The NEO 2 is a keyboard with a small display screen. (see http://www.renlearn.com/neo2/). According to the company website, the NEO 2 can run up to 700 hours on three AA batteries. The NEO 2 reminds me of a big calculator, is very portable, and seems durable. It costs about $100.
Because I have Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS), I can only use a computer keyboard for a couple of hours per day. I purchased the NEO 2 with the hope that I would be able to use it more than I can use my standard USB keyboard. The NEO does seem to emit significantly less electromagnetic radiation than a typical computer setup with a monitor, tower, keyboard, etc.
To distance my hands from the keys, I fashioned a keyboard for my NEO 2 so that I could depress a plunger (of a few inches in length) for each key. I attached the USB cable included with the unit to a long USB extension cable so that I could transfer text files from the NEO 2 to my computer from a significant distance.
As far as I can tell, the NEO 2 cannot browse the Internet. The dana model has quite a bit more functionality as far as software but at a significantly higher price ($350). (http://www.neo-direct.com/Dana/default.aspx).
I also have chemical sensitivity, and the NEO 2 did not cause problems for me in that regard. In sum, the NEO 2 may be a good option to try for someone with EHS. However, I do not want to overstate the case—I still am quite limited in how long I can type on the NEO 2.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Product Review - Cellulon Magic Cube - Projection Keyboard
Because I have Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS), I can only use a computer keyboard for about two hours per day. The longer I use a keyboard, the more pain I experience. I purchased the Cellulon Magic Cube with the hope that I would be able to use it instead of my USB keyboard. I bought the Magic Cube in November, 2012 for $150. (see http://www.celluon.com/products.php).
The Magic Cube projects a laser image of a keyboard onto a table or other flat surface. It uses a motion sensor and infrared technology to detect which keys are being pressed. It also functions as a pointing device.
Unfortunately, lasers and infrared can cause symptoms in people with EHS. Not long after I turned the device on, I could feel it from across the room. I tested it out but could not use it for very long because of the strong electromagnetic radiation. Based on my limited experience, I did not think the Magic Cube was accurate enough to use as a keyboard, but there are other sites that do a better job of reviewing the accuracy of the device. In sum, this is a nifty gadget, but likely unsuitable for those with EHS.
The Magic Cube projects a laser image of a keyboard onto a table or other flat surface. It uses a motion sensor and infrared technology to detect which keys are being pressed. It also functions as a pointing device.
Unfortunately, lasers and infrared can cause symptoms in people with EHS. Not long after I turned the device on, I could feel it from across the room. I tested it out but could not use it for very long because of the strong electromagnetic radiation. Based on my limited experience, I did not think the Magic Cube was accurate enough to use as a keyboard, but there are other sites that do a better job of reviewing the accuracy of the device. In sum, this is a nifty gadget, but likely unsuitable for those with EHS.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
How to Build a Sound Tube
Speakers can be powerful electromagnets. They generate significant electromagnetic fields can cause discomfort to those with Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS). It is difficult or impractical to generate sound from an audio device without electromagnetic devices such as speakers.
I have EHS, and I found that the farther I was from a speaker, and the lower the volume, the less I could feel the electromagnetic radiation. Therefore, I built a sound tube so that I could position myself a significant distance (30-35 feet) away from a speaker and still hear the audio. I made a sound tube out of forty feet of PEX tubing. I hooked up an an audio jack from a computer to a very small speaker (with a low volume). I then connected the speaker to one end of the tube with duct tape. I attached a stethoscope to the other end of the tube to use like headphones (see picture below). It worked for about six months really well before I finally became sensitive to it and had to limit my time using it. I began to be sensitive to electromagnetic radiation coming from the tube, and I am not sure whether it was coming through the air or through the tube.
I am chemically sensitive, and the PEX tubing was non-toxic for me. The PVC pipe (which I did not purchase) seemed somewhat toxic to the touch to me. I ran water over the pipes and also through them with a hose before I brought them inside to wash away chemicals. PEX comes in various diameters and I used the one-inch diameter. I purchased the PEX tubing at a local hardware store (Home Depot). PEX pipe bends more than PVC but it does not bend too much, which I thought was important because I read that if a sound tube bends too sharply, sound will not travel through it as well. I also needed the pipe to bend a little to navigate into another room.
A person at the hardware store cut each twenty-foot pipe into two pipes of ten feet each. I used copper connectors to connect the four pipes together to make the sound tube. I then connected the pipe to the walls and ceiling to secure it so that it would be off the floor and out of the way. I have also heard of people using clear Tygon tubing for a sound tube for a phone but I have not tried Tygon myself.
Speaker connected to sound tube:
Copper connector.
Stethoscope connected to end of tube:
I have EHS, and I found that the farther I was from a speaker, and the lower the volume, the less I could feel the electromagnetic radiation. Therefore, I built a sound tube so that I could position myself a significant distance (30-35 feet) away from a speaker and still hear the audio. I made a sound tube out of forty feet of PEX tubing. I hooked up an an audio jack from a computer to a very small speaker (with a low volume). I then connected the speaker to one end of the tube with duct tape. I attached a stethoscope to the other end of the tube to use like headphones (see picture below). It worked for about six months really well before I finally became sensitive to it and had to limit my time using it. I began to be sensitive to electromagnetic radiation coming from the tube, and I am not sure whether it was coming through the air or through the tube.
I am chemically sensitive, and the PEX tubing was non-toxic for me. The PVC pipe (which I did not purchase) seemed somewhat toxic to the touch to me. I ran water over the pipes and also through them with a hose before I brought them inside to wash away chemicals. PEX comes in various diameters and I used the one-inch diameter. I purchased the PEX tubing at a local hardware store (Home Depot). PEX pipe bends more than PVC but it does not bend too much, which I thought was important because I read that if a sound tube bends too sharply, sound will not travel through it as well. I also needed the pipe to bend a little to navigate into another room.
A person at the hardware store cut each twenty-foot pipe into two pipes of ten feet each. I used copper connectors to connect the four pipes together to make the sound tube. I then connected the pipe to the walls and ceiling to secure it so that it would be off the floor and out of the way. I have also heard of people using clear Tygon tubing for a sound tube for a phone but I have not tried Tygon myself.
Speaker connected to sound tube:
Copper connector.
Stethoscope connected to end of tube:
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