Cold Hard Type cover designs

We are tentatively on track for our projected publishing date of June 1! Watch this blog for an announcement.

Here's a preview of the covers for the two volumes of Cold Hard Type.


Photo: Ish Takacs


Photo: Chris Ochs


These books are full of great, typewritten stories, as well as delightful poems, photos, and art. Their price will be within the budget of every typospherian.

I'm also starting a new publishing house for these books:

1950 Siemag II T typewriter

Last night I restored this 1950 Siemag II T which I imported from Germany several months ago. It just needed some cleaning to start functioning robustly again. "Robust" is certainly the word for this make. (I picked up a Royal KMM yesterday afternoon from Craigslist, and after hefting the Siemag around, the KMM felt light.) Everything on the Siemag is solid and well-designed.


The Royal-esque side panels come out very easily when you push buttons underneath them. This reveals levers that can be flipped to allow instant removal of the carriage. It's almost as easy as doing it on an Olympia SG1.



As just one glimpse of the quality of this machine, here's a close-up of the controls on the left side of the carriage. Note the thick, chromed pinch lever that selects the line spacing.


Will Davis's II T
More II Ts on The Typewriter Database

What is this madness?

On my latest trip, I found this little tablet on the table by my bed in the hotel room.



It was inviting me to read a welcome message, check out the Wall Street Journal, review the weather, and who knows what else.



Can it be true that most travelers want yet another screen in their lives? One that may be spying on them, for all they know?

Yes, the device has cameras in both front and back:



I stuck it between the pages of a good, old-fashioned, printed guide to local attractions.

No thanks, Keypr/Intelity.