Using a keyboard without using your hands

Typing is obviously an essential part of utilizing a computer. Without it, a person would have a difficult time accessing websites, creating documents and sending email. Fortunately, those individuals who cannot use a standard keyboard now have an alternative.

The lomak, which stands for Light Operated Mouse and Keyboard, allows people to type by moving a sensor attached to either their hands or heads. All of the normal keyboard options are arranged in circular fashion, giving easy access to letters, numbers, arrow keys, etc. A "Confirm" button resides in the middle of all three keystroke circles. To operate, a person would point the light sensor to the key of choice, then also point to the "Confirm" button.

The idea seems intuitive enough, although maybe a bit cumbersome. Then again, so does attempting to type messages on a cellphone, which some people have no problem doing, either. Whether or not the lomak catches on as the definitive standard for fingerless keyboards is difficult to determine. However, there's no question that it can be seen as a viable to solution for individuals who do not have the capability of finger typing.

Book review: "The Joy of Work" by Scott Adams

Dilbert has been one of the funniest comics for as long as I can remember. The reason, in my opinion, is that creator Scott Adams combines everyday work situations with unexpected conclusions, at least, in the eyes of a staunch businessperson. What it comes down to is that you can find humor in anything, especially those things where the people who are the most funny are the ones who either have no sense of humor or have no idea that anything humorous is even taking place.

Some of these answers appear in The Joy of Work gives in-depth knowledge regarding how Adams derives his daily comics. Not only that, but it gives insight into how you, too, can get more out of work without doing much work, or in some cases, no work. You'll also find anecdotes from others trapped in the corporate world who have taken matters into their own hands to find happiness in their respective cubes.

Adams isn't just a good cartoonist; his writing keeps readers entertained, and like the Dilbert strip, he relates to a wide variety of individuals. What I like most about this book is that he really does lend a hand to those people who may be humor deficient. Following his array of ideas and instructions could potentially make your work environment tolerable!

Then again, some of that depends on what type of people you have as upper management in your company. If they are funny and likable, you are set. If they are completely clueless, you'll be OK as well. If they are smart and mean, then ... why are you still working there in the first place?

Mix your music with GarageBand

Attention Windows shoppers: You may want to glaze over the next few paragraphs, because this isn't for you.

It is, however, for music lovers who wish to create your own beats on a Mac. I have been using GarageBand for a month or so, and I'm pretty confident that I have the next album to go platinum stored right here on my machine. OK, maybe it's not that good, but at the very least, it's fun to make your own mixes.

The best thing is how simple it is to get started. You can select a few background beats and also hit a few notes on the keyboard. You can transform your basic keyboard into an actual piano keyboard (well, at least a little more than an octave), or you may choose to just bang out a few notes with the mouse.

Also, you can import your existing songs and/or sound bytes to create new music. My latest hit, "Dolphins at Work," combines Men at Work's "Down Under" with dolphin sounds. I know what you're saying: "Huh?"

Unfortunately, this program is for Macs only right now. There was talk a while ago about making it available for the PC. But according to this website, nothing new has been accomplished. This is yet another reason to trash that PC and get a Mac! Or you can definitely find mixing software for your machine ... but I have no idea what is good and what isn't. I'm too busy looking for more dolphin sounds to finish my song.

Check out Ben's latest book, The Developers (The easiest thing to find on the Internet: crazy people.), which is now in stores across the country. Send comments and suggestions to info@benwoods.com.

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