6 ms·

Smartphones solved the portable monitor problem. What humanity needs now is a truly portable keyboard. Something that you can carry as easily as a smartphone an

Smartphones solved the portable monitor problem. What humanity needs now is a truly portable keyboard. Something that you can carry as easily as a smartphone and that lets you type as conveniently as on a good laptop keyboard. Are there any promising attempts at this?

zxv 7y ago
The twiddler is a chording keyboard that leaves one hand free and with the strap, can be used while walking. https://twiddler.tekgear.com/ https://twiddler.tekgear.com/
- praptak 7y ago
  Discussed on hn: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8597556 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8597556
- hp49 7y ago
  Nice - I like the idea of chording keyboards. Especially handheld. > 200 bucks Why?
  - detaro 7y ago
    Niche, somewhat complex to make, hardware product.
larme 7y ago
Not as portable as you might like, but I carry a vortex core[0] with me to program on my phone. It weights around 440g and is very programmable. [0]: http://www.vortexgear.tw/vortex2_2.asp?kind=47&kind2=224&kind3=&kind4=1033 http://www.vortexgear.tw/vortex2_2.asp?kind=47&kind2=224&kin...
- praptak 7y ago
  These people know what they are doing. Even while optimizing for size, they kept the full set of control keys on both sides of the space key(s).
- philips 7y ago
  I just wish they offered bluetooth and AA batteries in these portable mechanical keyboards. The K380 is good for these reasons. I am tired of having peripherals with built in proprietary batteries :(
andrey_utkin 7y ago
Twiddler.
flukus 7y ago
For a literal definition of promising Kickstarter is busy seperating fools from their money, most seem to falter at moving past the concept video stage though. Tap apparently nearly works: https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/3/8/17096786/tap-strap-wearable-bluetooth-keyboard-hands-on https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/3/8/17096786/ta... Of course one of the big problems is that our portable monitors still need at least one of our finite set of hands, so it seems like we'll need AR/VR monitors before they become practical. But then if we have the free hands something more like a traditional keyboard would probably work.
0b0001 7y ago
If you were talking about yourself only, I'd agree. But since you name humanity, one thing must be very clear: most people don't like keyboards. That's something that holds in "the developed world". Outside of the ASCII-world, that might be even more so. Smartphone keyboards with glide typing function very well for language (i.e., no passwords and no programming). They have an important feature: they provide the input you want, not exactly characters for the keypresses you did. If you consider the Chinese language, many people use the input either by drawing (elderly people) or with Pinyin, a phonetics script. In both cases there's a lot of software involved to figure out what people want. The point is: programmers are a tiny minority who need exactly the characters for the keys they presses. Most other people just need text in their native language. Google wrote about reaching "the next billion users": https://www.blog.google/technology/next-billion-users/next-billion-users-are-future-internet/ https://www.blog.google/technology/next-billion-users/next-b...
- Semaphor 7y ago
  > Smartphone keyboards with glide typing function very well for language (i.e., no passwords and no programming). They have an important feature: they provide the input you want, not exactly characters for the keypresses you did. If only. Because when people write nonsensical sentences and you ask what’s going on, the reply is usually "sorry, on mobile".
  - goodcanadian 7y ago
    Indeed, I have been caught out so many times with the word I want initially appearing on screen, and then auto-"corrected" to something else when I input the next word and I am no longer looking.
    - ptspts 7y ago
      First thing I do is disabling autocorrect. It introduces more errors than it fixes. Also it's changing a correct word in language A to another correct word in language B. But I need the language A word.
sirsuki 7y ago
I have found the [iClever keyboard][1] to be a great portable solution while programming on my iPhone (via [Blink SSH][2] app) [1]: https://www.iclever.com/products/BK05-Tri-Folding-Bluetooth-Keyboard https://www.iclever.com/products/BK05-Tri-Folding-Bluetooth-... [2]: http://www.blink.sh/ http://www.blink.sh/
- kiwicopple 7y ago
  This keyboard looks amazing. Thanks for sharing. I’ve recently installed Codeserver on a digital ocean server - https://github.com/cdr/code-server https://github.com/cdr/code-server I do almost all of my programming on it now. I think if I upgrade my phone to a bigger screen then this keyboard could mean I ditch the laptop when I travel
- asdkhadsj 7y ago
  That's awesome, think I might get that and stash it in my car. Now all I'd need is to figure out how I wanted access to my env. Eg, being able to ssh into a home machine and then work in emergencies seems valuable. But, that would involve exposing my machine. Hmm
  - jonfw 7y ago
    I've used openVPN for this in the past. It's nice because you only have to secure one point of access, and than you have all of your local devices easily accessible. It also allows you to tunnel through your home if you're on an insecure network, which is nice
    - asdkhadsj 7y ago
      Yea I was thinking something like that. At first I thought SSH would be plenty secure on its own, but then I thought what if I'm devving and want to see the server page? Or maybe a DB hosted on the machine? Etc etc. Though I think I'd use Wireguard, but still. Some type of easy to manage VPN, with a Dynamic IP domain thing. Any recommendations on the dynamic domain? Self hosting something might be neat
nabeards 7y ago
I’ve been watching Tap a long time, but haven’t tried it yet. Previous HN discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11933956 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11933956
- musingsole 7y ago
  I have a Tap keyboard. The mouse is phenomenal. The tapping keyboard takes some getting used to. With a full keyboard nearby, there's no justification for the cost in speed. But I'm working on a wearable computer now that I expect the Tap to be perfect for.
ljf 7y ago
I still love my Thinkoutside keyboard https://www.cnet.com/reviews/think-outside-stowaway-universal-bluetooth-keyboard-review/ https://www.cnet.com/reviews/think-outside-stowaway-universa... had it since my Nokia E61 and use it weekly. Only issue I've had so far has been that the photo support finally broke, other than that it works like new. Really great size to type on, decent travel and folds down to a great size. Real shame they stopped making them ages ago.
- nrp 7y ago
  I still have my Thinkoutside keyboard from the Dell Axim days as well. I’ve tried a few more recent folding keyboards, but nothing has met the rigidity, compactness, and key feel of that old thing. It was truly a magical product for its time.
base698 7y ago
Unless you are deGoogling.
Poiesis 7y ago
The TextBlade from WayTools (https://waytools.com https://waytools.com) looks promising but they never seem to ship anything. I've been waiting for most of a year.

