Distributors, eh? Our Friends North of the Border

Chester Creek produces computer keyboards, mice, and accessories that are available world wide.  We ship right here in Duluth all the way to the land down under.  But we could never do it without help.  It's time to give some credit where credit is due.  We're going to start off with our nearest neighbors to the North: Canada, eh?

Chester Creek has a handful of distributors in the great white North that is Canada, but today, we are going to focus on just three. Special Needs Computer Solutions offers their consumers the nicest and newest assistive technology.  With hundreds of items ranging from ergonomic work stations to portable Braille printers to large-print keyboards (you already knew that part, didn't you?).  Special Needs Computer Solution puts the focus on support, including consultation and training for the products they carry.  Check them out online here.

Aroga has been providing assistive technologies to their consumers for twenty-three years.  Look to Aroga for vision aids, communication aids, physical access products, and education tools.  Not only do they offer a variety of products, they also offer a variety of resources.  Aroga provides information on training, events, and the latest low-vision news.   Find all this and more here.

Last but not least is Bridges.  Bridges brings together a team of professions to bring their customers great assistive technology.  They offer direct sales as well as professional developement in both English and French.  As their vision statement says, Bridges aims to:

• To provide a wide-offering of solutions to individuals with special needs that will facilitate their successful participation in all areas of their life.
• To promote awareness of Assistive Technology and the impact that it has on individuals with special needs.
• To promote successful implementation of Assistive Technology through professional development programs (that increase knowledge, skill and application of Assistive Technology).

 Take a look at their offerings here.

Of course, the one thing all these companies have in common is a devotion to bringing their consumers the best new products and the most reliable old favorites - including an array of Chester Creek products.

Practically World Famous!

Check us out on CNN!  Mario Armstrong discusses technology and seniors in a CNN Saturday segment entitled "Internet Savvy Seniors."  That is our VisionBoard2 White, ladies and gentlemen.  How cool are we? Practically world famous!

"Keyboards are Disgusting"

Keyboards Are Disgusting - http://www.xkcd.com

Its true.  Short on incredibly interesting and engaging things to say today, I thought I would share one of my all-time favorite time-wasters with you.  http://www.xkcd.com  They are hilarious over there.  And I love this strip, because it is so true.  Please, do not actually try this.  At least not over your face.  Unless your keyboard is nearly new, you will be showered with eww-inducing particulate.  Don't risk it - unless you have a handy-dandy keyboard seal, of course.  Then go right ahead, you are safe as a .... well.  Something really safe.  Because these things keep all the eww out of your keyboard, no problem.  Plus, you can wipe them down with just about any sort of industrial strength disinfectant out there.  For all you germaphobes.  (I am not pointing fingers here, by the way; I may join you.) 

Learning to Type

Typing was once a specialized skill reserved for the business, secretarial, and writing communities.    These jobs were high paying and considered high skill.  With the advent of the internet and the propagation of computers into every facet of life, this is no longer an optional ability.  Employers are demanding this skill, even for low-wage, entry-level work.

Learning to type does not have to be difficult.

Finger position and muscle memory are at the core of typing.  Traditionally, a student must first memorize all of the keys on a keyboard and how they are arranged.  Remembering exactly which fingers go on which keys is the next important piece of memorization.  In many classrooms, papers are handed out that diagram proper placement.  This leaves students repeatedly checking screen, keyboard, and chart, losing momentum, and constantly making mistakes.  The color-coded keyboards of Chester Creek present the perfect solution.  Start your children out with a colorful FunKeyBoard or LearningBoard to help them learn key locations.  For even younger kids, we offer the large-key kids’ KinderBoard.  For the budding touch-typist in your life, we offer the LessonBoard.  This keyboard naturally guides learners into correct typing habits by simple color-coding.  We have also just added the LessonBoard Pro to our lineup. Color-coded, but lacking labels, the Pro forces students to memorize location of individual keys, but continues to encourage correct finger placement, reducing the urge to “peek” later in life.  The Pro is actually my personal favorite of all of our keyboards, because it is such an interesting but obvious way to encourage kids and adults to learn more quickly and learn "better."

