Crave

Adesso WKB-3100UB wireless keyboard

(Credit: Adesso)

Are you looking for a great, mini wireless keyboard? According to Adesso's Web site, its WKB-3100UB is the "perfect" fit for your living room. And for nearly $80, you may think Adesso is right. With the WKB-3100UB's snazzy features such as a broad wireless range, built-in trackball, and softwareless installation, it would be a great fit for surfing the Web from your sofa, right? Think again.

To find out why we think you can find a better, cheaper solution, read the full review of the Adesso WKB-3100UB wireless keyboard.

(Credit: Logitech)

Years ago, we reviewed the Logitech Gaming Keyboard G11 and found that it was pretty great, except for being unfortunately large and lacking USB 2.0. The company's newest update, the Gaming Keyboard G110, certainly looks to have addressed those issues with a much slimmer base and a more efficiently compact key layout.

Backlit LED keys can be set to red, blue, or "any shade between," meaning a veritable spectrum of purples are yours to savor. Twelve programmable G keys can store macros up to 36 characters long, and an MR button allows adding macros spontaneously, in case any new ones come to you midgame.

On the back is a USB 2.0 hub port, along with dedicated headphone and mic jacks so gamers can also plug in their headset of choice and any other mouse, control pad, or other peripheral that comes to mind when fragging.

The G110 comes out in November for $79.99.

Logitech Gaming Keyboard G110

Winners of the student contest nabbed the above trophy, plus a $2,000 prize, bragging rights, and special consideration for a spot at Siggraph's 2010's Emerging Technology demos.

(Credit: Flickr user psychopsyclist)

I can tell you my computer password, but unless you type it in exactly the way I do, you won't be allowed entry. That's the idea behind Safelock, one of the just-announced winning entries in the UIST 2009 Student Innovation Competition, a Microsoft-sponsored contest aimed at inspiring keyboard innovation. About a month ago, the company sent out prototypes of pressure-sensitive keyboards to 40 international teams, which had four weeks to cobble together their creations. Here are just a few of the cool ideas they came up with:

First place, most useful: Safelock
Safelock, by Jeff Allen and John Howard of Southern Methodist University, biometrically authenticates a user with just eight characters entered. The key (forgive the pun) is that the user has to enter that relatively short password just right. To create a machine-learning algorithm that discovers the unique way each person types, the team measured four keystroke attributes: flight time (the interval between each keystroke); hold time (the amount of time the key was held); maximum pressure; and a curve fit to the pressure over time as a user pressed each key.

The team conducted extensive tests of their system and say it's "extremely robust." Says Howard: "99.4 percent of the time, if you're not me, you're not able to log into my account."

First place, most creative: Hidden Forces
This innovation lets users control multiple cursors by waving magnets above the keyboard but not touching it. A four-person team from Carnegie Mellon University accomplished this by placing one small magnet underneath each of the keyboard keys, with the north side facing up.

Julia Schwarz, Brian Lim, Stephen Oney, and Kevin Huang then used a larger magnet (north side facing down) as a cursor. The larger magnet repelled nearby magnets, pushing them against the pressure-sensitive pads and allowing the computer to know where the magnet was located above the keyboard. The innovators were able to control multiple cursors with this technique, turning the keyboard into a multipoint, in-air interaction device.

Oh, those smart rascals at Microsoft are on a roll. I love their Courier tablet concept, and now they may have found the way to make on-screen multitouch keyboards actually work great--even for touch typists like me.

The problem with screen keyboards is that you actually have to look at the screen to hit the keys correctly. With real keyboards, touch typists have a physical reference to position their hands. That's why they type blind. With a flat screen keyboard, however, you lose the physical reference frame.

The patent for this screen keyboard, however, uses multitouch technology to automatically align the keys to the position of the hand. Since the keys are always in the same relative position to your fingers, you will always have a physical point of reference: Your own hand. That way, you can blindingly hammer your keys against the screen, knowing that your fingers will always hit the keys they are aiming for.

The patent also details the way this virtual keyboard would appear anywhere on the screen: Just place your hands as you would normally do while typing, and the keyboard will pop up. [USPTO via WMPowerUser]

This story originally appeared on Gizmodo.

(Credit: Mobile Mechatronics)

If you're an iPhone owner who just hates typing on the device's virtual keyboard, Mobile Mechatronics has something for you: the iTwinge, a $30 BlackBerry-style, slide-on keyboard that mounts right on the iPhone.

Now iPhone purists are probably thinking this should be called the iCringe, but if you're heavy into texting and e-mailing and aren't proficient with the virtual keyboard, I can see some merit to using this device. However, it obviously covers up a good 40 percent of the iPhone's screen, which would seem problematic.

According to Mobile Mechatronics, the iTwinge Keyboard is a typing "Skin" for the iPhone that "enables faster and more accurate typing through the use of our patent pending Twinge Technology." Also, according to the company, studies show that an average user will improve their typing speed by 30 percent to 40 percent and reduce typing errors by 70 percent to 80 percent.

The lightweight keyboard sleeve--it weighs an ounce--attaches to the bottom of the iPhone and mimics the iPhone's virtual keyboard (it appears that touching the keys simply transfers the touch to the virtual keys below). According to the company's FAQ section, it slips on and off in a second and is durable (see a video of iTwinge in action here). It's also worth noting that it apparently draws some power from your iPhone, but only a tiny amount.

