Tag Archives: keyboard

Innovative Bluetooth keyboard turns its surface into a giant touchpad

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Wireless keyboards are nothing new. Whether you’re on a desktop trying to escape the tangle of cables or on a laptop wanting to expand your limited set of keys, a wireless keyboard offers a bit more freedom and flexibility than other keyboards. That said, they still have the same limitations, namely, requiring a separate mouse or touchpad to move the computer cursor around. Not only does that take up more desk space, it also means another device you might forget or lose along the way. Some Bluetooth keyboards add a tiny touchpad off to the side, but that comes at the cost of reducing the number of keys available on the keyboard. This ingenious solution gives the best of both worlds by practically turning the entire keyboard into one giant touchpad you can swipe and pinch, just like any other touchpad.

Designer: Igor Solovyov (Industrial Designer, Clevetura)

Laptops have the advantage of having both a keyboard and a pointing device in a single body, but their arrangement is hardly the best in terms of ergonomics and flexibility. Wireless keyboards with built-in trackpads, on the other hand, try to cram this component in an already small space but still manage to sacrifice keys like the numeric keypad. It’s almost as if there’s no ideal design that solves this problem, but the CLVX 1 boldly tries to think outside the box while offering a keyboard that, at least on paper, matches the functionality of many Bluetooth keyboards in the market today.

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In a nutshell, the middle area of the CLVX 1 keyboard is touch-sensitive and functions like a giant touchpad. Thanks to a special slippery coating, you can effortlessly glide your finger across that area to move the mouse around without snagging on the edges of the keys. You can even pinch to zoom or perform any other touch gestures, just like a normal trackpad. As a bonus, the top row of function keys also functions as a slider that you can smoothly swipe without even having to look, making it just as easy to control the volume or any other function you program into the gesture. The keyboard promises that it won’t mix up typing and gestures, as it automatically disables touch detection once you press a key. And in case you’re wondering about mouse button presses, the keyboard has dedicated physical buttons below the spacebar for those actions.

In all other aspects, the CLVX 1 boasts a laundry list of features available on many wireless keyboards and then some. It has a 110-key layout, which is far more than your typical Bluetooth keyboard, and uses scissor switches. The RGB lighting also has a few tricks, like following your finger as you glide over the keys. You can pair up to three devices with it via Bluetooth, but you can also connect to a device using USB-C for a fourth connection.

The CLVX 1 is definitely an intriguing design, but its mettle still needs to be tested in real-world use. The smoothness of swiping over keys will definitely be the biggest point of concern, but the typing experience of having those keys so close together is also an important consideration. Nevertheless, it definitely deserves some praise for thinking outside the box to deliver a design that doesn’t compromise just to mix two functions in one.

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Retro Mechanical Keyboard has a tiny TV for information and entertainment

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Mechanical keyboards are a dime a dozen these days, all of them promising a better typing experience thanks to more tactile switches. They cover a wide variety of designs, those most seem to swing either towards gamer RGB aesthetics or old-school retro styles. This particular keyboard leans more toward the latter, but that’s not exactly what’s noteworthy about it. What makes it special is that 2.9-inch TV-like mini display in the corner, adding a bit of whimsical flavor to the keyboard. That said, that screen is more than just some fanciful embellishment, as it can add a bit of value to your computing experience even while delivering some fun distractions when you need it.

Designer: Epomaker

Keyboards with screens aren’t exactly unheard of by now, especially on laptops. Almost all of these designs, however, use the additional display for productivity purposes, often by providing extra touch controls, a drawing space, or even a small second monitor. Given how small the “mini TV” of the Epomaker RT100 is, it can hardly do those functions, but it still manages to bring a smile to users’ faces, especially with how much they can customize the experience.

The small 2.9-inch screen, embedded in a detachable trapezoidal prism, sits on the upper left edge of the keyboard. Using Epomaker’s software, that tiny TV can display anything from the time, the weather, an animated image, or even a game of Tetris. It offers a combination of distraction and information that will keep you on your toes while you work. As a bonus, that “TV” is actually removable, which reveals the hidden 2.4GHz wireless receiver for a cable-free connection.

On the more serious side, the Epomaker RT100 has a rather distinctive faceted knob that sits like a black gem on the upper right corner of the keyboard. By default, the physical dial can be used to control media playback, but it can also be programmed for other functions as well. Unfortunately, you can’t change the play icon on the knob’s top to match the function you assign to it.

In all other aspects, this 96-key keyboard is pretty much what you’d expect from mechanical keyboards of its class, including hot-swappable switches and programmable south-facing RGB lighting. The keyboard embraces a chunky aesthetic that calls forth memories or images of decades gone by, making the design feel a little anachronistic in a visually interesting way.

