Typing styles and heavy pressure.

Martin has thought up an idea for a keyboard which would learn how heavily you press the keys and work out from the stype of typing whether you want something in bold or in italics. Bold wouldn't be too difficult but how would you type in such a manner as create italics? Piano keyboards quite happily create music covering the whole emotional range so it shouldn't be too difficult to create an typewriter keyboard with a similar range of input. Taking this further, there are so many input devices used for different musical instruments from drums sticks to the Theremin so why shouldn't there be many input devices for computers etc? I am beginning to worry that this is leading me to a discussion of 'joined up thinking'. Why should the ultimate goal of computer development be to have them accept input in the same way that we do? Computers shouldn't be white (cream/black/imac flourescent) boxes on desks or in racks; they should be just 'there' and accept whatever we care to throw at them anywhere. Upgrades? easy!

Happily this has opened up a whole world of discussion relating to Theremins and other such things. I desperately wanted a pocket Theremin some years ago but couldn't find one. Now they are everywhere. It must be difficult to get the pitch right on something so small and especially if you kept it in your pocket while playing. As I still haven't written the automatic In C or indeed any music/midi programs for the PC, it seems a little silly to clutter up the house with another useless gadget.

You will not believe this but I have just found a Theremin program for the Palm from this address. It may not be the real thing but it is a start and it has the source code. How to annoy your co-workers. Martin has just walked out without a word. Oh! He's back now.

Much as I admire John Cage and dislike the Wombles, I think it was a bit much when John Cage's estate sued Mike Batt for plagiarism over his minute of silence because it stole from 4.33. Pathetic isn't it? Ho hum! Back on your heads.