Input Device

Vioguard Self-Sanitizing Keyboard

By Paul Ridden

14:43 October 13, 2009 PDT

Does your job require you to move from workstation to workstation on a regular basis? Does your nursing station have only one computer terminal? Is all the experimental data input via one interface? If the answer to any of these questions is in the affirmative, then Vioguard thinks its self-cleaning keyboard system might be just what you need to keep your PC safe from harm. By flooding the input device with germ-killing ultra-violet light for 90 seconds, Vioguard claims that nasty microbes will cease to exist and so reduce the risk of users inadvertently spreading infection. Read More

Wacom's new Bamboo gets you multi-touching for under $100

By Dario Borghino

01:56 September 27, 2009 PDT

Since multi-touch technology was popularized with the introduction of Apple's iPhone, many companies have come to realize its great potential in terms of improving the user experience. Wacom's second generation Bamboo input devices add multi-touch support to its standard pressure sensitive pen providing users with a cheap, cross-platform solution to experience both multi-touch and ultra precise pointer control on their personal computers with a single tablet. Read More

Interpreting sign language is just the beginning for the AcceleGlove open source dataglove

By Peter Puya Abolfathi

02:00 July 23, 2009 PDT

After years in the making, the AcceleGlove open source data glove is now available for purchase. Originally designed for use as an automated American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, the AcceleGlove can also be used for a host of other applications thanks to its open source Software Development Kit (SDK). Developers and hobbyists alike can adapt the glove for use in assistive technology, rehabilitation, robotics, video gaming, virtual reality or a computing input device to name a few. Read More

The AlphaGrip: a viable alternative to the QWERTY keyboard or not?

By Mike Hanlon

17:54 July 19, 2009 PDT

Answers often lie in strange places. I have long hated the QWERTY keyboard. Designed more than 150 years ago to slow human input via the frail mechanicals of the typewriter, it is a dinosaur masquerading as high tech and has become the main input device for billions of computers across the planet, strangling global productivity a little more every day because it is also impeding the progress of the computer from the desk to the couch, the train and the footpath. So when I called into beautiful Tapong to see my mate Kiril's new guesthouse on the beach in rural Thailand, the last thing I expected to find was a viable keyboard replacement. Read More

Painless mobility: Goldtouch Go! Travel keyboard

By Paul Ridden

06:37 June 15, 2009 PDT

Laptops are an absolute necessity for the many road warriors who regularly key on the go, but as any portable computer enthusiast will attest, the integrated keyboard often gives rise to comfort and productivity concerns. Can a solution be found in the Goldtouch Go! Travel keyboard? Read More

Portable keyboard will flip you out

By Darren Quick

01:42 June 11, 2009 PDT

Like it or loathe it, the keyboard still reigns supreme as the king of computer input devices. With the netbooks of today manufacturers are faced with striking a balance between size and functionality. Some go for the full-sized keyboard that sacrifices some keys, while others simply opt for smaller keyboards. Neither solution suits everybody though, which is where portable keyboards like the EK-76-TP come in. But it's not just extra keys that set this unit apart - it's the surprising location of the trackpad. Read More

Fanatec's Porsche 911 GT3 RS Racing Wheel for PC and PS3

By Darren Quick

19:51 December 3, 2008 PST

There must be plenty of aspiring Porsche drivers out there without the finances to afford the real thing because Fanatec has announced another addition to its line of Porsche licensed steering wheels for PC and PS3 gamers. The Porsche 911 GT3 RS Racing Wheel for PC and PS3 is crafted from genuine Alcantara leather, the same material that is used in real Porsches, and features the “world’s first” placement of a vibration motor on the brake pedal for that extra touch or realism. Read More

The real-life Minority Report computer interface

By Kyle Sherer

14:23 November 30, 2008 PST

The second best thing about the film Minority Report has to be the glove-controlled, wall-sized computer display (first place goes to the jetpacks). Oblong Industries is working on a computer interface that operates in a similar way – and rather than a case of tech imitating art, the Minority Report computer was actually based off early Oblong designs. Read More

