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Touchtype Case is the happy marriage of iPad and Apple Wireless Keyboard
I spend most of my day typing on an Apple Wireless Keyboard. I love the feel of the keys, the long battery life and the compact form factor. That's why I do all of my blogging and most of my other writing on my iMac -- I love this keyboard. And that, among some other reasons, is why I don't keep my iPad in a keyboard case. I just don't like the feel of 98 percent of the keyboards built into those cases, with Logitech's Ultrathin Keyboard Cover as the exception. So, what if someone made it easy to carry an Apple Wireless Keyboard with an iPad? That's exactly the story behind the Touchtype Case (US$49 and $99). The case started out as a Kickstarter project by Salman Sajid and received a lot of backing -- $45,749 compared to a $2,500 funding goal. Salid feels the same way I do about a lot of the iPad keyboard cases, so he decided to do something about it. The result is a very slender case that carries your iPad (any generation) and Apple Wireless Keyboard. Of course, the Touchtype Case also acts as a stand so your iPad can be propped into a good orientation (portrait or landscape) for viewing as you type. The Touchtype is currently out of stock, but one TUAW reader will get one as an early Christmas present. Check out the review, and then enter the giveaway. Design Rather than spend a lot of time explaining the design of the Touchtype Case, I'd prefer to let the inventor do that. Here's his Kickstarter video: How well did Sajid's design match his dream? Very well! I tested one of the gray polyurethane "pleather" models, and it's one of the thinnest iPad cases I've ever used. However, it still works well as an iPad stand as well, and I like that the iPad can be used in either portrait or landscape orientation. In case you're not thrilled about gray polyurethane, there are two more "real leather" versions -- one in a dark brown "Wild Espresso" tint and the other in Functionality Do you really need a case that can carry your iPad and an Apple Wireless Keyboard? That's the big question that you'll need to ask yourself. If you currently carry both in a backpack or bag and that's working out for you, then spending $49 or $99 for a case is probably an expense you don't need. But if you're carrying the iPad and keyboard loose and want a way to organize them, then the Touchtype case makes sense. %Gallery-172805% The workmanship on the Touchtype is probably some of the best I've seen on any iPad case. The keyboard fits snugly into its pocket on the case, but is easy to remove. Elastic and leather straps on iPad cases are usually poorly made -- here, Sajid obviously paid attention to detail, as the straps look good and are very usable. Any downsides to the Touchtype case? If anything, I have a bit of a concern that the product is out of stock with just a "get notified" email link available. Of course, there's no cost for giving Sajid your email address. Conclusion Anyone who likes to use an Apple Wireless Keyboard with their iPad should buy a Touchtype case when they become available. It's well designed and implemented, and a very compact way to carry the duo to wherever your computing will be done. Pros Beautiful design Top-quality construction Very reasonable pricing on the gray polyurethane model Ability to stand the iPad up in either portrait or landscape mode Cons Out of stock at the present time Who is it for? Those who love to use the Apple Wireless Keyboard who are unhappy with the current crop of iPad keyboard cases. Giveaway Now, here's your chance to win one of these great cases. Be sure to read the rules: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before December 9, 2012 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive a Touchtype iPad case valued at $49. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Henge Docks Clique: A new way to merge your Wireless Keyboard and Magic Trackpad
Many Mac users use a combination of an Apple Wireless Keyboard and a Magic Trackpad for their typing and pointing pleasure. Twelve South came up with a lovely way to merge the two devices into a single unit with the MagicWand (US$29.99). Now Henge Docks has developed a less expensive and more functional device called the Clique ($24.99) that should be a fierce competitor to the MagicWand. Design and Functionality Three minor issues with the MagicWand have been addressed with the Clique. First, I felt that $29.99 was a bit expensive for what is essentially two pieces of plastic and a tiny piece of silicone. Second, if I want to use the keyboard and trackpad in my lap, I'm out of luck with the MagicWand as there's no physical support for those peripherals. Finally, if I'm going to be away from my iMac for a while and wish to turn off the keyboard, I have to take it out of the MagicWand to have access to the power button on the right side. The Clique is actually a thin, bright white plastic rigid tray into which your Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Trackpad "click," hence the clever name. When the peripherals are snapped into the Clique, they form a rigid unit that can easily be used in a lap. I found this to be wonderful -- when I'm using the MagicWand, I have to place it onto my desktop and sit closer to the screen of my iMac. Now I'm able to place the keyboard and trackpad on my legs and move back a bit into a much more comfortable position in my chair. %Gallery-141081% Turning off the keyboard or trackpad is also easy. Henge Docks designed a small spring-loaded button into the right side of the Clique that can be depressed to power the trackpad on and off. In addition, there's a small slider underneath the keyboard that is used to turn the keyboard on and off without taking the keyboard out of the Clique. I was a bit concerned that the Clique would be uncomfortable for typing, as it adds a bit of thickness to the keyboard that doesn't exist with the Magic Wand. That concern went away as soon as I started using the Clique -- if you hold your hands in a proper position for typing, that extra 1/16th of an inch doesn't cause any problem. Conclusion I type a lot (I've written well over one million words for TUAW during my three-plus years here), and anything that makes typing and pointing more comfortable gets a thumbs-up from me. The Clique works very well and moves my keyboard and trackpad to a much more comfortable typing position. Now that turning off the keyboard is going to be easier, I'll probably get better life from my batteries. With the help of Henge Docks and the Clique, I think I'll be able to crank out another couple million words without too much damage to my arms and hands. The Clique would also make a wonderful holiday gift for anyone who wants a rigid keyboard/trackpad combo that they can use to make their daily Mac user more comfortable.
