Not Entirely Pandora Related, But...


skyeyemachine

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http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus-tactus/

So pretty... :D (EDIT: even if it is just a concept, didn't state it clearly enough before :rolleyes: )

Its younger cousin, the Optimus Maximus, has already hit the market, although I don't know any more than that; I just learned about this designer today. The Maximus has OLEDs embedded in each individual key, allowing you the ability to not only customize its function, but the symbol or image associated with that function as well. I don't know how power-hungry it'd be, but I love the core idea.

The Tactus takes this a step further for people who don't mind the lack of physical keys (probably not many of those on this forum I guess!), basically turning the keyboard into a giant OLED touchscreen. I thought the 'video mode' concept was pretty slick.

Based on the price of the Maximus, however ($2400 US for a keyboard without shipping ;D;), I don't think I'll be able to afford either of them any time soon...!


Also, Craig, you better watch out for Sony. They're getting ambitious these days (or at least, certain product designers are getting ambitious for them). ;)

http://www.gadgettastic.com/2008/10/20/the-psp2-concept/#more-3447

It kind of reminds me of the physically impossible gravity-powered house lamp I read about a while ago, except we might actually see something like this one day. I liked how one of the commentors immediately started complaining about the lack of "X, O, Triangle, or Square buttons." The sad part is I'm not sure if (s)he's serious... :p


Finally, I guess I also ought to mention the question that led to my finding these things in the first place: I was looking around for a decent portable keyboard for Pandora-centric use, and I ran into this thing:

http://www.matias.ca/foldingkeyboard+mouse/

I quite like what I see, although it's rather expensive at roughly $90 for the keyboard alone, which got me searching for less costly alternatives (that aren't made for use with a PDA or iPhone). There's also potential driver/control issues, I don't know how easy this particular one would be to set up with Linux. So far I've not run into much that fit my original criteria, although I did come across a kind of nifty combination-suitcase-and-scooter and a funky collapsible computer desk in addition to the above links (I love you too, Google).

In short, is there such a thing (that any of you know of) as a folding/collapsible fullsize keyboard with Bluetooth and(/or) USB connectivity that works well with Linux?

EDIT: Oh, and I know about the flexible silicone ones that can be rolled up, but I was hoping I might find a model I didn't explicitly need an external solid surface to rest it upon in order to type comfortably. I don't think the silicone ones would work very well draped across my lap, for example.

Thanks for any suggestions, otherwise I hope the above links prove entertaining. =)
 
I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but the Tactus is just a concept, like half of the things Art Lebedev comes up with. I would love to see it actually come out, but chances are it won't. Second, I would think that the Tactus would cost less than the Maximus, simply because it would have simpler circuitry, only needing one screen. Also, buying a bunch of those tiny screens probably costs more than one large screen.

-God Ginrai
 
God Ginrai said:
skyeyemachine said:
http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus-tactus/
blah blah Tactus blah keyboards blah

I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but the Tactus is just a concept, like half of the things Art Lebedev comes up with. I would love to see it actually come out, but chances are it won't. Second, I would think that the Tactus would cost less than the Maximus, simply because it would have simpler circuitry, only needing one screen. Also, buying a bunch of those tiny screens probably costs more than one large screen.

-God Ginrai

Ah, I actually did know that, although in reviewing my post, I can see I didn't exactly say it directly. You're probably right about the manufacturing costs, though. It'd be interesting to see what the actual price turns out to be if the Tactus concept is ever released commercially.
 
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tl;dr

Maybe this suits your needs? :p http://www.yankodesign.com/2008/04/22/beauty-is-skin-deep-geekness-is-to-the-core/

Seriously tho, doing a quick search, I found this which I would actually consider buying...

http://www.dynamism.com/stowaway/main.shtml

Looks like it would fit in my back pocket well, plus its bluetooth. @ $60 I'm not sure if its worth it

EDIT: The bt mouse is $60, the small keyboard is $70 and the full keyboard is $130
 
The Optimus looks good in concept, but probs poor in practice since the idea of having a physical keyboard is for that tactile response.
Instead the Eeeboard is much better. It's a keyboard with a Capacitative Screen on the right that doubles as a touchpad and a mini-touchscreen/PPC to use.

This is more down-to-earth:
A pocketable keyboard for smartphones
But one which is has a universal USB plug instead of proprietary and supporting bluetooth for those bastard companies ;)
 
skyeyemachine said:
If it's not directly related, put it here.

