Lenovo recently updated their paddle HTPC keyboard and the changes aren’t subtle. It already had a hit on their hands with the first generation of this very hand-friendly Multimedia Remote Keyboard and trackball. The tiny trackball has been replaced with an optical sensor that first made waves on the Raon Everun a few years back. The very responsive sensor also doubles as left click mouse button for very relaxed use. The nano dongle and the key layout are mostly unchanged. Most of the device has also been upgraded from slippery gloss finish to a more gripping rubber texture, only the keys remain glossy.

Other improvements include automatic backlighting and raised bumps on the keys for tactile navigation. The mouse buttons have been widened for larger hands to operate without adjusting their grip. The nano USB dongle can be stored in the battery compartment for travel which may be the only time you ever open it. The very strong wireless connection boasts a battery sipping 3 months of life. Other similar keyboards suffer from weak signals but the Lenovo Remote shows no sign of losing connection at even extreme ‘same room’ distances. Check out the full review at Everything USB if you are interested in how the remote fared after extended use.

[Lenovo Enhanced HTPC Remote with Keyboard Review @ Everything USB]

Until a few minutes ago I had never considered using something other than Apple’s own sleek, wireless Bluetooth keyboard with my iOS devices. But Logitech’s wireless Tablet Keyboard immediately caught my eye. Its design looks like it borrows a lot from Apple’s keyboard, which certainly isn’t a bad thing. From the bulge at the top which houses its 4xAAA batteries, to its low-profile Chiclet-style keys. It’s even got a set of double-duty media playback/number keys along the top row, and the included carrying case not only protects it when stashed away, but also serves as an adjustable stand for your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch.

It’s even just a touch smaller than Apple’s keyboard, except when it comes to price. Logitech is asking $79.99 for theirs, which is $10 more than Apple’s. (There’s also a separate version available for Android 3.0+ tablets, though I can’t seem to discern a difference between the two.)

[ Logitech Tablet Keyboard for iPad ] VIA [ 7Gadgets ]

It’s not particularly thin, doesn’t have a full size keyboard, costs $99.99 and has a limited battery life of just 10 hours. But CompuExpert still feels they can sway consumers looking for a wireless keyboard for their living room HTPC with their new Cideko Air Keyboard Chatting. That is as long as said consumer is really into Skype or chatting online. That’s because the newest addition to their wireless keyboard lineup features a built in-microphone and a headphone jack, so you don’t have to shout across the room when talking with others.

It also foregoes a trackpad, or other tactile cursor navigation solution, for 3D motion controls. So you’ll have to wave it around in the air like a Wiimote if you don’t already have a wireless mouse by your side. (FYI, We strongly recommend having a wireless mouse by your side.) Available now from Amazon, Newegg and presumably other retailers who already carry CompuExpert’s products.

[ Cideko Air Keyboard Chatting ]

The reason I hear most often from people who don’t have or want a touchscreen based smartphone is that they can’t get used to typing out messages with just an on-screen keyboard. They prefer the tactile feedback of a real keyboard or a thumbpad, which I can understand. On the iPhone, where my typing never really goes longer than the 140 character limit of a tweet, I never have any issues. But on the iPad, which I occasionally use as a laptop replacement for taking notes, the on-screen keyboard can get a little annoying. So much so that I usually always bring along Apple’s own wireless keyboard for long typing sessions, which unfortunately really isn’t designed for traveling.

But the only way you can make a full-sized keyboard travel-friendly is to introduce some sort of folding mechanism, and that’s exactly what Verbatim has done with their new Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard. It folds in half making it easier to transport, and while it doesn’t necessarily get small enough to carry in your pocket, it’s certainly compact enough to stash away in a bag or briefcase. But does it work as well as the keyboard permanently fused to your laptop or tethered to your PC? Check out our full review after the jump to find out.

When folded, Verbatim’s bluetooth keyboard is certainly larger than your average smartphone, and considerably thicker too. But if you were to compare it to the full-sized keyboard sitting on your desk, I think Verbatim has done a pretty good job at shrinking it down to something that’s relatively easy to travel with. The outside has a glossy black finish which of course is a finger print magnet, but otherwise I like the clean design with its rounded edges. And those small bumps you see are rubber nubs that prevent the keyboard from sliding around on a smooth surface when unfolded.

And because it is specifically designed for travel, Verbatim even includes a faux-leather carrying case. Admittedly it does add a little bulk and thickness to the keyboard when it’s inside, but it also helps protect it from getting scratched and dinged up. And while the locking mechanism seems pretty solid, I still think there’s a chance the release button could get accidentally pressed or bumped, so using this case will also prevent the keyboard from accidentally opening up while inside your bag.