Mobee's Magic Bar brings inductive charging to your Apple bluetooth keyboard and Magic Trackpad
The wise folks who brought us the inductive Magic Charger for the Magic Mouse are now back with a new trick up their sleeves. This time we have the Mobee Magic Bar, which can energise either an Apple Wireless Keyboard or a Magic Trackpad thanks to their identical dual AA battery compartment. To get some wireless charging action, simply install the supplied battery cylinder to either device (presumably extra cylinders will also be available for purchasing), and then slide the protruding part into the charging dock. Of course, the nature of this setup limits the number of compatible devices (unlike the flat Magic Charger), but this is still more convenient than unscrewing the lid every time you run out of juice. If this Magic Bar tickles your fancy, you can pick one up around end of June for $59.90 -- pre-order starts on May 15th.
MacDec provides another way to combine keyboard and Magic Trackpad
There's a growing number of devices that allow Mac users to combine their keyboards and Magic Trackpads into a single unit. Steve Sande took a look at TwelveSouth's MagicWand not long ago. But if you have the money to spare and want something really sleek -- and expensive -- thodio will sell you the MacDec, a thick slab made out of wood or acrylic that will hold your devices securely in place with the aid of eight powerful magnets. The wood MacDecs run roughly $138 and the acrylic around $165 -- the original prices are in Euros. Unlike the MagicWand, which places the Magic Trackpad to the side of the keyboard, the MacDec orders them in a laptop-like configuration, actually in the shape of a 15-inch MacBook Pro. [Via Wired]
TwelveSouth MagicWand: Bring your keyboard and Magic Trackpad together as one
At Macworld Expo 2011, one of my personal highlights of the show was talking with Andrew Green, the CEO of Apple accessory design house TwelveSouth. It's always a pleasure to see what new toys the company is coming out with, so when Andrew reached into a bag and pulled out a MagicWand, I naturally paid attention. The US$29.99 MagicWand is a deceptively simple accessory with a purpose. If you have both the Apple Wireless Keyboard and the Magic Trackpad -- not included with the MagicWand, of course -- you know how sometimes the trackpad and keyboard can move around on your desk independently, making it annoying to find the trackpad with your mousing hand when you're working on something and don't want to look at the desk. The MagicWand consists of a hard plastic channel that both the keyboard and trackpad snap into, so that you appear to have a combo keyboard-trackpad that was "Designed by Apple in California." Lefties can be happy, since the trackpad can be placed on either side of the keyboard. Knowing that there wouldn't be a smooth seam between the two components, TwelveSouth provides a plastic "H-bar" and soft silicone insert to bridge the gap. When you need to change batteries in one of the components, it just takes a second to pop it out of the MagicWand. I really like the feel of the combo keyboard-trackpad. Sometimes when I'm really into the flow of writing, my keyboard would actually move due to finger impacts on the keys. Now with the extra weight provided by the trackpad and the "feet" on the bottom of the MagicWand, everything stays in place on my desk. As with all of the TwelveSouth products I've had the pleasure to review before, the MagicWand is one of those "Why didn't Apple think of this?" products that is a joy to use. If you already own an Apple Wireless Keyboard and a Magic Trackpad, the MagicWand is an accessory you're going to want to buy. %Gallery-117127%
Widget Watch: MightyMonitor
MightyMonitor is a cool little widget for users of the wireless Mighty Mouse or Apple Wireless Keyboard. It gives you a fuel gauge for the batteries in the aforementioned peripherals. I assume it is just reporting the same battery level information you can get in the Bluetooth tab of the Keyboard & Mouse Preference Pane, but it does keep it front and center, so you know when it's time for a new set of batteries.Unfortunately, I have neither a wireless Mighty Mouse nor an Apple Wireless Keyboard on this machine, so the widget (as you can see on the right), isn't doing much. For for those of you who do, however, MightyMonitor is a free download from MacUpdate.[Via PowerPage]