Mobile Mechatronics indicates that the iTwinge is also a training tool for those transitioning from a phone with a physical keyboard to the iPhone's virtual keyboard and that it has an iPhone app in development that helps "users build muscle memory & improve typing skills."

The iTwinge is scheduled to ship on November 17 and the company is taking preorders now. We assume Mobile Mechatronics has Apple's blessing to sell this, but it's worth noting that Apple has refused so far to approve or create Bluetooth drivers that would let you use a wireless keyboard to type on the iPhone. I've written about the whole iPhone Bluetooth keyboard fiasco in the past, and I still can't understand why Apple wouldn't give its users the option of using a Bluetooth keyboard with the iPhone.

Anyway, what do you guys think of the iTwinge? Is it intriguing and innovative or a waste of money?

(Source: Engadget via ChipChick)

(Credit: Mobile Mechatronics)

Now you can type in landscape mode!

(Credit: Screenshot by Daren Darrow/CNET)

The WebOS Internals crew on Friday released a virtual keyboard patch for the Palm Pre.

Now, with the homebrew patch installed (homebrew apps are developed and distributed through third-party sources, not Palm or through the official App Catalog), Pre users can type without opening the slider keyboard.

Having an onscreen keyboard is a godsend for browsing the Web in landscape mode. Instead of rotating the phone and using the built-in keyboard, users can now just double-tap the gesture area and type away--without all the twisting, sliding, and pressing.

The patch modifies the operation of the onscreen keyboard that WebOS uses to insert symbols with the slider keyboard. The patch works well, but has at least one hang-up: You can't use it for all text entry areas. It can be used to type a URL in a Web browser, but not to fill in forms on Web sites. Even with this issue, it's better than not having a virtual keyboard, at least until Palm releases an update that includes one.

While there are a lot of steps to installing homebrew apps and patches, they are not difficult to perform. People new to the homebrew scene should just follow the instructions.

To install the patch, follow the steps that PreCentral posted on its blog. To install WebOS Quick Install, follow the steps in its forum.

Requirements: Palm Pre with developer mode enabled, WebOS Quick Installer or command line access to the phone.

(Source: PreCentral)

(Credit: E-Junex)

These pimped-out Japanese keys take the "bored" out of keyboards.

Why should the tactile tools we touch all day be blandly beige, boring black, or washed-out white? Japanese content producer E-Junex recently came to the rescue of aesthetically challenged input devices with two keyboards sporting anime-style gals.

They're perhaps not as pleasurable to stroke as Kazuharu Sakura's luxurious leather keyboard, but they're certainly more practical.

The doe-eyed maidens are a staple in Japanese manga (comics) and anime. They're also plastered over virtually every surface of Akihabara, Tokyo's electronics and otaku goods hub.

E-Junex recruited the talents of illustrators Tony Taka and Carnelian, known for their work on similar characters in video games and dojinshi, or fan-authored manga.

The USB Art Keyboards went on sale through E-Junex's E2 retailer for a limited time this summer. Price: about $100 each--a paltry sum to pay for true otaku.

(Credit: E-Junex)

The browser wars are heating up again. Microsoft's touting the improved performance and security of Internet Explorer 8, dozens of new Firefox extensions are released every day, and, according to Apple, Safari 4 will be even faster than its speedy predecessor. Meanwhile, Opera just keeps chugging along at version 9.64, with version 10 beta 3 now available.

Just a few weeks ago, Google announced its plans to create an operating system based on Chrome. Considering that the browser itself is barely a year old, such plans may be premature. Then again, maybe not. But for right now, I'll keep looking for ways to make the Chrome browser more useful.

Last June, I described ways to change Chrome's default settings. Here's a look at ways to revamp the browser's interface and access some of its useful hidden features.

... Read more

(Credit: Logitech)

For this week's installment of the weekly Crave giveaway, we have a sweet gaming keyboard, the Logitech G19, which has a built-in color LCD that displays images and videos (among other fun things). As editor Rich Brown says in his review, "Imagine watching YouTube clips during a long griffin ride in World of Warcraft, without alt-tabbing out." Woo-hoo.

Normally, this keyboard costs around $200, but you have the chance to get one gratis.

So, how do you try to win a free Logitech G19 keyboard? Let me enumerate the basic rules. Please read them carefully; there will be a test.

• Register as a CNET user. Go to the top of this page and hit the "Join CNET" link to start the registration process. If you're already registered, no need to register again.
• Leave a comment below. You can leave whatever comment you want. If it's funny or insightful it won't help you win, but we're trying to have fun here, so anything entertaining is appreciated.
• Leave only one comment. You may enter this specific giveaway only once. If you enter more than one comment, you will be automatically disqualified.
• The winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) Logitech G19 keyboard. Approximate retail value is $200.
• If you are chosen, you will be notified via e-mail. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
• Entries can be submitted until Monday, August 17, at noon EDT.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENT OF ONE OF THE 50 UNITED STATES OR D.C., 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT DATE OF ENTRY INTO SWEEPSTAKES. VOID IN PUERTO RICO, ALL U.S. TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Sweepstakes ends at 12 PM EDT on August 17, 2009. See official rules for details.

Good luck.