And speaking of opened, when unfolded you’re presented with a full-sized QWERTY keyboard (I’ve compared it against my laptop and PC keyboards) which is nice because often times portable keyboards are made even more compact by reducing the size of the overall layout. Sure it makes things smaller, but it’s a pain to get used to if you’re a touch typist and are expecting the keys to be in a specific location. If you’re going to the trouble of bringing an external keyboard with you, even one that folds away, I don’t think you’re going to want to compromise with a smaller key layout.

When placed on a hard surface like a table the keyboard is immediately usable and feels very sturdy. But if you have to use it in a situation where it’s perched on your lap, or on another less solid surface, the keyboard will naturally start to fold because of the hinge in the middle. So at the top you’ll find a sliding locking mechanism which basically just pushes a metal rod across the keyboard’s middle seam, preventing it from folding.

Unfortunately the actual sliding mechanism is a small button that sits flush to the surface of the keyboard, so sliding it across when you’re lacking fingernails like I do is a bit of a pain. But not impossible. And since the metal rod that slides across is only about an inch long, it doesn’t exactly make the keyboard rock-solid. In fact if you’re not careful I suspect it wouldn’t take much force focused in the middle of the keyboard to damage or even bend the rod.

On the far left side of the keyboard you’ll find a special set of buttons and switches that you wouldn’t normally find on your standard keyboard. Since it’s primarily targeted at the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, which are multimedia capable devices, you’ll find a set of dedicated playback controls allowing you to pause, play, skip tracks and even adjust the volume. And they work even when the iPod app is running in the background so you can happily type away on a long email while still enjoying your tunes.

The tube like bulge to the left of the playback controls is of course where the keyboard’s batteries are stored. Wireless functionality always comes at the cost of batteries, and in this case it’s a set of AAA’s. Given similar battery arrangements in other devices I use work for months on end, I assume the same can be said here about the keyboard’s battery life. And to be honest I actually prefer the use of replaceable batteries here instead of a built-in rechargeable one. AAA’s are easy to find when needed, and not having to remember to always keep the keyboard charged is one less thing to worry about when traveling.

In-between the battery compartment and the playback controls is where you’ll find the power switch, the LED power and connectivity indicators and the pairing button. They all work as expected, except that I find Verbatim’s choice of a sunken pairing button to be pretty annoying. It’s kind of like the reset button located on the back of many electronics that can only be pressed with a paperclip or pen tip, so anytime you want to pair the keyboard with a new device you’re going to have to find something thin to jam in there. I can understand that they chose that design so the pairing wouldn’t accidentally get initialized while you were using the keyboard, but a simple flush-mounted button would be just as safe I think.

The keyboard has all of the standard alphanumeric and punctuation keys you’d find on a regular QWERTY keyboard, but adds a few others that are iOS specific. The buttons marked with a rounded square work exactly like the ‘home’ button on the idevices, even allowing you to double-press them to bring up the multitasking bar at the bottom of the screen. The ‘shift’ button allows you to make text selections in conjunction with the cursor keys on the right so you don’t have to use the touchscreen, and the ‘menu’ button facilitates commonly used shortcuts like cut, copy, paste and undo. However the lack of redo, which I contribute to iOS instead of the keyboard, might be a problem in certain situations. There’s even a button on the top row that can be used to bring up the idevice’s on-screen keyboard which is normally hidden away when using an external one. Odds are you won’t need to access it that often, but sometimes it can be easier for inputting foreign characters with accents.

But the folding nature of the keyboard does have another compromise which could aggravate some typists. Personally I didn’t find the fact that the space bar is broken in two to be that much of a hinderance, but it’s something I wanted to note.

One last feature that iPhone and iPod Touch users will appreciate is a slide-out pop-up stand that’s stashed away along the top edge of the keyboard. When removed it unfolds providing a way to prop up either device at a viewing angle that’s better suited for typing than if it were sitting flat on a desk. Unfortunately given how small and lightweight it is I don’t recommend using the stand with the iPad, but thankfully Apple’s own case offerings already provide an easy to way to prop it up.

The stand actually works quite well at supporting your iPhone or iPod Touch in a portrait or landscape orientation, but I do have a nitpick. Because iOS is primarily a touch-driven UI, there are times when you have no other option but to touch the display. And because this stand sits loose from the keyboard, it’s hard to press on the idevice’s display without the whole thing sliding away from you.

Ideally I’d like it if Verbatim incorporated some way to tether or attach the stand to the top of the keyboard while it’s being used. I do like that it’s not permanently attached mind you, because at times you’ll probably want to move it around or reposition it as needed. But I think most people will be using it sitting front and center of the keyboard while typing, so a tethering option would be appreciated. At the least, even a small strip of rubber grip on the underside of the stand would prevent it from sliding around whenever you needed to touch the screen.

