mechanical keyboard – Backerjack

ErgoDox EZ keyboard blends ergonomics, mechanical switches

Two criticisms are sometimes made about today’s standard computer keyboards. One is that they don’t offer much comfort while typing. The other knock is that the lack of an audible clicking noise when a key is struck can sometimes lead to less accurate typing.

The ErgoDox EZ keyboard addresses both of these issues. The keyboard itself is split in half, allowing each side to be placed at a slight distance from each other or angled to provide greater comfort to the user. The design, its maker says, can therefore help prevent issues such as carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive stress caused from typing. Because the product is a mechanical keyboard, it has individual switches under each key which promises to make for a more accurate and faster typing experience.

The keyboard follows the existing ErgoDox, which has only been available as part of a kit that buyers have to assemble on their own. The EZ version will cost $250 and is slated to ship in December. Its maker is hoping to raise $50,000 by April 25.

The ErgoDox EZ keyboard holds promise for fans of mechanical keyboards. The split design is a nice feature already available in rival products such as the Kinesis Freestyle 2. Another appealing feature is the programmable functionality of the key layout, but it’s not clear from the product’s Indiegogo campaign just how simple that will be for users.

Say a farewell to distractions with the Hemingwrite e-paper, cloud-syncing writing tool

Today’s completely connected world makes the focused act of writing much harder than it needs to be. With our smartphones, tablets, and laptops set-up as versatile, multi-functional devices, it makes the singular task of writing a difficult one.

For some, this is a huge problem to the point that even a good, old-fashioned typewriter can seem like a good idea. Disconnected from the world, it just works without manuals or special applications needed. That’s what the inventors of the Hemingwrite had in mind in creating their single-purpose, typewriter-shaped writing tool. The product combines the comfort of a full-size mechanical keyboard with more advanced tech like e-paper and automatic cloud syncing in order to help users focus on the end result, rather than constantly be led astray by Facebook posts and random tweets.

Its slim-profile is made of aluminum and features a built-in handle to ensure it’s easy to carry. The Hemingwrite’s instant on feature lets users immediately get back to writing on up to three active documents at a time, and that, along with the option to display timers and word counters, is reflective of its only purpose: to get users to write. With the product being as sparse as it is, it boasts a four week battery so that a dead battery can never be a reason not to write. The Hemingwrite is currently going for $399, and is expected to ship in September 2015. The campaign’s goal is $250,000.

The Hemingwrite is a capable tool for a pretty serious problem that affects many writers, but having to spend upwards of $399 or more is an unnecessary expenditure that doesn’t technically guarantee anything. Utilizing free or low-cost applications along with developing a strong writing routine is so much more beneficial in the long run as a writer. The Hemingwrite is a novel, pretty fun idea with an awesome name, but it’s a gimmick unless its price comes down.