HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: moon!cyberden!impmat@well.sf.ca.us
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: RE:Input Devices
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 92 00:29:54 PDT
Organization: Indescribable Creations

Didn't you read Neuromancer Curtis?  We aren't going to need pupil 
trackers or motion sensitive gloves....we'll just put the trodes on and 
jack in.  Our icons will be 3 dimensional, and universal.  As far as our 
home console is concerned it will be vocally activated....your idea about 
"short tounge" is prophetic...makes me wonder what the use of learning C 
is.  With cellular modems and VR hardware we will do what we want when we 
want and where we want.  Even Gibson didn't forsee cellular modems.

__________________________________________________________________________
   |       /         |\
   | H E   \ Y B E R |/ E N       [ moon!cyberden!impmat@well.sf.ca.us ]
From: merlin@fennec.sccsi.com (Lorne Naff)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: Re: Lights
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 13:17:08 CST
Organization: Fennec Information Systems, Houston, Texas USA

popec@fennec.sccsi.com (William C. Barwell) writes:

> Well, yeah. A red light WOULD work... But it ain't as neat as a glowing
> keyboard.  I can get telephones and speakers that light up with neon 
> lights, why NOT a keyboard.  There is a new input gadget out.  It straps 
> to your hand with velcro.  The keys are chordal, that is you need 2 or 
> more simultaneous keys hit to output a character code to your box.  These 
> seem to be cheap.  Anybody here actually tried one, or know anyone who 
> has?
> 

  Thos have been around for awhile. I've wanted to learn to use them, but 
noone seems to be selling them.  They had limited use in Japan as 
`concept keyboards' for native use, but most folks stick to english or 
 a creole of sorts. They're also used in the new Brail-writers, but only 
the last 3 fingers of each hand, and it still in a keyboard form, just 
only with 8 keys ( spacebar and backspace )
   Anyone know where to get it?
  /// & ///


--------
Lorne Naff  <merlin@fennec.sccsi.com>
Fennec Information Systems and Computer Consulting, Inc. 
11504 Hughes Rd. Suite 131 - Houston, Texas USA 77089 - (713) 479-3107 Data
From: tripstr@cats.ucsc.edu (Christopher Todd Courtois)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: >
Date: 22 Aug 1992 18:06:47 GMT
Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz
NNTP-Posting-Host: am.ucsc.edu




	Mouse placement is not a problem with the Apple PowerBooks
	either ;)  Any computing device that claims to be portable
	*must* have its input device integrated and convenient. It'll
	be interesting to see how widespread items such as Apple's
	"Newton" pend-based product become.  There was a small
	article in the latest Mondo 2000 about the Newton, with
	photos and everything.

	About "jacking-in" : One of the big advantages of Cyberspace
	is that you can concentrate on the task at hand.  I see the
	point of "jacking-in" to Cyberspace as being "jacking-out"
	of ordinary life.  The ideal jack-in device should allow
	you to disconnect your brain from your body, so that all
	bodily functions, sensations, etc. aren't part of your
	conscious thought.  Just imagine the potential power of
	all those biological I/O ports which normally go to 
	controlling limbs, hearing, seeing, etc.  


	This may not be that far off.  I read awhile back about a team
	at Stanford that implanted a silicon disk with millions of
	tiny holes in it into a mouse's spinal cord.  Evidently
	they are able to measure every electrical impulse on the
	cord as the mouse moves around.  Can anyone remind me where
	I read that? I'd like to call 'em up and see how much
	further they've progressed.
From: popec@fennec.sccsi.com (William C. Barwell)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: Twiddler
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 92 16:36:34 CST
Organization: Fennec Information Systems, Houston, Texas USA

Lorne Naffe asks, Where to get one? ect. ect.  I found the article i was 
looking for.  In the August PC Magazine, page 106 there is an article 
explaining "The Twiddler" from Handikey.  List price is $199.  
  This device as I posted earlier, staps to your hand with a velcro 
strap.  there are 12 keys on front and 6 keys on back that the thumb 
operates.  There is a built in sensor that allows you to move the cursor, 
merely by moving your hand, similar I gather to a 'Powerglove'.  No mouse 
needed.  This would seem to be just the thing for people like me that 
liike to kick back in bed and use the computer in a lazy fashion.
Or for those who travel a lot and find a portable running windows a pain 
in the neck.  Placement of the keyboard and the mouse are now 
non-problems.  i would guess this item is available from the better 
mailorder joints.  And I am sure it takes a lot of practice to become 
profficient in it's use.

