3 ms·

Speaking of which, there's finally going to be a Bluetooth-enabled version of the Twiddler, the Twiddler3: https://plus.google.com/105804767481830727070/posts/j

by leoc 13y ago

Speaking of which, there's finally going to be a Bluetooth-enabled version of the Twiddler, the Twiddler3: https://plus.google.com/105804767481830727070/posts/j4M9fmRr8dY https://plus.google.com/105804767481830727070/posts/j4M9fmRr... . The best smartphone/tablet keyboard yet?

mietek 13y ago
Oh wow. You've just made my week. Thanks!
- leoc 13y ago
  Spread the word! :)
networked 13y ago
That's great! If nothing else, I wish the recent interest in augmented and virtual reality would revive the portable chorded keyboard (keyer). I have wanted one for a while but currently they are somewhat difficult to obtain and the prices are high. It seems like a natural match for text input when using either class of device ("virtual" or "augmented"), although a difficult initial learning process might make it hard to sell to the general public. Still, you could try to target developers and IT people on the go (use case: Glass + keyer for SSH) or people who want to play an MMO when on the subway train or out for a walk.
ksrm 13y ago
That feels to me like it would be painful to type on. What is the use case?
- leoc 13y ago
  It's a Bluetooth keyboard which can be used one-handed while standing, walking or sitting without a table. Because it's strapped to your palm, you should be able to touch your phone or tablet screen fairly freely without taking it off or putting it down. Unlike a software keyboard it won't consume 40% of your screen space, it has more tactile feedback and it may well be faster. Unlike a built-in hardware keyboard it will work equally well with the phone or tablet in portrait or landscape, and your gadget probably doesn't have a built-in physical keyboard anyway. Unlike most add-on physical keyboards it doesn't require a table surface to use. Maybe its only competition as an on-the-go physical keyboard addon for smartphones is keyboard cases like the Typo http://typokeyboards.com/ http://typokeyboards.com/ , and those have their own drawbacks: see for example http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/01/07/first-look-typo-bluetooth-keyboard-case-for-iphone-5-and-5s http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/01/07/first-look-typo-bl... and consider that any keyboard case is likely tied to only one of your gadgets. I don't know how comfortable it is to use as I've never touched one. It certainly looks as if it could be uncomfortable, but for some people at least it seems to be workable. Another problem would be stowing the thing when it's not in use: it should fit easily in a purse or coat pocket but would probably break the lines of a suit trousers or jacket. As a chording keyboard it's obviously going to take some time to learn well, too. All that, and the unusual figure you'll cut using it in public, may mean that this is strictly one for the nerds and the mobile-typing hardcore, but that would be fairly ok by me... It also has an integrated pointing stick, which is probably useful for selecting text on a phone as well as being necessary for single-handed operation of non-touch devices. With a smartphone/tablet + Bluetooth headset + Twiddler3 and suitable software it would be possible to do a fair number of smartphone tasks without having to take the phone out and look at the screen. Similarly it ought to be suitable as a input device for controlling AR goggles as well as getting text into them (at least assuming the goggles have the battery capacity to run Bluetooth...)

by leoc 13y ago

mietek 13y ago

Oh wow. You've just made my week. Thanks!

leoc 13y ago
Spread the word! :)

networked 13y ago

That's great! If nothing else, I wish the recent interest in augmented and virtual reality would revive the portable chorded keyboard (keyer). I have wanted one for a while but currently they are somewhat difficult to obtain and the prices are high. It seems like a natural match for text input when using either class of device ("virtual" or "augmented"), although a difficult initial learning process might make it hard to sell to the general public. Still, you could try to target developers and IT people on the go (use case: Glass + keyer for SSH) or people who want to play an MMO when on the subway train or out for a walk.

ksrm 13y ago

That feels to me like it would be painful to type on. What is the use case?

leoc 13y ago
It's a Bluetooth keyboard which can be used one-handed while standing, walking or sitting without a table. Because it's strapped to your palm, you should be able to touch your phone or tablet screen fairly freely without taking it off or putting it down. Unlike a software keyboard it won't consume 40% of your screen space, it has more tactile feedback and it may well be faster. Unlike a built-in hardware keyboard it will work equally well with the phone or tablet in portrait or landscape, and your gadget probably doesn't have a built-in physical keyboard anyway. Unlike most add-on physical keyboards it doesn't require a table surface to use. Maybe its only competition as an on-the-go physical keyboard addon for smartphones is keyboard cases like the Typo http://typokeyboards.com/ http://typokeyboards.com/ , and those have their own drawbacks: see for example http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/01/07/first-look-typo-bluetooth-keyboard-case-for-iphone-5-and-5s http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/01/07/first-look-typo-bl... and consider that any keyboard case is likely tied to only one of your gadgets. I don't know how comfortable it is to use as I've never touched one. It certainly looks as if it could be uncomfortable, but for some people at least it seems to be workable. Another problem would be stowing the thing when it's not in use: it should fit easily in a purse or coat pocket but would probably break the lines of a suit trousers or jacket. As a chording keyboard it's obviously going to take some time to learn well, too. All that, and the unusual figure you'll cut using it in public, may mean that this is strictly one for the nerds and the mobile-typing hardcore, but that would be fairly ok by me... It also has an integrated pointing stick, which is probably useful for selecting text on a phone as well as being necessary for single-handed operation of non-touch devices. With a smartphone/tablet + Bluetooth headset + Twiddler3 and suitable software it would be possible to do a fair number of smartphone tasks without having to take the phone out and look at the screen. Similarly it ought to be suitable as a input device for controlling AR goggles as well as getting text into them (at least assuming the goggles have the battery capacity to run Bluetooth...)