New Technology

This past week saw technology buffs and professionals from around the world gathered in Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show.  The CES hosts nearly 150,000 visitors yearly, and is often the event of choice for tech companies to unveil new products and partnerships.  This year's CES featured many new technologies and surprising developments.

Big developments include Microsoft's venture into ARM-chip technology, which has producer Nvidia poised to threated leader's like Intel and AMD; Intel's deal with major studios to stream movies as soon as they are released to DVD/Bluray; the Motorola Atrix smartphone, which docs to run as what is essentially a fully functional netbook; IoSafe's nearly indestructible hard drive; a robotic suit designed to aid in heavy lifting, physical therapy, and mobility for disabled individuals; a plethora of hot new tablets; wireless charging for mobile devices in GM vehicles; and some huge announcements for Vizio, a smaller, lower-end TV manufacturer.

These are just a few of the hundreds of new products and announcements showcased at this year's CES.

Although CCT did not attend the show, we'd also like to take the chance to tell you about some of our new products.

     TextSpeak is a perfect on-the-go AAC (AlternativeAugmentative Communication) solution.  This intelligent text generating speaker and keyboard combo creates speech anywhere, right at your fingertips, and paired with many of our Chester Creek keyboards, including our large-print and large-key keyboards, allows individuals with speech impairment to be heard.  Great for students who need unlimited vocabulary, TextSpeak works right out of the box, can be programmed to male or female voices, and has 30 programmable phrases.  Small, light, and portable, TextSpeak is also an item users can throw in a backpack or purse for use as needed in social or work situations, and works from both battery and AC power sources.  

Chester Creek is now offering a wireless keyboard.  Our Wireless VisionBoard offers greater mobility, flexibility, and convenience while decreasing the clutter of cords on and behind your desk.  We also offer the option of purchasing this new wireless keyboard with a matching mouse, also wireless.

        Children often struggle learning all the correct buttons needed for computer use.  For those still learning and those who prefer a mouse without it, we have eliminated the scroll wheel in our new LittleMouse.  With two buttons, the left “green for go” and the right “red for stop,” teaching use of a mouse is easier than ever.  Like the Chester and TinyMouse, this model is also child-sized.

        Another new learning tool being offered this year is the LessonBoard Pro.  With the same color-coding and layout as the original LessonBoard, the Pro is for more advanced students and lacks letter and number labels.  Perfect for the classroom, the Pro continues to teach students correct finger placement and also encourages memorization of letter and number placement.

        Additional new products include transparent braille stickers for our large-key keyboards and educational software bundles for preschool and early elementary students. 

      

Kids' Keyboards

Children, in some cases even toddlers, are now using computers at home and in school. However, learning the keys can be very frustrating for a child. All the keys look the same, the typeface is small, and the keys are often hard to reach. Children become discouraged and confused trying to remember the location of specific letters. Chester Creek’s keyboards for kids are great tools. Specially designed, with bold color-coding for vowels, consonants, numbers, and function keys, our children’s keyboards eliminate frustration and stress, providing a valuable, fun, and successful learning experience.

Teaching a child to use a computer at an early age can give them a head-start advantage. Knowledge of computer use and navigation can help stream line the process of creating projects and doing research for school. Later in life, good typing skills can cut work time in half for essays and papers, and in the work environment computer skills are a must.

An investment in your child’s computer skills is an investment in their future. One of the best values on the market today is a keyboard from Chester Creek. Chester Creek produces keyboards that are safe, sturdy, and practical. With boards in both standard and large-key layout, color-coded by character-set or finger placement, CCT has everything your child will need to learn to type quickly and correctly. Additionally, Chester Creek mice are designed specifically with a child’s hands in mind. Smaller and easier to grip and use, a CCT child’s computer mouse is also long-lasting, well-constructed, and color-coded. Our mice come with one or two buttons and with or without a scroll wheel, depending on what you, the consumer, need.

