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BUZZNET Obsession: Dani Vitale Valentines Day Favorites At Blackheart
February makes me think of reds, pinks, hearts and sexy little outfits! I got to take stop at Blackheart and look at what they had in store for this month's "love" trends. I found some amazing day to night pieces that I put together for a seamless transition from a day at the mall to dinner and cocktails. There were so many fun and interchangeable pieces that I could work into any outfit at any time of the day ;) Check out some things that caught my eye and took home with me!
Shop all things Blackheart HERE!
What do you want for Valentines Day?
You'll ♥
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Lana Del Rey's Third Album Is Called 'Honeymoon' And Sounds More Like 'Born To Die' And 'Paradise'
Lana Del Rey isn't wasting any time between albums! Ultraviolence, the gloomy diva's extremely underrated sophomore LP, was only released six months ago but


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Crucial M500 120GB 2.5" SATA III Solid State Drive (SSD) - CT120M500SSD1.PK01
|Transform your system's performance.
New interfaces and multitasking demands require more from your system than perhaps ever before. From connecting instantly with friends and accessing apps, websites, and playlists online, to simultaneously streaming videos and downloading files, your computer is faced with an entirely new set of performance expectations that a hard drive struggles to meet. That's where the Crucial® M500 SSD comes in. With data transfer speeds that are radically faster than a hard drive, the Crucial M500 SSD isn't just a storage upgrade - it's a complete system transformation. From its nearly instantaneous boot times, powerful data transfer speeds, increased multitasking capability, and rocksolid reliability, the Crucial M500 delivers dramatic performance gains - all at an affordable price.

subset: commoncrawl


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Last login: Saturday, June 11, 2011
I'm sure that it's the "first" that you've "heard", roger. Lefties always have conveniently "short" memories when it comes to facts published years ago.
It's part of their attempts to re-write history.
However, if you really wished to be informed, a simple search would start with a Wiki article about the Iraqi yellowcake:
Sen. James Inhofe had excellent pics of the 500 tons of Tuwaitha yellowcake in drums on his congressional website for years. I'll see if I can dig them up for you.
As far as Iraqi terrorist training camps are concerned, another simple search start that you could do is:
These are a few of what the American Troops found when they invaded. There are many more.
Of course, you'll have to actually open your eyes to see the articles, and I know that's hard for a Leftie to do.
May 29, 2011 at 11:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
You don't even know how many people in America don't work, lucia. I'm so sorry that you're so hopelessly uninformed.
May 29, 2011 at 11:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
No xly, I can't. Facts only come in one tune. I'm sorry that you don't like facts.
The "failed leadership" was only on the part of the local officials. FEMA was right where it was supposed to be.
Your BDS is showing.
May 29, 2011 at 11:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Conservatives don't waste money on dinosaur newspapers, insii. Conservatives are more modern.
May 27, 2011 at 11:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
It's a fair question, insii. What are you so afraid of?
May 27, 2011 at 11:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Gee xly, I guess you don't know anything about Katrina either. You Lefties sure are ignorant. Maybe you should have stayed in school.
May 27, 2011 at 10:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Even drunken sailors "sober up", AllenAnderson.
May 27, 2011 at 9:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
FEMA was right on the job as it should have been, Allen. FEMA is not a "first responder" - local agencies are "first responders". FEMA come in slowly after a disaster and pays for the clean-up. FEMA has no ambulances, troops, or evacuation facilities.
Maybe you didn't know that.
Also you you probably didn't know that the Louisiana Governor wouldn't let the Red Cross go into New Orleans until well after the hurricane, that the local officials including Mayor Nagin did not follow their own evacuation plans, and that thousands of school and city busses that could have evacuated the city were not utilized at all.
The missteps of Katrina can be blamed squarely on the local officials and the Governor, who just happened to have been Democrats, Btw.
I guess you don't know those things either. Or you just "don't want" to know them.
May 27, 2011 at 9:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
I guess you must not know how many Americans don't work, lucia. They get government checks, you know.
Maybe you should "study up".
May 27, 2011 at 9:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Troops entering Iraq found an Al-Qaeda training camp complete with a jetliner body, roger. Troops also discovered 500 tons of yellowcake uranium some of which was already enriched at Tuwaitha Nuclear Facility in Iraq.
Maybe you don't also know that Halliburton received no-bid contracts from the Clinton Administration and Halliburton continues to this day to receive no-bid contracts.
We know that Saddam used poison gas on the Kurds so he did have WMD's.
Just for those of you with "short memories", the first country We went into after 911 was Afghanistan. The whole purpose of the Bush Administration was to attack the terrorists on their own turf and to take the war to them instead of having them bring the war to us.
President Bush also wanted to change the face of the middle east, and he did just exactly that.
May 27, 2011 at 9:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )


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New Hampshire Severe Storms and Flooding (DR-1799)
Incident period: September 6, 2008 to September 7, 2008
Major Disaster Declaration declared on October 3, 2008
Updates and Articles, Blogs, and News Releases
October 3, 2008
News Release
Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Bush?s major disaster declaration issued for New Hampshire. Assistance for the State and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:
October 3, 2008
News Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for the state of New Hampshire.? The assistance will supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas struck by severe storms and flooding beginning on September 6-7, 2008, and continuing.
Main Content
State/Tribal Government:


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40 Liverpool Street, London, EC2M 7QN 0203 641 7593
- Average
- Main course: £16
- Food spend: £26
- Opening hours
- Monday to Friday: 06:30 - 11:30 12:00 - 17:00 17:00 - 23:00 Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 - 16:00 17:00 -23:00
The experience was just out of this work, would recommend to anyone taking their wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, husband or family member. The service is just amazing.
Jonathan Ssebanja
16 February 2015
from Croydon
With a cool and minimalist feel, Eastway is a funky New York-style brasserie in the beating heart of the City. Liverpool Rail Station is only a 2-minute walk away.
Scrumptious and decadent, the Eastway breakfast menu includes pancakes, waffles and French toast with seasonal berries. Tapas and charcuterie accompany hearty brasserie dishes on the Eastway menu, while reinterpreted classic brasserie favourites include the juicy Italian burger with crispy salami or beef stroganoff with pickles and creamy garlic sauce.
Sweet indulgences at Eastway restaurant include lemon cheesecake with milk chocolate ice cream or chocolate bakewell tart with cherry sorbet. Exotic signature cocktails like fresh strawberry mojito or lychee caiprovska sit alongside an elegant, seasonally changing wine list.
Buzzing with a vibrant hum, Eastway Liverpool Street features a fast-paced City vibe and a striking long bar. Specialising in grills and archetypal New York-style favourites, Eastway London is a modern, simple eatery, popular with a hungry crowd of City diners.
40 Liverpool Street, London, EC2M 7QN
See all restaurants in London
See all restaurants in City of London
Customer reviews for Eastway
- Food
- Value
- Ambience
- Location
- Service
- Drinks
((((( 16 February 2015 by Jonathan Ssebanja from Croydon
The experience was just out of this work, would recommend to anyone taking their wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, husband or family member. The service is just amazing.
(**** 5 February 2015 by AP from London
Would not recommend. We went for quick lunch, ordered chicken and ribs. Chicken was dry, ribs were actually just one rib with 90% fat and hardly any meat. Coleslaw that came as side was swimming in mayo... when asked how was the meal we told the waiter, just to be told back that feedback is noted.. Paid bill in full, though it would help it they would offer to shed couple of pounds just as gesture.. well.. 20 pounds for a lunch with tap water - would not be back.
((((( 18 October 2014 by DM from London
Delicious food and excellent atmosphere.
(((** 25 September 2014 by Allen Jesson from East Mersea
Hi - NIce place and convenient for station. However, there was a disconnect from being seated and being served. Waiter also didn't know about the deal we had been emailed about earlier. Food was great when it finally arrived so will give it another go.
((((* 23 September 2014 by Carolina from London
Atmosphere was great, good food and the staff were friendly.
((((( 16 April 2014 by Chris B from Chelmsford
Very good food and service
((((( 21 February 2014 by Joanne Day from London
Eastway is always a good dining experience.
((((* 16 August 2013 by Stephen Skinner from London
The staff are attentive and the food is served quickly and without fuss. Overall a good dining experience.
((((( 15 August 2013 by Laura from London
I have been here a number of times it is very convenient to meet at Liverpool st as friends live in all different areas its an easily accessible central location to meet. The food is always lovely the service polite and attentive without being intrusive. I have anaphylactic allergies which they work hard to cater for often going above and beyond what would be expected. When I have been with the children they have provided the same care and service for them.
Great place highly recommended
((((* 19 December 2012 by Brent from London
Early evening meal (6.30pm) , pleasantly greeted , great selection on the Christmas menu. The main turkey breast was very good.
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DollarVisa i iTunes
Tryck på titeln på låten som du vill provlyssna på och klicka på Spela upp. Öppna iTunes när du vill köpa och hämta musik.