But those minor nitpicks aside, I think Verbatim has struck a good balance between usability and portability with their Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard. Obviously the typing experience is no where near as satisfying as with IBM’s buckling spring models, or even the shallow ‘Chiclet’ keys used by Apple on all of their current keyboards. There’s not a lot of travel on the keys which some people might find frustrating, but I think you have to deal with some level of compromise if you’re looking for a portable keyboard that’s able to fold down and reduce its overall footprint when not in use.

And I certainly wouldn’t mind it if Verbatim developed a slightly better locking mechanism that provided a lot more support for the hinge so that typing on your lap didn’t feel like the keyboard was always on the brink of snapping in two. But it certainly does its job and the keyboard’s already survived a weekend trip to the great outdoors with flying colors, so I don’t think it’s something to be too overly worried about.

Pros:
+ A full-sized keyboard that folds away to half its size making it easier to travel and carry with you.
+ Extra function keys allow you to use your iOS device without having to constantly touch the display.
+ Uses easily replaceable AAA batteries.
+ Includes a slide out pop-up stand for propping up smaller iOS devices like the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Cons:
- The Bluetooth pairing button is annoyingly sunken like a reset button requiring a paperclip to press it.
- Sliding locking mechanism is difficult to use (for those sans-fingernails) and doesn’t feel like the strongest way to reinforce the keyboard’s hinge.
- The included slide out pop-up stand tends to easily slide around when you touch the idevice’s display.
- Space bar is split in two.

Special thanks to Carole for putting the keyboard through its paces.

Links:
Verbatim Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard – $104

If you have any questions about the Verbatim Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard you’d like answered, please feel free to leave them in the comments, and I’ll try to respond to them as best I can.

The rise of HTPCs and touchscreen devices lacking a physical keyboard has created a real market for external wireless keyboards. Designed for use with everything from Windows, Android and Apple tablets to tucked away computers connected to a big-screen display to even gaming consoles, the itablet features a compact keyboard layout primarily designed to be used with your two thumbs.

And if the device you happen to be using it with also features a cursor-driven UI, on the back of the itablet you’ll find a rear-facing touchpad. Logistically it would probably take some time for me to get used to using a reverse touchpad, but by placing it on the back the itablet does end up with a smaller overall footprint which makes it smaller to hold and easier to travel with. It’s available now in black or white with US & UK keyboard layouts for ~$132 (£79.99), with other commonly used keyboard layouts becoming available in Q3 of this year.

[ itablet ]

This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

Razer is well-known in the world of PC gaming, mostly for their keyboard and mouse offerings. You can’t hardly have a conversation about such peripherals without the company’s name being brought up. Well today we’re going to take a look at their latest keyboard offering, the Anansi. This particular keyboard is aimed specifically at the MMO player.

Features

At first glance, you’re going to see two of the features that set the Anansi apart from most other keyboards. These would be the five function keys on the left-hand side of the keyboard, and seven more just below the spacebar. You’ll also see the backlit keys, which by default, cycle through the color spectrum. What really makes this device stand out is that you’re not limited to customizing the 12 extra function keys. Rather, every single key is mappable. Also, it has a “gaming mode” which disables the Windows key. A handy feature for anyone that’s had the misfortune of hitting that button by accident during a raid.
Strangely enough, there were no audio jacks or USB ports on this keyboard. I don’t often use them myself, but if you have a short headset, it’s much easier to just jack into the keyboard instead of finding an extension cable.

Software

Anansi-software Razer includes a nice utility for managing the functions of the Anansi What I love about it is the simplicity. From the moment you open it, you know exactly what you need to do. You are presented with a pictorial representation of the keyboard. When you hover over it, a small window shows you an enlarged version of the key, and what it is assigned to do. You can then easily select a function for the key, which includes Default Key, Single Key, Macro, Profile Switch, or Launch Program. Once you’re satisfied with your settings, just click Apply and you’re done.

You’ll also find tabs for managing the profiles, macros and lighting. The lighting can be switched from Spectrum Cycling to just a solid color. You can also select the brightness, or turn off the backlight entirely if you like.
Don’t have time to exit out of your game and setup a new macro? That’s okay, because you don’t have to. You can press the Fn+Alt keys to activate the on-the-fly macro creator. Press the key combinations that you want assigned, then hit Fn+Alt again and then the key you want the macro assigned to. Talk about a handy feature.

