Category: Input

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Cell Phone Accessories Input Tablet Accessories

Stacking TextBlade slices through bulky Bluetooth keyboards

editors-choiceThe introduction of touch screen devices necessitated the use of touch screen keyboards, a pretty difficult problem even now. Most people, though, would agree they’re a necessary evil. They can be unreliable for anything more than short notes or messages, take up half the screen they’re being used on, and can’t be felt. For people whose jobs rely on any amount of typing, that last downside is a deal breaker, relegating the touch screen keyboard to the very last option on the list.

patent-claimedBluetooth keyboards have long been available for these platforms, generally to underwhelming response. They can be too big, or if they’re small enough, they aren’t practical for long typing sessions. WayTools’ TextBlade marries multi-touch functionality with a very physical, tactile typing experience to give users the best of both worlds — all while maintaining an incredibly slim profile with little tricks like a space bar/battery combo to save space. Indeed, the whole combo stacks neatly enough to fit into the coin holder of a jeans pocket.

Utilizing magnets gives the TextBlade its svelte construction along, but what it does best is reduce the standard 70 key QWERTY keyboard to just eight, intelligent multi-touch keys complete with full-finger spacing. The creators insist the keys are smart enough to know exactly what the users intend want to write, but those who purchase it will have to see for themselves. Some may want to take that plunge, while other may want a more certain solution like the FlyShark. The $99 keyboard is compatible with iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows platforms and is shipping on a rolling basis.

 

 

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Cell Phone Accessories Displays Input Tablet Accessories

Portable DAMO creates wall-sized touch screen for Android devices

While giving a corporate slide presentation, it would be handy to be able to control the images just by touching them on the wall or projection screen that they’re appearing on.

The DAMO from Taiwan is a portable accessory that connects via Wi-Fi to Android 4.2 and higher smartphones and tablets, and then displays whatever is on the Android device screen through any projector. The DAMO sensor connects to the projector via an HDMI cable. The touch screen that is created can be as large as 80 inches. When the user touches the wall or other surface with an included DAMO ring or pen device, an infrared signal is sent to the DAMO sensor and then back to the Android device. Interacting can also be done via hand gestures or controlled via the Android device screen.

The sensor can also be attached to a TV or computer monitor. Backers who provide $99 as part of an early bird Indiegogo special will get a DAMO system when it ships in August of this year. That’s $70 less than its expected $169 price. The money is going to be used to put DAMO into mass production. Its makers are trying to raise $90,000 by March 8.

DAMO holds promise. But the limited number of devices that it supports now will limit its potential customer base. It has some similarities to the cheaper Project Wedge, which supports more mobile devices, but otherwise pales in comparison to DAMO. The main customer for DAMO will likely be people who frequently make business presentations, although there could be some limited appeal among kids. The product’s name is a version of the Chinese name of a Buddhist monk, also known in English as Bodhidharma. Besides being credited with training Shaolin monks in martial arts, Bodhidharma is said to be the founder of Zen Buddhism, which is why charms in his likeness are popular in Japan. The green DAMO logo is a take on those charms, also known as Daruma dolls, the DAMO team says.

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Input

KeyMouse combination mouse and keyboard saves you time, gets you odd looks instead

Although the time spent jostling back and forth from the keyboard and the mouse may seem inconsequential, the time wasted ends up being substantial for those who use that combination for work. The Keymouse is attempting to bridge that gap by offering a device that offers users the fluidity of a mouse while still providing unfettered access to a full QWERTY keyboard.

The Bluetooth-enabled Keymouse is split into two separate, ergonomically designed devices that resemble mice, each of which features half the QWERTY keyboard up top and within reach of a user’s fingers. High-resolution lasers on the bottom of each half allow any side to be the main mouse, accommodating both left- and right-handed users.

An alternative input like this wouldn’t be complete without the ability for each and every key to be fully customizable, ensuring the macros and shortcuts hardcore gamers, graphic designers, and CAD experts use can all be implemented easily. The Keymouse is going for $249, with an estimated ship date of September 2015. A successful goal of $100,000 will get this product moving.

The Keymouse is almost word for word exactly like the The King’s Assembly, although much more refined. With its full wireless capabilities and fully customizable layout. The Keymouse seems like one of the more versatile options out there, with a wide range of professionals standing to benefit from what it offers.

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Input Video Games

3DRudder sets new course for game control from head to toe

Controlling interactive games by hand has long been the industry standard. Kinect and other motion-sensing systems have come along in recent years to enable players to control games by using their entire bodies. The makers of a small number of recent devices, however, are looking to take game control down another route, sticking with traditional hand-controlled keyboards and joysticks, but adding hardware that adds the user’s feet to the mix.

