keypad
Latest
August unveils a Homekit-enabled lock, keypad and doorbell camera
August Home Inc, makers of the August Smart Lock, announced the forthcoming release of three new products as well as a new service at a press event in San Francisco today. The new product lineup includes a second-generation Smart Lock, a Smart Keypad and a Smart Doorbell Camera. The lock itself offers a number of design improvements over its predecessor including a magnetic faceplate that won't pop off every time you manually engage the lock as well as a stainless steel indicator on the lock sleeve. Plus, being Homekit-enabled, the new Smart Lock will allow users to issue voice commands through Siri rather than opening the app itself. It's available for order today and will retail for $230. The older generation locks will be discounted to $200.
Razer stuffs colored lighting into more gaming keyboards and keypads
Razer has been decking out seemingly every gaming peripheral it makes with many-colored Chroma lighting, and there's no signs of that trend letting up any time soon. The company has rolled out Chroma versions of both its slim, laptop-like DeathStalker keyboard and its Orbweaver keypad, giving you even more ways to put on a light show while you play. Both let you pick from 16.8 million shades, including in multiple zones on the keyboard. As before, you can even sync colors and light patterns between other Chroma devices -- handy if you want to change the mood between games, or just show off at your next tournament. Just be prepared to pay for the pretty. Both Chroma devices are shipping very shortly, but you'll shell out $100 for the DeathStalker and $130 for its Orbweaver sibling.
Razer promises sneakier sneak attacks with $130 Orbweaver Stealth Edition mechanical keypad
That guard you just stealth-killed in Dishonored never heard you coming. But everyone else did. Which is why you might want to consider a noise-dampened mechanical keyboard of some sort. There are a few of 'em out there, not least the Matias Quiet Pro we reviewed last year, and now Razer has a keypad option solely for gamers: a new Stealth Edition of the original Orbweaver that came out in January. The price is unchanged at $130, as are the main specs and adjustable design, but Razer promises "silent tactile feedback" that provides an "entirely new feel," alongside a slightly reduced actuation force of 45g (instead of 50g). Perhaps your long-suffering colleagues will throw in a decent headset to go with it.
RIM patent application describes rotating keypad that can be used in more than one position
We've seen smartphones with keypads that can spin away from the screen before (see the Motorola Flipout), but RIM seems to have something slightly different in mind with this patent application that was filed back in 2010 and just published today. It describes a device with a keypad that's coupled at one corner, but which can remain operable in at least two positions, or potentially three. That could include a position, for instance, where the screen is partially covered by the keypad and a second where it's below the screen, or one where the keypad can remain below the screen both in portrait and landscape modes -- or even flipped behind the device with the keys still accessible. Of course, it is still just a patent application, so we wouldn't recommend pinning your hopes on this as RIM's next big thing.
Rocstor outs Amphibious hard drive, keeps top-secret docs safe from wandering peepers
If you're a fan of keeping all of those precious work files locked down tight on your portable storage device, Rocstor has a rugged new option for you. The company has announced the launch of Amphibious at CES 2012, a portable hard drive that sports real time encryption and offers not one, but two-factor authentication via Smart Card and keypad -- keeping those top-secret merger plans shrouded in mystery. Incorporating a SATA HDD (up to 1TB) or SSD, the device connects via USB 2.0 or Firewire 800 and protects data behind AES-256 bit key strength and a FIPS 140-2 validated crypto module. In terms of durability, the pocket-sized Amphibious is housed in an aircraft grade aluminum alloy case. You can take a look at the full list of specs in the PR after the break and get ready to snag one for yourself during Q1 of 2012.
Sharp AQUOS IS14SH presses hold on the death of the phone keypad
KDDI's latest team-up with Sharp appears to be haunted by the ghosts of mobile past, present and future. The AQUOS IS14SH sends us spinning back to the 90's with a slide-out numerical keypad that hopes to appeal to those T9 typists who have honed the craft to a fine art. More future-facing customers may be sold on the combination of Android Gingerbread, Three Seg TV tuner, NFC wallet and eight-megapixel camera. The phone is available now in black, white and pink, though none, sadly, will land with Sharp's recently unveiled optical image stabilizer.
