Ian Burrell, writing in The Independent, reports that The Times’ newsroom is set to ring with the sounds of typewriters once more.

“To the surprise of Times journalists, a tall speaker on a stand has been erected in the newsroom to pump out typewriter sounds, to increase energy levels and help reporters to hit deadlines. The audio begins with the gentle patter of a single typewriter and slowly builds to a crescendo, with the keys of ranks of machines hammering down as the paper’s print edition is due to go to press.”

He also references Hanx Writer, an iOS app that turns your iPhone or iPad into a metaphysical typewriter, complete with sounds.

My take: Really? I will admit to liking the analogue machines I once used but that was only until the keys jammed or — oops — a typo! And then you had to find an envelope and — gasp — a postage stamp. Sometimes digital is better. But creating a soundscape of typewriters to prompt journalists to work faster seems highly manipulative.