Input Device
Porsche 911 leather steering wheel for PC and PS3
April 29, 2008 Gamers have long been able to take their dream ride for a virtual spin, and now high-end input device producer Fanatec is offering Porsche fans and gamers alike an authentic look and feel with the introduction of the Porsche 911 Turbo Racing Wheel for PC and Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3). The leather-covered wheel features a tuning display that allows gamers to change settings like sensitivity or Force Feedback during gameplay. A Mabuchi RS 550 Motor is responsible for the extra strong Force Feedback effects with additional Force Feedback actuators in the wheel used to stimulate motor vibrations. Read More
Sony Ericsson announces XPERIA X1 Slider-phone
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February 11, 2008 Headlining an array of new releases from Sony Ericsson, the XPERIA™ X1 marks the launch of a new brand for the company, one which it hopes will gain traction in the brave new world of mobile convergence where the term "phone" just doesn't cut it anymore. Featuring a 3-inch clear wide VGA display, media player and 3.2 mega-pixel camera housed in a metal-finish, slider-design body, the XPERIA X1 offers multiple navigation options from touch screen interaction to a 4-way key, full wide-pitch QWERTY keyboard or optical joystick with seamless switching promised between input modes. Read More
Pulse Smartpen: merging the mobile computer with the humble pen
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Efforts to combine the sheer convenience of the pen as an input device with the benefits of digital technology continue to evolve with Livescribe's launch of the Pulse Smartpen. Based on licensed technology from pioneering digital pen developer Anoto, the Pulse not only digitally captures handwriting, but simultaneously records and synchronizes audio. The system promises incredible benefits for students, professionals or anyone in a note taking situation... and that's just the beginning. Everything you hear, speak or write is captured by the Pulse and by tapping the pen on the paper, the system will replay audio coinciding with the moment those notes were taken. Read More
Logitech announces MX 5500 Revolution Bluetooth keyboard and mouse combo
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January 16, 2008 Logitech's latest wireless input package - the Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution - bundles the company's MX Revolution cordless laser mouse with an ergonomic Bluetooth keyboard that boasts a range of 30 feet and integrates a 2.95-by-.79 inch (7.5-by-2 cm) LCD display showing key information such as time and date, calculator, temperature, favorites, e-mail updates and song titles. Read More
Mitsubishi Electric Automation updates graphic operation terminals
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January 13, 2008 The industrial automation solutions arm of Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc. has introduced seven six-inch touchscreen displays for its GOT1000 platform of Graphical Operator Terminals (GOT). The new 24V DC-powered GT1555-VTBD features a 16-bit color spectrum TFT display in VGA (640 x 480 resolution) format, and is loaded with 9MB of onboard flash memory. It is capable of displaying over 65,000 colors for photo-quality images, and can execute many embedded advanced maintenance functions, such as ladder monitoring and system monitoring, that were once reserved for much larger terminals. Read More
Quadcharge universal charging station
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August 28, 2007 The Quadcharge is an inexpensive, all in one hub that allows you to charge four devices simultaneously whilst decreasing the number of AC adaptors that need to be connected to a power source, while at the same time cleaning up the tangled web of cords that otherwise pervade your kitchen bench-top or home office space. Read More
The Falcon Game Controller - with realistic force feedback
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UPDATED IMAGES June 30, 2007 We all know the keyboard and mouse are NOT the future of the computer human interface, and to be frank, we’re getting a bit sick of waiting for a replacement capable of generating critical mass. One device with the potential to play a role in the next generation interface, at least in the area of computer games, began shipping this month. Novint Technologies’ highly anticipated, award-winning Novint Falcon game controller is now available in a special Limited Edition bundle. The Falcon is an entirely new type of 3D game interface that makes virtual objects and environments feel real. Replacing a computer mouse or joystick, the US$190 Falcon is, essentially a small robot that lets you feel shape, weight, texture, dimension, dynamics, 3D motion, and force effects when playing enabled games. Read More
The world’s most expensive (and sought after) keyboard
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May 22, 2007 We have some good news and some bad news for all those people who have been hanging out for the arrival of the Optimus keyboard from Russian designer Artemy Lebedev. The keyboard uses OLED technology so that each of the 113 keys is a stand-alone display showing exactly what it is controlling at that moment. Accordingly, you can switch from language to language, or program to program and the functionality of the key will be reflected in the 48 x 48 pixel image it shows. The good news is that after several years of legal and production delays, the first keyboards will be available on November 31, 2007. The bad news is that only 200 keyboards will be available on that date, with a further 200 in December and another 400 keyboards in January – hardly enough for a world market. But wait, there’s more bad news. The price is US$1564 (UER 1256), though when volume production starts, which it surely must for such a sought-after productivity tool, the price can be expected to drop significantly. Pre-orders are now being taken.
