Luxeed's Dynamic Pixel LED Keyboard fills a void for under two bills

For the longest time, Luxeed's eye-tingling keyboards were only available on the other side of the planet. Now, however, the Dynamic Pixel LED Keyboard is finally for sale on US soil. We'll spare you the completely irrelevant Optimus Maximus links -- after all, this thing only allows you to tweak the colors of each individual key -- but those obsessed with lighting up their gaming area without using those boring incandescents will certainly find plenty to love. And yeah, the $199.99 (for the keyboard alone; the number pad attachment is another $34.99) price tag is way closer to "manageable" than that 'board you really want.

[Thanks, Zarian]

[j_g_puff @ Aug 6th 2008 9:08AM]

Very pretty, though for $200 I would expect the shiny bits to glow under every OS, not just XP and Vista. Surely they could have integrated an on-board controller for that kind of dough?

[icepop4who @ Aug 6th 2008 9:23AM]

i would get this if it survives coffee or not

[Froggy @ Aug 6th 2008 9:24AM]

and what void would that be that this thing fills? Maybe the "I haven't had my ass kicked in a long while" void? :)

[BratPAQ @ Aug 6th 2008 9:31AM]

i for one have been waiting for this kind of keyboard, which has led lights like cellphone keypads. now it will be easier to use the PC in the dark.

[Kip @ Aug 6th 2008 9:34AM]

You still look at the keys when typing?

And I want this keyboard minus the rainbow lights. And only if the keys are weighted.

[Benson @ Aug 6th 2008 5:13PM]

It needs wide-open support; just specs, even, so we can write our own drivers for other OSes.

I can see so many cool things you can do with this.

Marquee display (I wish the spacebar was divided into key-sized pixels, but even a 4px high font can be designed for good readability in a single-case system. Experiment with anti-aliasing and sub-pixel scroll intervals.)
Spectrum analyzer (with frequency bands matched to winamp equalizer bindings)
Weapon signification in FPSes (most of the keyboard shifts color to match current selected weapon, with the weapon-selection keys keeping the color of the weapon, if it exists, and blacked-out otherwise. Health status, also...)
Syncronous display with screensavers. Think of flurry and GLblur; maybe even sonar.

[Xenoterranos @ Aug 6th 2008 9:47AM]

You can do color schemes other than Pride, right?

[Samboini @ Aug 6th 2008 9:56AM]

Your shortsitedness is shocking. Gay people didn't invent the rainbow.

[no3rdw @ Aug 6th 2008 9:57AM]

It looks like you can change the color of each key to whatever you'd like... so yes!

[TheGasMan @ Aug 6th 2008 10:40AM]

@ Samboini
Your misspelling of shortsightedness is shocking. And your comment was basically pointless. Did you really need to get your undies in a bundle over a joke?

[Seekah @ Aug 26th 2008 10:55PM]

@ TheGasMan

Your response incited by his response, indicating the misspelling, is shocking. He stated a valid point as anti-homosexuality is a bigger issue than what may have been a simple joke!

[no3rdw @ Aug 6th 2008 9:55AM]

They sold me on 'spark mode' where the keys light up when you press them... it's like you're in a cheesy 80's movie featuring FUTURE COMPUTING TECHNOLOGY!

Call me crazy, but I like this keyboard better than the Optimus Maxiumus... and I like the price a lot better too.

[Goldenbone @ Aug 6th 2008 12:44PM]

I prefer it to the maximus as well.

[silentjay1284 @ Aug 6th 2008 10:06AM]

I'll keep my G15

Backlit keys, check
LCD Monitor, check
Numberpad with backlit keys, double check
2x USB Ports, check
Multi Colored Backlit Keys, no check =/

[Starchsky @ Aug 6th 2008 10:10AM]

No no noooooooooooooo,

why is the Del key fucked up Logitech style?! I want my Insert back. And what about the annoying crop of tiny buttons around the arrow keys, no no no no. And it looked so damn good at first sight...

[Shane @ Aug 6th 2008 10:17AM]

This could be really cool for audio and video editing applications (among other things).

Specialized keyboards with color coded keys have been out for a number of years but being able to change them dynamically depending on the application would be very helpful.

[Skye @ Aug 6th 2008 10:28AM]

That's really pretty cool. I could go for a simple pattern of lights across me board.

[Anitaz @ Aug 7th 2008 9:20PM]

Has anyone with low vision tested this keyboard? My brother has 20/200 vision, and I would be interested in feedback from low vision users before recommending that he try out this keyboard. Comments on its use with applications designed for legally blind persons would be appreciated.

[whowhatme @ Aug 6th 2008 11:21AM]

"We'll spare you the completely irrelevant Optimus Maximus links"

...but you didn't, did you?

[ShadowKain @ Aug 6th 2008 11:44AM]

At least its less than the Maxiums Keyboard...But still, Im not that keen on paying that much for a keyboard. Coffee will turn that into an expensive mistake in a hurry.

[z0phi3l @ Aug 6th 2008 11:45AM]

The black version looks to be nicer than the white glowy version

[mark smith @ Aug 6th 2008 1:31PM]

I like the look of it, but it would NEVER survive my Team Fortress 2 rage-fits when I get nailed by a spy or a pyro... youtube search "angry german kid"

[MikeWard1701 @ Aug 6th 2008 2:16PM]

Great keyboard, been available here in the UK for a while now :)

Funky lightshows when listening to music, and very useful for specific apps e.g. Sibelius, SONAR etc by creating colour profiles.

Compared to the Optimus, its a bargain, and if you're stupid enough to put a beverage within 1 metre of an expensive keyboard, you deserve to be beaten half to death with it before having it forcefully inserted up your anal canal.

[Benson @ Aug 6th 2008 5:00PM]

One question: The beverage or the keyboard?

[Asha @ Aug 6th 2008 9:41PM]

If someone can afford an Optimus Maximus, then they can afford a sippy cup.

[Ariel @ Aug 6th 2008 3:18PM]

Can someone explain why someone would pay so much for a keyboard with such a useless function?

[M @ Aug 6th 2008 6:05PM]

because it's fun

[roach @ Aug 6th 2008 4:48PM]

This is for Apple user to match with their gay rainbow logo.

[Colin Potter @ Aug 7th 2008 4:00AM]

the year was 2008 and a young man was un-frozen from his cryogenic chamber, only to discover that the whole world had gone on without him.

[Riley @ Aug 6th 2008 7:34PM]

i'm still not sure why it doesn't have a built-in numpad

[Mega Math @ Aug 6th 2008 10:09PM]

Good but not the rainbow style