Dollar was one of the most successful pop duos in the U.K. In their decade-long career, Dollar sold over 10 million records. Formed in 1978 by Thereza Bazar and David Van Day, Dollar wasted no time: their debut single, "Shooting Star," was an immediate hit, peaking at Number 14 on the British charts. Bazar met Van Day in the cabaret group Guys 'n' Dolls, and they fell in love. Wanting to create music that was as refreshing and exciting as the new wave sounds emanating from England, the couple left Guys 'n' Dolls and collaborated as Dollar. Their first album, Shooting Stars, was released in 1979. Later that year, Dollar covered the Beatles' "I Wanna Hold Your Hand"; it landed in the U.K. Top Five. By 1980, Bazar and Van Day were engaged and recorded another LP, The Paris Collection. However, it wasn't as popular as Shooting Stars. Bazar and Van Day broke up in June 1981, but they continued to work together as Dollar. They hired producer Trevor Horn for their third full-length, The Dollar Album. Dollar then returned to the British charts with such radio favorites as "Hand Held in Black and White," "Mirror Mirror," and "Give Me Back My Heart." In 1986, after Bazar and Van Day attempted to go solo with mixed results, Dollar began releasing singles again. Aside from a Top Ten cover of Erasure's "O L'Amour" in the late '80s, none of them found acceptance outside of dance clubs, and Dollar split up. Van Day tried replacing Bazar with other female vocalists before starting another group, Bucks Fizz; Bazar stopped singing to raise a family.
Mest populära album
År som aktiv:
'70s, '80s


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Originally written on IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS caught | Last updated 8/19/12
The Post Standard (Syracuse, NY) August 13, 2012 Monday To the Editor: I recently took my 9-year-old grandson, a big Yankees fan, to see a New York Yankees' ballgame. Our plan was to arrive in New York City about 12:30 p.m., (scheduled arrival time), meet my son who works in the city, see the sights and take the subway to Yankee Stadium for a 7 p.m. game. On game day we awoke at 5 a.m. and arrived at the Syracuse Amtrak station at 6:15 a.m. for a 7 a.m. departure. As departure time neared, an announcement was made that the train would be half an hour late due to traffic lights not working. After repeated delays, we boarded for a 9 a.m. departure. We finally arrived at Penn Station about 3 p.m. Our plans to see the 9/11 Memorial and the Statue of Liberty were reduced to viewing the memorial from the street and the statue from the distant view of Battery Park. The stadium, the Yankees' Memorial Park and seeing the delight and excitement displayed by my son and grands...
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Originally written on MyTeamRivals.com | Last updated 11/3/12
Everyone in and around the NBA is prepared to admit that Boston Celtic point guard Rajon Rondo is good. How good, or even great, is a matter of considerable debate. Celtics101 has always been firm in our support of Rondo, but opinion on the polarizing point man is divided even amongst Celtic fans. However one of the main reasons that 101 has always come down on Rondo's side is this – great players improve every year, and whatever Rondo's other faults there is no doubt that he has improved in each and every one of his six seasons. Now entering his seventh year as a pro it appears that trend will continue given that Rondo unveiled a new move in Boston's opening night loss to the Miami Heat. Most NBA fans are familiar with Rondo's signature move. He first pulled it out in the 2010 playoffs, but he really started making consistent use of it last year when he was on the floor with two big men who could shoot – Kevin Garnett and Brandon Bass. Typically Rondo will come around a screen set ...
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Yardbarker is the largest network of sports blogs and pro athlete blogs on the web. This site is the hub of the Yardbarker Network, where our editors and algorithms curate the best sports content from our network and beyond.
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text:
General Info
BI Guy
TOP only. US Navy Vet (GO NAVY!), SGL but unavailable (see "Note #1" below), 2 sons (one is a US Marine in Afghanistan/Iraq, "SEMPER FI.") I Enjoy meeting & making new friends worldwide. PM or IM me.ï Like to Cam, but at present my damn cam isn"t working.
NOTE #1: Very Happily Married for 4+ years (not legal yet, but hope is eternal) to Peng, the
most wonderful bearcub in the world. I would never cheat on him, so don"t even ask. However,
I still enjoy looking and making friends from all over the world.
NOTE #2: ONLY ACCEPT FRIENDS WITH PROFILE and/or PICS.
Turn Ons
BI or Gay men whom are & act like REAL men, hairy (love facial hair & body hair) but smooth
bods are okay too, strong but submissive, masculine but sensitive, likes people, children and
animals, must have an up, pleasant and sunny personality, a sense of wit & humor, who enjoys
sports and keeping fit and healthy, and hopefully, a is a fan of NY YANKEES and NY Giants, is
romantic, likes mutual cuddling, soft music, oral pleasures, and enjoys being slightly dominated. I love redheads, black, salt & pepper hair is an extra plus, but blonds, browns
and even the bald/shaved heads are good too! Blue or green eyes are my favorites, but the
browns can melt me like butter. I love "clean" toes & feet, armpits, firm bubble butts (and
some flat ones....lol).
I find flaccid cocks, in their natural, resting and soft states especially faccinating,
erotic, sexy, beautiful and a real friggin" turn-on. I"ve only been round circumcised cocks,
so that"s what I know, but I am becoming intrigued by uncut ones.
Finally, and not least, GENITAL SIZE is absolutely NOT important to me.
Also, unimportant is AGE (other than those whom are underage), nor physical beauty; the
inner self, the goodness of a person, is what is important to me. The sexiest part of a
person, or the sexiest human organ...is the BRAIN!!!
Btw, did I mention that I am a TOP? Now, that is probably more info about myself than I have
ever revealed to anyone, before! And probably more than you ever wanted to know!
Short, trim figure, medium breast, red or raven haired, fashion wise and well groomed, sweet
and demure, but by no means a shrinking violet. One who loves and enjoys sex, but is NOT
interested in romantic attachments, or marriage...
Turn Offs
Smokers, drunks, loud, rude, racist or intolerant people, scat, unclean bodies and privates,
bad body odor, the use of too powerful colognes or perfumes, tatoos or piercing, fems (sorry),
liars, and gossips (I hate it!). Also, sex that is degrading and demeaning in any way, and
anything that causes severe pain.
All old or classic movies (especially those or the 1930"s/40"s/50"s/60"s) including westerns
(spaghetti westerns too), almost all musicals, mystery, horror, comedy, Historical and Docudramas, Dollywood, and most foreign/foreign language films including Chinese dramas and action films.
TV:ïMasterpiece Theatre, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, the Pink Panther, Thin Man, Mission
Impossible, Combat!, I Love Lucy, Laurel & Hardy, etc.ïï
Sorry people, I"m a straight acting guy who cries when something is happy, sad, or romantic. So, don"t ask me to a movie if you embarass easily....ï Be warned!!!
Working out at the gym, walking, reading, studying History and foreign languages, traveling,
enjoying good food & cooking (I love to cook), skiing, camping, boating, all outdoor stuff,
visiting historical places, old grave yards (love "em) to look for beautiful headstones and funerial statuary and inscriptions (some are very funny). I love anything about the military,
and especially the sea and ships, Sailors, Marines, Army, Coast Guard and the Air Force...
I celebrate having good health, a loving family, long time good and loyal friends, and that
very special someone (wo ai ni wode pei"ou) who loves me, and enjoying real happiness.
I try my best to have and enjoy a healthy, good and as satisfying a sex life as possible, and
to be THE VERY BEST possible sex partner that I can be.ï
Almost any music fromïclassical, opera, jazz, Rock-n-Roll, R&B, Doo-Wop, Swing, Big Bands of
the 1930s/40s/50s/60s/70s, Pop, Organ music, show tunes, religious, modern, country, country western, Native American, and any ethnic music forms of all types, from all countries.
Sorry, but most Rap just isn"t a favorite of mine (but there are some exceptions).
To save space, I should have just said.."I LOVE MUSIC!"
History, science, archeological, mystery, murder, suspense, military history & tactics of all sorts including ancient Greek & Roman, modern USN, CSN, CSMC and USMC, almost all types of
biographies, historical novels, fiction, non-fiction, Self-Help, learning languages, How to
and Cook books. Hell, actually, I just love to read!!! So, almost any type of book. And of
course all types of magazines, ie. National Geographic, Smithsonian, Archaeology, Science,
Mental Floss (a sepecial favorite), The Week, Time, etc...or mags about any of the afore mentioned subjects.ïïï
About myself
Some grad school
Marital Status
Yes, and they live away from home
Time spent online?
An hour or so a day
Social Orientation
Tobacco Consumption
I'm a non-smoker
Alcohol Consumption
I'm a light social drinker
Kids, How many?
Want kids?
About my Partner
Ideal partner
In a Relationship (L J-p), so not available:
For Information only:
BI Male Preferred (or Female). A lover of Kissing, Cuddling, oral, massages, and is
intelligant, has good sense of humor, is a good conversationalist, likes to keep up with the happenings of the day, loves reading, music, likes all people (and accepts them for who and
what they are), children and animals, keeps healthy and fit and loves sports(esp. the NY
Ethnicity, religion, age (except for underage), and size of male genitalia is unimportant. Smoking, heavy drinking and drugs are a NO-NO.
For males: they must be manly and act manly.
For Females: they must be feminine but not a shrinking violet...and NOT interested in a
relationship or marriage.
For Activities
Discreet Relationship
Pretty important
Partners genitals should be
Hairy, Average, Trimmed to be neat
Does size matter?
Size doesn't matter at all
Tobacco Preference
I dont want my partner to smoke
Alcohol Preference
I dont mind if my partner drinks lightly
Physical Profile
Best Feature
I like all my bodyparts!