Usability

The Anansi uses membrane switches, which is generally my least-favorite type of keyboard. Of course, using mechanical or scissor switches always adds to the cost. That said, it isn’t uncomfortable to use, the keys are just a bit more mushy than some other keyboards.
So what about the macro keys? As with the Thermaltake Challenger Pro, I didn’t find the macro keys on the left side to be of much value during games. With your fingers on WASD, that leaves only your pinkie to hit them, and it’s a bit of a stretch. The ones below the spacebar are another story altogether.

If you think about your playing habits, you’ll notice that your thumb goes largely unused for long periods. With seven macro keys within its reach, that thumb is suddenly way more useful. It takes a little bit to get used to the location of the new keys, but once you do, it will open up tons of new possibilities. If you needed a reason to really give the Anansi your consideration, these seven keys are enough to make the purchase worthwhile.

Conclusion

The Razer Anansi isn’t the most feature-packed keyboard that you’ll find. You can customize every single key and make macros on the fly, however, the macro keys below the spacebar are what really sell it for me. If you’re looking for a keyboard that can give you a few extra assignable keys that aren’t a stretch to reach, the Anansi is one I would recommend checking out.

[ Razer ] VIA [ GamerFront ]

We usually shy away from writing about devices that won’t be available for purchase in the near future, but we have to admit we’re intrigued by Hawking Technology’s wireless keyboard/touchpad combo that just made its way through the FCC. The company is better known for its networking gear, but based on this keyboard design we’d like to encourage them to branch out even more. Instead of individual keys the device has a large multi-touch capable surface that works as a keyboard or as a touchpad supporting up to 2 finger gestures. At 3.7 inches on its longest side it’s also conveniently compact and thin from the looks of it, though it forgoes Bluetooth for a 2.4GHz wireless connection to your PC via a USB dongle making this version unfortunately not compatible with keyboard-lacking smartphones.

[ wireless goodness - Hawking Technology’s RMTP mouse combines touchpad and a keyboard ] VIA [ Ubergizmo ]

I’m often disgusted at the appearance of my keyboards, and I’m the only one who uses them. So I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like to deal with them in a multi-user environment like a hospital, which is probably the worst case scenario. According to Falcon Innovations, an average multi-user keyboard has 3,295 microbes per square inch, but thankfully their scare tactics don’t come without a solution.

Their Germ Genie is another germ killing keyboard sanitizer that uses UV light, but instead of having to remember to place it in some sanitizing box every night, it sits above the keyboard providing ‘always on’ protection. And of course by ‘always on’ I mean ‘only when someone isn’t typing’ since UV light can be harmful to skin, so the Germ Genie includes a motion sensor to turn off the light whenever someone’s actually using the keyboard. It retails for about $220, but the company seems keen on selling then en masse to large facilities, so I suspect it gets cheaper the more you buy.

[ Germ Genie ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

While adequate for entering URLs, passwords and the occasional search criteria, at a recent press event I discovered the iPad’s on-screen keyboard is quite terrible for any kind of serious note taking. Thankfully I had Apple’s own wireless keyboard to fall back on, which worked like a charm, but admittedly it’s maybe not as small as it could be. I have no trouble squeezing it and the iPad into slots previously occupied by my laptop, but I can understand that others might prefer a more compact solution.

And that’s basically what the Jorno wireless keyboard offers. Not only are the keys about 15% smaller than standard keys, still allowing for touch typing, but the whole thing folds down to a pocket-friendly pseudo-cube. To be perfectly honest it’s not really that much different than the folding keyboards offered years ago for devices like the iPaq and Palms, except for Bluetooth connectivity which lets you ditch the included docking cradle for that last extra ounce of portability. It’s not available yet though, and the “most likely in early 2011″ statement on their website doesn’t fill me with much confidence, but you can pre-order one now for just $79, $20 cheaper than the regular price of $99 which comes into effect on December 25. Wow, bah-humbug!

[ Jorno Folding Bluetooth Keyboard ]

Those of you who’ve made the upgrade to a touch screen smartphone but pine for a physical keyboard can now enjoy the best of both worlds without your pockets bursting at the seams. Somewhere someone is diligently working to make Bluetooth keyboards as small as they can possibly be, and the latest fruits of their labors is this credit card sized model from EFO.

Now it looks like someone has actually just pryed the keypad off of a Blackberry, but it’s a fully working QWERTY keyboard complete with F1-F12 function keys, CTRL, ALT, DEL, multimedia playback buttons and it’s been tested with both the iPad and iPhone. I’m not sure what kind of battery it’s sporting or how long it works before needing a refresh, but for a limited time you can order one for just $32 before it goes back to its regular non-introductory price of $40 in September.

[ EFO Mini Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard ] VIA [ The Gadgeteer ]