----------------
William C. Barwell [popec@fennec.sccsi.com]  //  Pope Charles
Pope Of the Church Of The SubGenius for the Golden Triangle Area
Laughing at everything in the Universe...including the concept of 
laughing at everything in the Universe!
-----------------
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
From: osendai@well.sf.ca.us (Mark Pesce)
Subject: Re: Input Devices
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 07:25:02 GMT


I have used the IBVA, mentioned in Mondo 2K #7. It is indeed quite
amazing.  It read my brainwaves in something approaching real time,
and displayed a cute time/frequency domain chart.  In 3-D even.

I'd really like to see one on an SGI, though..    :->

Mark Pesce
From: merlin@fennec.sccsi.com (Lorne Naff)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: Re: Jacking In
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 92 00:03:39 CST
Organization: Fennec Information Systems, Houston, Texas USA

tedwards@src.umd.edu (Thomas Grant Edwards) writes:

> situation...all it takes is someone to put 120VAC down it to ruin
> your whole day!
> 
> -Thomas

   Actually, lots of folks are talking about using fiber-optics for 
transmitting to the jack, but that's just as bad.  Do what a charachter I 
had in a CP role-game did ( Please, no RPG flames..  It's a fun diversion 
and a chance to work on some intersting problems), go to the equivilent 
of Radio Shack, buy a `male' interface plug ( assuming your head-mount is 
`female', reverse if otherwise), and hook it either up to a xenon strobe, 
or a flashlight.  Who knows what the effect will be?  
  All this is assuming we ever get the tech off the ground.  We could do 
it now, but the risk is a bit big.
   /// & ///


--------
Lorne Naff  <merlin@fennec.sccsi.com>
Fennec Information Systems and Computer Consulting, Inc. 
11504 Hughes Rd. Suite 131 - Houston, Texas USA 77089 - (713) 479-3107 Data
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
From: csmith@blackplague.gmu.edu (Blackplague)
Subject: Re: Jacking In
Followup-To: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Organization: George Mason University
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 23:21:22 GMT

In article <1992Aug21.222114.26789@u.washington.edu>,
zyzzy@milton.u.washington.edu (Zyzzy Galore) wrote:
> 
> I think, as has been said, that actual (bio-like) viruses via trodes 
> would not be likey (or at least they're hard for me to imagine).
> But other sorts of unpleasant catalytic stimuli could easily be input. 
> Certain strobe frequencies can cause epileptic seizures.  And it's real
> easy to start off a humdinger of a panic attack (not unlike an infinte
> loop of the Fear) by exciting the right neurotransmitters.  I imagine
> this could be done electrically....
> 

I would think that there would be systems both hard and soft built into the
jacks to prevent just this sort of thing.  

Blackplague
From: jgsmith@bcm.tmc.edu (James G. Smith)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: Re: Jacking In
Date: 21 Aug 1992 19:48:47 GMT
Organization: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tx

In article <q8cuPB1w165w@cyberden.uucp> moon!cyberden!dev@well.sf.ca.us 
writes:
> With all this talk of "jacking in" what about neural virus's.  If the 
> process of jacking in will allow data to be recieved, and not just 
> transmitted, then I see no reason why there couldn't be some for of a 
> virus implanted.  It could be placed in the consious mind or 
> sub-consious.  Any comments?


Comment:  "Jacking in" will simply mean circumventing the normal input 
routs to the brain, i.e.  the senses.  I doubt it will change the nature 
of the brain's circuitry.  Therefore, any "virus" that you could get into 
the brain through a jack could also be put into it through the normal 
input route...the senses.  However, I guess there are nasty things you can 
do through a jack, like subliminal suggestions or perhaps massive data 
overload.  Actually, I have trouble imagining that the utility of jacking 
in would override the dangers involved.
In article <q8cuPB1w165w@cyberden.uucp> moon!cyberden!dev@well.sf.ca.us 
writes:
> of
From: nherring@coos.dartmouth.edu (nh)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: Re: Input Devices
Date: 13 Aug 92 14:25:01 GMT
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

moon!cyberden!impmat@well.sf.ca.us writes:

>Didn't you read Neuromancer Curtis?  We aren't going to need pupil 
>trackers or motion sensitive gloves....we'll just put the trodes on and 
>jack in.  Our icons will be 3 dimensional, and universal.  As far as our 
>home console is concerned it will be vocally activated....your idea about 
>"short tounge" is prophetic...makes me wonder what the use of learning C 
>is.  With cellular modems and VR hardware we will do what we want when we 
>want and where we want.  Even Gibson didn't forsee cellular modems.