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Retro mechanical keyboards offer a tactile experience to inspire creativity

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We’ve all been there, staring at a blank page at a complete loss on how to get started on a written project. The dreaded writer’s block makes it feel like our brains are all dried up, but all it really needs is a little nudge to get the creative juices flowing again. That can sometimes come from a fidget toy or, more often than not, a favorite tool that stimulates our senses, especially our sense of touch. That’s the kind of experience that this retro-style keyboard wants to offer, presenting a modern keyboard that looks like a classic typewriter yet also has the elegance of a luxury item, giving both your eyes and your fingers a feast to get that brain running again.

Designer: AZIO

There’s actually no shortage of computer keyboards that lay claim to the title of “retro” or “classic, but many of them heaps on embellishment after embellishment to the point that the design becomes showy and distracting. The keyboards become more like decorative pieces to show off rather than functional tools to help you get the job done with as little friction as possible.

AZIO’s new collection of retro mechanical keyboards tries to strike the balance between minimalist design and detailed retro aesthetics. Inspired by the design of classic typewriters, it shaped the keys into concave circles encased in what looks like polished metal. The keys have a rather sizable gap between them, allowing the backlight underneath to shine through the spaces and give the keyboard a distinctive yet gentle glow.

The retro keyboard, however, goes beyond simply trying to mimic a typewriter. AZIO opted to use premium materials for both the frame as well as the surface of the keyboard itself, mixing aluminum with wood or leather. These materials are already a sight to behold, but their textures can also stimulate the skin. You don’t need to reach for a fidget toy or any other object when you can just glide your finger across the luxurious materials of the keyboard instead.

Of course, this is a mechanical keyboard, so it comes with all the benefits that this kind of device entails, from a solid, tactile typing experience to the satisfying clicky sounds that each key makes. The overall design is distinctive yet subtle, giving your eyes something nice to look at without taking your mind off the task at hand. It’s a tool that is a pleasure to see, touch, and use and doesn’t get in the way of you creating your next big writing masterpiece.

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DIY macro keyboard gives designers customizable shortcuts for any app

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Content creation is a big thing these days, whether you’re producing video for live streaming, making graphic art, or even digitally carving 3D models for virtual spaces. Unsurprisingly, there’s a wide variety of software tools available to creators as well, ranging from simple ones you can run directly on your phone to the more sophisticated suites that require a laptop or even a desktop. The variety of features in apps that people use on a daily basis can become mentally exhausting, especially when it comes to memorizing keyboard combos that should help speed up workflows. Our fingers can only do so much, and the number of shortcuts we have to remember across multiple apps can actually do more harm than good. This DIY project tries to make designers’ and creators’ lives a bit easier by offering a mini keyboard that can adapt its icons and actions to match the app you’re using.

Designer: Maximilian Kern

So-called macro keyboards like the Elgato Stream Deck are becoming more popular not just among streamers but also among computer power users. They provide a dedicated set of buttons separate from your keyboard that you can map to almost any function in an app to make them easier to use. As popular as these gadgets might be, they’re still considered niche and, therefore, expensive, out of reach of budding creators.

If you’re anything of a tinkerer or maker, however, you can also just make your own, like what this Keybon project aims to accomplish. It’s a small box with nine tactile buttons buttons that you can assign to a specific function or keyboard shortcut. And just like those pricey commercial macro keyboards, it can switch to a different layout depending on what software you’re running at the time.

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What makes Keybon extra special is that each of those nine buttons actually has small 0.66-inch screens on top, and you can select an icon to match the action that the button represents at that time. While it might be faster with muscle memory, visual cues like this will help your brain adjust when switching between apps and layouts. At the same time, you also don’t have to force yourself to actually memorize the actions and buttons and simply take a quick glance at the keyboard to know which one to press.

That said, this kind of project does require a bit of electronics and software know-how to create Keybon, but that also opens the door to more freedom in the design of the device. Fortunately, all the needed pieces are available for free, so it can also become a springboard for makers and creators to customize their own personal macro keyboard to their hearts’ content.

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Wedged-shaped full metal keyboard is inspired by the Flatiron NYC landmark

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Computer keyboards are designed for utility primarily, with aesthetics often coming in second place if at all. Considering its purpose, that’s not exactly puzzling, but there are thankfully fresh new designs that are giving keyboards more refreshing visuals without changing the standard formula in any way. There are, however, also bolder attempts at carving a completely different character for the humble keyboard, without losing any of its functionality, of course, creating a product that is as much a work of art as it is a piece of engineering. One such piece is this all-metal “Icebreaker” keyboard, presenting a rather radical approach that aims for maximum impact by distilling the design down to its bare essentials, resulting in an almost brutalist form that takes its cues from that iconic steel-framed building in New York City.