Click KeyPad Watch is the timewasting retro-timepiece you've been waiting for
We do like a good indecipherable timepiece 'round these parts and Click's KeyPad certainly fits the bill. Resembling an old-school mechanical numerical keypad, each button packs an LED -- press any number and it'll blink out the time in single digits, so if it was 9:15am, the zero, nine, one and five buttons would flash in sequence. Push the hash key and the watch will oblige you for today's date. If you enjoy frustrating colleagues who ask you for the time, then you'll be delighted to hear that it costs $90 and is shipping now. However, we're not sure we could pull one off -- maybe the hipster down the street will have better success.
RIM: 'We're committed to the keyboard'
With all the gossip about BBX screens becoming more tablet-like and the rumored BlackBerry 'London' being QWERTY-less, lovers of the physical keyboard can be forgiven for getting antsy. Hey, we feel it too -- after all, a BB's thumb pad is as quintessential as Québécois poutine. So, we put the question straight to one of our buddies at RIM. His unhesitating (yet not totally unambiguous) reply? That RIM will "maintain choice within its product portfolio" and is "absolutely committed to building more great keyboard-based smartphones." There you have it. Now, did someone mention cheesy fries?
Canon X Mark I Mouse Lite hands-on impressions
It's a calculator. It's a wireless mouse. It's a Bluetooth numeric keypad. It's... really bizarre. Canon's X Mark I Mouse Lite takes everyone's favorite desktop rodent and tries to make it all fancy like, filling that wasted space below the mouse buttons with a calculator -- monochrome LCD and all. Except that the unused space below the mouse buttons isn't wasted at all -- it was designed for resting palms, not poking fingertips. The result is a mediocre mouse paired with a mediocre calculator, for $60. Sadly, it's not nearly as elegant of a solution as it may appear to be, and after a couple days of use, we were ready to switch back to our boring old single-function mouse. So what exactly left us so unimpressed? Jump past the break to find out.%Gallery-129884%
Canon launches X Mark I Mouse Lite, pairs ten-digit calculator and Bluetooth laser mouse (video)
Have you ever looked longingly at your mouse, noting its underutilized input device real estate? Canon has, replacing that excessive unused space with a built-in calculator in its X Mark I Mouse, announced today for folks in the US. (If you'll recall, we spent a few quality moments with this guy in Germany last year at Photokina.) The combo device provides users with both a physical ten-digit adding machine and a numeric Bluetooth 2.0 keypad, which you can use seamlessly with a variety of apps, replacing the number pad now absent on many desktop and portable keyboards. The company's camera design team helped to create the hybrid input device, which also includes a trio of mouse buttons and laser tracking. Canon also announced its X Mark I Keypad, a full-size calculator with Bluetooth support that's powered by either AAA batteries or a built-in solar panel. Both devices will be available for $60 in August and September, respectively, and will ship in both black and white.%Gallery-129107%
Automated shoulder surfing makes it easier to steal passwords, isn't very tubular, brah (video)
Here's something mildly terrifying to chew on: researchers in Italy have developed a way to automatically harvest anything you type on your smartphone's touchscreen, using only a camera placed over your shoulder. The software, created by Federico Maggi and his team from the Politecnico di Milano, takes advantage of the magnified touchscreen keys you'll find on most iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices. Because these magnifications often pop up in predictable positions, the spying system can recognize and record them with relative ease, with the help of a camera aimed at a targeted display. And it's not like bobbing and weaving around will help evade its watchful eye, since the apparatus can instantly detect sudden movements and adjust its gaze accordingly. Researchers say their tool is capable of accurately recognizing up to 97 percent of all keystrokes and is fast enough to transmit copied passwords in "quasi real-time," which must be music to a lazy criminal's ears. Tiptoe past the break to see the beast in action and spend the rest of your life in an everlasting state of fear.
