New mod idea for a keyboard!~!?~?

[IFMU]

Ok I was in my regular chat room in yahoo computers lobby 1 talking and several people began complaining that their hands were cold. And someone mentioned that maybe they should make keyboards with heaters of some kind..............

See where Im going with this???

What could you do to a keyboard, leaving it fully functional, that would allow it to put out a low amount of heat to warm the hands on the cold nights online?

Open for ideas!~!

[klosters64a]

It would be much easier to use a little portable electric heater.

[dizzy_g]

Turn up the thermostat!

Or!

You could cut the heating element out of an electric blanket (long wire) stitch it onto a pair of gloves, work resistances and all that crap hook up to 12V with propper cals done so you wont blow up any thnig! PC or you hands, and hey presto!! Wram gloves!!

My brother used to have an electric pair of gloves for his motor bike, leathers over thm of course, just cut into a power supply and bobs your uncle!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope this gives you an idea!

Best suggestion of all, get a woman (that doesn't talk) she'll keep you warm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D :D :D

[stompah]

why not just duct CPU air thru a blowhole?

[TJ9]

Heat light or lamps could be put into the keyboard.
Would be something like doing a light mode on the keyboard. Would probaly work best if you could get a metal keyboard.
Have to becareful that they didn't melt anything though.

[jbell]

LOL


type, ouch, type, ouch, type, ouch, type, ouch

burned fingers tips and the smell of burnt plastic in the morning - I love it!!! LOL

[Yodums]

Put a heater blowing from the computer to your hands..

:))

[Diggrr]

HA!- dizzy_g -HA! Where would you find a woman that doesn't talk? Probably as illusive as bigfoot or an oversized tax return.

[iggybaseball]

i would rather have my sweatly hands being cooled while playing RogueSpear

[IFMU]

Well thanks to the few that actually took this seriouslly, the others, well I will just say nuthing....

Now for those that are actually interested in this possible idea. My roommate and I came up with an idea.

Take and make an attachment that would be placed up on the upper rim of the keyboard that would have an area that would generate heat. There would also be fans along there that push the hot air out onto the keys. Ive personally thought of a few ideas as to how to actually create the heat and dont like them. To many risks. Now my further question is what can be used to create heat in that would fit in a small area and still be safe? Ive seen that USB ports can actually supply power to an item, so this is an idea as to where to supply the power if needed from. Just kind of thinking and typing here.. so any actual ideas?

No offense to those that suggest taking it from the case, but I am trying to think of something that wouldnt make you cut your case to do this... Thanks for the thoughts!~!

[Oni]

I don't know if you'd be able to use USB for it. USB I think supplies about 5 volts max.

[Gandalf]

You could make a thin mettalic cut-out of your key board, then lay it on top and conduct heat through it. But I dont know what to use as a heat source?

[Diggrr]

You can get mini peltiers for Melcor. I think their in the telecom section.
They run at 3volts and 8 watts, so I think that kills the usb idea. But to sandwich them between two pieces of aluminum flashing, and insulating the empty space between, then two of them should get nice and toasty.

They measure 15mm x 15mm and here's a pic of one sitting atop my zippo.

[IFMU]

Very interesting idea, but then you would need cooling for it as well. more than I am planning on at this point.. did not know they made them that small.. very kewl.. thanks!~!

[Diggrr]

Nah, at only 8 watts the aluminum flashing that covers the ramp on the front of the keyboard would be more than enough.

Another idea would be to use a couple of christmas tree bulbs built into the rest on the keyboard. They only use about a volt apiece and you can run in series to use any size transformer you want. Just hotglue them in place by their sockets so they don't touch the plastic. Cut out 4 x 2 holes in the rest on the keyboard and cover with aluminum. And they don't care if it's AC or DC.

Just grab one on the tree once, it shouldn't burn ya, but it will heat your fingers! (I'm talking about those micro lamps.)
And the colored backlighting on the keys looks way cool!

[IFMU]

That is an interesting idea... the lights I mean... I am wanting to try to find a way to do this without actually moding the keyboard, maybe do an extention onto a regular keyboard would be prefered. How much power does a USB port put out? Would it be enough to power a few of those? Or something like it?

Thanks for the ideas. But if yea can, try to be a little less technical. I know squat about how most of that kinda thing works.. !~!

[Diggrr]

No problem.

Firstly, USB (on most motherboards) can only put out 5 volts at 500 milliamps. So you would probably need a transformer for just about anything you do anyway.

Secondly, hooking them up in series means like so _!_!_!_.
Using (_) for wires and (!) for the bulbs. The electric travels from one, to the next, to the next, then back to the transformer. If these were 1 volt bulbs, it would take 3 volts to light the three lights. If you joined (just for the sake of explaining I'll use + and-)
all the positive wires together, and all the negatives together and hooked up the transformer to these 'bundles', that would be a parallel circuit. 1 volt bulbs would need a 1 volt transformer, but 3 times the amperage than a single bulb uses.

When you buy the lights, their voltage and amperage should be on the package. I don't have any to look at right now, so I can't say what these will be. But, DO NOT...repeat...DO NOT combine them to use more than 500mA (milliamps) or you may damage your motherboard and would be very sad:(

Good luck to ya. By the way, my keyboard (Microsoft Natural Ergonomic) won't light up from underneath. It has 4 large membrane sheets the size of the whole keyboard that would block the light mostly.

And don't forget props to TJ9, he spoke it first, though I didn't see it.:)

[Maximus Nickus]

Use an electric blanket roll it into a cylinder (put in keyboard LOL) or use it as a wrist rest!!!!

Toasty, hey toaster!!!!!!! Type, munch!:D