zxv 7y ago

The twiddler is a chording keyboard that leaves one hand free and with the strap, can be used while walking. https://twiddler.tekgear.com/ https://twiddler.tekgear.com/

praptak 7y ago
Discussed on hn: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8597556 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8597556
hp49 7y ago
Nice - I like the idea of chording keyboards. Especially handheld. > 200 bucks Why?
- detaro 7y ago
  Niche, somewhat complex to make, hardware product.

larme 7y ago

Not as portable as you might like, but I carry a vortex core[0] with me to program on my phone. It weights around 440g and is very programmable. [0]: http://www.vortexgear.tw/vortex2_2.asp?kind=47&kind2=224&kind3=&kind4=1033 http://www.vortexgear.tw/vortex2_2.asp?kind=47&kind2=224&kin...

praptak 7y ago
These people know what they are doing. Even while optimizing for size, they kept the full set of control keys on both sides of the space key(s).
philips 7y ago
I just wish they offered bluetooth and AA batteries in these portable mechanical keyboards. The K380 is good for these reasons. I am tired of having peripherals with built in proprietary batteries :(

andrey_utkin 7y ago

Twiddler.

flukus 7y ago

For a literal definition of promising Kickstarter is busy seperating fools from their money, most seem to falter at moving past the concept video stage though. Tap apparently nearly works: https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/3/8/17096786/tap-strap-wearable-bluetooth-keyboard-hands-on https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/3/8/17096786/ta... Of course one of the big problems is that our portable monitors still need at least one of our finite set of hands, so it seems like we'll need AR/VR monitors before they become practical. But then if we have the free hands something more like a traditional keyboard would probably work.

