CrazyLittleFingers is a keyboard locking application. Unlike some of the previous keyboard lockers we’ve covered, CrazyLittleFingers corresponds the keystroke to a picture and sound related to the key. Press L and you see a picture of a lion. Press R and you see a movie of a rooster. Keys that have no symbolic link for children like the page up and page down keys produce rising and falling guitar sounds. Numbers show the number on the screen. The only caveat is that it doesn’t lock the mouse. This is fine on a single monitor setup, because you can’t click through the images or access the start menu so clicking wouldn’t accomplish anything. On a multiple monitor setup however it only locks the primary screen, the mouse is still effective on the other screens. It would be nice if the program did a simple poll to see if other monitors were active and darkened/disabled them. Still if your toddler isn’t a proficient mouse user it should work fine. CrazyLittleFingers is freeware, Windows only. Photo by John A. Ward. CrazyLittleFingers [Donation Coder: New Applications for New Year Contest]
A new video shows off the primary features of the all-touch-screen keyboard in the next update of Google’s Android mobile platform, code-named Cupcake. The video shows the touch-screen keyboard running on HTC/T-Mobile’s G1 handset, but other manufacturers are reportedly considering an all-touch handset to be run on Android. You’ll also see the newest updates to the G1′s capabilities, including video recording and, for the browser, inline finding and selective copy and paste.
Windows only: TeamPlayer allows you to use multiple mice and keyboards on a Windows based system. Under normal circumstances you can plug multiple USB mice in, but moving the two simultaneously will result in Windows struggling to decide which input to use for the single cursor on the screen. TeamPlayer is designed for a group environment where multiple people will be interacting with the same computer. Each mouse is assigned a unique coloured cursor to identify it. When testing on my system my primary PS/2 mouse was assigned red, and the secondary USB mouse was assigned blue. There are two small caveats with Teamplayer:
Mac OS X only: Free application FunctionFlip adds a new preference pane to your Mac’s System Preferences that lets you choose which function keys you want to operate purely as standard function keys versus special keys on a per-case basis. Say for example that you like the volume keys instead of the corresponding function keys, but you don’t want to dedicate function keys to your controlling iTunes (or some version of this scenario). Normally you can only choose all function keys or all special keys by default. With FunctionFlip, you say which keys operate as special keys and which operate as the default function key (e.g., F1, F2, etc.). FunctionFlip is a simple but smart piece of freeware, Mac OS X only. FunctionFlip [via Download Squad]
Improve your note-taking and dictation skills with web site Listen and Write. As opposed to most most typing applications, which ask you to copy words you see on the screen, Listen and Write plays back audio clips of current events and asks you to transcribe the content. Sometimes the application is a little too stingy on spelling—especially of proper names—but it could be a great tool to gear up for taking better and faster notes in lectures or meetings. On the other hand, if you’d like your computer to dictate what you are saying, we’ve got you covered there, too.
Do-it-yourselfer Kipkay doesn’t have a backlit keyboard, so he repurposed the pointless Scroll Lock LED on an old school keyboard to light up all the keys instead. The end result does indeed make typing in the dark possible, but it doesn’t look anywhere near as cool as a commercial backlit keyboard. In fact, in the stark light of day you will probably be embarrassed about the keyboard’s light antennae, which you turn on by hitting the Scroll Lock key. Still, this is a nifty mod if only for the innovative concept. Hit the jump to watch how he did it.
Being on top of your grammar is a skill that takes years of practice to refine into unthinking craft, but even the most word-minded among us can trip up when it comes how keyboards transpose our thoughts. Blogger Christopher Phin releases his inner copy editor and points out 10 errors one sees everywhere in digital writing, mostly due to not knowing what characters go exactly where. As someone who over-uses the “m-dash” a bit, I was glad to get schooling in the finer points of horizontal lines:
Readers are submitting their best life hack for a chance to win an autographed copy of our new book, Upgrade Your Life. Here’s our latest winner. Reader Jeadly got sick of hitting the Caps Lock key without meaning to, and uses a custom utility to stop the madness without disabling it completely. Jeadly writes: I’ve written an AutoHotkey script that handicaps the Caps Lock key. I suppose I should call it “Handicapslock.” With my script running, the Caps Lock key doesn’t lock “on” unless you double tap it, so its behaviour is more like the Shift key.
Clear off your computer desk but still have easy access to pens, CDs, and other supplies with the Keyboard Organizer—a fully-working keyboard that flips up for storage. Haven’t typed on one of these myself so I’m not sure what the height is like on this bad boy, but the two-in-one organiser/keyboard action is a nifty idea. The Keyboard Organizer will set you back about 50 bucks (£24.99). Keyboard Organizer Makes You Envy of Computer Lab [Gizmodo]
Mac only: The new MacBook Pro models released Tuesday brought new processor power, more hard drive space, and a little-heralded but kinda nifty feature: The addition of a right Alt key (and dropping of the mini Enter key), giving keyboard enthusiasts access to “third-level” characters and a wider array of shortcuts. For those with MacBook models older than 48 hours, free remapping utility KeyRemap4MacBook can help you reassign that tiny Enter or other under-utilised keys for similar shortcut happiness. Definitely worth the effort for programmers and coders, but potentially helpful for anyone who wants to assign Mac environment shortcuts (like Spaces, for example) to non-default keys. KeyRemap4MacBook is a free download for Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5 only. KeyRemap4MacBook [via random()type]
