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Friday, August 4, 2017

keyboard .. Microsoft integrates fingeprint reader with Compu Keyboard

**  asdfgf ;lkjhj  **  - asdfgf with left hand fingers  and ;lkjhj with right hand fingers is what all of us typed on day 1 at a Typewriting Institute.  Most of us loved the Typewriting Institutes, for some, love developed at those lovely places.

The cylinder,  knob; carriage,  return lever,  keys, the stems that rose whenever a key was pressed, printing point indicator, margin stops, paper release lever,  backspace key, tab clear key, space bar, ribbon, spools, ribbon colour control – all were too familiar to that generation of Typists and Stenographers.  Colour / single colour ribbons; stationery, carbon papers were regularly bought.  The typeheads would be cleaned with pins, then short handle brushes, bit of petrol, chamois leather all assisted  a neater output, thought it was entirely the skillset of the operators that ensured good quality typed letter. Stenos took the dictation and reproduced verbatim, the context on paper, as the most effective recorded communication between Offices, individuals and more !

If cylinder sat on the carriage and moved alongwith the paper, getting type prints as type faces rose to punch on the ribbon creating impression, there was the ubiquitous keyboard.  In effect, a Keyboard is a panel of keys that operated a Typewriter and the modern Computers.  (it may refer to set of keys on a piano or a musical instrument – somehow many heroines were adept playing pianos – remember Jonny, the Rajni, Sridevi starrer)

The noun ‘Keyboard’ would mean  a panel of keys that operate a computer or typewriter.  A computer keyboard is one of the primary input devices used with a computer that looks similar to those found on electric typewriters, but with some additional keys. Keyboards allow you to input letters, numbers, and other symbols into a computer that can serve as commands or be used to type text.

Today, most desktop computer keyboards connect to the computer using either USB or Bluetooth for wireless communication. Before USB, the interface hardware between  a computer and keyboard was  PS/2 or AT (Din5). interface.  Today's smartphones and tablets do not come with a physical keyboard, although it may be purchased as an optional peripheral add-on. These devices utilize a thumb keyboard or on-screen keyboard to type messages and enter text into various fields.

The subject matter of the post is :  Microsoft has quietly unveiled a new “Modern Keyboard” with an integrated fingerprint reader. The Modern Keyboard is the successor to the Surface Keyboard, and looks identical. The only changes are a new fingerprint reader and the ability to use a cable for a wired connection instead of wireless.

Microsoft has integrated the fingerprint reader into the second Windows key on the right-hand side of the keyboard, and it can be used to log into Windows 10 or websites using Windows Hello. The new Modern Keyboard will work with Windows 10, MacOS, and the latest versions of Android.

The Modern keyboard [not the one photographed here]  will be available shortly, priced at $129.99 (approx Indian Rs.8300/-)  It's a surprisingly quick release schedule after Microsoft only debuted the Surface Keyboard for $99 recently.  Rs.8500  is a lot to pay for a keyboard, but it is one of the best desktop keyboards on the market at the moment if you like laptop-like key travel. On its US store, Microsoft writes,”Our vision was to blend the Fingerprint reader into a keyboard, so it would appear to be any other key”.  “We iterated relentlessly to improve each layer, making sure they came together to create a flawless typing experience that felt like any other key”, the company says.

Last year, Apple launched the MacBook Pro with the TouchBar as well as built-in TouchID support. Following the launch, some reports even speculated that Apple might be preparing to add the TouchID into the Magic keyboard. Last week, Apple launched a new Magic keyboard with a number pad, but it lacks TouchID and TouchBar functionality. Looks like Microsoft has beaten Apple to launch a wireless keyboard with a fingerprint scanner.

Not sure what sort of market it would hit in India, though, that may not be their target area when designed.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

26th June 2017.

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