0b0001 7y ago

If you were talking about yourself only, I'd agree. But since you name humanity, one thing must be very clear: most people don't like keyboards. That's something that holds in "the developed world". Outside of the ASCII-world, that might be even more so. Smartphone keyboards with glide typing function very well for language (i.e., no passwords and no programming). They have an important feature: they provide the input you want, not exactly characters for the keypresses you did. If you consider the Chinese language, many people use the input either by drawing (elderly people) or with Pinyin, a phonetics script. In both cases there's a lot of software involved to figure out what people want. The point is: programmers are a tiny minority who need exactly the characters for the keys they presses. Most other people just need text in their native language. Google wrote about reaching "the next billion users": https://www.blog.google/technology/next-billion-users/next-billion-users-are-future-internet/ https://www.blog.google/technology/next-billion-users/next-b...

Semaphor 7y ago
> Smartphone keyboards with glide typing function very well for language (i.e., no passwords and no programming). They have an important feature: they provide the input you want, not exactly characters for the keypresses you did. If only. Because when people write nonsensical sentences and you ask what’s going on, the reply is usually "sorry, on mobile".
- goodcanadian 7y ago
  Indeed, I have been caught out so many times with the word I want initially appearing on screen, and then auto-"corrected" to something else when I input the next word and I am no longer looking.
  - ptspts 7y ago
    First thing I do is disabling autocorrect. It introduces more errors than it fixes. Also it's changing a correct word in language A to another correct word in language B. But I need the language A word.

sirsuki 7y ago

I have found the [iClever keyboard][1] to be a great portable solution while programming on my iPhone (via [Blink SSH][2] app) [1]: https://www.iclever.com/products/BK05-Tri-Folding-Bluetooth-Keyboard https://www.iclever.com/products/BK05-Tri-Folding-Bluetooth-... [2]: http://www.blink.sh/ http://www.blink.sh/

kiwicopple 7y ago
This keyboard looks amazing. Thanks for sharing. I’ve recently installed Codeserver on a digital ocean server - https://github.com/cdr/code-server https://github.com/cdr/code-server I do almost all of my programming on it now. I think if I upgrade my phone to a bigger screen then this keyboard could mean I ditch the laptop when I travel
asdkhadsj 7y ago
That's awesome, think I might get that and stash it in my car. Now all I'd need is to figure out how I wanted access to my env. Eg, being able to ssh into a home machine and then work in emergencies seems valuable. But, that would involve exposing my machine. Hmm
- jonfw 7y ago
  I've used openVPN for this in the past. It's nice because you only have to secure one point of access, and than you have all of your local devices easily accessible. It also allows you to tunnel through your home if you're on an insecure network, which is nice
  - asdkhadsj 7y ago
    Yea I was thinking something like that. At first I thought SSH would be plenty secure on its own, but then I thought what if I'm devving and want to see the server page? Or maybe a DB hosted on the machine? Etc etc. Though I think I'd use Wireguard, but still. Some type of easy to manage VPN, with a Dynamic IP domain thing. Any recommendations on the dynamic domain? Self hosting something might be neat

nabeards 7y ago

I’ve been watching Tap a long time, but haven’t tried it yet. Previous HN discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11933956 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11933956

musingsole 7y ago
I have a Tap keyboard. The mouse is phenomenal. The tapping keyboard takes some getting used to. With a full keyboard nearby, there's no justification for the cost in speed. But I'm working on a wearable computer now that I expect the Tap to be perfect for.

ljf 7y ago

I still love my Thinkoutside keyboard https://www.cnet.com/reviews/think-outside-stowaway-universal-bluetooth-keyboard-review/ https://www.cnet.com/reviews/think-outside-stowaway-universa... had it since my Nokia E61 and use it weekly. Only issue I've had so far has been that the photo support finally broke, other than that it works like new. Really great size to type on, decent travel and folds down to a great size. Real shame they stopped making them ages ago.

nrp 7y ago
I still have my Thinkoutside keyboard from the Dell Axim days as well. I’ve tried a few more recent folding keyboards, but nothing has met the rigidity, compactness, and key feel of that old thing. It was truly a magical product for its time.

base698 7y ago

Unless you are deGoogling.

Poiesis 7y ago

The TextBlade from WayTools (https://waytools.com https://waytools.com) looks promising but they never seem to ship anything. I've been waiting for most of a year.