Giant keyboard art in Shenzhen metro station offers tech-friendly seating
By Laura June 
posted Apr 23rd 2009 4:51PM
posted Apr 23rd 2009 4:51PM
If you're at the Shenzhen Metro station any time soon, you'll unlikely happen across the beautiful, beautiful sight above. The station -- which is in Shenzhen just north of Hong Kong -- has installed some keyboard art that really speaks to the typist in our souls -- we even type in our dreams occasionally. The keys function as seats to relax in while you wait for your train, though why they chose the keys they chose (Enter, M, <, L, P and ;) is anybody's guess.
[Via Engadget Chinese]
[Via Engadget Chinese]
Enter key on the left? N00bs.
I wonder if it points to the entrance. :)
I want one of those under me. Right now.
hats off this is great.
has to be commercially available somewhere though? hard to believe this is the first time someone came up with the idea...
It would be funnier if they had CTRL ATL DEL instead.
Yeah, and if 3 people sat on them at the same time all the computers in the station would reset. Mayhem!
Where's the "Any" key?
Too bad you can't use them to go to youtube
So long as they don't expect anyone to sit on the "Insert" key.
yeah, reboot Shenzhen!
@Blackstar
Where's the "Any" key?
uuu TAB BEER.
@ Magallanes
There no TIME FOR BEER!
Now some homeless guy is gonna cum on the enter key...
@Magallanes
If you are reffering to the Simpsons line from Homer - "All this computer hacking is making me thirsty. I think I'll order a Tab. (pushes Tab key) Oop! No time for that now, the computer's starting.". He is talking about a soda that was sorta popular in the 80's... introduced by Coca Cola in the 60's. Apparently, this stuff is still being made.
The CTRL+ALT+DEL benches can be seen near the Redmond Bus Station.
"Sit on any key to continue"
@OneLove:
I'm with you, reboot that city!
In front of the metro, saying 'enter m', yeah I wonder too.
Thats where those keys went!
They are identical to the keys missing from my vintage IBM Clicky this message is being typed on.
I'll unlikely run across it? Is it using an infinite improbability drive?
i'd have no idea what your saying had i not seen that a month ago.
@crazypenguin your first mistake was "seen" and missing out on reading one of the best scifi books of our time before seeing an only somewhat decent adaptation.
I know this thread is kinda old, but...
Are there any other good authors in the style of Douglas Adams? I don't mean simply awesome scifi like Phillip K Dick and Brin or simply humorous like Pratchett. I mean something as witty, intelligent, geeky, and uproarious as H2G2.
Anyone?
I'm not sure what you're talking about. Is it The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy? I'd appreciate an answer.
Yes. Hitchhiker's Guide. I figured that anyone who'd have an answer for me would already know that because of the reference to the Infinite Improbability Drive.
They need W A S and D... probably the first keys to go out on my computer...
I walked pass those seats thousand times and didn't know it was picture worthy...
Engadget, start digging in the east...
What's more, one would have thought that engadget news scourers would have picked this up way earlier, seeing as how so much KIRF-worthy crap comes out of Shenzhen.
@derekpong
yeh, because everyone too busy looking out for pick pockets and protecting their belongings...no time to think about some oversized keys..:)
Where's the 'any' key?
SHENZHEN is a city with probably 8 million people where lots of laptops or ipods are made. It's in Guangdong Province, not Shenzhen province
awesome, i want some:)
Those keys may mean something in chinese pinyin?
Very cool, indeed. Also, I believe Shenzhen is a city, not a province...
Sorry dear sirs. That's Shenzhen city in Guangdong province.
The Enter key was placed there to accommodate Chinese of slightly larger proportions.
The American version of the seating would require a space bar.
@jonshipman:
I literally typed the exact same thing a few minutes ago, but restrained myself from hitting submit.
It would kinda of lose it's effect, it'd just be like a white block; might as well just be a bench.
I bet anyone $5 this makes it into one of the next two iterations of Tony Hawk.
You're on.
optimus maximus in this size plz.
I understand that it is art but... those keys are too dirty. :-P
You should see my keyboard. The old mac keyboards with the clear base look cool new, but after 5 years of hard use they start to look like those benches.
Actually, what's cool is the left side of my space bar has been polished clean, while the right side is dirty from disuse. :)
Hey those are all right hand keys -- (Enter, M,
watch out for that wet paint on that "enter" key
Beautiful art, but quite uncomfortable...
I'm wondering how's the tactile feedback...
I wonder if any one could be offended to sit on 'Up Arrow' key !!
The logical choice would be to use the Pause/Break key.
I'd like to see a mouse scroll wheel variation, and then watch someone sit on it and roll right off!
The funny thing is the Chinese would sit on it..fall off... sit on it..fall off... sit on it..fall off... sit on it..fall off... sit on it..fall off... sit on it..fall off...
Hours and hours of entertainment.
Shenzhen and Hong Kong Metros are defintely more than arts.
If you ever been there, you will be impressed.
By the way, it's been there for years...
I am there, since 4 years, please show me the "more than arts" part.
It is ok "technologically", and user friendly (but people ruin it with their behaviour), but still no art. Go to Paris, you will see real Art in metro, even if it's old.
I honestly wouldn't even know they were seats...
lol.. first time seeing something about my city..
.. and being so positive,,
not some thing about pirate/fake product..
; )
All I know is there there is probably a nice British woman telling everyone over and over again to "Mind the gap" and "Please use the handrail".
The keys have been there for months.
This is way too slow, engadget.
that's "mwnl" in Dvorak if thought of one way, or "m,xpr"
awwww! that's so cool!