We can't count the number of times that we've longed for our Insert, Home, Page Up, Delete, End and Page Down buttons to be replaced with an angled slab of plastic, but obviously we're in a pretty small minority. Matias has just issued its USB 2.0 keyboard + smartphone stand, which essentially carves out a slice of
keyboard real estate for your phone to sit, though no passthrough USB cable / iPhone dock connector is provided for charging. The purpose? To put all of your mobile apps right at your fingertips, because keeping said phone on your desk is just completely and utterly unacceptable. Oh, and did we mention that the layout itself is nothing special? If you see something we don't, feel free to part with your $49.95 and smile while thinking "I told you so."
Update: Documentation about the keyboard indicated that "custom keypad and trackpad apps" could be loaded on to "control your Mac," which certainly makes this more appealing, but unfortunately details on that are scant.
posted February 25th 2010 1:30PM
Crapgadget......
@SolidSnake How terribly clever this fellow is.
@SolidSnake seconded. the execution is the only thing that tops the failure of the concept itself.
@SolidSnake
Definitely should have been presented under the Crapgadget heading.
@SolidSnake you got any better idea for a pluglet for the apple?
i mean im liking these pluglet even if apple isnt my fav brand but see this thing ther is just imacuate except the keeyboard style. give me one of these with a wifi!
@SolidSnake
Snake??!! SNAAAAAKKKEEEEE!!!!!!!!
Actually, I've wanted something like this for some time.. I can't say I'd run to the shop and order it...but I would like to have said space on my current keyboard..
Then again, its not like there's a famine of docks for smartphones...
@geekthree
You are the 5th person on this site to do that.. lol
@geekthree i dont understand the use for this particular one. hope to gawd u dont end up getting this!
@Ducman69 idk, the concept is pretty fail.
@SolidSnake
I was just about to type that before I read your comment, agreed my friend
So this is why Logitech makes those huge seemingly nonsensical free spaces on their keyboards, it's not for their tiny logo at all.
Adding a dock would have made it worthwile.. now i can put my iPhonenear my keyboard and get the same effect without having to buy a new keyboard.
@Neosubu why dont they just make them already with a touch screen independent like that? without the freakin iphone! more people would bu i have seen them out there! i mean why make a crapgadget like this when u could be bringing in more dough if u just take the time to realie the apple iphone is not that amazing for keyboard acess! touchscreens were introduced by these companys as a hazard to bring back the new tech feel but i dislike them! id rather have a chiclet style keyboard then a touchscreen any day! wake up! this gadget is just another short to famer!
Why do companies bring out crap like this? Is it too hard to notice what people want?
Hooray for...................erm..........Plastic!!!
I like how it boasts that it's 2.0... It's not like there's a real difference in speed when it comes to keystrokes. >_>
@jellotime91 - it's got 3 USB ports built in for connecting other stuff - would you rather transfer data over USB 1?
So... A terrible implementation of a subpar idea? And they thought people would want this?
What POS CrapGadget.
PageUp, PageDown, Home, End, Insert, Del. All missing from their usual touch typing places
Useless.
@rederikus
Nah, they are still there -- check the iPhone screen
@Miguel Lancaster
Except that if I go to feel for one of the buttons, it isn't there. We have a ton of keyboards with those keys moved around in our University labs, and it drives me frigging crazy.
Hey, I LOVE my delete and pg up / pg down buttons! And home! And end! The only button I don't use from that six is Insert.
Also, this shit for $50? DIY edition: buy a $10 keyboard, buy $10 nanopad (anti-slip surface for your car's dashboard) remove those keys, stick the nanopad there and voilá, you have it for like $20...
@Darkroom I second that.. I end up tripping on the keys. But I guess that happens when you get used to any keyboard.
From the people who brought you the 90's keyboard, introducing a keyboard that will take you right back to the 90's while causing you added confusion about where the delete key is. Comes with optional USB 2.0 to PS/2 converter and a floppy for your Windows 98 machine.
WTF is this!?
Why would any sane person want to buy this?
It needs:
-a data transfer/charging dock for the phone (or a microUSB cable sticking out of it for those of us who do not use iPhones)
-an app for the phone to make it work as a mouse trackpad or a space for configurable virtual keys
They should slap "Bluetooth Sync Compatible!" on it as you can BT sync from it if you have BT in both the phone and computer :)
Crapgadget for certain.
@eboltz i was thinking wifi not bloothooth! wifi is more cappable than blootooth!
Forget this, I'm still waiting for Razer to release an attachment for iPods/iPhones to fit my BattleDock...
@Darkroom yeah im really not that into those kinds of keyboards either. i dont know about anyon else but i admire the chiclet style keyboards the best! being these otherr ones they got out on the market today are just so darn hardn to clean! im with u on this one! i believe that theres a downside to every i gadget though. and luckily it isnt the keyboard for apple this time!
I'd really like this keyboard if it had a few more modern features and the place for your iphone actually did contactless charging and syncing.
hmmm.... my post didn't get submitted.
Well, what I said was... If it had a few more modern features and it provided contactless charging and syncing to my iphone, I'd buy it.
That space is too sloped to keep an adult beverage from sliding off.
So pretty much I can set my iPhone next to my Keyboard like I normally do, not buy this POS and save $50. Yep that sounds about right.
Am i being dense or something cause im completly missing the point of this device.
When im sat at my computer why do i need to
* Do quick calculations
* Check your stocks
* Twitter
* Facebook updates
When i can already do that from my perfectly good computer now, and not pay $50 for the priviledge. More to the point if im the type of person who insits on doing this on my smartphone (by which i presume they mean iPhone), once again i can do this, while sat at my computer without paying $50.
Also what happens if i need to press one of the 9 missing keys while taking a phone call?
What's stopping someone from just hacking a dock into that spot?
@Midnitte Because it's not worth the bother when iHome already has an integrated iPod dock keyboard.
http://www.ihomeaudio.com/products.asp?product_id=10429&dept_id=1084
@YpoCaramel
Right but for 100$ more >.>
@Darkroom
Not to mention that this is passing through my engadget.com/exclude/apple/
Are you listening iEngadget?
The last time that i see at my keyboard was the last time that i cleaned it.
This would actually be a great feature on a keyboard if the screen on the smartphone can be harnessed by programs/games as a tactile extension on the keyboard. Think of the overpriced keyboards with led keys. This bypasses that in a smart way (sorry for the pun).
I would rather have sweaty balls in my face before I bought this keyboard.
Great concept, poor implementation.
i rest my phone on the numpad
or the desk, right next to the keyboard
$50 saved
Great... except I happen to use those keys a ton.
I would have rather they put it in place of the numpad, except, I'd rather just put my phone on my desk than lose ANY keys.
I think when people write something like "We can't count the number of times that we've longed for..." they usually mean that they have "longed for" many times - too many to count. But the rest of your blurb seems to imply that you have not "longed for" all that much, and that you find the idea useless. Brush up on your idioms, Engadget.
@rterek I'm pretty sure it was sarcasm. Try reading that first sentence with some snark, and it all comes together quite nicely.
Introducing a keyboard, minus some important keys.
@Oldarney Just because it has a picture of an iPhone doesn't make it about Apple. It sounds like this keyboard is supposed to work with any smartphone.
...
*sets iphone on top of keyboard*
Do I win?
What app is the iphone running to enable those keys, i NEED THOSE KEYS, my macbook dont got em......thx apple the ONLY thing im pissed at u for.....