6 ms·

A typewriter that sends its keystrokes in real time to a Google Doc

68 points by jsomers 9y ago

TazeTSchnitzel 9y ago
ooh, fun exfiltration device. can you minituarise it?
jff 9y ago
Shades of the Soviet Union's method for spying on the US Embassy's Selectric typewriters: https://www.nsa.gov/about/cryptologic-heritage/historical-figures-publications/publications/assets/files/gunman-project/Learning_From_the_Enemy_The_GUNMAN_Project.pdf https://www.nsa.gov/about/cryptologic-heritage/historical-fi...
- SpaceRaccoon 9y ago
  > As a totalitarian society, the Soviet Union valued eavesdropping and thus developed ingenious methods to accomplish it. Tell me more, NSA...
projectramo 9y ago
If you want a produced, slick, expensive version of this: https://getfreewrite.com/ https://getfreewrite.com/ (I am not affiliated but I am an owner of one).
- jsomers 9y ago
  That's a cool device, and I thought about getting one -- but for me, I wanted the satisfaction of putting ink to paper.
- bufordsharkley 9y ago
  I was looking at that, but ended up buying an Alphasmart Neo2 for $30 instead. No cloud integration; you upload to any text editor asynchronously via USB. It's basically a keyboard with local memory allowing you to type away from distractions. I've really loved my experiences with it.
  - DamnInteresting 9y ago
    I tried using an AlphaSmart, and it was pleasant, but I couldn't make it work because it separated me from all of my digital research materials. I never did find a good solution to that. Of course that was the late 1990s, perhaps today a tablet with Evernote or similar would fill the gap.
  - copperx 9y ago
    Here's another cheap idea: Get a Raspberry Pi Zero ($10-$15), connect it to an old monitor, and use it as an Emacs-only machine, in the framebuffer, no X required. You get all the features of Emacs (magit! org-mode!), none of the distractions. Of course, this wouldn't be portable, but a typewriter isn't either.
genieyclo 9y ago
Coolest thing I've seen on HN in ages, thanks for sharing
sudoscript 9y ago
I remember someone also rigged up a mechanical typewriter to run vim http://blog.qqrs.us/blog/2013/05/03/vim-on-a-mechanical-typewriter/ http://blog.qqrs.us/blog/2013/05/03/vim-on-a-mechanical-type...
blacksmith_tb 9y ago
There are kits to retrofit (pun intended?) usb or bt keyboard functionality into mechanical typewriters[1], though judging by the prices they charge for the finished product, it must be fairly involved... 1: https://www.usbtypewriter.com/products/easy-conversion-kit https://www.usbtypewriter.com/products/easy-conversion-kit
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

68 points by jsomers 9y ago

ooh, fun exfiltration device. can you minituarise it?

jff 9y ago

Shades of the Soviet Union's method for spying on the US Embassy's Selectric typewriters: https://www.nsa.gov/about/cryptologic-heritage/historical-figures-publications/publications/assets/files/gunman-project/Learning_From_the_Enemy_The_GUNMAN_Project.pdf https://www.nsa.gov/about/cryptologic-heritage/historical-fi...

SpaceRaccoon 9y ago
> As a totalitarian society, the Soviet Union valued eavesdropping and thus developed ingenious methods to accomplish it. Tell me more, NSA...

projectramo 9y ago

If you want a produced, slick, expensive version of this: https://getfreewrite.com/ https://getfreewrite.com/ (I am not affiliated but I am an owner of one).

jsomers 9y ago
That's a cool device, and I thought about getting one -- but for me, I wanted the satisfaction of putting ink to paper.
bufordsharkley 9y ago
I was looking at that, but ended up buying an Alphasmart Neo2 for $30 instead. No cloud integration; you upload to any text editor asynchronously via USB. It's basically a keyboard with local memory allowing you to type away from distractions. I've really loved my experiences with it.
- DamnInteresting 9y ago
  I tried using an AlphaSmart, and it was pleasant, but I couldn't make it work because it separated me from all of my digital research materials. I never did find a good solution to that. Of course that was the late 1990s, perhaps today a tablet with Evernote or similar would fill the gap.
- copperx 9y ago
  Here's another cheap idea: Get a Raspberry Pi Zero ($10-$15), connect it to an old monitor, and use it as an Emacs-only machine, in the framebuffer, no X required. You get all the features of Emacs (magit! org-mode!), none of the distractions. Of course, this wouldn't be portable, but a typewriter isn't either.

genieyclo 9y ago

Coolest thing I've seen on HN in ages, thanks for sharing

sudoscript 9y ago

I remember someone also rigged up a mechanical typewriter to run vim http://blog.qqrs.us/blog/2013/05/03/vim-on-a-mechanical-typewriter/ http://blog.qqrs.us/blog/2013/05/03/vim-on-a-mechanical-type...

blacksmith_tb 9y ago

There are kits to retrofit (pun intended?) usb or bt keyboard functionality into mechanical typewriters[1], though judging by the prices they charge for the finished product, it must be fairly involved... 1: https://www.usbtypewriter.com/products/easy-conversion-kit https://www.usbtypewriter.com/products/easy-conversion-kit

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]