation:
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I could use one of these.... (+). |
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Could be useful. I wonder about the form factor in your design. I certainly appreciate the compactness but it seems like the display will be covered up when you're using the thumb wheel (assuming 1 handed operation). |
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Seems like a PDA might be persuaded to handle this job. Not sure about the keyboard emulation part. |
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[half] yeah, it could be a problem, especially for right handed people. oh well, back to the drawing board |
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Why not just send an e-mail with the text to all the computers and then copy and paste the commands. Or use a floppy disk with the text file on and again copy and paste... |
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Because he's installing and doesnt have the email up yet. He needs a hardware keyboard with memory. |
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Because he's installing and doesnt have the email up yet. He needs a hardware keyboard with memory. |
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[pashute] appears to be using one of these already... |
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[JackandJohn]'s link give's a fantastic idea to
implement this!!! a smartphone PC keyboard
device! with snippets!! |
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Everybody has a smartphone. No need to buy any
new hardware. The smartphone has memory on it. |
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All that's needed is for the smartphone to be
connected to the PC with the USB, but when this
application is on, the smartphone is detected as a
keyboard. (Not sure if that's possible because of
security issues, so hardware people whadya say?) |
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The UI is a keyboard with lists of snippets that you
can flip through, or just type right now. |
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If there are less than 12 snippets they can be shown
on a "wheel" for easier input, with Y N and Enter Esc
as well. |
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A much, much more complicated method would be to have
a machine that covers the keyboard and physically presses
keys to enter the text. |
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An alternative to having replayable commands would be to have the smartphone keyboard emulator replay through the USB an entire recorded 'session' - so it would just replay your keystrokes as you typed them, with the same intervals between commands, etc. |
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