Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

Asus, famous for their Eee PC, split earlier this year into three sections and one of these (now known as Pegatron) in turn created a design department called PEGA. Following a theme of “between off and on” they created 8 ‘innovative’ ‘tangible interactive products’. The first, and one that I will look at, is the Look@Me Emoticon Keyboard.

Having worked my way through the design ‘concept statements’ (something about ancient Egypt...?) I got to the keyboard, and I must say it’s quite odd. And to be fair it could well be practical for someone who does excessive amounts of instant messaging with its 40 Emoticon Elements, consisting of 18 letters and 22 symbols, which would allow you to do any emoticon of your choosing.

MORE »

While the latest round of details to surface for the Paris are not exactly as flattering as the rest, this should still prove to be a worthy handset. The new details that have come to light reveal a solid offering coming from SE. The P5 is a slider style phone with a QWERTY keyboard and will be UIQ based.

The handset also offers a touch sensitive display with one-touch screen rotation, the ability to browse or view bookmarks without sliding the handset open and one-touch zoom in/out navigation.

The Samsung based camera with auto-focus comes in at a nice 5-megapixels, and we can also expect to find Wi-Fi, an FM radio and standard Walkman player. The included GPS will default to Google Maps, however WayFinder 7 will also be installed as a trial option. Finally there will be support for Microsoft Office documents.

We also now know that the Paris is expected to retail for 400 Euros and is rumored to include UIQ 3.3 and Opera 9.5 at the time it ships. As of now it is expected to be available in early September.

Via [Mobile-Review] Image [My Symbian Forums]

The company that created the Optimus Maximus, a keyboard with keys featuring a stand-alone display that shows the function currently assigned to it has just announced that it has another pioneering innovation in the works – the Optimus Popularis.

Art Lebedev stated that they are working on a new, sub-$1000 model to be called the Optimus Popularis – this time without the OLED screens in the keys.

The announcement promised that the device “will be based on a totally different principle.” The keyboard is shorter than the Maximus, with an extra row of keys above the function keys.  Most probably, the Popularis will still be able to display customizable keys, but Lebedev’s mention of a “different principle” opens up various possibilities of alternative technologies to OLED. 

Speculation includes the possibility of using ePaper – the technology developed by e-ink now used in the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader and iRex’s e-book range. E-ink’s Vizplex can generate print-crisp characters, require no backlight and only draw power when the image is changed.

Via [Wired]

I am sure the iKey Membrane keyboard has some legitimate uses. After all its being marketed as an industrial keyboard that can “withstand the harshest of environments.” I however cannot help but think of a few select people who could really use one of these for everyday use, I am sure you all have that one person in your office who eats and ends up with more food stuck in the keys then in their mouth. With them in mind this should be helpful in keeping it clean and tidy, the iKey Membrane Keyboard has no crevices and is also washable and waterproof.

Other features include a built-in Synaptics touchpad, raised mechanical keys and a hardcoated polyester film to protect it all. The keyboard is said to be able to able to stay in tip-top condition even with humidity and dust that you may find in some non-office cubical settings. Although not currently available, there are plans to offer a backlight on future models. Currently there is not any pricing information available.

Via [Gizmodo]

The latest mod to come the ever-hackable Eee PC seems like one that should have been done a long time ago. For just about $15 you can somewhat easily add a backlight to your keyboard. The mod is estimated to take about 3 hours and requires you taking your keyboard off as well as some soldering. After all your work you will indeed have a nice backlit keyboard that will allow you to comfortably type at any time of day or night, sadly the light is powered by an external battery back that runs on two AAA-batteries. While a nice little trick, it would be much cooler if this could be powered internally. Personally I would opt for a cheap external USB light as opposed to having a battery pack stuck to the top of my Eee. Keep reading to check out another pic of the battery pack, and click the Read link below for the full set of instructions.

MORE »

ThinkGeek has begun to offer the highly desired Optimus Maximus keyboard, although currently out-of-stock, the item can now be ordered by anyone. Of course we say anyone with a little bit of sarcasm because not everyone is going to be willing to shell out the $1,589.99 that it retails for. The keyboard has 113 keys that are actually all individual OLED screens and each one can be programmed to do just about anything you can think of. The keyboard also has two USB ports and a SD card slot that is used for storage of the keyboard settings.

Just in case the keyboard is a little pricey for your budget, ThinkGeek is also carrying the Optimus Mini Three keyboard, which is a mini keyboard with three programmable keys. While not quite as cool as the full keyboard it retails for a much nicer $134.99. Sadly both items are currently listed as out of stock.

Product [Optimus Maximus keyboard] Product [Optimus Mini Three keyboard] Via [Wired]

Maybe it was the pressure of wanting to release their product as early as possible, but the makers of the OLPC XO-1 laptop sure have a lot of explaining to do regarding the recent news about widespread keyboard failure on their computers. Apparently, a lot of users are finding that most of the keys on their keyboard have been acting a bit funny lately, with some having keys getting activated by presses on nearby keys, as well as a few that keep getting stuck after being hit one. Which is definitely bad news, especially for the intended target market of non-techies and first time computer users. 

MORE »

Kensington has offered up the uniquely styled Ci70 keyboard, and along with the dark and low-profile design it has built-in USB and miniUSB ports. The keyboard features two USB 2.0 ports and one miniUSB port along with media keys for volume and track control as well as five programmable hot keys. According to Kensington the Ci70 has a “35% smaller footprint” which in turn “saves desk space and reduces clutter,” and while I will believe that statement is true, the Ci70 also just looks cool. Add in the fact the keyboard will work with both a Mac or a PC and it seems to be a nice deal. The Ci70 keyboard is currently available from Kensington and retails for $49.99. Keep reading for a few more pics of the keyboard…

MORE »

MSI Taiwan has announced the VR340 13-inch notebook boasting of aerodynamic and elementary exterior design that also conceals opening on its edges. Weighing only a mere 4.85-pounds, the VR340 adds to the slew of made-for-always-on-the-go notebook users.

MSI seemed to have put more emphasis on giving users a notebook model that is a pleasant to use even on prolong hours. The VR340’s strength lies on its ergonomic design and not so much on its technical capabilities. But that’s not saying that MSI is a mediocre machine, because the VR340 has its share of technical features which is at par with industry standards. 

MORE »

Frankly I don’t get the idea behind Logitech’s diNovo Mini. If you have a TV and you want to easily control it, you’d normally use a remote control right? If you have a laptop or a desktop and you want to work on it, you’d not sit too far from it right? Then what’s the use of a wireless keyboard that you can connect to your PC and TV?

Well yeah, the diNovo Mini looks sleek, good and your friends would definitely say “wow, what a good looking small gadget you have there!” Other than that, the Logitech does some pretty standard functions that may either impress you or make you ignore it. The diNovo gives you convenience and style of a palm-size mini-keyboard with backlighting technology that makes text entry effortless even if you are in a low-light environment. This mini wireless keyboard has an integrated dual-purpose click pad that can be used as a touchpad to point and click for easy navigation.

MORE »