Porsche 911 leather steering wheel for PC and PS3

By Darren Quick

19:34 April 28, 2008 PDT

April 29, 2008 Gamers have long been able to take their dream ride for a virtual spin, and now high-end input device producer Fanatec is offering Porsche fans and gamers alike an authentic look and feel with the introduction of the Porsche 911 Turbo Racing Wheel for PC and Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3). The leather-covered wheel features a tuning display that allows gamers to change settings like sensitivity or Force Feedback during gameplay. A Mabuchi RS 550 Motor is responsible for the extra strong Force Feedback effects with additional Force Feedback actuators in the wheel used to stimulate motor vibrations. Read More

Sony Ericsson announces XPERIA X1 Slider-phone

By Noel McKeegan

21:21 February 10, 2008 PST

February 11, 2008 Headlining an array of new releases from Sony Ericsson, the XPERIA™ X1 marks the launch of a new brand for the company, one which it hopes will gain traction in the brave new world of mobile convergence where the term "phone" just doesn't cut it anymore. Featuring a 3-inch clear wide VGA display, media player and 3.2 mega-pixel camera housed in a metal-finish, slider-design body, the XPERIA X1 offers multiple navigation options from touch screen interaction to a 4-way key, full wide-pitch QWERTY keyboard or optical joystick with seamless switching promised between input modes. Read More

Pulse Smartpen: merging the mobile computer with the humble pen

By Noel McKeegan

00:06 January 31, 2008 PST

Efforts to combine the sheer convenience of the pen as an input device with the benefits of digital technology continue to evolve with Livescribe's launch of the Pulse Smartpen. Based on licensed technology from pioneering digital pen developer Anoto, the Pulse not only digitally captures handwriting, but simultaneously records and synchronizes audio. The system promises incredible benefits for students, professionals or anyone in a note taking situation... and that's just the beginning. Everything you hear, speak or write is captured by the Pulse and by tapping the pen on the paper, the system will replay audio coinciding with the moment those notes were taken. Read More

Logitech announces MX 5500 Revolution Bluetooth keyboard and mouse combo

By Emily Clark

21:51 January 15, 2008 PST

January 16, 2008 Logitech's latest wireless input package - the Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution - bundles the company's MX Revolution cordless laser mouse with an ergonomic Bluetooth keyboard that boasts a range of 30 feet and integrates a 2.95-by-.79 inch (7.5-by-2 cm) LCD display showing key information such as time and date, calculator, temperature, favorites, e-mail updates and song titles. Read More

Mitsubishi Electric Automation updates graphic operation terminals

By Darren Quick

16:11 January 12, 2008 PST

January 13, 2008 The industrial automation solutions arm of Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc. has introduced seven six-inch touchscreen displays for its GOT1000 platform of Graphical Operator Terminals (GOT). The new 24V DC-powered GT1555-VTBD features a 16-bit color spectrum TFT display in VGA (640 x 480 resolution) format, and is loaded with 9MB of onboard flash memory. It is capable of displaying over 65,000 colors for photo-quality images, and can execute many embedded advanced maintenance functions, such as ladder monitoring and system monitoring, that were once reserved for much larger terminals. Read More

Quadcharge universal charging station

By Shaun McKeegan

02:35 August 28, 2007 PDT

August 28, 2007 The Quadcharge is an inexpensive, all in one hub that allows you to charge four devices simultaneously whilst decreasing the number of AC adaptors that need to be connected to a power source, while at the same time cleaning up the tangled web of cords that otherwise pervade your kitchen bench-top or home office space. Read More

