Tag Archives: typing

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]

Google Japan Makes 5-Foot Long Keyboard with All Its Keys in a Single Row

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Because when it comes to computing, there’s always room for unimprovement, Google Japan has created a 5.4-foot long keyboard with all the keys in a single row. Presumably inspired by the dancing piano keyboard scene from Big, its creators say the keyboard prevents having to look in every direction for the key you need since it can only be left or right and not up or down. Of course, you may still need a yardstick to reach it.

I learned how to touch type in high school, and it’s hands-down been one of the most useful skills I ever learned. As a matter of fact, it may be the only useful skill I learned in high school. I mean, besides, how to entertain myself in detention. Now I’m never bored.

I don’t think Google is actually going to produce the keyboard for sale, presumably because it’s a ridiculously bad idea. You need any more bad ideas, Google? Hire me; I’m full of them. Here’s a freebie: a 12-pound computer mouse that can only be moved incrementally for extreme precision.

[via PCMag]

The MelGeek Pixel, A LEGO-Compatible Computer Keyboard

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The MelGeek Pixel, at least according to the company that makes it, is the world’s first LEGO-compatible keyboard. And I’m inclined to believe them. Mainly because who would have thought to make a LEGO-compatible keyboard? I don’t want painful stud imprints on my hands and arms all day; I’m trying to type here.

The $199 keyboard (early-bird special, retail $269) features a fully customizable front and back with hot-swappable keys, RGB Lights, and both wired and wireless modes. Get creative with your building! Build so much stuff on your keyboard that you can’t even type anymore, then blame it for your low work productivity. That’s what I plan to do. Yes, I know I didn’t meet my deadline, but there was a LEGO spaceship in the way.

Just what I need on my desk, another distraction to keep me from getting my work done. Not that my work was going to get done anyways because of all the other distractions, but still, here’s another one. I only wish they made a LEGO-compatible mouse and monitor too.

[via Gizmodo]

The Glove80 Split Curved Keyboard: For Max Ergonomics

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Typing: a lot of us do it all day long. But what kind of wear and tear does that cause to our hands and arms and neck and shoulders and joints? Mine hurt all the time; I know that. I wish I could just type with my mind. But enough about the future not coming soon enough, the Glove80 wireless ergonomic keyboard is designed to eliminate as much stress as possible so you can type longer and faster without fatigue. But can it help push back project deadlines?

Currently, an already funded Kickstarter project, the ~$300 Glove80, is split into two pieces to be placed at a comfortable distance apart from one another, so you don’t have to round your shoulders while typing. The (patent pending!) thumb key layout places all six thumb keys within easy reach without rotating the palm, reducing hand and wrist movement while typing. Finally, the curved finger columns and contoured key wells “follow the fingers’ natural curling motion” to help minimize lateral finger movement. Plus, anybody that sees the keyboard on your desk will assume you’re an elite hacker – an added bonus!

The keyboard also features 16 RGB lighted keys and a choice of three different low-profile mechanical chocolate switches (clicky, tactile, and linear). It can be configured with any key layout you desire, including QWERTY, Colemak, Dvorak, or your personalized creation. So, will I finally be able to type over 20WPM? I doubt it; I’ve always been more of a hunt-and-pecker. Now, where’s that darn period key again? Ah – there it is.

[via Geeky Gadgets]

Stunning Pokémon Keycaps Are Like Tiny Worlds Inside Your Keys

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Crafted by artist and Etsy seller Hirosart, these custom Pokémon keycaps feature miniature worlds inside your keys. Not satisfied with just the pocket monsters alone, Hirosart creates tiny landscapes that reflect the areas in which the Pokémon live. How about that! Thank goodness I don’t own any, or I’d get so lost staring at my keys I’d never get anything written. It’s already hard enough, and my keyboard is missing keys.

Individual Pokémon keycaps start at around $50 apiece and go up from there depending on key size, with a spacebar running around $174. They’re certainly not the cheapest keys, but they’re definitely some of the most stunning. And can you really put a price on pounding your Charizard return key to send a particularly fiery email to someone? I would argue not.

I just bought a set not realizing they wouldn’t be compatible with my laptop keyboard because I don’t think about these things, I just get excited, grab my wife’s credit card, and spend. Now I need to buy a separate keyboard in order to use them and, wouldn’t you know, I accidentally bought a musical keyboard instead! She’s going to kill me.

[via Kotaku]

Mars Rover Curiosity Keyboard Wrist Rest Is Out of This World

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Space: according to Star Trek, is the final frontier. And I learned everything I know from watching Star Trek, most importantly of which is always keep someone in a red shirt between you and an enemy’s phaser. But how can we pay homage to our current space exploration? Enter this Curiosity Rover wrist rest available from Vietnam-based Moon Key. Wait – where are all the aliens?

Available for $99, the wrist rest comes in five different widths to accommodate any keyboard and features a hand-painted Curiosity Rover cruising along the rocky surface of the red planet. I’m tempted to buy one, knowing full well it’s going to be hard to get any work done while constantly getting lost daydreaming about space exploration and making rocket ship noises at my desk.

As far as preventing wrist strain, there’s no question it beats my current wrist rest, which is none at all. Unfortunately, the strain causes my hands to cramp and requires me to take regular breaks from typing. Plus, my keyboard is missing keys, and I have to copy and paste certain characters from a notepad document I keep open on my desktop. Honestly, I should probably buy a book on productivity. You know, something to rest my coffee on.

Corsair’s K60 RGB Pro Low Profile gaming keyboard nails the basics

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Even if you’re not a hardcore PC player, you might be tempted to buy a gaming keyboard for its sturdy construction and mechanical keys. But the tradeoff is often much noisier typing, as well as a larger build thanks to features like media buttons and...

Corsair did its best, but I still dislike opto-mechanical keyboards

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It’s a bit of an understatement to say that gaming keyboards have come a long way in the past decade. Customizable RGB lighting, dedicated macro keys and media controls have become standard features.  And some of the larger companies have even come u...

Samsung’s newest experiments include hands-free typing and a scalp scanner

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It wouldn't be CES without Samsung unveiling projects from C-Lab, and the latest batch is once more trying to solve common problems through unusual methods. For some, the most practical may be SelfieType. As the name suggests, it uses your device's...