Body Type
5 ft 6 in
Hair Color
Hair Length
Very Short
Facial Hair
Moustache, Beard
Body Hair
Pubic Hair
Shaved or waxed to be neat
Hairy Bodyzones
Arms, Chest, Treasure trail, Pits, Tummy, Legs
Body Decorations
Glasses or Contacts
Latex, Pollen, Smoke
Sexual Diseases
Free from sexually transmitted diseases and tested regularly, Vaccinated against Hepatitis A/B
Entertainment, Sports and Hobbies
Alumni connections, Arts/Museums, Board games, Books/Reading, Business news, Camping/Outdoors, Cars, Collecting, Cooking, Gardening/Landscaping, Healthy living, Movies (watching), Music/Concerts, Nightclubs/Dancing, Photography, Playing sports, Politics, Television (watching), Travel/Sightseeing, Watching sports
Dancing, Live music/Music, Movies/Film, Symphony/Opera, T.V./Videos/DVDs, Theater/Arts
Television shows
Arts & Entertainment, Documentary/Learning, Dramas, Music Channels, Movie Channels, News, Sci-Fi, Sit-coms, Soft Porn, Sports, Stand Up Comedy, Talk Shows, Variety Shows
Movie Categories
Action, Adventure, Family, Classics, Comedy, Crime, Documentary, Drama, Film-Noir, Horror, Independent, Musicals, Mystery, Porn, Romance, Science Fiction, Thrillers, War, Westerns
Music Styles
Blues, Broadway & Vocalists, Classic Rock, Classical, Country, Folk, International, Jazz, Miscellaneous, Opera, Pop/Top 40, R&B/Soul, Rock 'n Roll
Favorite Books
Best Sellers, Biographies, Fantasy, Fiction, History, Magazines, Mystery, Non Fiction, Science/Technology, Self-Help, Sports, Travel
Sports Orientation
Always at the gym
Work & Living Environment
Home Office
Living Arrangement
Live with pets
American, Cajun, Chinese, French, Greek, Japanese, Indian, Italian, Mexican, Persian, Pizza, Seafood
Sexual Interests
Favorite sexual fantasy
Don't need fantasies....I live them.
Sexual Orientation
Sexually Daring
I'm curious
Sexual Activities
Food Play, Giving Oral Sex, Massage, Mutual Masturbation, Naturism/Nudism, Phone Sex, Receiving Oral Sex
Sex, When?
Afternoon, Mornings, Weekends, Evenings, Noon, Late Night, Weekdays
Sex, How often?
Practice Safe Sex
Most Erogenous zones?
Butt, Ears, Feet, Fingers, Hands, Inner thigh, Knees, Lips, Neck, Nipples, Toes
Role-playing fantasies
A movie theatre, In the nature, A swimming pool/hot tub, An airplane, My bed, My desk at work, My yard, The beach
Dirty talk during sex?
Entirely depends on my mood
Making home videos/pics
I'd consider doing
Sexual Accessories
Toys, Which?
Cock ring
Food for play
Bananas, Frosting, Grapes, Ice, Ice cream, Peanut butter, Strawberries, Whipped cream
Bondage Gear
Not into bondage
Porn Movies, Which?
Amateur, Bisexual, Cumshots, Gay, Hard, Mature
Porn Movies, With?
By myself, With a partner, With someone else
Porn Movies, How often?
All Comments
Great profle
Hi Silver,it's been a few months since I signed in here.Thanks for your generous comments as always!
thanks for adding me man!!
I'm back,baobei
Thanks for your friendship and the nice comment, sexy
Hey buddy.
hey buddy how are you?
i dont know about pics, its not really why i joined this site, but we'll see
thanks and you are very sexy
i'm already missing you
I'm so glad that I'm back again,he he,no governments could stop me,he he.
Love you wo de da xiong
i love the things you have to say in your profile and best wishes to your boy in iraq
Thanks for the friend request
Wish I'd been in military with you - hot dude!! At least we are friends now!!
come to see my guy and say hello to him,my sexy guy
get well,wode qingren,wode ai ren.
wo feichang feichang ai ni,
wo hui ai ni yi bei zi.
stopped by and have a look at you,good news,I'm back again!
hiya there ...
Thanks for all your comments.
thx for your visit
thanks for the comment , nice cock pics !! do you ever go cam to cam or chat ?
I'd give you some pit sweat, bud :-)
Thank you! Good stuff here!
WOW Thanks man!
Thanks for the invite, buddy.
Thanks!!! for the add
and the post:P
thanks for the comment foto
thanks for the add
Now you know you ought to be ashamed of your self because you know it was way past your bedtime, lol! Glad you enjoyed them Mr Woooof!!
Hi Thanks for the invite, glad to accept. Russ
Thanks SilverTR2 for accepting my friend invite.......i'm a little too shy to show off my sexy body....lol!
Live Chat:login to chat


text:
Report: Warriors expected to ask Bulls about Tom Thibodeau's availability
May 9, 2014, 8:05 PM EDT
With reports of a rift between Tom Thibodeau and Bulls management, teams with coaching vacancies are circling.
First the Lakers, potentially at Kobe Bryant's urging, and now the Warriors.
The Warriors are expected to contact the Chicago Bulls to explore the availability of their head coach, defensive whiz Tom Thibodeau, who was an assistant in Boston when Lacob was a minority owner of the 2008 champion Celtics.
Thibodeau, obviously, also has say here. He's been successful in Chicago, and there's no guarantee he wants to leave. There are a lot of considerations – potential salary, his desire to live in California, his perception of each team's quality, etc. – before this gets serious.
And of course, whether the Bulls, who have Thibodeau under contract, want to let him go.
The Celtics and Clippers set the market last season for an exchange like this, Los Angeles sending Boston a first-round pick – one likely to fall late in the round – to let Doc Rivers out of his contract early.
Due to trades, the Warriors can't trade any draft pick – first round or second – before 2019. Would the Bulls want to wait that long get their return? Would Golden State mortgage even more of their-long term future?
If the Warriors wait until after the 2014 draft, they could trade their 2015 first-round pick, but they might not want to let the uncertainty linger that long. Chicago might not want to find a new coach that late in the process, either.
And I'm not sure Thibodeau would be an ideal fit in Golden State – at least good enough to warrant the cost of hiring him, including what Chicago would require and the salary Thibodeau would command.
The Warriors quietly had an excellent defense last season. Thibodeau would at least maintain that level, maybe even nudge them up slightly. But he wouldn't move the needle considerably, because there just isn't that much room to improve.
Golden State needs a coach who can make its offense click. The Warriors have plenty of offensive talent, and they should be much better than a middling offensive team.
Thibodeau hasn't shown offense to be his forte.
The Warriors should have interest in him, because he's a very good coach. Beyond that, there are many more reasons to suspect this won't happen than to believe it will.
- cmart0907 - May 9, 2014 at 8:22 PM
You people are crazy if you think he will leave Chicago.
- xli2006 - May 10, 2014 at 12:24 AM
He's basically had 3 postseason runs derailed due to their franchise player's multiple injuries to both knees. If you are a coveted coach it seems like it would be somewhat enticing to say "enough is enough" and start fresh. At some point that has to be a factor. Who knows what type of player Rose will be when/if he returns to form. A PG built on tempo, cuts, and stop-and-pop doesn't just miraculously brush off dual knee surgeries with minimal court time over several years now.
Aside from the Warriors… when the Lakers call, you kind of have to listen (note: I despise the Lakers, but it is a destination job, is a huge stage, and you have to think they are going to throw a ton of money at a rebuilding project). The Warriors have a solid young core (that is healthy, which is key) and are on the rise.
You'd have to imagine some Free Agents are wary of pinning their career to Rose. Melo and Love (the 2 names that have been mentioned) have to take that into consideration. With Thibs name coming up in Coaching Vacancies, a potential Amnesty for Boozer, they already moved Deng knowing it didn't make sense to keep him longterm to wait for Rose's return, it just appears the Bulls were building upon a foundation that wasn't there and may or may not be there in the future. It has to be a bit tense given the obvious situation they've been in for 2 1/2 years now.
The Warriors should never have fired Jackson…. but they did. Thibs will likely stay but he should definitely listen.
- mp4philly - May 9, 2014 at 8:27 PM
Stan Van Gundy and now Thibodeau.. It's funny the organization got rid of Jackson because of his qualms with management but both of these guys either have or have had major issues with their respective front offices.
- 1harrypairatesties - May 9, 2014 at 10:09 PM
What's wrong with these people?!! HE'S NOT LEAVING CHICAGO!!!
- 00millerfortune - May 9, 2014 at 10:35 PM
LOL Thibbs the best thing coaching not named Gregg Popovich IMO but he would RUIN Steph Curry's ankles/career, not to mention Bogut! LOL
- bruiserbrigade - May 12, 2014 at 4:34 PM
The Suns had a chance to sign Thibs back when we were trying to change our identity to a more defensive team. No better coach in the league to do that, from his time with the Knicks under Jeff Van Gundy. But no, Steve Kerr went with his good pal Terry Porter who lasted 51 games. SMH.
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Originally written on Celtics Green ...a boston celtics blog. | Last updated 1/30/13
7:04: The Celtics, coming off their great win over the Heat, will host the Kings tonight. Obviously, there will be no Rondo due to his torn ACL. We will likely see Bradley, Lee, and Terry share the point guard position. The Kings are a weak 17-29 and not favored to win this game. I think this game will be close but I pick the Celts to pull it out. Keep checking back here after each quarter for updates.
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In Othello, when does Emilia choose to be silent and when does she choose to speak up?
1 Answer | Add Yours
Emilia is silent when Desdemona wonders aloud where her handkerchief is, and Othello questions Desdemona about it. Emilia knows that she has stolen the handkerchief and given it to Iago. But she has no idea what Iago is planning to do with it. When Desdemona worries about the lost handkerchief, Emilia probably considers it a "trifle" and remains silent (Act 3, scene 4). In Act 5, it is Emilia's revelation that she was the one who stole the handkerchief at Iagoa's request that unravels Iago's scheme and exposes Iago for the villain that he is. Throughout the play, Iago has cautioned Emilia to hold her tongue. At the end of the play, Emilia disobeys him. This disobedience costs her her life, but she does not die in vain.