Logisys Optical Finger Mouse turns any surface into a mousepad
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March 3, 2007 - Every now and then, devices pop up and offer a glimmer of hope that some day soon, the mouse and keyboard will be as hilariously old-school as Pong and eight-track cartridges, and Logisys' Optical Finger Mouse is one of them. Attached to your index finger with a velcro strap, the device has two buttons (left and right click) and a scroll wheel accessed with your thumb, and lets you use your finger as the cursor and any non-glass surface as a mousepad. Read More
Microsoft’s new Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000
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October 28, 2006 Given all the convergence going on, it seems those items which we cannot do without will begin attracting their share of additional powers. Accordingly, Microsoft’s four-in-one Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 makes perfect sense. It’s still an ergonomic Bluetooth laser mouse with all the company’s signature comfort and performance features, including tilt wheel and magnifier button but it also functions as a slide presenter, a laser pointer, digital ink device and a media remote control. So you can click through the slides of a presentation, highlight a key message with the laser pointer, draw on the presentation screen or control your Media Centre PC remotely. The bottom of the mouse features all the control buttons needed for presentation navigation or media control; users can play, pause, change tracks and adjust volume, or watch a DVD and it’s compatible with RealPlayer, iTunes and Windows Media Player. All for less than a hundred (US) bucks! Read More
Elecom builds a better keyboard
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October 5, 2006 Whether you’re a gun touch typist or a turbo hunt-and-pecker like most of us, you'll more often than not hit the keys on your keyboard slightly off centre and sometimes you’ll hit it on the side or corner of the key and make a typo by hitting the key next to it or failing to record a stroke at all. Now Japanese manufacturer Elecom has introduced a new gear drive mechanism which uses four gears under each key to ensure each key press is recorded cleanly regardless of where you actually press. The company claims a significant reduction in typos so if they’re anywhere near the mark, we’d suggest that we’ll be somewhere in the queue too. Available later this month for approx 5000 yen depending on the model you seek. Read More
The not-so-ugly diNovo Edge keyboard
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October 4, 2006 If there were a technology beauty contest, the keyboard would be a shoe-in for last place, being the epitome of organisationally dyslexic, high-tech-by-accident unsightliness. But in the world of the keyboard, Logitech’s new diNovo Edge keyboard is indeed a beauty, though we’re gonna stop way short of Logitech’s PR copywriter’s description of it being a “minimalist work of high-technology art.” Reflecting the growing importance and visibility of the PC in today’s home, the rechargeable diNovo Edge has some compelling features such as an integrated touch-sensitive navigation and scroll panel, and includes embedded Bluetooth wireless technology (and it aint as ugly as a normal one). Read More
Logitech announces new mice with hyper-fast scrolling
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August 24, 2006 It just might be a major breakthrough in PC navigation, though we won’t know until we’ve tried it but the claim is credible. Logitech has announced two advanced mice that it claims will significantly speed the task of finding and manipulating content on a computer. Both mice feature hyper-fast scrolling with a an alloy wheel – the MicroGear Precision Scroll Wheel – that spins freely for up to seven seconds, spanning hundreds of pages with a single flick of the finger and setting a new benchmark in scrolling efficiency. Computer navigation with these mice is also enhanced with an innovative search feature that allows the selection of a word or phrase on a Web page or in a document and, with a single click, the viewing of Internet search results on that subject. And with their ergonomic designs, the new mice offer a level of comfort that makes them become a virtually imperceptible extension of the hand. Read More
The Logitech EasyCall Desktop combines speakerphone, headset, mouse and keyboard
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August 18, 2006 As convergence progresses and we see more functionality shoehorned into the one box, the interfaces to the box will logically grow in number. With the introduction of voice-over-IP services and the growth of broadband, it’s logical that different people will want the VOIP interface they’re most comfortable with and that’s why Logitech has developed the EasyCall Desktop - the first combination of a mouse, keyboard, headset and speakerphone. With integrated controls for placing and accepting calls, EasyCall Desktop makes the process of making, accepting and controlling Internet calls on the PC more like using a mobile or traditional phone. Read More