Garmin's Astro 320 GPS handheld offers nine-mile coverage, keeps your hunting dogs in line
Before you and your pooches head out to hunt innocent ducks this year, you might wanna check out Garmin's new Astro 320 dog tracker -- a handheld GPS device designed to help hunters keep even closer tabs on their four-legged sentries. The latest addition to the Astro family can simultaneously track up to ten hunting dogs per receiver, with a revamped antenna and three-axis electronic compass covering up to nine miles of flat terrain. Boasting a 20-hour battery life, the 1.7GB handheld can also tell hunters whether their canines are running or pointing, while its mapping capabilities provide their precise coordinates relative to powerlines, buildings, and individual trees. All this information is displayed on a 2.6-inch display, where users will be able to access 100k or 24k topographic and satellite maps. A keypad lock function, meanwhile, will make sure you don't accidentally press any buttons while you're in the thick of a hound-led hunt. The handheld will be available in July for $500, with the full system (including a DC 40 tracking collar) priced at $650. You can flip through the gallery below for images of some antenna-toting doggies, or head past the break for a more testosterone-laced pic and the full PR. %Gallery-125121%
Hyperkin's PS3 Remotext weds Blu-ray remote with keypad controller, DualShock 3 frets
With the PSN finally back up, it's time for important things -- you know, messaging your buds for a Black Ops pwning spree or hitting up Netflix. Hyperkin's Remotext for PS3 wants to help you get back into action with its hybrid remote / controller / chatpad. It features a slide-out Blu-ray remote panel, QWERTY keypad -- better positioned than SONY's offering -- and two analog nubs with a near-complete set of gaming controls. There's no sign of rear triggers, and Bluetooth connectivity is absent too, but it does come with a wireless USB receiver and rechargeable battery so you're not left scrounging between the couch cushions for AAs. Although we're doubtful it'll prove functional for gaming, it could be appropriate for PS3s that spend more time sitting at the movies than getting their Move on. The DualShock 3 shouldn't have much to worry about, but we'll find out at E3, when the Remotext will be officially showcased. There's no word on pricing or availability yet, but if you're dying for more in the meantime, a press release is beyond the break.
LMP Bluetooth Keypad now ready to mate with your Apple Wireless Keyboard
If you've been pining over this one since December -- Wireless Keyboard cold, alone, lacking a dedicated numeric keypad -- prepare to stick something in your shopping cart. LMP has announced that its Bluetooth Keypad is now available. For $39.99 you get a device that clips on to your Keyboard and connects via Bluetooth, adding typical numberpad stuff plus an additional five function keys, though it can certainly work standalone too. We're told you don't even need a separate dongle or driver. Beautiful. [Thanks, John P.]
Art Lebedev's Optimus Popularis delayed, but new Optimus Mini Six is on the way
We've always taken Art Lebedev's product launch forecasts with a grain handful of salt, so this doesn't come as a surprise: the firm's sub-$1,000 OLED keyboard won't be out anytime soon. However, the second thing the indie peripheral design house revealed today makes us giddy despite our misgivings -- before the full-sized Optimus Popularis comes to market, it's planning to release a new miniature keypad like the Optimus mini three (pictured above) but with six keys inside. Still... is it bad if all we really want is an Optimus Aux prototype?
Crapgadget CES, round one: the Magic MousePad returns!