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The objective of the portfolio is to provide above average long term capital growth by investing in global equities the Investment Manager has identified as being undervalued and as offering above average growth potential. The portfolio will invest in assets in liquid form and in participatory interests of the Sanlam Global Best Ideas Fund under the Sanlam Universal Funds PLC registered on 4 September 2006. The portfolio will have foreign exposure of at least 85% at all times. The Trustee shall ensure that the investment policy set out in the preceding clauses are adhered to; provided that nothing contained in this clause shall preclude the Manager from varying the proportions of securities in terms of changing economic factors or market conditions or from retaining cash in the portfolio and/or placing cash on deposit. The Manager will be permitted to invest on behalf of the SIM Global Best Ideas Feeder Fund in offshore investments as legislation permits.
[1] http://www.globalfunddata.com/funds/new/performance/management?variant=Sanlam Collective Investments
[2] http://www.globalfunddata.com/funds/new/performance/domicile?variant=South Africa
[3] http://www.globalfunddata.com/funds/new/performance/strategy?variant=Global Flex-Cap Equity
[4] http://www.globalfunddata.com/funds/new/performance/structure?variant=Unit Trust
[5] http://www.globalfunddata.com/funds/new/performance/city?variant=Cape Town___South Africa
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Hi Everyone,
Last week, 5 Windows legacy products related hot-fix KB articles were released, including 1 for Windows XP, 2 for Windows Server 2003, and 2 for System Center. Below are the details:
Windows XP - 1 KB article:
· 941971 Installation of an assembly on a Windows XP-based computer is not successful, and a message is logged in the verbose log file: "skipping installation of assembly component: {ID} since the assembly already exists"
Windows Server 2003 - 2 KB articles:
· 967663 Only one 32-bit service can print on a computer that is running a 64-bit version of Windows Server 2003 when multiple services are configured to run under one non-SYSTEM account
· 965230 The COM+ Event System does not deliver timely or reliable statistics to subscribers of the IComTrackingInfoEvents event interface in Windows Server 2003
System Center - 2 KB articles:
· 960189 Some expired user state stores are not deleted on System Center Configuration Manager 2007 State Migration Point
· 967648 Package distribution fails on a System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Service Pack 1 site if a file name in the package contains an ampersand (&)
Content Team
237 Microsoft Team blogs searched, 114 blogs have new articles in the past 7 days. 276 new articles found


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this reason that I would call Operation Blue Star a bold, brave, audacious operation where soldiers did the profession of the arms proud, but both leaderships, political and military, showed gross incompetence.
But the generals of one side were not the only ones who had miscalculated. Bhindranwale too made similar, arrogantly delusional blunders. He had boasted that the Sikhs in the army wouldn't fight him. Two of the three generals involved, Brar and Dyal, were Sikhs. The first army injury, Captain Jasbir Singh Raina of 10 Guards, was a Sikh too. Brar told me in a Walk the Talk interview on NDTV 24×7, days after the attack on him in London, that while addressing his troops before the assault, he had given the freedom to opt out to everybody, particularly Sikhs, if they had any hesitation. Nobody did. Raina, in fact, volunteered to go in first. If the generals showed an underestimation of the militants' fervour and tactical dash, Bhindranwale — and sadly Shabeg too — showed similar lack of appreciation of the ethos of their own country's army.
Many militants and civilians died, but the army suffered gravely too. And brutally so. This morning, responding to the first in this series, I received a touching email from K. Ramkumar, the HR head of ICICI Bank, mentioning that his cousin was part of the "Thambis" of the hapless Madras Regiment battalion that suffered severely in the assaults. It was 26 Madras, and I had the privilege of being taken under their wing, even while the wounded were being tended to. They suffered heavy casualties and when one of their assault sections managed to enter the Akal Takht, the JCO leading it was overpowered, blinded and flung from the top of the building to the marble courtyard. But the cruellest, saddest and most unnecessary loss of life was that of battalion doctor Captain Rampal, more than 24 hours after the fighting was over. He was walking around, looking for the wounded from any side to tend to, when a group of terrorists hiding in one of the basements dragged him in, demanded that none else than the head priest of the Temple be sent down to negotiate with them and when that wasn't done, the doctor was tortured to death, his body dismembered. The officers of the battalion, led by Lieutenant Colonel Panikkar, took me to their mess one evening and fed me a meal of sambhar and curd rice from their langar, which was such a blessing after a week of dry rations, and told more stories. One of these was of Lieutenant Ram Prakash Roperia of Jind, in Haryana, the baby of the battalion. His English was rather basic but like any self-respecting Haryanvi, he would speak in no other language. So everybody called him by a mockingly anglicised name: Robert Prince Ruparia. He fell to a sniper bullet on the afternoon of June 6 as he climbed down a rope ladder from the wide parikrama parapet, where several of his …continued »


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The wrong dvd was in the correct cover. Vol 1 was in it, not vol. 2. Was sent quickly, though. Good price so not too upset about the error.Published 16 months ago by Teresa A. Shannon
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The Heat is On: Understanding Local Climate Change
Dan Zalles, SRI International
Students draw conclusions about the extent to which multiple decades of temperature data about Phoenix suggest that a shift in local climate is taking place as opposed to exhibiting nothing more than natural ...
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Earth's Radiation Budget: Part 1
Bob Mackay, Clark College
In this activity students explore the Earth's radiation budget using Earth radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) data archived at the IRI/LDEO Climate Data Library (more info) . -
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Confirmation of the IPCC Prediction re: Increased Storminess
Robert Kuhlman, Montgomery County Community College
A two-part culminating activity for a meteorology/climatology unit in an Earth Science course centered upon data acquisition and analysis regarding the confirmation of the IPCC predicition regarding increased ...
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Quantifying Groundwater Baseflow and Improving Math Skills through a Stream-Discharge Exercise
James Reichard, Georgia Southern University
A two-part exercise is presented where students quantify stream discharge and use the data to determine groundwater baseflow. They first use tedious hand calculations to compute discharge; then develop their own ...
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Finding the Moho under Milwaukee
Vince Cronin, Baylor University
A seismogram was recorded at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee by Keith Sverdrup during the explosive demolition of a section of the nearby Hoan Bridge on December 28, 2000. The explosive demolition and ...
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Izmit Earthquake
Sarah Titus, Carleton College
This lab allows students to analyze earthquake seismicity from the North Anatolian fault using a variety of methods.
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Comparing Carbon Calculators
Mark McCaffrey, National Center for Science Education
Carbon calculators, no matter how well intended as tools to help measure energy footprints, tend to be black boxes and can produce wildly different results, depending on the calculations used to weigh various ...
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Accessing Streamflow Data via the Worldwide Web
John Pitlick, University of Colorado at Boulder
The objectives of this exercise are to (a) use the worldwide web to access hydrologic data, and (b) compare precipitation/runoff characteristics in different regions of the USA.
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Is There a Trend in Hurricane Number or Intensity?
Todd Ellis, Western Michigan University
This lab guides students through an examination of the hurricane record to determine if there is a trend in hurricane intensity over the past 40 years and introduces some issues related to statistics and ...
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Two streams, two stories... How Humans Alter Floods and Streams
Eric Baer, Highline College
An activity/lab where students determine the changes in 100-year flood determinations for 2 streams over time.
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Global Temperatures
Bob Mackay, Clark College
Students analyze the global temperature record from 1867 to the present. Long-term trends and shorter-term fluctuations are both evaluated. -
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The Modern Atmospheric CO2 Record
Bob Mackay, Clark College
Students compare carbon dioxide (CO2) data from Mauna Loa Observatory, Barrow (Alaska), and the South Pole over the past 40 years to help them better understand what controls atmospheric CO2. -
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Exercise 8: Using LiDAR and GPS data to model the water table in ArcScene
Barb Tewksbury, Hamilton College
Barbara and David Tewksbury, Hamilton College Tutorial for using the new LiDAR tools (LAS dataset and LAS toolbar) in ArcGIS 10.1 (Acrobat (PDF) 13.8MB Nov6 13). Same LiDAR Tutorial as a Word doc (Microsoft Word ...
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Cascadia Great Earthquake and Tsunami Suite
Michael Mayhew, National Science Foundation;
Michael Mayhew and Michelle Hall, Science Education Solutions Summary The Cascadia Earthquakes and Tsunami Suite contains five case studies organized around understanding the potential for large earthquakes and ...
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Northridge: A Case Study of an Urban Earthquake
Michael Mayhew, National Science Foundation;
Michael Mayhew and Michelle Hall, Science Education Solutions Summary The 1994 Northridge Earthquake Case Study explores the mystery of how such a major fault could have been missed within a tectonic basin that is ...
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How do Faults Slip: Earthquakes versus Episodic Tremor and Slip
Mike Brudzinski, Miami University-Oxford
A comparison of earthquakes and episodic tremor and slip using GPS and seismic data to illustrate how faults slip.
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Radiometric Dating Isochron exercise
John Weber, Grand Valley State University
Hands-on introduction to using the isochron method to determine radiometric ages.
Consequences of Modern Energy Use: A Remote Sensing analysis of the gulf oil spill using ArcGIS software.
Jared Beeton, Adams State College
Students download satellite imagery and conduct a remote sensing analysis of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill using ArcGIS software.
When is Dinner Served? Predicting the Spring Phytoplankton Bloom in the Gulf of Maine (College Level)
Brian Welch
College-level adaptation of the Earth Exploration Toolbook chapter. Students explore the critical role phytoplankton play in the marine food web. -
Stratospheric Ozone
Bob Mackay, Clark College; Mike Clark
Students explore observational data from ozone-sondes, TOMS, and UARS measurements to learn about changes in stratospheric ozone over the past several decades. -


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A modern dictionary of Catholic terms, both common and obscure. Find accurate definitions of words and phrases.
