technabob » typing

4ithumbs adds tactile keyboard to iphone

technabob — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:13:53 +0000

If you’re an avid iPhone user, but long for the tactile feel of a real keyboard, this might just make your day. 4iThumbs new overlay screen gives your touchscreen keys you can actually feel when you press them.

The ingenious design adds tiny little pushable “buttons” that line up perfectly with the keyboard on the screen of the iPhone. They’ve even designed the 4iThumbs to be easily removable when you don’t need to type that much. The video below shows exactly how it’s installed and used.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The 4iThumbs tactile overlay is available here in both landscape ($16.95 USD) and portait ($14.95) versions, depending on your typing preference. They’re also selling a bundle with both versions for $19.95.

iPhone touch typing, here we come!

[via IntoMobile]

hunt and peck keyboard: for people who can’t be bothered to learn to type like everyone else

lambert v. — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:36:25 +0000

The Hunt and Peck Keyboard sports an alternative layout, one that has the letters arranged alphabetically. You can toggle between the traditional QWERTY layout and the “logical” ABCDE layout with the press of a button. The function keys are also mapped to type in commonly used abbreviations like ASAP and IMO. LOL is mapped at F10 btw.

It may be useful for really old people, but otherwise I think this is a bad idea. How will you learn to type like everyone else if you don’t use a normal keyboard? It’s kinda like learning how to drive using a car that has its gas and brake pedals reversed. But we at technabob are staunch defenders of democracy and of your right to a keyboard with alphabetically arranged keys, so if you want a Hunt and Peck keyboard, be my guest. firstStreet – makers of the old-people-friendly go computer – is selling the Hunt and Peck Keyboard for $30 (USD). Weirdly enough, the go computer’s keyboard layout is QWERTY. Go figure.

[via Likecool]

comfort food: white bread wrist rest

lambert v. — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:25:26 +0000

After releasing the croissant wrist support, Brando is back with another pastry prop. I think this time they’re aiming for people with simple taste. Crazy people with simple taste. The White Bread Wrist Rest is what it says it is: it’s a white bread wrist rest.

Brando says that it’s also good for “decoration”. I had the slightest suspicion that it was only meant to be eaten, but now I can rest assured that bread is also an ornament.

You can get one of these for $6 or two for $10. Brando doesn’t say what the white bread wrist rests are made of, so if you order one and receive bread, as in bread bread… just…I don’t know. Caveat emptor.

White bread wrist rests. I love this job so much.

[via Brando via 7gadgets]

usb speedometer gauges wpm, not mph

technabob — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:40:15 +0000

Think you’re a speed demon on your keyboard? This goofy gadget lets you figure out how fast you can type and displays it on a speedometer-like gauge as you click away feverishly on your computer.

In addition to tracking your typing speed (in words-per-minute) the gauge also keeps a running total of how many words you’ve typed so far today. Just plug the speedometer into your USB port, install the included software, and you’re off to the races. The gauge tops out at a whopping 260 WPM, which is speedier than the even world’s fastest typist’s record 212 WPM (and that was on a Dvorak keyboard!)

The USB WPM Speedometer arrives this March at DrinkStuff for £19.99 (appx. $39 USD).

[via TFTS]