Designer: Denis Agarkov (Serene.Industries)

The earliest computer keyboards came with a chunky wedge shape, not for the sake of appearances but almost out of necessity. It offered a naturally inclined plane that was more ergonomic than typing on a flat surface, although the designers of that period may have not been completely cognizant of that. It’s a design convention that today’s keyboards implement using foldable stands in order to accommodate varying user preferences as well as sleeker styles and thinner profiles.

The Icebreaker, in contrast, is unapologetic in embracing that wedge shape and does so in an almost extreme way. It’s actually more of a triangle than a wedge, with the angle facing the user presenting an edge that looks sharp enough to chop wood or even break ice, hence the name. The inclined plane naturally forces your hands to type at a fixed angle, but unlike the first keyboards of old, the design comes with built-in wrist support. When viewed from certain angles, like when the keyboard stands upright on one of its sides, it resembles the Fuller “Flatiron” Building in New York, a piece of architecture that is famed for its unusual shape that represents a cast-iron clothes iron.

Just like that building, or perhaps even more so, the entire keyboard is machined from aluminum, including the keycaps. Unlike your typical keycaps, these are completely concave circles. Even more interesting, the marks on the keys aren’t in the middle but are off to the corners, created using 300-micron micro-perforations. There are no other markings on the keyboard, no color or even backlighting, giving it an industrial aesthetic that borders on brutalism because of its raw, full metal appearance.

Of course, The Icebreaker isn’t just for show and it actually has one feature not found on most keyboards. There’s a programmable dial off the left of the keyboard, a useful tool for creators who constantly scroll through menus and options. It’s definitely an interesting piece of computer equipment, at least visually. Its actual usability and ergonomics, however, are still to be judged when the product actually becomes available for purchase.

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Ceramic-inspired keyboard brings a splatter of Italian design to your desk

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Computer keyboards are often regarded as purely utilitarian products. Aside from the RGB lighting that gaming-focused keyboards have, the majority of the designs tend to lean towards black or white color schemes, with a few colorful exceptions here and there. These input devices are rarely considered works of art, or even anything related to art. Of course, there is a very small number that doesn’t fit inside this box, putting as much attention to aesthetics as is paid to performance and ergonomics. This rather peculiar keyboard design, for example, splatters a variety of colors on the case, recreating an artistic style used by Italian artisans to create their rather unique and artistic ceramic.

Designer: Brazen Studio

Some people might have preconceived notions of what ceramic products look like, either completely brown like clay jars or pure white with elaborate patterns painted on their glossy surfaces. Italy, however, has another and rather unique variation to that design, employing a technique called “schizatto,” which literally means splatter, to glaze and decorate their ceramics. The end result is, as the name suggests, a splattering of paint drops with random shapes and volume, giving the design a unique and whimsical character.

That’s the kind of unconventional appearance that the Mason60 keyboard cases deliver, adding not just visual interest but also an element of fun to your computer use. Each keyboard case is individually hand-crafted using this artistic technique, making every single one an exclusive limited edition product of sorts. And since no two splatters will ever be the same, each case carries its own personality, reflecting not just physics but the artist’s “brush” during the time of its creation as well.

The Mason60 Schizzato series doesn’t stop at just mimicking the appearance of those artisan ceramics. Made from gypsum resin composite, the cases give keyboards a heft that’s not unlike those very same ceramic products. The material is also polished to give it a glossy finish that one might even mistake for real marble. In other words, the Mason60 will really make your keyboard look and feel like an authentic Italian ceramic product, or at least something that definitely looks artistic from any angle.

It’s too easy to take for granted how a simple change to the keyboard’s appearance could affect your use of the computer. Yes, it won’t directly affect your typing experience, at least depending on the kind of keys and switches you will be pairing with these cases, but it will affect your mental state at the very least. If you spend a lot of time in front of the computer, having something beautiful and interesting always in your sight could definitely help perk up your mood and stimulate your brain. Plus, it never hurts to have something so novel and unique as a conversation starter and maybe even a source of envy among your friends.

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Lenovo Mechanical Energy Harvesting keyboard-mouse combo channels your fidgety into limitless power

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Solar-powered keyboard and mouse are nothing new to the industry, but Lenovo wants to take the gauntlet further. At CES 2024, the Hong Kong-based consumer electronics giant revealed a unique keyboard and mouse combo that uses mechanical movement and solar irradiation to power things up. That means, no need to worry about changing batteries or exposing your peripherals to natural light.