The encyclical published by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1864, to which was attached the famous Syllabus of Errors, condemning secularism and religious indifferentism.
All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.
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text: PI Heads and intake that came off a 2004 4.6 model. Everything is SUPER CLEAN! I had the heads mounting surfaces cleaned with professional tools that use a plastic material to clean, NOT sand paper or metal brushes. Intake has the updated aluminum crossover. Looking to get $550 for all. I'm in Colorado.


text:
A simplified keyboard arrangement for use by a child. The simplified keyboard arrangement has a matrix of keys which are so situated to facilitate interaction between the child and a device, such as a computer. The simplified keyboard arrangement also develops motor skills of the child and encourages development of coordination. The simplified keyboard arrangement may be a self contained keyboard or an adapter provided for a standard-type keyboard. An adapter is also provided which allows connection of the simplified keyboard and a standard keyboard to a single keyboard port for simultaneous use of both keyboards.
1. A keyboard for use by a child in connection with a computer having a serial data keyboard port, the keyboard being adapted for manual entry of symbolic data, the serial data keyboard port receiving keyscan codes corresponding to a set of characters, the characters including a set of commonly used characters and a set of rarely used characters, the commonly used characters being represented by a single key depression on an adult-type computer keyboard, and the rarely used characters not being represented by a single key depression on an adult-type computer keyboard, comprising;
a keyboard housing having a top surface;
an arrangement of between four and twenty-five keys disposed on the top surface of said housing;
a keyscan system, within the keyboard housing, generating a keyscan code for each of said keys selected from the group consisting of keyscan code corresponding to rarely used characters;
an input for receiving serial data communicated by an adult-type computer keyboard; and
an output for communicating the received serial data from the adult-type computer keyboard and serial data relating to a keyscan code corresponding to a depression of one of said arrangement of keys to the serial data keyboard port of the computer.
2. The keyboard according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of keys are arranged in a matrix having an aspect ratio of about 0.14 to 0.75:1 (depth to width).
3. The keyboard according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said input or said output communicated wirelessly.
4. The keyboard according to claim 1, wherein said keys are arranged in a parallelogram matrix.
5. The keyboard according to claim 1, wherein said keys have a size along a lateral axis of between about 0.5 and 2 inches.
6. The keyboard according to claim 1, wherein said keys have a spacing between the edges of the keys of between about 0.375 and 1.5 inches.
7. The keyboard according to claim 1, wherein said keys have a spacing between centers of the keys of between about 1.375 and 4 inches.
8. The keyboard according to claim 1, wherein said keys are each labelled by at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of color, shape and texture.
9. The keyboard according to claim 8, wherein said keys are labelled with a plurality of characteristics selected from the group consisting of color, shape and texture.
10. The keyboard according to claim 1, wherein depression of at least a portion of the keys produces a feedback signal selected from the group consisting of sound and a tactile vibration.
11. The keyboard according to claim 1, wherein said input data is stored in a buffer for communication through said output.
12. The keyboard according to claim 1, further comprising at least one input device, disposed on the top surface of said housing, for directional control of the cursor.
13. The keyboard according to claim 12, wherein said input device includes a plurality of keys, distinct from said arrangement of between four and twenty-five keys.
14. The keyboard according to claim 12, wherein the input device includes a joystick.
15. The keyboard according to claim 12, wherein the input device is selected from the group consisting of a trackball and a track cylinder.
16. The keyboard according to claim 1, wherein said serial data keyboard port is an IBM-PC XT, AT or PS/2 compatible computer keyboard port.
17. The keyboard according to claim 1, wherein said serial data keyboard port is an Apple ADB compatible port.
18. The keyboard according to claim 1, wherein said adult-type keyboard comprises an alphanumeric keyboard for an IBM-compatible personal computer.
19. An auxiliary keyboard for a computer having a serial keyboard data port, wherein the computer responds to a set of codes transmitted to the serial keyboard data port, the computer having an associated keyboard which generates a subset of the set of codes by depression of any single key on the keyboard, comprising:
an auxiliary keyboard housing having a top surface;
an arrangement of between four and twenty-five keys disposed on the top surface of said housing;
a key press encoding system, within the auxiliary keyboard housing, generating a code for each of said arrangement of keys selected from the group of codes not within the subset of codes generated by depression of a single key on the associated keyboard;
an input for receiving serial data communicated by the associated keyboard; and
an output for communicating the received serial data from the associated keyboard and serial data relating to a code corresponding to a depression of one of the arrangement of keys to the serial keyboard data port of the computer.
20. The associated keyboard according to claim 19, wherein depression of at least a portion of said arrangement of keys produces a feedback signal selected from the group consisting of sound and a tactile vibration.
21. The associated keyboard according to claim 19, wherein said received serial data communicated by the associated keyboard is stored in a buffer for communication through said output.
22. The associated keyboard according to claim 19, further comprising at least one input device, dispose on the top surface of said housing, for directional control of a cursor of the computer.
23. The associated keyboard according to claim 22, wherein said input device includes a plurality of keys, distinct from said arrangement of keys.
24. The associated keyboard according to claim 22, wherein the input device comprises a joystick.
25. The associated keyboard according to claim 22, wherein the input device is selected from the group consisting of a trackball and a track cylinder.
26. The associated keyboard according to claim 19, wherein the serial data keyboard port is an IBM-PC XT, AT or PS/2 compatible computer keyboard port.
27. The associated keyboard according to claim 19, wherein the serial data keyboard port is an Apple ADB compatible port.
The present application for U.S. Patent is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/298,870, filed Aug. 31, 1994 now abandoned, the entirety of which is expressly incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to a simplified keyboard arrangement, especially for use by young children. The keyboard interfaces with a standard-type personal computer having a display, and is intended to be used interactively with software, preferably custom designed software, optimized for the simplified keyboard. The simplified keyboard may be used in conjunction with a standard keyboard, and with standard software.
Keyboards are known for use with standard-type personal computers. A standard-type personal computer, as referred to in the present specification, refers to one which includes a central processing unit (CPU), most commonly an Intel 80X86 type, Motorola 680X0 type, a Power PC type, RISC (MIPS, SPARC, etc.) or other known processors. This processor communicates with a user feedback device, such as a display driver, which is generally a driver for a video display or a liquid crystal display. The display driver, in turn, causes an associated display to present a visual image to a user. The display may be a modular display or a display intimately associated with the computer. The processor may also communicate with an audio driver, which produces sound through an audio transducer. In some instances, an audio transducer may be the only user feedback mechanism present.
A standard-type personal computer also has a non-volatile mass storage system for storing a predetermined program for the CPU. This mass storage system may be ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash memory, FRAM, battery-backed RAM, magnetic media, e.g., hard disk and/or floppy disk, optical media, e.g., CD-ROM, R-CD-ROM, magnetooptical media, or other data storage systems known in the art. The program stored in the mass storage system includes the basic input/output system (BIOS), and optionally a disk operating system (DOS) and application software. Application software may also be available by telecommunication link to a remote mass storage system.
Standard-type personal computers also include a human input device, such as a keyboard, joystick, mouse, voice and/or other type of device to receive an input from a human to be interpreted by the CPU as data to control its operation. Generally, manual input devices for computers comprise keyboards having a plurality of keys, arranged in a tight matrix, having associated linguistic symbols. These symbols, are generally letters and numbers, and as taught in the art, a keyboard should include access to a complete standard alphabet of symbols, plus functional symbols. Thus, the art teaches keyboards for standard-type personal computers having at least 28 keys, e.g. 26 letters, "space" and "enter", and possibly also punctuation, 10 number keys, 12 function keys, cursor movement keys, program control keys, etc. Further, these keyboards are generally arranged to approximate the spacing of adult fingers, with close gaps between keys sufficient to allow clearance without substantial interference. Often keyboards will have intelligence to convert key depressions to codes which are communicated to the CPU through a serial communication port.
A known device, the "Comfy Keyboard", provides a limited number of keys in a device which interfaces to a standard IBM-PC compatible computer through a Centronics-type printer port. This device requires special software loaded into the computer to determine key presses, and further operates only with custom written software to make use of the input. This custom software may be designed to ignore input from the standard keyboard which is simultaneously attached to the computer. The keys on the "Comfy Keyboard" are spaced apart, and the device intended for use by children. This device is not designed to, nor will it interface with a standard keyboard port.
"Programmable chip adds flexibility to input devices", Electronic Products, December, 1993, page 43-44, describes a semiconductor device, "Pilot EZ1000" by Rosetta Technologies, Inc., West Vancouver, B.C., which allows a serial input device, such as a standard IBM PC compatible personal computer keyboard, to be daisy chained with an additional input device with complex functionality. This device stores a configuration in a memory, such as a 93C46 1-Kbit serial EEPROM, and is therefore reconfigurable and programmable. This device allows separate press and release codes for up to eight inputs, and can pass codes unmodified or modified from the standard keyboard to the computer. This device is promoted for use embedded in input devices like digitizers and joysticks, as well as game controls. Separate function key devices, having a separate housing, are also known.
