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[deleted] t1_j0ul5yt wrote

can anyone think of a real application for this that isn't just adding redundant analog hardware into something that already exists- i.e. chatbots?

the only real use to a mechanically moving keyboard that registers it's own typing as that of a human user would be to teach bots how to better pass captcha checks or similar, so i'm not sure there is any real reason for a legitimate company to be making this.

it reminds me of when people in silicon valley recently "invent" things such as a tunnel or vending machine, but are utterly convinced that it is innovative in some way when usually the only appeal of the technology is to exclude others that can't afford it. in this case, chatbots are available for free to any person with internet access, and a most of us have digital assistants on our phone or computer that have very similar features.

in my opinion, this is a very pointless toy for someone with way too much money. i can understand the value of tinkering for fun, but this just seems needlessly wasteful in material costs when anyone can access an identical module on their pre existing devices going back 20+ years.

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checker280 t1_j0uraj9 wrote

The closest “value” I can think of is a connection for a much older generation but that market disappears in a few years.

I was a cable installer. I was always flabbergasted to find adults, sometimes much younger than myself, completely overwhelmed by new tech and an abundance of choice.

Too many people didn’t want me to explain the remote control past “how to find my stories and change the volume”. Personally I got paid by the hour. If you needed me to teach you how to use on demand for an hour that was simply part of the job.

Having tactile keys to press could be useful to some of those luddites but I’m stretching to find a reason to sell this.

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[deleted] t1_j0urx5p wrote

i think that anyone old enough to prefer a keyboard or philosophically/spiritually against technology would also probably find this device unsettling, so i think the only market would be hipsters who want a novelty gift. that said, i'm sure it has plenty of value to it's creator. it's just not something that belongs in a world that's trying to get to zero net carbon emissions if you ask me.

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Plain_Bread t1_j0vd2ei wrote

An application for a typewriter? No, nobody can think of that because that hasn't existed for decades now.

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[deleted] t1_j0veecw wrote

someone did not read the article

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Plain_Bread t1_j0vfdsa wrote

Where they basically call it a nostalgia gimmick? Yeah, everything can find a use as that.

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dclxvi616 t1_j0v5175 wrote

Teletype is old tech. Chat bots are old tech (though still improving). Mechanically moving keyboards that registers its own typing as a human user is old tech (word processors). This is just an artistic and nostalgic amalgamation of blending old tech with modern innovations. I was chatting with Eliza on a Macintosh LC in 1986. The only differences are that the keys don’t physically move when Eliza produces output and the chatbot is much more refined and versatile.

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