A glimpse at the future of the Human-Computer Interface

With applications in just about every forseeable field of personal and business computing, we're expecting the Upravlator keyboard (the latest concept from Art Lebedev, and the cousin of the Optimus keyboard) to do very well when it hits the market. It's a 10.8 inch, 640x480 LCD with twelve square buttons occupying it's surface. The twelve buttons each have five contacts - one in the center, top, bottom, left and right, which are freely assignable to UI elements in the software of your choice.

This allows you to have the most common tasks you perform in each program you use available at arms reach - which offers an infinitely more intuitive solution than assigning and performing key macros (if by chance they're available in the software you use), and invaluable for those who value their time and by extension, the productivity increase a device like this can offer.

An optional folding stand will allow you to place it in the most ergonomic position and orientation available in your workspace - and with most long time mousers having experienced varying stages of pain or discomfort in their mousing arm at some stage, this is a magic touch.

The Upravlator keyboard will go on sale second half of 2007.