Computer products of Apple Computer Co., Cupertino, Calif., generally communicate with keyboards, mice, trackballs, and other input devices through the "Apple Desktop Bus" or ADB, which provides a daisy chainable serial connection for a number of devices. A number of keyboard variants are available for the ADB, which are generally suited for adult use.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,250,930 to Yoshida et al. relates to a keyboard for a self-contained computer. The keyboard comprises a membrane keypad and a soft rubber dome keypad. The membrane keypad includes a 7�10 rectangular array of sensing areas under a graphic overlay. This system thus provides a high density input array with a large number of pressure sensitive areas. While apparently intended for use by children, the ergonomics are not optimized to allow young children or children with undeveloped coordination or limited capabilities to easily interact with the computer.
Auxiliary numeric keypads are also known for use with standard-type personal computers, as are programmable "function keyboards" having an array of one or two rows of keys, closely spaced, which may be programmed to add complex functionality (macros) to supplement the available functionality of a standard alphanumeric keyboard. Generally, these devices do not share input circuitry in the computer with the standard keyboard if they do not share the same housing, i.e., signals travel to the computer through separate ports.
Some time in 1994 there appeared on market a "Game Star™ Game Controller" manufactured by DynaPoint, Inc. of Fremont, Calif. This device has a cursor pointing device and six buttons arranged in a 2�3 array. It plugs directly into the keyboard connector of a personal computer while permitting simultaneous use of the for PC keyboard. The Game Star™ Game Controller is programmable in the sense that all of the game control buttons are configurable and the configurations can be saved and retrieved as templates. However, this device is intended for special use with Nintendo and Sega type games, not as a general purpose input device to provide symbolic data for use by the computer software.
The present invention relates to a simplified keyboard for use with a standard-type personal computer, having keys which are optimized in design, number and placement for use by young children, and which electrically interfaces to the computer in a manner similar to standard keyboards for manual entry of symbolic data for use by the computer software. A preferred design allows the simplified keyboard to be interfaced simultaneously with the alphanumeric keyboard, when desired, so that two persons, e.g., an adult and a child, may interact at the same time, and so that the simplified keyboard need not be disconnected and reconnected for alternate use of the computer.
The present simplified keyboard may thus be designed to share an input port on a standard computer with a standard keyboard without producing conflicting signals. Identification of input key may be accomplished by avoiding the unnecessary use of duplicate key codes on the standard keyboard and the simplified keyboard.
According to an alternative embodiment, the simplified keyboard may be present as a mechanical adapter which fits over the keys of a standard keyboard, such as an IBM PC-AT style 101 key keyboard. This adapter includes a simplified keyboard arrangement on an outer surface, and a mechanical linkage to transmit a manually applied force from the user to a corresponding key. In this way, the simplified keyboard arrangement may comprise a mechanical device without any necessary electrical connections.
As a mechanical adapter, the simplified keyboard arrangement may be detachably linked to the standard keyboard. Thus, the standard keyboard is available for use by an adult, whereas it may be covered by the adapter and thus protected during use by a child who has access only to the simplified keyboard manually operable elements. Of course, certain keys from the standard keyboard, such as function keys and cursor control keys, may remain visible and accessible while the simplified keyboard arrangement is attached.
The simplified keyboard arrangement according to the aforementioned alternative embodiment may be attached to the standard keyboard in any suitable manner. The preferred methods of attachment include a pair of rigid plastic endcaps which fit over the lateral aspects of the keyboard, which are displaceable centrally to close over the ends of the standard keyboard. The simplified keyboard may also be attached to the standard keyboard by a hook and loop fastener system, e.g., Velcro (R). Further, an elastic band extending from top to bottom around the back of the keyboard may be used to fix the simplified keyboard in place. The simplified keyboard may be positioned by relying on the standard spacing between various keys of most standard keyboards, such as the gap between the function keys and the top row of characters. Other known methods of providing a keyboard overlay may be applied to locate and affix the simplified keyboard arrangement to the standard keyboard.
The simplified keyboard arrangement, both as a stand-alone keyboard and an attachment for a standard keyboard, has a key spacing which is preferably greater than one quarter inch between keys, with each key having a size of between one half inch and two to three inches along its longest dimension. The keys are preferably arranged in a matrix array of two to three rows and three to six columns, although a non-matrix arrangement is also contemplated. The columns are preferably separated by a distance of at least about three quarters to three inches between centers. The distance between keys is measured from a top portion of the key, and not from a portion substantially recessed below the top portion.
Each key may be coded by color, shape or other graphic symbol, and may also be coded by texture. The keys are preferably of the type requiring mechanical movement for activation, although a "touch screen" type keyboard is also contemplated by the inventor. Mechanically actuated keys preferably have a depression stroke of at least 1 millimeter, and preferably two to five millimeters. In addition, the keys preferably have tactile feedback, as known in the art. Audible feedback may also be provided, either through a mechanical feedback mechanism associated with the keyboard or key structure, a separate electronic mechanism in the keyboard, or through software in the personal computer to which the keyboard is attached. The keyboard adapter may also include a pointing device such as a joystick, trackball, or track cylinder, which may be interfaced to the computer through a common or a separate cable in standard manner.
The simplified keyboard, if a separate electrical device, preferably includes a keyboard port passthrough system, so that a signal from a standard keyboard interface may be supplemented by signals from the simplified keyboard. In one embodiment, the simplified keyboard produces codes which correspond to standard alphanumeric characters present on a standard keyboard. In another embodiment, the codes produced by the simplified keyboard are obscure codes not normally generated by standard keyboards during use, for example, not represented by the normal, shifted, controlled or alternate two-key combinations from a standard PC-AT style keyboard. Further, the simplified keyboard may also produce a series of codes from a single depression, or may modify codes from the standard keyboard to alter their effect or to avoid conflicts. In the case of Apple ADB keyboards, a separate "mapping" of codes may be provided to distinguish between the keyboards. In addition to distinguishing single byte sources of codes, as with IBM-PC XT, AT or PS/2 compatible keyboard devices, the simplified keyboard may also produce a unique sequence of codes, preferably a sequence which is not normally accessible from the keyboard, such as FF hexadecimal, which may be followed by other codes to differentiate the various keys of the simplified keyboard.
It is therefore an object according to the present invention to provide a simplified keyboard, having a key type, number and organization optimized for use by young children.
It is a further object according to the present invention to provide a keyboard for a standard-type personal computer having a reduced number of large, spaced keys, which are labelled by color, shape, graphic and/or texture.
It is a still further object according to the present invention to provide a keyboard with a simplified arrangement for use in conjunction with a standard alphanumeric keyboard.
It is another object according to the present invention to provide a keyboard having keys which have a plurality of different shapes, e.g., triangle, square, rectangle, round, crescent, star, cross, octagon, thombus, doughnut and animal bust shapes, along with directional indicators and an "enter" (or "go") key.
These and further objects will become apparent through a review of the drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
The invention will be described by way of drawings of the figures, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a top view of a simplified keyboard according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows a side view of the keyboard of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the keyboard of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a keyboard circuit according to the present invention;
FIG. 5 shows a partial cutaway side view of a simplified keyboard adapter according to the present invention in conjunction with a standard-type capacitive sensing keyboard;
FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a lower aspect of a simplified keyboard adapter arrangement according to the present invention;
FIG. 7 shows a "Y" keyboard connector according to the present invention;
FIG. 8 shows a wiring diagram for a first embodiment of a "Y" connector according to the present invention having an automatic switching system;
FIG. 9 shows a block diagram for a second embodiment of a "Y" connector according to the present invention having a daisy chain control;
FIG. 10 shows a teacher keyboard with a plurality of student keyboards.
FIG. 11 shows two keyboards, a simplified keyboard and a standard keyboard, connected through a "Y" adapter to a single standard keyboard connector;
FIG. 12 shows two keyboards, a simplified keyboard and a standard keyboard, connected in daisy chain fashion; and
FIG. 13 shows a flow diagram for a system employing a simplified keyboard according to the present invention.
The present simplified keyboard is designed to facilitate interaction, especially educational interaction, between a young child and a computer. As such, the simplified keyboard arrangement is not optimized for efficient general purpose data entry by normal adults. Thus, the arrangement of the keys need not, nor should not, conform to data entry keyboard standards. Young children may have reduced coordination as compared with normal adults, relating to the task of depressing keys, and therefore the key size and spacing should be increased, and feedback (either mechanical or software driven) is preferably provided as visual, audible or tactile signals.
The present keyboard may be used with standard software--i.e., software for a standard keyboard--especially where the codes available from the simplified keyboard are sufficient to interact with the computer. In addition, where a standard keyboard is also available for use, it may also be used in appropriate circumstances to interact with the computer.
With respect to arithmetic educational software, a simplified keyboard having numeric keys with functions and "enter" or "equals" may be sufficient to make the necessary computer entries. Of course, the key arrangement should be according to the present principles. The present keyboard, when applied to arithmetic functions, differs from available modular numeric keypads in that the key size, spacing and arrangement differs in important ways. Available numeric keypads are designed to facilitate efficient numeric entry by normal adults with one hand. Thus, they are generally designed as a 5�4 matrix of closely spaced square keys, on 0.5-0.75 inch centers (horizontally), with upwardly tapering caps so that the clearance between keys is greater at the surface than approximately 3 mm below the key surface. Such an arrangement may not be optimal for children, and rather a more spaced apart, more oblong arrangement is preferred according to the present invention.
In order to complete the task of entering a desired number, a young child must search the matrix for a desired key, and depress a desired key without accidentally depressing a neighboring key. The tight, approximately square matrix of numeric and operator keys is difficult for young children to navigate, and increases a search time to find and depress a desired key. In contrast, the present arrangement allows a lateral scan of the keyboard keys in a limited number of passes, e.g., one pass, allows identification of the desired key by one or more cues which are readily identifiable by a child, and may be accurately and selectively depressed while encouraging the development of coordination, without simultaneously mandating a high degree of mental functioning and physical dexterity.