QWERTY keyboards deserve to die
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August 4, 2006 We are fully in agreement with Triggerfinger’s company motto of “QWERTY keyboards deserve to die” so please do your bit to let people know that there’s an alternative to the old dinosaur that was invented 150 years ago. Triggerfinger has developed software that turns any game controller into a replacement for a keyboard/mouse for a media PC, laptop/mobile and Game Console. The software was developed to provide freedom from the onscreen or QWERTY keyboard found on most computers and the use of a hand held input device eliminates these problems by putting the keyboard/mouse in the palm of your hand. Experts in Human Factors think the acceptable threshold for text input is 15 wpm. Triggerfinger research shows an inexperienced user with an hour of instruction on a Triggerfinger-enabled device exceeds this established base line. This compares very favorably to an onscreen keyboard or stylus text input. Demos and video of the software are available here. Read More
Microsoft's backlit, rechargeable, wireless keyboard
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June 30, 2006 Now let’s get one thing straight – we hate the QWERTY keyboard. It is 150 year old technology masquerading as high-tech and strangling the productivity of the world’s computer users. But until a viable alternative to the predominant computer input device comes along that has enough momentum to survive, we’re prepared to acknowledge the ongoing incremental improvement of this ghastly device. Microsoft is the world’s largest producer of keyboards and has offered some significant enhancements along the way, most notably the tilt wheel and the Magnifier and is set to release a wireless keyboard that is both rechargeable and backlit. It's even pretty smart for a keyboard as the ambient backlighting turns on when a room is dimly lit, and proximity sensing turns it on when the user's hand approaches. Read More
Belkin FLIP shares one monitor, keyboard and mouse (and two speakers) between two computers
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March 29, 2006 We often look at Belkin’s product offerings with respect – their product development team often comes up with clever solutions for providing seamless electronics integration between home, car and mobile and the execution has always been sound. Now here’s another ripsnorter! The new Belkin Flip lets you share one monitor, keyboard, and mouse between two computers, allowing business professionals to take home their work laptop and easily plug it into their home setup or a dozen other scenarios. Read More
The first left-handed mouse - shaped, cordless, laser, US$60
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March 9, 2006 Roughly 13% of the population is left-handed, meaning there are around 850 million people on planet earth with a preference for using their left hand for a variety of tasks, including throwing, pointing, catching and presumably, using a computer. Astonishingly, there has never been a mouse designed just for left handed computer users until Logitech announced its MX610 left-hand Laser Cordless Mouse at CeBIT today. Until now, most left-handed computer users have only had the choice of navigating with an ambidextrous-shaped mouse or unnaturally using their right hand to scroll, point and click. Read More
The IP-Talky multimedia keyboard with built-in VOIP handset
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February 7, 2006 When Nicholas Negroponte drew his famous convergence Venn diagram more than three decades ago, he forecast the convergence of broadcast, telecommunications, computing, and publishing. Since then, the acceleration of this trend has been increasing and there’s no doubt the computer and telephone are in the process of morphing right now. In recent times we’ve seen many different form factors for this, with several VOIP telephone/mouse combinations and multitudinous USB and wireless VOIP handsets and now computer peripherals specialist A4 Tech has announced it will debut a new Talky multimedia keyboard with built-in VOIP handset at CEBIT in Hannover, Germany on March 9. Read More
The three-key mini-keyboard with OLED screen on each key
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February 5, 2006 Last July we wrote about the Optimus keyboard from Russian design studio Art.Lebedev – the keyboard uses OLED technology so that every key is a stand-alone display showing exactly what it is controlling at that moment. Accordingly, you can switch from language to language, or program to program and the functionality of the key will be reflected in the image it shows. The Optimus won’t be available until December 2006, but the company will have a three key Optimus mini auxiliary keyboard available by May, 2006, with each of the keys having an OLED screen displaying the current function. If you don’t quite understand what this makes possible, check out this page which explains the concept visually (click around all the text links). Read More
