New SOFT/HRUF in the Works

I got my Georgi last week and have been really enjoying it, but I want to give myself a little more time to put it through its paces before posting a full review. Hot on the heels of the newcomer, though, was a tantalizing preview of Ecca's latest SOFT/HRUF posted on the Plover Discord:

* currently micro USB but final one will be type-c
* micro SD slot for plover files + dictionary
* fully wired or wireless
* smaller interconnect cable between the halves if you want to use wired, but it is also wireless between the halves
* uses standard 18650 cells in a carrier that lets you pop out batteries and replace them at any time without tools

The SOFT/HRUF has always taken the cake in terms of keyfeel due to its custom steno-shaped keytoppers, but it looks like it's also going to be the first in the steno hobbyist market to work as a self-contained machine without necessitating a laptop. The wireless features and battery are also unique among non-proprietary machines, and I'm really excited to see it in action. I'm so impressed by all three major manufacturers of sub-$500 steno machines, and I can't wait to see what the future will bring for all three of them.

Steno at the Venice Biennale

From our amazing Italian steno friend Sillabix, a report about a video art project featuring an Italian stenographer on a Michela keyboard, displayed at this year's Venice Biennale:

Angelica Mesiti's exhibition ASSEMBLY opens with the Michela machine, a 19th century stenographic machine, modeled on a piano keyboard, which is used in the Italian Senate for official parliamentary reporting to ensure transparency within the democratic process. The machine's inventor, Antonio Michela Zucco, was originally inspired by musical notation as a universal language. Mesiti uses this device to code "To Be Written in Another Tongue", a poem by David Malouf, which is then arranged into a musical score by composer Max Lyandvert, and played by an ensemble of musicians, whilst performers, representing the multitude of ancestries that make up cosmopolitan Australia, gather, disassemble, and re-unite.

I was unable to find anything about Plover in particular in the press materials for the event, but Sillabix said "The Venice Biennale Art exhibition started today: thank you Australia for promoting steno (& Plover)," so I'm wondering if the exhibition might have been partially Plover-powered? Extremely cool if so, but even if not, I love seeing what happens whenever steno and art combine.

Plover at PyCon 2019!

Photo by Francesca Guiducci

Hey, remember when I gave a talk on Plover at PyCon Santa Clara back in 2013? Well, at long last I'm back at PyCon, this time in Cleveland, and not talking but captioning, along with four of my colleagues at White Coat Captioning, including fellow Plover user Stan Sakai! We've already met up with at least one Ploverite friend from the Discord, which was delightful, and we've been giving demos of the wonders of steno during breaks to anyone who wanders by our tables. If you're at PyCon too, please feel free to stop by! I love talking about our glorious little Python-powered steno app and showing off an array of steno hardware both proprietary (Infinity, Luminex, Alienware keyboard) and open (TinyMod and StenoMod; sadly my Georgi didn't arrive in time for me to bring it.) I'm having a blast, and I'd love to meet anyone else who might be interested in steno, whether they've already dipped a toe into the hobby or it's totally new to them. Open Steno's come a heck of a long way since 2013, and I'm so grateful to Python community and our amazing developers (Josh, Hesky, Ted, Benoit Pierre, and so many others) who've helped to make it what it is today.

TinyMod 3 Is Out!

There's a new TinyMod available!

The ever-magnificent Charley says:

Another change to the TinyMod. I've moved the thumb keys 5.5mm further from the row of keys above. I think it's more comfortable this way.

Since I was laying out a new board anyway, I also redid the wiring. Now every key is wired separately, including the S- keys and the asterisk keys. I'm still using TX Bolt as the serial protocol, so you can't tell there. But using the NKRO keyboard protocol you could make use of them in Plover. Of course, hacking your own firmware you can do whatever you like!

The boards are just a little bit longer and wider, but not much. The microcontroller has moved from the right side to the left, but is still covered by the top PCB. The slider switch for choosing the protocol is also now on the left side.

It's different firmware because of the change in wiring, but the functions are the same. You shouldn't notice any difference there.

The price is the same, $160USD for the keyboard, $7.90 shipping in the US, about $24 for most of the rest of the world. Sales tax $11.60 if you're in California like I am.

If you're in the mood for some new steno hardware, this seems like an extremely promising contender. I love my TinyMod 2, and this looks even better. Bravo, Charley!

Rose's Adorable Georgi Mounts

Check out these two adorable tiny tripod mounts that Rose from the Plover Discord rigged up for her Georgi! (Speaking of which... Mine is coming soon, and I'm SO EXCITED to play with it and give it a thorough review!) This is just a proof of concept; she's ordered a two suction-cup camera tripods that will replace the little leggy tripods, but either version seems like it would work in a pinch. I just find individual tripods and platforms for each side of a tiny machine like a Georgi irresistibly adorable, and the fact that it's also ergonomic and practical is just a bonus. Nice work, Rose!

Steno-Compatible (?) Torturous Typing Game

As a video game nerd married to a Classicist, I'm duty bound to pass along this link that was posted in the Plover Discord to Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment Teaches Typing, a new free browser-based typing game that puts you through all sorts of pixelated unpleasantries in the name of mythology and manual dexterity. I tried my hand at the first level with Plover on my Alienware and ran into some difficulties, but I wasn't sure whether that was an issue with the game not being fully steno-compatible (since of course it wasn't designed with steno in mind) or whether it was just operating as intended, given its doom-laden premise. Feel free to give it a try and report back with your own conclusions!

Take the Steno Hardware Survey

Varun from the Plover Discord writes:

We're a group of engineering undergraduate students from National University of Singapore. This survey was created to better understand the needs of the persons who use a stenotype (Professional stenographers/live captioners/hobbyists/students). We would really appreciate it if you could spare some of your time to help us. Thanks :)

Take the Steno Survey to tell them what you look for in steno hardware!