Cellular modems have a LONG way to go yet: they can support 2400 baud and
maybe higher, but that is by no means the size of the data path I think it
would require for "jacking in".  Furthermore, the system isn't universal, and
you still have glitches when changing from region to region.

nh
--
________________________________________________________________________________
Go out periodically and stare at the stars; | Nathan "cut-down-the-mightiest-
 Make sure you understand your particular   | tree-in-this-wood-with-a" Herring
place in the pecking order of the universe. |   nherring@coos.dartmouth.edu
From: nherring@coos.dartmouth.edu (nh)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: Re: Devices
Date: 15 Aug 92 17:02:52 GMT
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

popec@fennec.sccsi.com (William C. Barwell) writes:

|I would settle for a nice keyboard made of transluscent plastic with
|backlighting.  This so it would glow in the dark so I can turn the lights
|way down low and spend the wee hours of the morn with my computer.  I
|hate having to leave the lights on.  Not a super futuristic trick input
|device, but thats what I would spend good money for.

Hurray for Macintosh, XWindows and even maybe possibly Windows... their
"inverted" screens light up my keyboard fine in the wee hours, without the
use of another light.

nh
--
________________________________________________________________________________
Go out periodically and stare at the stars; | Nathan "cut-down-the-mightiest-
 Make sure you understand your particular   | tree-in-this-wood-with-a" Herring
place in the pecking order of the universe. |   nherring@coos.dartmouth.edu
From: popec@fennec.sccsi.com (William C. Barwell)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: Devices
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 92 16:29:37 CST
Organization: Fennec Information Systems, Houston, Texas USA

I would settle for a nice keyboard made of transluscent plastic with 
backlighting.  This so it would glow in the dark so I can turn the lights 
way down low and spend the wee hours of the morn with my computer.  I 
hate having to leave the lights on.  Not a super futuristic trick input 
device, but thats what I would spend good money for.

----------------
William C. Barwell [popec@fennec.sccsi.com]  //  Pope Charles
Pope Of the Church Of The SubGenius for the Golden Triangle Area
Laughing at everything in the Universe...including the concept of 
laughing at everything in the Universe!
-----------------
From: merlin@fennec.sccsi.com (Lorne Naff)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: Re: Input Devices
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 13:12:20 CST
Organization: Fennec Information Systems, Houston, Texas USA

osendai@well.sf.ca.us (Mark Pesce) writes:

> 
> I have used the IBVA, mentioned in Mondo 2K #7. It is indeed quite
> amazing.  It read my brainwaves in something approaching real time,
> and displayed a cute time/frequency domain chart.  In 3-D even.
> 
> I'd really like to see one on an SGI, though..    :->
> 
> Mark Pesce

  I have been waiting for someone to come foreward who has triedit.. How 
hard was it to control what came out on the screen?  I am interested in 
using said tech as a musical or computer interface.

  ObTech ( yeah, so what is I stole it?):  Using the Mindplay (tm) system 
for the old atari 2600 as a primitive interface for the computer.  The 
mindplay system read the impulses from your eye muscles and converted 
them into joystick input for the games.  If someone could convert this 
into port or mouse input, and create a driver for it.  We really could 
start to get our hands off the desktop...
   /// & ///


--------
Lorne Naff  <merlin@fennec.sccsi.com>
Fennec Information Systems and Computer Consulting, Inc. 
11504 Hughes Rd. Suite 131 - Houston, Texas USA 77089 - (713) 479-3107 Data
From: merlin@fennec.sccsi.com (Lorne Naff)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: Re: >
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 92 00:10:43 CST
Organization: Fennec Information Systems, Houston, Texas USA

tripstr@cats.ucsc.edu (Christopher Todd Courtois) writes:

> 	This may not be that far off.  I read awhile back about a team
> 	at Stanford that implanted a silicon disk with millions of
> 	tiny holes in it into a mouse's spinal cord.  Evidently
> 	they are able to measure every electrical impulse on the
> 	cord as the mouse moves around.  Can anyone remind me where
> 	I read that? I'd like to call 'em up and see how much
> 	further they've progressed.