ElekTex Smart Fabric keyboard goes wireless
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January 16, 2006 Let’s get one thing straight before we start – we hate the QWERTY keyboard. It was invented some time in the 1860s yet still exists today as the principal Computer Human Interface (CHI) and the main limitation we face every day in getting information into computers, as it was designed a century before humanity knew diddly about CHI design. It makes computers bigger than they need to be, is responsible for more lower back, shoulder and RSI pain than seems right, and … well, because we’re old dogs, and have trouble learning new tricks, we appear stuck with this technological curse. Thanks – we feel much better having shared that. Now, there’s a new keyboard for tiny devices that makes lots of sense - the ElekTex Smart Fabric keyboard is designed for Smart phones, PDAs and handheld devices, is lightweight, portable, full laptop-sized and now … wireless. Read More
Skype mouse telephone by Sony
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January 13, 2006 Now here’s a good idea from Sony that doesn’t quite fit with the company’s normal fare. Sony will release a VOIP telephone crossed with a mouse onto the Japanese market next month. Dubbed MouseTalk, it looks and acts like a normal scroll wheel mouse, but when a call comes in on Skype, the mouse flashes its LED lights and emits a customisable sound. The mouse opens like a clamshell phone, becoming a Skype handset and it can also be used in hands-free mode. When used as a telephone, the mouse scroll-wheel adjusts the volume and clicking the wheel can mute the microphone. Read More
CES 2006: business-card sized, Bluetooth-enabled mouse that stores and recharges inside your laptop’s PC card slot
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January 4, 2005 The MoGo is designed for road warriors who don’t like bulky, full-sized, mice, but also hate laptop trackpads and trackpoints. Now we all know that a mouse is a very personal thing, so this may not be a solution for everyone, but it’s a very good idea and one which is worthy of every road warrior’s attention. The mouse which fits snugly in your palm when you’re using a desktop often takes on quite different proportions and becomes a pain in the butt when you’re on the road, never seeming to fit nicely in your bag, and constantly getting tangled. So having a PCMCIA-card sized mouse that stores and recharges neatly inside your laptop computer’s PC card slot when it’s not being used is very useful on the road. For us, the Bluetooth-enabled functionality is a clincher. Whatsmore, the MoGo Mouse recharges in less than an hour so there are no batteries to be replaced. Read More
Field Tested: Logitech and Microsoft Media Centric Keyboards
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September 13, 2005 As society enters the next phase of embracing the computer - welcoming it into our loungerooms - every computer manufacturer and peripheral maker is dreaming up new ways of how they're going to break into the entertainment and consumer electronics business. Logitech and Microsoft are no exception, they have just released media center devices to help you transform your PC into the media hub of the future. Interestingly, though Microsoft is far better known for its Windows operating system, it has more than 200 people working in hardware development at redmond - which makes it the world's most focussed developer of keyboards and mice. Last year it conducted research across the world looking at how the world is using computers and the media centric keyboard is the result of that research. Dave Weinstein looked at both keyboards and concludes that Microsoft's research is beginning to show ... Read More
The keyboard with two rear vision mirrors!
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August 16, 2005 Sometimes when we cover a story, we suddenly find out how much we don’t know (lots). Three days ago we wrote about all the (clever but) weird keyboards we’d written about recently when we covered Logitech’s G15 Keyboard, listing no less than nine different, interesting keyboards that help solve some of the many problems associated with a device that was designed 137 years ago. Yes folks, the keyboard you’re slaving over is a dinosaur masquerading as high tech and it’s no wonder that everyone thinks they can build a better one, because they probably can. Indeed, in the short space of three days, we’ve had half a dozen readers write to us saying, “hey, you should write about this cool keyboard.” Well, we’ve fudged it slightly by bundling the new lot all together, but if you follow this link you’ll see a new keyboard replacement for controlling model trains, a vertical ergonomic keyboard with rear vision mirrors (so you can see the keys) and a bunch of different programmable key pads that can be used for almost any set of tasks you can think of.