It is noted that the simplified keyboard according to the present invention may also be useful for persons having disabilities which impair the ability to use a standard keyboard.
Thus, a keyboard according to the present invention should preferably have an elongated matrix array, to allow the child to visually scan the keys with a small number of passes. A child can scan one to three rows of keys in a single visual pass, especially if the keys are staggered, i.e. not aligned along a vertical axis. Thus, the child's head will be approximately 8-12 inches from the keyboard. The expected vertical field of view in which keys are located is approximately 4-30 degrees, preferably about 10 degrees, and thus the vertical spacing of the keys should be such that two vertically adjacent rows of keys are within view, i.e., between about 1-4 inches. Likewise, in order to allow evaluation of a small number of key identities at a time, the key centers should be spaced horizontally by about between 1 and 4 inches. It is noted that the horizontal field of view is generally larger than the vertical field of view. Further, by providing a separation of the keys along the horizontal axis to provide a spread out array, the child is encouraged to use both hands and the spacing between keys is made large enough to avoid accidental depression of neighboring keys. The keyboard will thus permit "touch typing" as well as single-finger "hunt and peck" operation.
The keys are sized to be large enough so that a child in front of the keyboard is unlikely to miss actuating the key with his finger, yet small enough so that manual dexterity with use of the index fingers is encouraged.
The keys may be coded in any manner cognizable to a child, such as shapes, colors, textures, size, or various combinations of characteristics. The key legends may also be provided by liquid crystal graphic displays, allowing customization by software. The liquid crystal graphic display may form a portion of the key cap, or be a part of the keyboard, such as a strip between adjacent rows of keys.
It is possible to include a touch sensitive surface in the keyboard; however, it is preferred that input keys be provided having a travel in excess of 1 mm be provided to provide a keyboard "feel". A touch sensitive surface may be superimposed on a display surface, or be a separate area. If a touch sensitive surface is provided, this surface is preferably provided for acquiring dynamic input, such as drawings, a swipe, or other physical action requiring coordination of the child. The touch sensitive surface may interface through the keyboard port, such as by mapping the touch sequence as a series of cursor key movements, or through a separate input port, such as a standard serial port. In addition to a touch sensitive surface, a digitizer, mouse, trackball or joystick element may also or alternatively be provided in conjunction with the simplified keyboard, interfacing through the keyboard port or another type of port.
A preferred keyboard arrangement has a membrane layer which prevents dirt, food, liquids and the like from entering the electrical workings of the keyboard. The membrane layer, which may be a replaceable polymer overlay, provides an opportunity for customization, allowing the shape, color and labeling of the keys to be modified. The membrane layer may also be below the keys, preventing debris from contaminating the inner workings of the keyboard.
The electrical switches actuated by the simplified keyboard arrangement according to the present invention operate in known manner. In particular, a standard-type PC keyboard generally has a capacitive sensing key array. Other types of known manual input devices, adaptable for use with the simplified keyboard arrangement include rubber dome, membrane with mechanical keys, force sensing resistors, optical sensors, touch sensitive array (acoustic wave, resistive, capacitive, etc.) and the like.
Further, the simplified keyboard arrangement may also include a joystick, trackball, force sensing resistor-based pointing device, or other known directional input device. These other devices, as stated above, may have outputs which are mapped to keycodes and transmitted through the keyboard port to the computer, or be transmitted to the computer through a different port, such as a serial, parallel, SCSI, joystick, or other port type.
Advantageously, if such other devices are of standard type, they interface through a standard port for that type of interface. Thus, while trackball movements may be transmitted through cursor movement codes or other keycodes, since trackballs by convention are interfaced through a standard serial port on an IBM compatible personal computer, an integral trackball on a simplified keyboard preferably communicates with the computer through the standard serial port.
The simplified keyboard arrangement is preferably interfaced to the standard-type personal computer through a bit-serial port, e.g., keyboard port of an IBM-PC XT, AT or PS/2 compatible computer, See Kersey, Roger M., Personal Computer Operation and Troubleshooting, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J. (1989), pages 208, 212-220, expressly incorporated herein by reference, or an Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) port of an Apple Macintosh or Power PC computer. This is especially so if the simplified keyboard arrangement exists as an adapter for a standard-type keyboard. However, a simplified keyboard arrangement may interface with another type of communication port, e.g., a standard RS-232, RS-423, RS-485, etc. serial port, through a 25 pin D, 9 pin D, 5 pin DIN, PS/2 keyboard port, RJ-11, RJ-45 or other connector, as are known in the art. The use of a bidirectional serial port allows bidirectional communication between the keyboard and computer to allow customization of the keyboard functionality. It is also known to program keyboards using key sequences in a programming mode. The use of a standard serial port also allows the standard keyboard to be connected directly to the computer without modification or interruption of the standard components of the computer, and allows connection to systems without an available or accessible keyboard port, e.g., many portable computers.
In the case of connection to a standard serial port, the format of codes provided by the keyboard may be of any type, although TTY-type codes are preferred. In the case of connection to a standard keyboard port, the communication protocols are defined by the standard computer system, and the simplified keyboard arrangement conforms to the expected signals of the system. For example, a Pilot EZ1000 from Rosetta Technologies, West Vancouver BC, discussed above, may be used to provide an electronic interface for the keyboard. See Electronic Products, December 1993, pages 43-44, expressly incorporated herein by reference.
The present system may also include a "Y" adapter which allows connection of multiple keyboards to a standard keyboard port, such as a standard keyboard and a simplified keyboard. Such an arrangement is shown in FIG. 12. In this case, the adapter may be a so-called "A-B switch", which allows signals from alternate input sources to pass in one direction only: the direction toward the computer. The adapter may also be an active device which effectively daisy chains the keyboards, such as by employing the Rosetta EZ1000 device. It is noted that such an adapter is not limited to use with a simplified keyboard, and may be employed wherever multiple keyboard inputs are desired.
When the simplified keyboard is daisychained with a standard keyboard, without an external adapter, as shown in FIG. 12, it is preferred that the standard keyboard signals be read by a controller in the simplified keyboard and retransmitted to the personal computer with any additional codes from the simplified keyboard. This system avoids collisions between the signals from the standard and simplified keyboards, and prevents lost information. Of course, the simplified keyboard may also have an integral "A-B switch" to select input from the simplified keyboard or another keyboard.
The simplified keyboard arrangement may also have a polled matrix-type sensing matrix to determine which key is depressed. This sensing matrix is controlled by a circuit, which may be a dedicated circuit, a microcontroller, a microcomputer or discrete logic, as is known in the art. Such a prior art circuit is shown in FIG. 4. A capacitive key arrangement, of a standard type keyboard with a simplified keyboard adapter arrangement is shown in FIG. 5.
The electrical connection between the simplified keyboard arrangement and the standard-type computer is preferably though a multiwire cable with a connector of standard type to interface with the standard-type computer. The simplified keyboard arrangement may also include a passthrough connector for connecting a standard-type keyboard simultaneously, as discussed above. This passthrough connector is linked through the simplified keyboard arrangement controller to provide the signals from the standard-type keyboard to the standard-type computer. In certain instances, it may be preferable to filter out or modify certain codes from the data stream from the standard-type keyboard, e.g., a reset command, to avoid disruption of computer use.
In an alternative embodiment, a wireless link may be provided between the simplified keyboard arrangement and the standard-type computer. Such wireless communication, which may be by RF, microwave, magnetic field, infrared, optical, acoustic, or other means, is known in the art. Various methods may be employed for communication, such as AM, FM, PSK, DSPK, QAM, VSB, spread spectrum, and other known techniques. For example, the IBM PC-Jr. computer employed an infrared wireless keyboard. A preferred wireless communication method provides an infrared transmitter on a rear aspect of the simplified keyboard and an infrared receiver placed accessibly in front of the computer. The wireless receiver may be interfaced with the keyboard port or another port of the computer. The link between the standard keyboard and simplified keyboard may also be wireless, with a physical link between the simplified keyboard and the computer keyboard port.
In the case of a hard connection, a standard coiled keyboard cable may be provided, or other cable standard, such as RJ-11, RJ-45, coaxial, multifilament round, fiber optic, or the like.
The simplified keyboard arrangement preferably has an approximate size of between 3 and 8 inches in depth by 9-20 inches in width, with a preferred aspect ratio of between 1.5-6:1 (width:depth). A particular preferred aspect ratio is the so-called "golden ratio", about 1.618, the value which satisfies the equation phi=1(phi-1). The golden ratio gives a rectangle which is pleasing to the eye. This ratio may also apply to the aspect ratio of the keys in the housing, rather than to the housing itself. Very large keyboards are also contemplated by the inventor, however. The simplified keyboard preferably has a height of between about 0.5-3 inches. The corners are preferably rounded with a radius of between 1/16-1 inch. The preferred keyboard is rigid, with a resilient, impact absorbing layer. This impact absorbing layer reduces damage from droppage, and also reduces injuries from use of the keyboard as a "weapon" by a child. Of course, if the simplified keyboard arrangement is provided as an attachment for a standard-type keyboard, the dimensions and materials of the underlying electrical keyboard are selected by others. In this instance, the added height from the simplified keyboard arrangement adapter should preferably be no more than 1.5 inches.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the first embodiment of a simplified keyboard arrangement 1 according to the present invention provides an arrangement of keys with two rows of five shaped and colored keys. These keys have the shapes of a star 2, circle 3, square 4, animal head 5, octagon 6, in a first row 7, and crescent 8, diamond 9, cross 10, triangle 11, and doughnut or torus 12 on a second row 13. On a right lateral portion 14 of the keyboard 1 is a cursor control section having arrows facing up 15, right 16, left 17 and down 18. In the center of the cursor control section is a "go" or "enter" key 19.