An example of the latter is 3DRudder. Created by created by a team of French designers, the device is a foot-controlled navigation and motion controller that works in conjunction with existing PC games. The controller can emulate keyboard keys or a joystick and is intended to be a companion device for virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift The 3DRudder is used while seated and users just rest their feet on it while playing a game. To move forward, the user tilts the device forward; to move to the right, the user tilts the device to the right, and so on. The pedal enables users to also move up or down.

The device supports a maximum user weight of 286 pounds. To use the controller, the user must have a computer featuring an AMD Phenom or Intel Core i3, I5 or i7 processor, 2 GB of RAM, a USB 2.0 port and an Internet connection. Backers can get a 3DRudder for $110 as part of an early bird special and the device will ship in May. Its makers are looking to raise $50,000 on Indiegogo.

The controller is similar in concept to the somewhat more primitive-looking, Kickstarter-funded Stinky the Gaming Footboard. But both devices seem targeted at only a niche segment of the gamer market. The lack of current support for the Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony game consoles only underscores that. The 3DRudder’s makers are targeting 3D professionals including designers as one core audience for its device, and it seems best-suited for that crowd–unless Facebook’s ultra-bullish prediction for virtual reality headsets comes true.

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Automotive Input

App Your Car wireless lets you keep your hands at ten and two

For the most part, a lot of the powerful smartphone and tablet features used on a daily basis become impossible the moment people hop into a car. Solutions exist that try to connect the phone to the car but they end up providing minimal interaction, usually focusing on music and calls at the most. With or without these solutions, though, it’s always pretty dangerous to use a smart device that requires drivers to take their view off the road. Voice-controlled options have offered a hands-free approach, but even those can be limited.

To maintain a driver’s tactile connection to their smart device and keep their eyes on the road, App Your Car was created. The in-car smart device input system is compatible with both iOS and Android, and features a wireless controller and a dashboard mount. The wireless controller features buttons on its front and back that can be used to access categories of apps and maneuver through them, all the while still keeping a driver’s hands on the wheel. The dashboard mount is meant to be placed within a driver’s field of view, providing strong magnets that keep a device in place, wirelessly charging devices, and facilitating the use of Bluetooth to stream music and audio. Its companion app makes selecting apps easier. For $99, backers can obtain their own App Your Car system with an expected ship date of June 2015. The campaign is looking for $40,000.

The company behind App Your Car claim they had safety on their mind while designing the product, but it seems a bit haphazard to focus on a physical device while driving to access and move through apps. Granted, it has its uses in music playing apps and navigating through calendars, but such small type on a smart device will make it more of a hassle. The real star of the show is the dashboard mount that wirelessly charges devices, something that can be combined with the more powerful voice features of a, say, Moto X. A focus on voice rather than physical control would’ve made the product reach much farther than it does.

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Input Technology

101touch keyboard gets rid of manual typing; uses touch instead

One drawback of traditional computer keyboards is that there are a significant number of keys some users need to use on a regular basis that are not easily accessible. Another negative is the huge number of shortcuts that must be learned on a traditional keyboard for each new software program.

The new 101touch keyboard from the Czech Republic-based company of the same name addresses those issues by replacing the traditional keyboard with a completely touch-screen based solution. The keyboard allows the user to shift around keys to whatever positions they want them to be in and add frequently-used functions so that they no longer require any shortcuts to reach them. Playing a computer game will be easier with the 101touch because of the keyboard’s customizable intuitive controls that do away with the need to use a mouse to look through menus or memorize short-cuts and hidden functions. Although it was built using Android, the keyboard is compatible with any computer operating system, including MS-DOS, Windows, Linux, OS X and BIOS. New keyboard layouts can be installed quickly, the company claims, whenever the user shifts to a new program. To help parents limit the amount of time that their kids are spending on a computer, there is a time lock feature that sets how long the keyboard will be active for and when that time is up, the keyboard shuts down and cannot be reactivated without a password.

The keyboard uses an emulator that makes it possible for users to connect the 101touch to a computer and have it immediately start working, without any installation. Keys that computer users don’t use regularly have also been replaced with the most commonly-used computer functions, including open, save, save as and print.  Although the keyboard presented in photos at the Kickstarter campaign website has two screens, that is only a prototype and the final version of the device will have only one display. Backers who pledge £99 (~$154) will get the keyboard when it ships in November. The company is looking to raise £180,000 (~$279,400).

One drawback of a touch-based keyboard is that the user doesn’t get the tactile feel of a traditional keyboard each time a key is pressed, unless the 101touch’s makers can come up with a way to duplicate that experience. Gamers and other computer users who want to get some of the same benefits of the 101touch, but without the touch keyboard, will find the customizable Optimus Maximus keyboard a more appealing option.