Moderate Monday Magics and High Visibility Keyboards

The only fun hijinks in the office here today include adventures in boxland and a heated discussion about the inadequacy of cordless phones.  With the rolling in of the new year comes the rolling out of old files.  Box them up and put them some place, never to be seen again. Of course, this involves assembling the boxes.  Watching Tasha do so? Mildly entertaining. Watching Karen make the attempt?  Hilarious.  They come in a big flat package, perforated cardboard sheets you magically fold into a box, the way a square of paper magically becomes an oragami crane.  Magic.  If you know how.  If you don't, hilarity.

Words of the Year and Shamelss CCT Plugs (It is our blog, after all)

As the end of the year draws nearer, Merriam-Webster has compiled a list of the top words of 2010.

10. At the bottom of this list is furtive. M-W defines this as
"done by stealth : surreptitious."

It makes the list because of the failed Times Square bombing in May. The bomber was described as looking furtively around. Used in a sentence:

No need for furtive, Christmas Eve wrapping - Chester Creek now offers gift wrapping!

9. Coming in at number nine is dissident, meaning, "disagreeing especially with an established religious or political system, organization, or belief; non-conformist."

It makes the list due to the Novel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, who is often described as China's best known dissenter.

Feeling a need to break the conformity of your office space? Try a fun and funky keyboard from Chester Creek. They're not just for kids anymore. (Our own Tasha uses a FunKeyBoard at her desk)

8. Eighth on the list is ebullient, "having or showing liveliness and enthusiasm."

This word was used by many journalists to describe the atmosphere of joy surrounding the rescue of the Chilean miners. Used in a sentence,

Looking forwards to an ebullient Christmas morning? Everyone will love a Chester Creek keyboard or mouse!

7. Ringing in at seven is shellacking,
"a decisive defeat : drubbing."

President Obama said

Now, I'm not recommending for every future president that they take a shellacking like I did last night. I'm sure there are easier ways to learn these lessons

of the 2010 elections.

While that is already a good example of use in a sentence, I'll go ahead and throw in my own:

No need for your checkbook to take a shellacking this holiday season. Save money on our FunKey Bundle Special!

6. Sixth on the list is doppleganger. M-W defines doppleganger as, "someone who looks like someone else," or, to put it simply, a person's "double."

Now, I'll admit it. I don't have a clever (haha) little plug for Chester Creek using the word doppleganger. So, here goes a completely unrelated example:

You look so much like Ally Sheedy from the Breakfast Club, you could be her doppleganger!

(I actually hear this all the time.)

Check back later in the week for the Top Five Words of the Year.

Sickness Season

This is the season of celebration and sickness.  It seems like everyone has a cold, or the flu. Here in the office, half of us are sick.  A big transfer of germs happens in schools.  One solution to this is the Chester Creek keyboard seal.  These are thin, clear, plastic membranes that fit neatly over the keys of a keyboard.  The seals are for use in home, office, or school, and can easily be washed and sanitized to prevent sharing of icky cold and flu germs. 

Touch Typing

Touch-typing is a skill wherein the typist does not look at the keyboard, enabling him or her to read while typing.  This significantly increases speed of typing as well as accuracy.

Wikipedia has to say of touch-typing:

Touch typing can efficiently bring an average speed typist to 60 words per minute (WPM) fairly quickly and at the same time increase accuracy by great amounts. Upon learning to touch type, comfortable typing speed is expected to be achieved within a month. The typing speed can be increased gradually with regular practice and speeds around 60wpm could be achieved within a year or so. Many websites and software are available to learn touch typing and many of these are free. Learning touch typing can be stressful both to the fingers as well as the mind in the beginning, but once it is learned to a decent level, it exerts minimal stress on the fingers.

