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Does the iPhone need a real keyboard?

The other day, as I sat waiting for Jeff Bezos to appear in an auditorium to announce the new Kindle DX, I was surrounded by iPhones. Literally. Two people to my right, two people in front of me, and three people in back of me were all tapping out IMs or e-mails on their iPhones. What struck me was how awkward most of these people looked, tapping away with a single finger, laboring to type sentences just a few lines long.

Now I know some people can type quickly using the iPhone's virtual keyboard. A week earlier I'd … Read more

DIY hacker sews keyboard into shants, redefines touch-typing

We've seen keyboards integrated into pants before (in this edition of DO NOT CRAVE), but we're willing to give it another chance because Brooklynite Zach Hoeken actually made these himself.

Zach spawned the keyboard pants idea at Sunday's Fashion Hacking Day sponsored by NYC Resistor, a collective that brings hackers together to share knowledge and collaborate on creative projects. Instead of throwing away a flexible silicone keyboard he had lying around the house, he decided to cut it in half and sew it onto a pair of shants.

Hoeken lists the required tools and outlines a basic … Read more

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Keyman Desktop Professional Edition allows users to change keyboard configurations to accommodate multiple languages. During our tests, we were able to type and edit our text in English, but we were unable to access the On Screen Keyboard and view our text in any other language.

During the initial setup, you're expected to install a keyboard based on a language of your choosing. We selected the BU keyboard, which was compatible with both English and French, among other languages. The main user interface resembles most text editing programs, so you'll feel right at home. The interface can be … Read more

Stay clean with a waterproof keyboard

A friend of mine once spilled coffee on her computer keyboard and then took it to a sink to clean that muck off with soap and water. She ended up having to get a new keyboard. Now I know what I should get her.

Devlin Electronics is offering a new keyboard that you can wash with water without harming the circuit board inside.

Dubbed "CleanKey," the keyboard is waterproof and fully submersible, even when it's still plugged in. You can also quickly wipe the surface, which is sealed and has no crevices for dust (and bacteria) to … Read more

Save time while typing: Skip the apostrophes

As you probably know, the iPhone attempts to auto-correct as you type. If you key in "blogget," for example, it'll automatically replace it with "blogger" when you hit the space bar. But did you know the iPhone can compensate for missing punctuation as well?

Try it. Type "can't" without the apostrophe (and then hit Space). Presto: the iPhone fills it in for you. Same goes for words like "don't," "isn't," and "you're."

What this means is you can tap along without switching to … Read more

Troubleshooting iPhone keyboard lags

Several iPhone users are experiencing visual feedback lags when attempting to type messages on their iPhones. Symptoms include key animations not activating when keys are touched. The issue does not appear to be for a specific letter or area of the keyboard and is generally considered intermittent, though many users report a consistent problem while typing in the SMS application.

Apple Support Discussions user Delapidator relays their experience with this issue:

"On the iPhone keyboard. You know when you touch a key on the keyboard and as you touch the letter it pops up but larger? Well, occasionally when … Read more

Vioguard: A zap a day keeps your keyboard germ-free

Here's what the doctor would prescribe for a sick keyboard: the Vioguard keyboard. Though not cheap at $499 to $599 when it rolls out later this year, this contraption may be worth looking into if you consider the fact that the keyboard may have even more germs than a toilet seat.

Setting that image aside, the Vioguard system is an idiot-proof one-button process. Once initiated, a motorized drawer will retract the keyboard into an enclosure and put it through a bath of germicidal ultraviolet light. That's some powerful medicine. Now if only this'll zap our hands clean … Read more

White chocolate keyboard a sweet idea

Some people love white chocolate. Others think it shouldn't even be called chocolate because it insults the category. Whatever the case, I think the white chocolate keyboard as shown is super-cool, just for the geek factor alone.

This isn't an actual product you can buy--not yet at least--but rather a digital rendering. Nonetheless, companies like Hershey and Cadbury should really capitalize on the idea and bring us a line of nerd confectionary shaped like this. I personally wouldn't eat this keyboard because I prefer real dark chocolate, though I wouldn't mind a chocolate mouse (the pointing … Read more

TigerDirect.com has the Adesso 2.4 Ghz RF Wireless Mini Keyboard with Optical Trackball for $64.99, after $14.96 Instant savings.

Save $14.96 on the Adesso 2.4 Ghz RF Wireless Mini Keyboard with Optical Trackball from TigerDirect.com >> Regular price is $79.95 >> Sale price is $64.99 >> Savings $14.96 (18.71%) >> Click here for deal