The Falcon Game Controller - with realistic force feedback

By Mike Hanlon

UPDATED IMAGES June 30, 2007 We all know the keyboard and mouse are NOT the future of the computer human interface, and to be frank, we’re getting a bit sick of waiting for a replacement capable of generating critical mass. One device with the potential to play a role in the next generation interface, at least in the area of computer games, began shipping this month. Novint Technologies’ highly anticipated, award-winning Novint Falcon game controller is now available in a special Limited Edition bundle. The Falcon is an entirely new type of 3D game interface that makes virtual objects and environments feel real. Replacing a computer mouse or joystick, the US$190 Falcon is, essentially a small robot that lets you feel shape, weight, texture, dimension, dynamics, 3D motion, and force effects when playing enabled games. Read More

The world’s most expensive (and sought after) keyboard

By Mike Hanlon

May 22, 2007 We have some good news and some bad news for all those people who have been hanging out for the arrival of the Optimus keyboard from Russian designer Artemy Lebedev. The keyboard uses OLED technology so that each of the 113 keys is a stand-alone display showing exactly what it is controlling at that moment. Accordingly, you can switch from language to language, or program to program and the functionality of the key will be reflected in the 48 x 48 pixel image it shows. The good news is that after several years of legal and production delays, the first keyboards will be available on November 31, 2007. The bad news is that only 200 keyboards will be available on that date, with a further 200 in December and another 400 keyboards in January – hardly enough for a world market. But wait, there’s more bad news. The price is US$1564 (UER 1256), though when volume production starts, which it surely must for such a sought-after productivity tool, the price can be expected to drop significantly. Pre-orders are now being taken. Read More

Logisys Optical Finger Mouse turns any surface into a mousepad

By Tim Hanlon

March 3, 2007 - Every now and then, devices pop up and offer a glimmer of hope that some day soon, the mouse and keyboard will be as hilariously old-school as Pong and eight-track cartridges, and Logisys' Optical Finger Mouse is one of them. Attached to your index finger with a velcro strap, the device has two buttons (left and right click) and a scroll wheel accessed with your thumb, and lets you use your finger as the cursor and any non-glass surface as a mousepad. Read More

Microsoft’s new Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000

By Mike Hanlon

October 28, 2006 Given all the convergence going on, it seems those items which we cannot do without will begin attracting their share of additional powers. Accordingly, Microsoft’s four-in-one Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 makes perfect sense. It’s still an ergonomic Bluetooth laser mouse with all the company’s signature comfort and performance features, including tilt wheel and magnifier button but it also functions as a slide presenter, a laser pointer, digital ink device and a media remote control. So you can click through the slides of a presentation, highlight a key message with the laser pointer, draw on the presentation screen or control your Media Centre PC remotely. The bottom of the mouse features all the control buttons needed for presentation navigation or media control; users can play, pause, change tracks and adjust volume, or watch a DVD and it’s compatible with RealPlayer, iTunes and Windows Media Player. All for less than a hundred (US) bucks! Read More

Elecom builds a better keyboard

By Mike Hanlon

October 5, 2006 Whether you’re a gun touch typist or a turbo hunt-and-pecker like most of us, you'll more often than not hit the keys on your keyboard slightly off centre and sometimes you’ll hit it on the side or corner of the key and make a typo by hitting the key next to it or failing to record a stroke at all. Now Japanese manufacturer Elecom has introduced a new gear drive mechanism which uses four gears under each key to ensure each key press is recorded cleanly regardless of where you actually press. The company claims a significant reduction in typos so if they’re anywhere near the mark, we’d suggest that we’ll be somewhere in the queue too. Available later this month for approx 5000 yen depending on the model you seek. Read More

The not-so-ugly diNovo Edge keyboard

By Mike Hanlon

October 4, 2006 If there were a technology beauty contest, the keyboard would be a shoe-in for last place, being the epitome of organisationally dyslexic, high-tech-by-accident unsightliness. But in the world of the keyboard, Logitech’s new diNovo Edge keyboard is indeed a beauty, though we’re gonna stop way short of Logitech’s PR copywriter’s description of it being a “minimalist work of high-technology art.” Reflecting the growing importance and visibility of the PC in today’s home, the rechargeable diNovo Edge has some compelling features such as an integrated touch-sensitive navigation and scroll panel, and includes embedded Bluetooth wireless technology (and it aint as ugly as a normal one). Read More

