keys

You carry your car keys everywhere, so you may as well put them to work. NXP Semiconductor launched KeyLink Lite, a near field communications-enabled car key that can do a lot more than just unlock doors and start the car.

The KeyLink Lite transfers data between a vehicle and mobile devices or computers. Based on NFC standards and utilizing the 13.56MHz frequency and cryptography, the multifunction car key lets users wave the smart key over an NFC-enabled device to access data. The KeyLink Lite securely stores sensitive data, such as the car's GPS coordinates or destination directions, and … Read more

Afraid that the excessive use of the mouse and keyboard will someday make you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome? Maybe you should let your feet take over some of the job. And Keith McMillen Instruments (KMI) has something that enables you to do exactly that.

The company announced today the SoftStep KeyWorx multitouch foot controller, which it claims is "the world's first foot-controlled digital interface." According to KMI, SoftStep "works with any computer program to speed up access, making the computer as easy to use as a car's gas and break pedals."

The new … Read more

Sometimes, gadget reviewers need to turn to their test products in an emergency. I found myself in that very predicament last week when I was on deadline for CNET--just as the hard drive on my MacBook Pro decided to pack it in permanently.

Editors can't print your whining about computer glitches, and you don't get paid much for plaintive cries of "I'm working on it." So when said laptop died on me with only a couple hours left to hand in my commentary on the anniversary of John F. Kennedy's "moon speech," I had to look to my iPad to get the piece written and turned over to the news desk.

You can get any number of word-processing programs for the iPad. For better file swap between my tablet and MacBook Pro, I turn to Pages. Though some say there are better app options, I figured Apple's native program would help me pound out several paragraphs mourning the current state of the American space program. But I can't use that pop-up virtual keyboard the iPad provides for entering text for anything more than an e-mail or a Facebook post. I've tried, and I end up with typed-up pseudo-English that resembles a code pumped out by the Nazi Enigma machine.

You've heard the cliche about an infinite number of monkeys with an infinite number of typewriters eventually creating all of Shakespeare's works? That simian scribble is what comes out of my iPad if I can't hear the comforting "click" of keyboard strokes.

After realizing all of that, I unpacked the five keyboards I had on hand to review and loaded them up for use in this order: the Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard from ThinkGeek, Logitech Keyboard Case by Zagg for iPad 2, the Apple Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard, the Omnio Wow-Keys and the ThinkGeek Bluetooth Keyboard Case for iPad.

These are hardly the only options on the market, and some of them have already been reviewed by the gadget crew here at CNET. But my personal crisis offered an excellent test as to how fast I could get these items out of the box and working with President Kennedy and the Apollo Crew waiting. … Read more

If you're like me and you don't like little sharp metal objects jingling around in your pocket, scratching up your phone, and ripping holes in your pants, you may be looking for a way to manage your keychain. The Keyport Slide aims to do just that, replacing your keychain with a slick looking aluminum chassis that sheathes your keys, creating a solid unit that doesn't jingle around and weighs next to nothing--as long as you aren't carrying more than six keys around at a time.

The Slide measures 4 inches long by 1.25 inches wide … Read more

Many a tense movie moment has hinged on a character desperately sorting through a ring of keys, trying to find the right one that opens the door to safety. That plot gimmick could become a relic of the past if the new Keyport Slide catches on in Hollywood.

This little metal gizmo replaces the unwieldy and old-fashioned keychain with something more akin to a Gerber Multitool. This is the keychain MacGyver would have if he ever emerges from the '80s.

Each keyport comes with a set of blank key blades that you have cut to match your existing keys. They disappear into the box when not in use and slide out at the push of a tiny button. The buttons are color-coded so you have a better chance of finding the right key at the right moment. That's handy if you plan to star in a horror flick.

The whole package comes across as something that Q developed down in the 007 laboratory. "If you see this slim box, James, you'll notice that it contains your Aston Martin key, a flashlight, and a martini stir stick for emergencies."

The standard Keyport Slide bundle runs $79 and includes six standard key blades. Even fully loaded, the Keyport still skims in at less than 2 ounces. A true geek won't be satisfied with just keys. You'll need to show off the optional flashlight, bottle opener, and USB drive. The LED insert costs $10, the bottle opener comes in at $6, and the USB drives are available for $19 for 4GB and $29 for 8GB. You can store a decent amount of top secret data with that.… Read more

GM's Chevrolet Volt and Ford's MyFord Touch and MyKey won the domestic carmakers' gold medals at the Edison Awards gala held in New York last night.

The technology awards show highlights breakthrough products and services and recognizes innovative industry leaders. Basically, it's like the Oscars for technology companies, but with much, much longer speeches and videos.

In the Personal Transportation segment, the Chevy Volt beat out the Copenhagen Wheel by Senseable City Lab and the Nissan Leaf for first place. Senseable City Lab and Nissan earned the silver and bronze medal respectively.

Ford was the big awards … Read more

Practice isn't just the way to get to Carnegie Hall; it's also the way to become a good typist. KeyBlaze Free Typing Tutor from NCH Software can help you learn touch-typing or practice your skills. It offers basic lessons, drills, and speed tests suitable for typists ranging from absolute beginners to keyboard jockeys. It's easy to use and effective, too.

The KeyBlaze installation wizard offers three optional downloads, which we didn't try but thought sounded useful: FastFox, a typing expander that can create and store keyboard shortcuts; TextTally, a word counter; and Express Scribe, which assists … Read more

The inventors of the digital camera, the industrial robot, public-key cryptography, and the barcode are just some of those being inducted into this year's National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Today, the National Inventors Hall of Fame announced its latest selections of the people responsible for some of the key technologies that we use and rely on today.

In 1975, a Kodak engineer named Steve Sasson built a device that was able to capture an image, convert it to an electronic signal, and then digitize and store that image, leading to the world's first digital camera, according to the … Read more

Keyboard replacement app SwiftKey will get a version designed specifically for tablets running the new version of Android, Honeycomb. A complete redesign gives users a way to type with two hands in landscape mode.

SwiftKey is essentially a modern version of predictive text. As you type, the software predicts the most likely word, letter by letter. You can then select that word directly, which should help you save time and prevent horrific spelling mistakes.

We've been using the phone version of SwiftKey for some time, and we're happy with it, although it's not quite as quick or … Read more