MobileKeyboards
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Microsoft outs Bluetooth-enabled Sculpt Touch Mouse, matching Sculpt Mobile Keyboard
Lots of hardware news coming out of Microsoft today. No, not that kind of hardware; just a lot of mice (and keyboards, too). In addition to that spiffy Wedge mouse and keyboard, the company just announced two products as part of a new "Sculpt" line. First up, there's the Sculpt Touch Mouse, which isn't all that different from this, except it works over Bluetooth, as opposed to a USB dongle. Unlike last year's Touch Mouse, which got a software update today, this doesn't have a full touch surface so much as a touch strip, so complex three-fingered gestures are out. Still, you can use it to swipe up and down, and from side to side. And, like other products in Microsoft's lineup, it has BlueTrack technology, which allows it to be used on almost any surface. Interestingly, you'll need Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows RT to use it, meaning Vista users are outta luck. Meanwhile, the Sculpt Mobile Keyboard is similar to last year's Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000, only this time around it has hotkeys specific to Windows 8. Both products will be available "soon," and will retail for $49.95.%Gallery-161070%
Microsoft intros Wedge Mobile Keyboard, whose case doubles as a stand
As we've seen, there will be no shortage of tablet / laptop hybrids on offer when Windows 8 starts shipping this fall. But since those keyboard docks will typically be sold separately, that means you're also about to see loads of third-party alternatives. Not to be left out, Microsoft just announced a Bluetooth mobile keyboard, along with its smallest-ever mouse -- both of which can be used with any Windows tablet. Starting with that Wedge Mobile Keyboard, it resembles Zaggmate's iPad case from 2010, in that it has a hard case to make it more travel-resilient. Here, though, the casing is made of flexible rubber, allowing it to double as a tablet stand. Putting it over the keys also turns the keyboard off, allowing you to conserve battery life. On board, you'll also find hotkeys specific to certain Windows 8 features, such as the Charms Bar. And, as the name suggests, the keyboard rises a bit in the back, thanks to the battery door on the other side (this takes two AAA cells, by the way.) One caveat: though you can use it with Windows 7, 8 and RT, and even Mac OS X, it's not compatible with Vista. Sorry, folks. In a similar vein, the tiny Wedge Touch Mouse has a matching soft-touch surface and is also Bluetooth-enabled. Like other mice in Microsoft's lineup, it has BlueTrack technology, allowing it to be used on a wide variety of surfaces. The mouse, which runs on a single AA battery, also shuts down whenever you power down whatever device it's paired with. These products will ship "soon," according to Microsoft, with the keyboard retailing for $79.95 and the mouse going for $69.95. For now, we've got a bunch of photos below for your viewing pleasure.%Gallery-161072%%Gallery-161098%
Phraze-It 2.0 released for Pocket PC
We sometimes wish we had a portable, full-sized keyboard stuffed in our pants for those times when a fast email or longer SMS was needing composed. Yes, there are dual-sliders that were designed to give us the closest thing, but perhaps a functional onscreen keyboard is not a bad idea either, right? Enter Prevalent Devices' Phraze-It keyboard for Windows Mobile Pocket PCs and Pocket PC handsets, announced recently in 2.0 form. Phraze-It comes with a "complete computer keyboard" for those long diatribes, but it was designed for typing with index fingers and thumbs. We'd like to see the unit before we agree with the company's claim of "accurate, easy to use on-screen keys" that "let mobile users have an equivalent desktop experience on their PDAs and PDA phones," but from what we've heard, this sounds like a humdinger for those that don't want a 23 inch-wide keyboard protruding from their backpack.