The Pandora forum section is not the centre of the universe, you know. There's a lot more to gp32x.de than the Pandora forums. A whole old new world awaits you all.

P.S. I live in the Off-topic and Other Consoles forum sections, by the way.
 
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as a mobile phone add on, I prefer this one: keyboard + bigger screen remote deskto pfor your phone

http://www.celiocorp.com/smartphone

C8VwBB251x251.png
 
http://www.apple.com/keyboard/

I have the the full size USB version of this and like it... this smaller version would probably not be too bad... at least compared to some of the abominations posted in this thread.
 
Hey, it's a keyboard that you can't touch-type on! How useful!

I'm sure it'll be great people who love staring at their fingers when they type.

These sorts of things will only because useful once tactile displays become realistic.
 
skyeyemachine said:
http://www.gadgettas...cept/#more-3447

It kind of reminds me of the physically impossible gravity-powered house lamp I read about a while ago, except we might actually see something like this one day. I liked how one of the commentors immediately started complaining about the lack of "X, O, Triangle, or Square buttons." The sad part is I'm not sure if (s)he's serious... :p
That is a perfectly valid complaint for the design, it is lacking the buttons. Just looking at the device makes me wonder, has the designer even heard of ergonomics?
 
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SirisC said:
skyeyemachine said:
http://www.gadgettas...cept/#more-3447

It kind of reminds me of the physically impossible gravity-powered house lamp I read about a while ago, except we might actually see something like this one day. I liked how one of the commentors immediately started complaining about the lack of "X, O, Triangle, or Square buttons." The sad part is I'm not sure if (s)he's serious... :p
That is a perfectly valid complaint for the design, it is lacking the buttons. Just looking at the device makes me wonder, has the designer even heard of ergonomics?

I agree that it is valid, I just find it funny in this case, as the lack of proprietary buttons seemed like one of the least troubling difficulties with this design. It's true that I can't even quite imagine the hand positions I'd use to play the thing comfortably, hence why it reminded me of a truly impossible design! Still, flexible OLED screen, yo~
 
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VRAndy said:
I'm sure it'll be great people who love staring at their fingers when they type.
No doubt that's where 'video mode' idea came from. Gives you something interesting to see as you hunt-and-peck. ;)
 
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shadow.8 said:
tl;dr

Maybe this suits your needs? :p http://www.yankodesign.com/2008/04/22/beauty-is-skin-deep-geekness-is-to-the-core/

Seriously tho, doing a quick search, I found this which I would actually consider buying...

http://www.dynamism.com/stowaway/main.shtml

Looks like it would fit in my back pocket well, plus its bluetooth. @ $60 I'm not sure if its worth it

EDIT: The bt mouse is $60, the small keyboard is $70 and the full keyboard is $130

Thanks shadow.8, that looks like it might be exactly what I'm looking for. I was thinking most such keyboards relied on a physical serial connection, rather than bluetooth. I guess I'm behind the times.

Also, I've actually seen those pants before. I'm not quite sure whether I think they're a good idea or not (I imagine it'd get a little awkward if you wound up hitting the spacebar too often in public). :D

Also, @SONY: Yes, I considered that, but I figured it was Pandora-ey enough since it also became a question about portable keyboards in general that might work well with our favorite mobile computing device. Thanks for the tip, though, I'll try to keep it a bit more on-target next time.
 
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BackAssward said:
That thing has been around for years. Are you a marketing person for it?

No? :D

Seriously, though, I only found out about it yesterday; I guess I should have scrutinized its release date more closely. The Tactus seemed like an interesting combination with the Pandora because the keyboard could potentially serve as a screen extension for when you wanted a little more visual real-estate, and although I'd miss the tactile feedback, there's also the possibility for all sorts of custom key layouts and display functions for gaming or custom interfacing projects and whatnot. Regardless, sorry if I'm just parroting old news!
 
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BackAssward said:
Why has this thread not been closed, or at least moved to off topic?

I guess this is why I should just stick to lurking... :rolleyes:

Sorry. :huh:
 
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VRAndy said:
Hey, it's a keyboard that you can't touch-type on! How useful!

I'm sure it'll be great people who love staring at their fingers when they type.

These sorts of things will only because useful once tactile displays become realistic.

You're missing the point. This is great for graphic design, since all the tools you need are right there in front of you. They should build this tech into a graphics tablet (not the wacom one).
 
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PSP2 concept sounds oddly.. Batman like :p

"The display uses an electric charge to make it rigid when it is fully extended and it also has built in speakers either side of the PSP2."
 
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