The keys tops 20 are formed of a resilient material, and do not have sharp edges. Each key has a different color, e.g., black, white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown, silver, copper, gold, each of which preferably differs from the color of the top surface of the keyboard 21. The cursor keys 15, 16, 17, 18 may be of the same or different colors, with the "go" or "enter" key 19 of a contrasting color. Optionally, the tops of the keys 20 may include a textured material, e.g., gel, fur, sandpaper, steel, fabric, cotton, scales, wood, tacky (e.g., polydiphenylsiloxane-type or coated polymer) and oily (preferably a non-toxic silicone oil leaching silicone polymer). Of course, other textures are known and may be used.
Each key may also include a graphic legend 22, which is preferably molded into the key if the upper surface so allows, which may be a pictogram or alphanumeric character, although it is not intended that a full set of alphanumeric characters, other than possibly digits, be presented.
The keys extend upwardly from a housing 23, as shown in FIG. 2, having a surface 24 with has a slight concave curvature along a horizontal axis, as shown in FIG. 3. The key tops 20 extend about 3/8 inch above this surface 24. The keys preferably have a travel of about 3 mm and are provided with audible and tactile feedback by means of a metal dome under each key, not shown, or by software driven sounds produced by the computer loudspeaker.
The keyboard is formed of a rigid thermoplastic housing, having an upper shell half 25 and a lower shell half 26, between which a circuit board, not shown, resides. The circuit board includes all of the necessary circuitry for determining a key depression and transmitting an appropriate code to an IBM-PC AT or compatible computer, as known in the art. The keyboard has a coiled cable 27, as shown in FIG. 2, or an uncoiled cable 29, which extends from the rear, terminating in a standard 5 pin DIN keyboard connector 28 for an IBM PC-compatible computer. Of course, the circuitry may also be compatible with the standard ADB connector for an Apple Macintosh or Power PC computer.
The housing 1 has a width of 15 inches and a depth of 6 inches. The top of the keyboard slopes, having a height of about 1.25 inches in the front and 1.75 inches in the rear. The keys in the two rows of five are each approximately 1.25 inches in diameter, and spaced about two inches between centers in both a horizontal and vertical axis, offset to the left side of the keyboard. On the right side of the keyboard, the cursor movement arrangement is provided, with arrows approximately 1.5 inches long spaced approximately 0.25 inch from an "enter" key which is about one inch square with a dome-shaped top, extending about 0.25 inch above the cursor keys.
A simplified keyboard arrangement adapter is provided which snaps over a standard IBM-PC AT 101 key keyboard, e.g., Global Computer Supplies, Stock No. AC9405, or an Apple Macintosh keyboard. The adapter, shown in FIG. 6, has a pair of latches 50, 51, which are spring loaded to be inwardly displaceable. These latches are depressed by inwardly depressing a button 53, and inserted in a gap between the lateralmost keys on either side of the key matrix of the standard keyboard and the plastic housing. The spring loaded latches are then released, holding the adapter in place on a keyboard. The present adapter covers all of the keys, including the alphanumeric keys, function keys, cursor-control keys and numeric keys of the keyboard. However, this latching adapter arrangement may also be employed to selectively cover only a discrete bounded portion of the keyboard, e.g., the alphanumeric keys only.
The adapter 54 rests on the standard keyboard with resilient pads 55.
The upper aspect of the adapter is generally as described in example 1. However, instead of being directly linked to a keyswitch in a polled matrix, the adapter has, on its lower aspect, an array of displaceable members 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69 and 70, each of which correspond to displaceable member 71 shown in FIG. 5. Each displaceable member is linked to one of the keys on the upper surface. When depressed, a key of the simplified keyboard arrangement directly displaces one of the displaceable members, which is aligned with a selected key 72 on the standard keyboard. The simplified keyboard provides additional key travel of about 2 mm before the displaceable member 71 contacts the key 72 top. The adapter preferably includes audible and tactile feedback element which is a snap-action spring 74, designed to click with a key depression of about 3.5 mm, with a hysteresis which ensures a full depression after a displacement of greater than about 2.5 mm (including the additional key travel provided by the adapter). alternatively, the audible feedback can be produced by the computer software upon detection of a key press.
Each key, in addition to the displaceable member 71, includes an alignment pin 75 to prevent movement except along the axis of displacement.
FIG. 5 also shows a capacitive key switch according to the prior art, including conductive traces 80, 81 on a printed circuit board 82, separated by an insulating zone 83. The key 72 is displaceably linked to a conducive planar surface 84. The change in capacitance when the conductive plane is moved with respect to the conductive traces 80, 81 on the circuit board 83 may be detected by a circuit as shown in FIG. 4. The sensing circuit includes a capacitive matrix 90 defined by the traces 80, 81 and insulating zones 83 on the circuit board 82 below the keys 72. A microprocessor 91 polls the matrix 90. A change in capacitance in any polled key row of is sensed by a sense amplifier 92, which, in turn produces a sense output which is read by the microprocessor 91. The microprocessor 91 transmits the key depression information serially by way of a serial data line 93.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 11, a "Y" adapter 94 is provided which a standard 5 pin male DIN IBM-PC AT compatible keyboard port 95, and a pair of 5 pin female DIN IBM-PC standard keyboard connectors 96, 97. Of course, it is noted that 6 pin mini-DIN IBM PS/2 type keyboard connectors may also be employed. The connectors each lead to a control. The simplified keyboard 200 is interfaced with one keyboard connector 96, and the standard keyboard 201 is interfaced with the connector 97.
Two embodiments are provided for the control. In a first embodiment, shown in FIG. 8, a simple switch system 98, including switches SW1, SW2, SW3 determines which keyboard is active. In general, both the DATA line and the associated CLOCK line must both be switched. The keyboard RESET may be bridged for both keyboards, activated automatically upon switching, or switched with the DATA and CLOCK. POWER and GROUND need not be switched, unless employed to reduce power dissipation of the inactive keyboard. The switches SW1, SW2, SW3 may be mechanical types, or an electronic switch may be employed, such as a CD4053 CMOS multiplexer (3 DPST elements) or equivalent. If an electronic switch is employed, an auto-sensing arrangement may also be provided to automatically connect the keyboard which is actively producing key depression codes, i.e., transitions on the DATA line, at any given time. Priority may be given to one of the keyboards in case of contention by means of simple logic, e.g., a settable/resettable gate 98.
In a second embodiment, shown in FIG. 9, the control 99 provides a true daisy chain for the DATA signal, and appropriate pass-through of CLOCK and RESET signals. Thus, a buffer 100 is provided to store a key depression code, which is transmitted to the computer. In case of contention, one keycode is transmitted, while the other is stored in the buffer 100 for later transmission or processing. The control 99 may be a simple microcontroller, as known in the art, such as an Intel 8048-type device. When it is likely that both keyboards will be active simultaneously, a daisy chain type control is preferred, due to its better performance. When the "Y" connector 94 is provided for convenience to alleviate the need for switching cables, the "A-B switch" embodiment is generally sufficient.
The control for the "Y" connector 94 may be included with the simplified keyboard, e.g., within the same housing. This configuration is shown in FIG. 12. Further, the single control may be employed both for keycode generation within the simplified keyboard and daisychain functionality. For example, the Rosetta Pilot EZ1000, Intel 8048 type processor or other known type of controller may be employed. In systems designed for use with the Apple ADB, the ADB standard daisy chain should be employed, using a standard controller for this purpose.
When a daisy chain is employed, both keyboards need not be hard wired to the connector. For example, one or both keyboards may employ a wireless communication scheme. In this case, for example, in an educational environment, the pupil's keyboard 120 may be hard wired to the computer through a cable 121, and include an infrared receiver 122 for detecting input from a teacher's keyboard 123 outfitted with an infrared transmitter 124, sufficient to communicate with each of the pupil's computers 120. The infrared transmission protocol preferably includes an address code to allow selective communication with an individual pupil, while also permitting global communication to the entire room. Selection of pupil may be by means of codes input through the keyboard or through a separate addressing device 125. In this instance, the pupil's keyboard 120 need not be simplified, and in fact may be fully functional.
The simplified keyboard is used in conjunction with a standard keyboard as follows. An example application for the simultaneous use of a standard keyboard and a simplified keyboard is in an educational environment, as shown in FIG. 13, such as for teaching spelling.
Initially, the software provided on the computer begins executing the program 101, and prompts the user(s) to input a mode or level of difficulty, or other operational parameters 102. An input is detected 103, and the software then determines the source of the input 104a, 104b. If the response includes standard keycodes, the response is processed directly 105, based on an assumption that the standard keyboard is the source of the codes. If however, the computer receives non-standard keycodes, it is presumed that the input is received from the simplified keyboard 106. Generally, such input parameters as the mode of operation are accepted only from the standard keyboard, so that a failure of response 104b or a response including nonstandard keycodes 106 will result in a default mode setting. Of course, selected responses may be accepted from the simplified keyboard if desired.
After the software is initialized and the mode set, an exercise, such as a spelling exercise is presented 107. At this point, inputs are detected 108, and if received from the simplified keyboard are processed 109, translating the keycodes produced according to the design of the software 111. In general, the standard keyboard will be quiescent during this interval, awaiting an input 110; however, inputs may occur, which are either ignored 112, or processed as supervisory inputs or the like. Software execution then proceeds 113 to present a next exercise.
It should be understood that the preferred embodiments and examples described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention, which is properly delineated only in the appended claims.
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