The concept props up from the limitation of solar panels on cloudy days or in darker rooms without much ambient light. The mouse comes with a crank at the bottom while the keyboard has a kinetic dial on the top left corner. So, as you read an article on the internet you could channel your anxious vibes into charging the battery of the combo peripherals.

Designer: Lenovo

Still in the concept stage, the creation dubbed “Mechanical Energy Harvesting Combo” also gets solar panels on the keyboard to take advantage of natural or room light. I find the spinning dial on the keyboard to be more practical than the crank on the mouse which required more conscious effort. According to Lenovo, for five minutes of spinning, the keyboard gets another 30 minutes of added battery charge.

Lenovo has got all bases covered as there is a USB-C port on the back for times when you prefer the surety of manual wired charging. Other than that there is a customary three-position switch for toggling the RF dongle, wired USB, or Bluetooth connection.

For the mouse, Lenovo chose an embedded ring on a pivot that can be raised and then rotated for the crank motion. A minute of winding gives around 30 minutes of charge time. Quite an effort though, but still something different that Lenovo has tried to create. As for the regular specifications, the software-programable mouse to 12,800 dpi has a good in-hand feel. There are the scroll buttons, side snipping button, resolution switcher, shortcut buttons and toggle switch.

There is no word yet if this concept combo will make it to the commercial market, still, it’s highly plausible if Lenovo manages to fit in more functionality and hardware innovation. I’m pretty sure the keyboard seems like a good bet but the mouse crank motion needs to graduate into something more practical.

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Clicks iPhone Attachment Adds A Physical Keyboard

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Do you miss having a tactile, physical keyboard on your phone? Then set your time machine dial to 2006. Or you can buy Clicks, an iPhone attachment that adds a physical keyboard to the bottom of your phone. In addition to allowing more screen real estate while in use, the keyboard also allows shortcuts and dedicated keys. My productivity is going to skyrocket!

Billed as the first ‘creator’s keyboard’, the Clicks is currently available for iPhone models 14 Pro and 15 Pro ($139), and 15 Pro Max ($159) in two colors: BumbleeBee (yellow) and London Sky (dark grey). The keyboard features a backlight that can be toggled on and off for night use, and appears to make your phone long enough to pass as a handheld metal detector. That alone is worth the price in my opinion.

Make more space for apps and content by moving the keyboard off your screen….Real keys make typing feel so natural, you can tackle more tasks than ever on iPhone. …Fly through tasks with keyboard shortcuts and dedicated keys that give you ultimate control of your phone.

Admittedly, I do miss having a real keyboard on my phone. Of course, I also miss owning a pager. They say technology is cyclical, will both keyboarded phones and pagers make a comeback? I can dream, can’t I?

[via LaughingSquid]

Modular keyboard concept employs hexagons to switch things up a bit

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There has been a great deal of effort and attention put on keyboards these past years, whether for actual products or for ideas that embody the hopes and wishes of both users and designers. From split-type ergonomic keyboards to keyboards with all sorts of knobs and touch screens, these designs are all made in an attempt to make people’s lives easier and to cater to their needs. Of course, not everyone’s needs are the same, so features on one keyboard might not work for different audiences. This keyboard design concept is already interesting because of its modularity, but it becomes even more eye-catching thanks to an unusual choice in the shape of its keys and controls.

Designers: Travis Ragsdale, Elijah Vary

The basic design of keyboards is almost set in stone, at least for the combination of letters and numbers that make up the essentials for keyboards of any size. The layouts might differ from region to region or from laptop to laptop, but there are more or less 80 keys even on the smallest configurations. Beyond that is almost fair game, with some preferring a numeric keypad to the side, while others probably wish for a different set of controls.

The K-Bird Spec Project is a concept design for a modular keyboard that tries to address that need by providing a different side module for different applications. You can have the typical numpad for fast numeric input or you can have a set of sliders and dials for quickly controlling or editing audio. You can even have a small drawing area with a groove to place a stylus. Or you can have no modules at all and be left with admittedly odd-looking handles protruding from the side.

The base shape of the keyboard theoretically allows for modules to be placed on either side, but the modules themselves would have to be designed to be ambidextrous. The default seems to presume the current convention of placing modules on the right side where the numeric keypad would usually be, and you can’t simply put it on the left because of the handle extending from that side.

What makes this design a little different from other modular keyboard concepts is its use of hexagons as the main shape for all the controls, even the sliders and dials on the modular extensions. The keys themselves are indented, which is already unconventional as far as keyboard designs go. It gives the keyboard a more visually interesting appearance, though it’s not clear whether that will have any negative impact on the ergonomics of typing on such a kind of keycap shape.

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