Furthermore,

Studies have also shown that two-finger typists, also known as "Hunt-and-Peck" typists can reach speeds of about 37 wpm when typing memorized text, and 27wpm when copying text.

On the other hand, the average person using the touch type method can reach an average speed of 50 to 70 wpm with some reaching speeds in excess of 80 to 95 wpm. Some touch-typing experts can even reach speeds pf over 120 wpm. (The Benefits of Learning to Touch Type)

One of the biggest obstacles to learning to touch-type is overcoming the urge to peek at the keys.  Many typing teachers have students drape pieces of cloth over the keyboard.  As someone who experienced this in school, I can tell you what many others would: this is a pain in the behind.  Chester Creek has a solution, however.

Our SpeedSkins fit snugly over all standard keyboards, including MacPro keyboards, and covers only letter, number, and punctuation keys.  Additionally, the product is latex-free, durable, and easily washable, making it great for classroom use. 

Ask about our educators' discount!

Thinkin' Thursday - a few tidbits

• Did you know that "typewriter" is the only 10-letter word in the English language that can be spelled completely on the top row of a QWERTY keyboard?
• Did you know that the QWERTY layout has been largely unchanged since 1878? The letter arrangement was originally developed based upon the frequency of letter combinations in the English language.
• Did you know that the slightly angled alignment of a QWERTY keyboard originally had nothing to do with ease of typing, but rather was meant to accommodate the levers in old typewriters? It is retained to this day for sake of familiarity. In fact, some manufacturers produce keybaords with a grid layout because it may be easier. All of Chester Creek’s large-key keyboards are in a grid layout.
• Did you know that email predates the internet? The first email systems were used in 1965 to allow users of single mainframes to communicate with each other.
• Did you know that the first computer mouse was made of wood? Chester Creek mice are splinter-free, RoHS Compliant, and FCC CE Approved.
• Did you know Chester Creek is running a holiday special on the FunKeyBundle? Act now to grab your savings!

LessonBoard Teaches Kids to Type

Our LessonBoard is a beautiful, standard sized keyboard for those learning to touch type.  In a computer saturated world, quick typing is key to success in school and in the work place.  The LessonBoard is unique in that the keys are color-coded by finger placement.  Here is what a former computer teacher had to say about our LessonBoard.  Click to read more.

The LessonBoard exceeded all of my expectations. I would even go so far as to say that if you want to teach a child how to type, either at home or at school, this is the easiest way to avoid stress, tears and arguments.

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G'Day!

Watch out Australia; Here we come! Chester Creek's full line of products is now available to our pals in the land down under! Check out Spectronics to order products in Australia and New Zealand.

Can you tell how excited we are about this?

Ho-Ho-Hurry!

Chester Creek is offering a great Holiday deal starting this Monday - 15%
off and free shipping on the FunkeyBoard and FunMouse bundle, through
January 1st.

Be on the watch for exciting new products from CCT in the coming month, including a wireless, large print keyboard!

A Recent Thank-You

We here at Chester recently had an opportunity to help an autistic student struggling with writing, and wanted to share this thank-you-letter with all of you.

"Dear Chester Creek,

Thank you for the KinderBoard for our first grader. He loves it and now loves typing his spelling words, names, and his thoughts. We could not get him to leave, he was so involved in writing his words. His mother was in tears with gratefulness watching his excitement. We all were, actually. The Lego Team was helping him with smiles, knowing it was their letter that brought such joy. This is a lesson that neither I now any teacher would teach this team. This was a lesson in caring, generosity and helping each other. Thank you so much. I know they will never forget this day.

...
Respectfully yours,
Mrs. Liller"

Chester Creek's product line of colorful and high visibility keyboards are a great resource for those who struggle with learning or motor skills. The KinderBoard mentioned in this letter can be seen here: http://ping.fm/nCybq