  I was in a Discover Magazine, I believe. _Best of (either) 90 (or) 91_, 
  This shows some possibilty, who knows when we might need net-running 
mice?  :)  Actually this shows promise for stopping `cyber-feedback' ( 
yes, I'm coining a term!) , If this system could be integrated with the 
nanomachinery to block nerual impulses and feed perprogrammed ones to the 
coresponding nerve trunks on the other side, these systems could be used 
to keep an active jack-head from hurting himself while `running' down a 
corridor of path in whatever part of `the world' he/she's in.  
True/Untrue?
  /// & ///


--------
Lorne Naff  <merlin@fennec.sccsi.com>
Fennec Information Systems and Computer Consulting, Inc. 
11504 Hughes Rd. Suite 131 - Houston, Texas USA 77089 - (713) 479-3107 Data
From: gorton@blorf.ltn.dec.com (Richard Gorton)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: Re: Devices
Date: 20 Aug 92 22:00:09 GMT
Reply-To: gorton@blorf.ltn.dec.com (Richard Gorton)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation, Littleton MA


In article <1992Aug15.170252.7956@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>, nherring@coos.dartmouth.edu (nh) writes:
|>Path: sousa.ltn.dec.com!nntpd.lkg.dec.com!news.crl.dec.com!deccrl!caen!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!bu.edu!dartvax!coos.dartmouth.edu!nherring
|>From: nherring@coos.dartmouth.edu (nh)
|>Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
|>Subject: Re: Devices
|>
|>popec@fennec.sccsi.com (William C. Barwell) writes:
|>
|>|I would settle for a nice keyboard made of transluscent plastic with
|>|backlighting.  This so it would glow in the dark so I can turn the lights
|>|way down low and spend the wee hours of the morn with my computer.  I
|>|hate having to leave the lights on.  Not a super futuristic trick input
|>|device, but thats what I would spend good money for.
|>
|>Hurray for Macintosh, XWindows and even maybe possibly Windows... their
|>"inverted" screens light up my keyboard fine in the wee hours, without the
|>use of another light.

Why limit ourselves?  Lets stretch the old imagination a bit, and see what
we can dredge up....

	Wall sized (projection?) flat screens.  Holoscreens eventually.
	Projection systems which project 'keyboards'.  Either magnetic,
	  optical, or some other system of location detection is used
	  so that entering data on a 'keyboard' becomes nothing more
	  than moving ones hands(??) around in the air.
	Radio packet interfaces between input devices and the computer
	A variety of interface devices, depending upon what one
	  wants to do - keyboard, light-pen, glove, track-ball, or
	  combinations of them.  Kind of like a surgeons tools.
	Real "old-fashioned" keyboards for those activities which need
	  to be "secure" or recorded.
	Visors or painter-type hats with the visor being the screen/projection
	  device?
	Sony "compute-man" systems capable of storing terabytes of information
	  on non-volatile media (optical disk, flash memory, etc.)
	World-wide news/information channels/networks accessible solely
	  via computer.
	Replicating Virii that float around on said networks.
	Replicating Anti-Virus software which hunts Virii.
	AI programs to filter out the interesting stuff from the garbage
	  on the news/information channels people browse.
	AI becomes commonplace due to the "brute force computing" approach
	Hardware implants for faster computer interfacing ("jacking-in")
	  become feasable, and everyday.
	Wireheads (a-la-Niven) become a possibility.

	etc.

--
Richard Gorton		Alpha Migration Tools - Digital Equipment Corp.
Reply-to: gorton@tallis.enet.dec.com	All standard disclaimers apply.
From: mimir@milton.u.washington.edu (Al Billings)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: Re: Input Devices
Date: 13 Aug 92 23:34:54 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

In article <1992Aug13.142501.24226@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> nherring@coos.dartmouth.edu (nh) writes:

>Cellular modems have a LONG way to go yet: they can support 2400 baud and
>maybe higher, but that is by no means the size of the data path I think it
>would require for "jacking in".  Furthermore, the system isn't universal, and
>you still have glitches when changing from region to region.

 Latest issue of Boardwatch magazine has a news bite about a v.32bis
cellular modem. That's 14.4K. A little higher than 2400, eh?

Wassail,
 Grendel
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Al Billings - Anthropology Undergrad - Admin for the Troth-l Mailing List | 
| SysOp of The Sacred Grove BBS (206)634-1980 -=- mimir@u.washington.edu    |
------------------------------ Cut Here -------------------------------------
begin 644 GRENDEL.PUB
MF58``1%^*@Q":6QL:6YG<RP@06S^`2N`$7JAHA^YG*D:W0:>,_,\N<XL-]7BN
LV+1/'DT4SH3V2$'*(9NAE_,+VB9R.4=@$9R.J1?CL3H!9@HR8+7DD3@%`!$%E
``
end
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
From: zyzzy@milton.u.washington.edu (Zyzzy Galore)
Subject: Re: Jacking In
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 22:21:14 GMT

I think, as has been said, that actual (bio-like) viruses via trodes 
would not be likey (or at least they're hard for me to imagine).
But other sorts of unpleasant catalytic stimuli could easily be input. 
Certain strobe frequencies can cause epileptic seizures.  And it's real
easy to start off a humdinger of a panic attack (not unlike an infinte
loop of the Fear) by exciting the right neurotransmitters.  I imagine
this could be done electrically....