We stumbled upon Fortrend here at CES expecting to find their existing Magic MousePad and were shocked to discover something else entirely: a new and improved Magic MousePad! You'll still get the same multitouch trackpad / keypad combo as before, but it now comes with a "high texture" glass surface, and "friendlier" design available in a range of colors. We're sure you'll agree those changes make all the difference. %Gallery-113357%
12 Days of Winter Veil Giveaway Day 2: Razer Nostromo gaming keypad
12 Days of Winter Veil is underway here at WoW Insider. That means 12 days of giveaways, from loot codes to literature and gaming mice to graphics cards. Even if you've been a good goblin or a naughty night elf, there's a chance that WoW Insider has a holiday gift for you this season. Razer has new surprise under the tree today. The Razer Nostromo Expert gaming keypad has 16 programmable keys and a programmable 8-way directional thumb pad and scroll wheel, and it can switch between eight different key maps. My favorite part? It has a backlit keypad and scroll wheel for playing with the lights out. We even have some tips for keybinding if the winner plays a rogue. To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 p.m. ET, Friday, Dec. 24, 2010. You must be 18 years of age or older and a legal resident of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec). You can only enter once. Make sure your email address is up to date, because that's how we'll get hold of you. We will pick one winner randomly. Official rules here. Don't forget to check back every day through Jan. 2, 2011 for new contests celebrating the 12 Days of Winter Veil! EDIT: Contest closed. Thanks and good luck to all who entered!
Add a number keypad to your Apple Wireless Keyboard
Still find yourself reaching for the non-existent number keypad on your Apple Wireless Keyboard? Well, it looks like you may be in luck: Wireless Goodness has uncovered some information about LMP's new 28-key Bluetooth keypad. Running off two AA batteries and made from the same anodized aluminum finish that Apple is known for, this number pad can be attached to the right-hand side of your wireless keyboard mimicking a standard-sized keyboard layout. For those of you who want a little space between your keyboard and keypad, it can also be kept separate off to either side. We've seen some interesting accessories for Apple's keyboards before like this carved wood keyboard tray, but this looks like this one could be a worthy investment for many people. No word yet on availability or price, but I imagine the LMP Keypad will be available soon as it has already gone through the FCC. I have used the Apple Wireless Keyboard for quite some time now and have never had a need for the numerical keypad -- but maybe that's because I am bad with numbers. My brother the accountant, though? He could definitely use one of these. [via Engadget]
LMP Bluetooth Keypad escapes all pretense, wants to befriend your Apple Keyboard
We've seen Apple Keyboard add-on look-alikes -- like Interlink's Bluetooth Calculator Keyboard, which has shown up for sale in some Apple stores, but has middling reviews due to connection problems -- but LMP wouldn't want its new Bluetooth Keypad to slip through the cracks of subtlety. The device, which just passed through the FCC, comes with a connector that allows you to snap the independently powered and Bluetooth-ed keypad right onto your numeric keypad-less Apple Bluetooth Keyboard. Get it? It's like they're one big magical keyboard now! Well, not now in a literal sense, because the LMP Keypad has yet to hit retail, and we don't have a word on pricing either. But in our dreams...
Razer Nostromo gaming keypad supplants Belkin's n52te Speedpad, does it proud
Think you've been gaming on the PC for awhile? If you can't vividly remember gushing over this thing (and scrounging up pennies from under the couch in order to finance one), move along. If, however, you're still the proud owner of an attic-bound Belkin Nostromo n52, you can definitely prepare yourself for a healthy dose of nostalgia here. After co-developing Belkin's n52te Speedpad a few years ago, it looks as if Razer has now fully taken over the gamepad by today introducing the Nostromo. Yeah, just Nostromo. The design is certainly a familiar one, boasting a 16-button keypad, a soft-touch rubberized wrist pad, 16 fully-programmable Hyperesponse gaming buttons and an eight-way directional thumb pad. As for improvements, you'll get the ability to switch instantly between eight keymaps (up from three), and the flexibility of storing up to twenty gaming profiles (up from the previous limit of ten). It's available to order now for $69.99 / €69.99, with an estimated ship date of November 29th worldwide. You know, in plenty of time to stuff your own stocking. %Gallery-107868%