 

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Input

Flow wireless controller streamlines your workflow with gesture, touch

In the physical world, our hands are the tools with which we feel and manipulate the world around us, having evolved over time to be regions of intense sensitivity and masterful precision. Our leap into the digital realm hasn’t been as smooth, though. While the keyboard and mouse combo has admirably pulled its weight over the years, the increasing complexity and changing functionality of the programs we use daily have plainly shown that another way of controlling is possible. With the Flow wireless controller, Senic shows that it’s thinking of a future where the digital can be as easily controlled as anything physical.

Flow is a stylish, aluminum puck-shaped device that offers gesture, touch, scroll, and haptic control all in a tiny package. With it, users will be able to access a larger ranger of precision not offered by traditional mouse inputs and the shortcuts that make work much easier. Programs like Spotify and Photoshop let users change what each input does, so what a pass of the hand will do in one will do something entirely different in the other, eliminating hunting after specific options in menus. It’s also freely programmable, so any program not currently supported can be addressed by the Flow community. Puzzlingly, Flow is Mac only for now, but the rest of the major platforms are in the works. The $99 Flow is expected to ship in July 2015. Flow is looking for $50,000 in funding.

New input technologies are always risky business as the companies pushing them are essentially asking people to incorporate foreign actions into their very established processes. Most of the time, though, these inputs are laughably difficult and don’t do much to make things easier. Flow seems to be very straightforward and easy to use. It works as a complement rather than a proposition to replace everything, and that’s a far lower bar to present to those who may be interested.

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Input

Win all the virtual gold with the 6thfinger touchscreen input device

The smartphone gaming space has taken hold of people’s time and attention across the world. The biggest offender are the games where you must tap incessantly to farm coins, gold, or whatever other currency to improve characters, castles, towns, etc. The time they require from uses, though, is more or less ridiculous. This led the team behind the 6thfinger to figure out what they could do, and their product was born.

The 6thfinger is a device which mimics a finger’s taps and motions on a capacitive touchscreen to keep games active. This allows obsessed types to keep progressing even when real life stubbornly gets in the way. As much as there many who would love this sort of thing, it’s ultimately very niche. A SpinPadGrip might be a nice complement to the 6thfinger to help users keep their eyes on the game while they go about their business. The $22 device will ship February 2015. The 6thfinger campaign is hoping to raise $8,000.

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Input Sensors/IoT

Backtrack monitors spinal movement with eye to those in rehab

As we age, we begin to slow down. For example, our backs give out and injuring them could mean immobility for weeks.

Backtrack is a sensor that tracks movements in real time in 3-D. Connecting to any smartphone, the image shows movements on the screen. With this data, advanced algorithms can be applied to analyze how to improve movements and really show what’s going on, especially in physical therapy situations. The product itself is a small blue piece of rubber (obviously with more stuff inside). The campaign does a good job of showing how moving the sensor tracks those motions on the phone.

While the idea of translating three-dimensional motions onto a phone is a novel one, it doesn’t really seem necessary. The technology is still too new to really do much with the data collected. The campaign mentions vague “advanced algorithms” but it’s confusing what these really are. Backtrack seems to have fallen into the trap of sensor without feedback. Other sensors, like the runScribe track motions and then provide useful tips about adjustment. For their very own, backers can donate $150 CAD (~$131 USD) for estimated delivery in July 2015. Backtrack is looking to raise $50,000 CAD (~$44,000) on Kickstarter.

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Cell Phone Accessories Input

TOHKB offers an attachable keyboard for Jolla phones

The Jolla is a small open-source smartphone that uses the Sailfish OS, capable of running Android apps from a variety of app stores. Jolla’s modularity, both hardware and software-wise, is its biggest selling point, similar to how Google’s Project Ara is tackling the idea of smartphones that evolve over time. The Other Half is Jolla’s proprietary platform that allows for this modularity, and will eventually work to add and customize its hardware functionality. For now, though, it exists to give users the choice of backplate colors. With the most ambitious Other Half so far being an Angry Birds-themed one that offers a paint job and some custom sounds, the fervent user base has clamoring for more utility. That’s where the the Other Half Keyboard comes into play.

The Other Half Keyboard, or TOHKB for short, is a durable Other Half attachment for the Jolla that allows you to attach a fully customizable, LED-backlit keyboard. Users have the choice to leave the keyboard on or attach it at their own convenience. Either way, the keyboard can slide out in either direction, so users won’t have to worry about the phone’s orientation during use. The keyboard is spacious and tactile, and claims to offer a superior typing experience without the crowdedness of other keyboards, and users have the option of ordering a blank versions of the keyboard to engrave with a laser printer. TOHKB gives a lot of limelight to hotkey support as well, offering fully customizable hotkeys to improve interaction speed with the smartphone.

As promising as TOHKB looks, battery life is a smartphone user’s ultimate concern, and an Other Half for battery life might have more legs than a keyboard that isn’t strictly necessary. In any case, the campaign is looking for €55,000 (~$68,100) and at this point, each keyboard is going for €130 (~$160). Backers can expect theirs in April of 2015.