Logitech announces new mice with hyper-fast scrolling

By Mike Hanlon

August 24, 2006 It just might be a major breakthrough in PC navigation, though we won’t know until we’ve tried it but the claim is credible. Logitech has announced two advanced mice that it claims will significantly speed the task of finding and manipulating content on a computer. Both mice feature hyper-fast scrolling with a an alloy wheel – the MicroGear Precision Scroll Wheel – that spins freely for up to seven seconds, spanning hundreds of pages with a single flick of the finger and setting a new benchmark in scrolling efficiency. Computer navigation with these mice is also enhanced with an innovative search feature that allows the selection of a word or phrase on a Web page or in a document and, with a single click, the viewing of Internet search results on that subject. And with their ergonomic designs, the new mice offer a level of comfort that makes them become a virtually imperceptible extension of the hand. Read More

The Logitech EasyCall Desktop combines speakerphone, headset, mouse and keyboard

By Mike Hanlon

August 18, 2006 As convergence progresses and we see more functionality shoehorned into the one box, the interfaces to the box will logically grow in number. With the introduction of voice-over-IP services and the growth of broadband, it’s logical that different people will want the VOIP interface they’re most comfortable with and that’s why Logitech has developed the EasyCall Desktop - the first combination of a mouse, keyboard, headset and speakerphone. With integrated controls for placing and accepting calls, EasyCall Desktop makes the process of making, accepting and controlling Internet calls on the PC more like using a mobile or traditional phone. Read More

QWERTY keyboards deserve to die

By Mike Hanlon

August 4, 2006 We are fully in agreement with Triggerfinger’s company motto of “QWERTY keyboards deserve to die” so please do your bit to let people know that there’s an alternative to the old dinosaur that was invented 150 years ago. Triggerfinger has developed software that turns any game controller into a replacement for a keyboard/mouse for a media PC, laptop/mobile and Game Console. The software was developed to provide freedom from the onscreen or QWERTY keyboard found on most computers and the use of a hand held input device eliminates these problems by putting the keyboard/mouse in the palm of your hand. Experts in Human Factors think the acceptable threshold for text input is 15 wpm. Triggerfinger research shows an inexperienced user with an hour of instruction on a Triggerfinger-enabled device exceeds this established base line. This compares very favorably to an onscreen keyboard or stylus text input. Demos and video of the software are available here. Read More

Microsoft's backlit, rechargeable, wireless keyboard

By Mike Hanlon

June 30, 2006 Now let’s get one thing straight – we hate the QWERTY keyboard. It is 150 year old technology masquerading as high-tech and strangling the productivity of the world’s computer users. But until a viable alternative to the predominant computer input device comes along that has enough momentum to survive, we’re prepared to acknowledge the ongoing incremental improvement of this ghastly device. Microsoft is the world’s largest producer of keyboards and has offered some significant enhancements along the way, most notably the tilt wheel and the Magnifier and is set to release a wireless keyboard that is both rechargeable and backlit. It's even pretty smart for a keyboard as the ambient backlighting turns on when a room is dimly lit, and proximity sensing turns it on when the user's hand approaches. Read More

Belkin FLIP shares one monitor, keyboard and mouse (and two speakers) between two computers

By Mike Hanlon

March 29, 2006 We often look at Belkin’s product offerings with respect – their product development team often comes up with clever solutions for providing seamless electronics integration between home, car and mobile and the execution has always been sound. Now here’s another ripsnorter! The new Belkin Flip lets you share one monitor, keyboard, and mouse between two computers, allowing business professionals to take home their work laptop and easily plug it into their home setup or a dozen other scenarios. Read More