Vioguard's self-sanitizing keyboard means maybe we don't all have to die this year
By Paul Miller 
posted October 12th 2009 2:09PM
posted October 12th 2009 2:09PM
posted October 12th 2009 2:09PM
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Every school computer lab needs this.
So many people in there eating, sneezing, coughing and generally being disgusting.
Until little johnny gets little johnny stuck in there.
I forsee fiddly school kids (like the young me) picking it broken or something and getting cancer from the UV light.
This is a good idea considering the keyboard of any household has more bacteria on it than a toilet seat!
Most things have more bacteria on them than a toilet seat. They're quite sterile.
Usually hand-bacteria is better than butt-bacteria.
That's not a bad idea for public settings either. Like libraries and schools
I'm assuming a commenter will also make a joke about porn galleries or something also
They have galleries? Who knew!
@Chad with thumbnails and some with video previews even.
this is actually kinda useful, considering how disgusting keyboards are.
http://xkcd.com/237/
Scrubs reference ftw.
I think Braff is way better in those Brita commercials than on scrubs. He really does sound like water, and doesn't fit the voice of the Cottonelle puppy.
For less demanding applications (shared computer in an office or school) you can buy an "UV wand" for 60$. The wand is basically a UV floodlight you can swipe over keyboards and other hard to clean places.
Being desktop support makes me wish we'd buy these for everyone. People around here are disgusting! But even if they were $20 they still wouldn't go for it.
P.S. please don't trim your toenails under your desk. I have to go under there sometimes.
Where else would I trim my toenails??? Did you think of THAT?!?
If you don't mind me asking, why are you going under their desk? Won't the end result of that be an even bigger mess?
wet naps are cheaper.
Wow Paul, A bit harsh on the title hah?
Low rank me if you want for being honest, but I SO NEED THIS. I always forget to wash my hands, and I usually eat on the keyboard. Yes I am messy and nasty... :( I have those Clorox wipes that I use to clean it, but.. this beats them ! One day a ROACH come out of my keyboard ... that was so nasty I was in shock lol and it was then when I decided to buy the Clorox wipes
No one's gonna down rank you for that ... they just won't go near you or your computer :)
This is cool and all but I buy my keyboards solely based on comfort and how it feels when I type. I'm guessing for this there will be one model to choose from. Plus, I clean my keyboard like it's my job. I go through a lot of dust removers
Sanitation aside, I wouldn't mind having a keyboard that automatically hides away under my desk when I am not using it.
Wow. That's actually cheaper than health insurance.
innovative idea, but hospitals dont even pay $800 for their computers. we have spill proof keyboards at my job that are a fraction of the cost that can be sterilized with standard hospital cleaners.
Can of Lysol, < $5.
only for those that can touch type in any situation.
like darkness, drunkeness, nuclear falloutness, etc.
(it has removed the letters from a few keyboards)
As a hospital IT person I can understand the need for a keyboard like this. The price will need to come down significantly if wide spread adoption is to take place. There is a big misconception that financial resources are unlimited for a device like this. It is the price of a basic pc for crying out loud. $100 I could agree with, but $900?!?! How long does the sanitation cycle last? Health care workers have absolutely no patience for anything taking longer than 10 seconds, especially if it is tech related. IMHO. Thanks
could just buy a UV light switched on by a under monitor stand, sanitize by sliding keyboard in, 10 seconds should be good enough.
bet you a nail salon uv curing light stand could hold a monitor above it, some of those are sensor based even.
I agree--there's no way the components for making this thing should cost even half what they are asking. Good idea, but the price needs to be way down.
what an idiot inventor. ever hear of silver nanoparticles? does the same thing but without the machine. you could probably just spray them on once a year
Yes, and turn your fingers permanently blue.
And unless by 'spray' you mean throwing handfuls of water at it, there's still a machine involved :D
I could see the uses for this. If you could some how encapsulate a computer inside that box however, then you have an automatic unit that you could use at a coffee shop or something. Instead of IR sensors, you could use WIFI technology and you can place a card near the device to put out the keyboard.
Japan has something where you wave something over the device and it registers your use to a credit card that's on the account. When you're ready to pay for everything when you leave the Onsen, it's already stored and ready to be charged.
It would be convenient so that you don't have people walking by that would damage your machine. Why do I say that? Go any best buy and look at the laptop that they have on display. There is always some idiot ripping out the keys and destroying the monitor or something.
The UV sanitation is just a thought, but overall security for your system in the public sector is well worth the money.
I kept a bottle of alcohol in my desk and wiped the keyboard and phone whenever I returned. Much cheaper.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who keeps a bottle of alcohol in his desk. What? For cleaning? Never mind.
I totally bought the "Zach Braff is dead" rumour today, so glad its not true.
Wouldnt it be cheaper just to put on medical gloves for typing....
UV-light-resistant viral strain in 3... 2... 1...
Waterproof keyboard + alcohol spray < this. < price, that is.