Logitech’s G15 Keyboard with adjustable-tilt LCD display and extra programmable keys
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August 13, 2005 For a technology almost certainly destined for the scrapheap as some people might have you believe, the keyboard is sure getting a lot of attention. In recent times we've reported on the VisiKey, DAS, Keyscan, Maltron, Matias, orbiTouch, Optimus, SureType and Virtual keyboards. Logitech's G15 keyboard does not wish to replace the methodology of the keyboard - just significantly enhance it. Designed to provide an unprecedented level of programmability and control, the Logitech G15 keyboard is the the ultimate keyboard for serious PC gamers. The first keyboard in the G-series family of gaming-grade peripherals, the Logitech G15 keyboard features a built-in auxiliary LCD display, 18 programmable keys, and advanced software, making it easy to set up custom commands for every game. The adjustable-tilt, backlit LCD can be programmed to display vital in-game information, or data from other applications, without interrupting game play. Read More
Optimus Keyboard by Art.Lebedev
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July 16, 2005 Moscow-based design studio Art. Lebedev may be Russia’s largest design house but it didn’t quite expect the reaction it received when it posted its latest creation, the Optimus keyboard. The keyboard uses OLED technology so that every key is a stand-alone display showing exactly what it is controlling at that moment. Accordingly, you can switch from language to language, or program to program and the functionality of the key will be reflected in the image it shows. If the response to the company’s web site posting is any indication, the keyboard is already a runaway hit, with 230,000 page views and an average two emails a minute from people wanting the keyboard. In brief, the keyboard is likely to become available in 2006, will be OS-independent and “will cost less than a good mobile phone.” It will be open source (a software developers kit will be available) and companies can OEM the keyboard. Indeed, there may even be an ergonomic version. Read More
Product Evaluation: Maltron Keyboard
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May 29, 2005 Gizmag reader Joe Blake reports on his experiences with the Maltron Keyboard. Joe has been a court reporter since 1990, producing 10,000+ words a day, which he calculates to more than 200 million keystrokes over the last ten years. When he switched from touch-typing on a QWERTY keyboard to the Maltron keyboard, his productivity improved immensely. He can now “transcribe a single person speaking in real time, all day, every day, with no problems.” Read More
What do you call a keyboard with no markings? A good idea!
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May 27, 2005 The human mind has an incredible ability to adapt – and that’s the big idea behind the Das Keyboard and its complete lack of key markings. Since there are no keys to look at when typing, the theory is that your brain will quickly adapt and memorize the key positions and you will find yourself typing a lot faster with more accuracy in no time. Given that the world is full of hunt-and-peck typists, this would seem to be an idea with plenty of potential as the keyboard remains the predominant input device for the ever-increasing number of computers. The Das Keyboard inventors also claim “it is amazing how slow typers almost double their speed and quick typers become blazing fast!” And what a statement about yourself for all to see. You’ll be the talk of the town. “XXXX has no markings on their keyboard, how cool is that?” Read More
Keyscan keyboard with integrated scanner and USB2.0 hub - very cool!!
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Gizmag likes productivity tools, and though this is just a keyboard, it's not just any keyboard. It contains a scanner and a USB2 hub - and we think that warrants attention from all us cyberserfs who spend the majority of our working hours slaving over a hot keyboard. The KeyScan KS810 will be officially announced on CeBIT 05 followed by immediate sales. Recommended end user price is EU149 EUR. Read More
Logitech V5 cordless notebook mouse
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November 28, 2004 Logitech has released an innovative, ultra-thin mouse for notebook computers. Incorporating an expandable chassis, 2.4 GHz wireless technology and a touch-sensitive, solid state scrolling panel in place of the scrolling-wheel, the V5 cordless mouse is designed as a practical, usable tool for the mobile professional and fast-growing notebook market. Read More
orbiTouch sliding keyboard offers keyless typing
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November 15, 2004 The orbiTouch sliding keyboard from Keybowl uses a pair of ergonomically sculpted domes to "type" characters with the same precision as pressing a key. This keyless typing opens up the world of computing and information access to people with repetitive stress injuries and limited hand use and challenges the dominance of the QWERTY keyboard design, a relic from the typewriter era of over a century ago. Read More
VisiKey keyboard enhances keystroke visibility
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November 8, 2004 The days of struggling to see small keyboard letters are over thanks to the VisiKey keyboard with it's Enhanced Visibility Lettering System, which offers keynotes 430% larger than that of a standard keyboard. These innovative keyboards, which come in wired and wireless versions, have a simple idea driving them - larger lettering + high contrast = increased visibility and more comfortable use. VisiKeys Enhanced Visibility Keyboard also fill the gap for the estimated 50% of computer users that are not touch typists. Read More
Portable Bluetooth One Handed Keyboard from iFrog
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Data entry innovator FrogPad has announced the global release of iFrog, a portable one-handed keyboard with Bluetooth connectivity, and is sure to grab a share of the global market searching for efficient means of using their mobile devices on the fly. Read More
New SureType keyboard
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A new SureType keyboard layout from Research In Motion (RIM) is drawing praise for its effectiveness and appears to have hit a usability sweet spot for mobile devices in the candy bar form factor. SureType is a viable contender to become the next generation interface for the mobile phone sized device. The SureType keyboard design incorporates a QWERTY keyboard layout and a prominent numerical phone keypad and allows easy one-handed phone dialing. Through an integrated keyboard and software system, SureType provides users with an instinctively familiar look and feel and allows them to dial phone numbers and type messages quickly, accurately and comfortably. Read More
