USB typing speedometer teaches Mavis Beacon a lesson in speed

It's not the first USB peripheral we've seen that'll keep watch on how fast you type, but this new USB Speedometer is certainly the most imposing, and apparently a bit more capable than most. Namely, unlike others which simply track keystrokes, this one keep track of both your words-per-minute and the total number of words you type in a day, although you'll need to install some software to take for that. If those are details you just have to have at all times, you'll be able to get your hands on one of these next month for about $40.

[Via Technabob]

[jjnice @ Feb 28th 2008 1:56PM]

wow...

[JLTate @ Feb 28th 2008 2:05PM]

And hey, maybe it will even keep track of how many passwords you type a day... and send them to a server in China.

[GaryZ @ Feb 28th 2008 2:27PM]

For all you know, the software might be recording sound of keystrokes and calculate your typing speed ;)

[Jack Storm @ Feb 28th 2008 3:00PM]

wow is what i will say when i get this baby together with my optimus maximus

[Cal @ Feb 28th 2008 3:53PM]

Meh, whilst looking for new drivers for my logitech mouse I found a Logitech type-o-meter gadget/widget, I'd trust that more than this.

[Aguiluz @ Feb 28th 2008 4:13PM]

Goody, I was about to buy one when I learned I can't hook it up to my lappy.

[morcheeba @ Feb 28th 2008 5:27PM]

GaryZ - I know you're kidding, but even that's a security risk. On some old electric typewriters, you could listen for the timing that it took between the keypress and the selectric ball to get to the paper - the difference was small, but unique enough that you could figure out what someone was typing, just by the sound.

[bbrase @ Feb 28th 2008 1:59PM]

The words per minute dial seems a little low.....? 8 wpm max?

[John @ Feb 28th 2008 2:08PM]

I think the center dial is wpm, and the LCD shows how many words you've typed that day. I think the right dial is characters per second.

[Feb30th @ Feb 28th 2008 2:20PM]

Characters per minute

[thebigDallas @ Feb 28th 2008 3:24PM]

The one on the right is characters per minute times 1000 like an RPM guage

[i.c. weiner @ Feb 28th 2008 4:42PM]

feb 30th, dude if you type 8 characters per minute that is sad

[Trevor @ Feb 28th 2008 2:01PM]

I get the 2 dials, but what's the metal orange slice on the left?

That said... I kinda want it. Finally I can type and make vroom noises.

[Erik @ Feb 28th 2008 2:29PM]

The orange slice is a speaker that makes the vroom vroom sounds for you.

[Damage @ Feb 28th 2008 2:04PM]

Maybe the WPM tachometer is in tens. Like your tachometer is in RPM x1000.

Just a thought.

Last I checked, I was typing around 70-80 WPM. What's your speed?

[bbrase @ Feb 28th 2008 2:21PM]

I know I am not that fast, but what you are saying makes sence. I know am 40+ wpm.

[John @ Feb 28th 2008 2:13PM]

113 based on a quick run through http://www.typeonline.co.uk/typingspeed.php

[Josh @ Feb 28th 2008 2:40PM]

It is like a tachometer, if you zoom in on the picture, there's a x1000 as it happens. Makes sense i guess.. 8000 chars a minute is pretty damn fast though :)

[kiwi @ Feb 28th 2008 2:55PM]

121wpm based on the link John posted.

[NovaLand @ Feb 28th 2008 4:45PM]

37 here with 5 errors, but since I'm not a native english speaking person i had my share of problems =) Besides, I always look at the keys when I write, which is kinda hard to type while reading a text.

[Jared @ Feb 29th 2008 12:47AM]

I just want to know when to dump the clutch

[a ham sandwich @ Feb 28th 2008 2:14PM]

awesome title!

[zed @ Feb 28th 2008 2:18PM]

keylogger!

[Allan @ Feb 28th 2008 2:26PM]

I just want to figure out how fast I type without buying some $40 peripheral and having it secretly log all my keystrokes. Is that so much to ask?

[Phil Ringsmuth @ Feb 28th 2008 2:26PM]

I have no idea why, but I think I need one of these!

[kal326 @ Feb 28th 2008 2:38PM]

Typing wpm versus blender rpms, decisions, decisions....

[mattwier @ Feb 28th 2008 2:57PM]

LMAO, FTW.

[billmao @ Feb 28th 2008 3:02PM]

I would buy it if it goes VROOOOOOOOOOOM too.

[Sporkinum @ Feb 28th 2008 3:19PM]

Need to combine this with The Typing of the Dead.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Typing_of_the_Dead

[Daniel @ Feb 28th 2008 4:20PM]

I played that game back in 02 in Japan. I was surprised when it was in English letters but had Japanese words

[Marshall @ Feb 28th 2008 4:32PM]

Who types 260 WPM? I would seriously like to shake that person's (extremely toned) hand.

[PGP-Protector @ Feb 28th 2008 6:14PM]

Management will love these, Another fun way to track employee work

[Joshua Walters @ Feb 28th 2008 6:29PM]

Logitech has a Windows gadget for that exact same thing.

Unfortunately, I cant get it to work on my version of Vista. Im sure its another x64 issue.

[Andy @ Feb 28th 2008 7:24PM]

83 wpm, 1 mistake. I did use backspace (quite a bit)

[Travis Alexander @ Feb 28th 2008 7:55PM]

More like TypingWeb teaches Mavis Beacon a lesson in speed amiright?

[Eon Pul @ Feb 28th 2008 8:04PM]

Travis is right. TypingWeb is awesome because it's free and does everything I could want from a typing tutor. I wonder if this thing works with it? It's here http://www.typingweb.com/

[KYDS3K @ Feb 28th 2008 11:07PM]

Typershark FTW!!!!