Not to condone this sort of thing...



-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------
   Zyzzy Galore   > > > > > > > > > >  zyzzy@u.washington.edu
                                       ART NON PROG RESS  
_______________________________________________________________
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
From: tedwards@src.umd.edu (Thomas Grant Edwards)
Subject: Re: Jacking In
Organization: Systems Research Center, Maryversity of Uniland, College Park
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 20:12:35 GMT

In article <q8cuPB1w165w@cyberden.uucp> moon!cyberden!dev@well.sf.ca.us writes:
>With all this talk of "jacking in" what about neural virus's.  If the 
>process of jacking in will allow data to be recieved, and not just 
>transmitted, then I see no reason why there couldn't be some for of a 
>virus implanted.  It could be placed in the consious mind or 
>sub-consious.  Any comments?

I think the idea of a neural virus is pretty low probability.  
It would require changing connections in brain bioware.  Most
realistic jacking-in scenarios involve electric connections to
senesory and motor areas, not, say, plunging into language areas
or autonomous nervous system areas.

Although, having an electrode hooked up to your brain is a dangerous
situation...all it takes is someone to put 120VAC down it to ruin
your whole day!

-Thomas
From: hughes@gary.enet.dec.com (Gary Hughes - VMS Development)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: cyberpunk satellite transmissions from alien beings?
Date: 19 Aug 92 21:49:21 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation


In article <8Kf-wTB@engin.umich.edu>, kca@engin.umich.edu (Jonathan Van Oast) writes...
>OOPS! my last post cut out the whole middle (important(?)) part.
>here it is:
>as a warning, this comes from my DAD who probably was really just watching
>arabic mtv or something, BUT:
>my dad called me saying he saw "some crazy computer thing" on a satelite
>channel.  (he lives in the sticks.)  he claimed that every time he turned
>on the channel, day or nite, there was strange characters like he has never
>seen (and he is fairly clued in to languages, to give him credit), and all
>kinds of "weird" computer stuff.  yeah, he was this vague.  and he said it
>was ALWAYS on.  naturally (didya expect less?) he is too lame to have figured
>out how to record off satelite, so he cant do this for me.  SO, i want to
>know if anyone can confirm this "broadcast" and (most likely) just clear it
>up as some kinda news/fx feed.  dad says it is satelite G-5, channel 4 or 3 or
>something (yeah, smooth dad!).
> 
>-jon

It is the promo feed for the Sci-Fi Channel, scheduled to go live in September.
In the interim they are running 'spacey' graphics and effects, with occasional
voiceovers. It supposed to become more informative as they closer to startup.

It is in G5/4.

gary
From: mwlucas@vela.acs.oakland.edu ( )
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: Books
Date: 13 Aug 92 20:50:59 GMT
Organization: jOakland fUniversity, Rochester MI.

In article <1992Aug13.200336.3754@src.umd.edu> tedwards@src.umd.edu (Thomas Grant Edwards) writes:
>OK, what would be the most available form for distributing a mixed
>text-graphic and perhaps sound-movie newsletter?
>
(stuff deleted)
>
>What about desktop publishing programs?  Is there a package which
>can be used on both PC and Macs (i.e. two programs, but can exchange
>files)?

That's childishly easy.  As a pro DTP person, I use Macintosh PageMaker.
I have half a dozen shareware programs (actually registered) that I use
to convert IBM submissions to my format.  I imagine that reverse programs
must exist by now.  They're somewhat annoying to use, but there's no reason
that such a conversion couldn't be included in a program.

Technical details aren't the problem in distributing and reading something
online; the main problem seems to be a limited audience for computerized
books.  There's something comfortable about paper that many people are 
loath to give up.  And there's enough problems associated with computer
use (bad vision, CTS, RSI, XYZ, etc.) that many people are just scared of
the blasted things.

Michael "Besides, PageMaker costs $495 at the cheapest" Lucas

-- 
Michael Lucas				mwlucas@vela.acs.oakland.edu
Einstuerzende Neubauten:  *real* heavy metal
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk