I Like Alternative Tech
I really like alternative tech. You name it, if it's wacky and unconventional, I'll probably like it.
I won't necessarily prefer most alt-tech, but it will still have a special place in my heart.
There is one piece of alt-tech that I can say I prefer, though...
Eink.
I freaking love eink. It is the best thing ever. If it wasn't so bloody expensive, I would have eink everything.
But alas, I only have a mere Kindle Paperwhite.
That's actually the biggest problem with most alt-tech;
One, I don't have it, and two, it's all hella expensive.
I would absolutely LOVE to try out AR glasses or monocle displays. I want to be able to strap a screen to my face while going about my day and still be able to see a text editor and write whenever an idea comes to me. I can't wait to get my hands on something like that.
To go along with that, my most recent fascination has been with alternative input devices. Keyboards are great, but they aren't all that conducive to walking around with a screen on your face.
In comes the handheld chorded keyboards!
They're pricey, though, and look like they have a steep learning curve.
Another cool thing is the tap strap.
Again, expensive, and steep learning curve.
Finally, my most recent fixation:
Styluses and Smart Pens!
This one, I'm not sure if the tech is really up to where I want it to be yet.
Current smart pens and styluses are cool and all, but they seem to be mainly for note-taking and drawing. They also seem to require specific apps, programs, or ecosystems that you need to use them in.
I want a smart pen that functions like a keyboard. I want to be able to use a pen shape device to write letters and words on any surface and my device pick up the motion as if I was just typing or dictating.
We have speech-to-text, I want fluid write-to-text.
Sadly, I don't think that exists, and I'm not optimistic that it ever will.
Regardless, it won't stop me from dreaming of the day I can throw a battery powered Pi in a fanny pack with a monocle display of text as I write away on my leg with a rubber tipped pen.
Is it weird, that is how I want to tell my stories and write my novels?
I hope so.
PS: Forgot to mention my love of SBCs like the Raspberry Pi and my preference for 4:3 or even round displays. Heck, I prefer anything that isn't 16:9. Currently, I'm writing this on an old TV that I've turned on its side, so I can work in long 9:16. Horizontal rectangles are boring and are no longer the obvious choice for the diversity of work flows we now use computers for.