freeKEY
Latest
Scosche freeKEY Bluetooth keyboard: A hands-on test
A few days ago I highlighted a new flexible and water-resistant Bluetooth keyboard from the folks at Scosche. As many of the people commenting on that post noted, flexible "chiclet-type" keyboards of this type have a reputation for being difficult to type on. TUAW blogger Erica Sadun mentioned that when she's used chiclet keyboards, her fingers have actually started to hurt after a short amount of time due to the extra pressure required to depress the key switches. After hearing that from Erica, it was with a great deal of skepticism that I opened a box from Scosche the other day that contained one of the freeKEY Bluetooth keyboards. Is the US$59.99 ($49.99 through Amazon.com) freeKEY a good portable keyboard for iOS device owners who want to travel light, or does the design of a keyboard like this keep it from really being useful? In the following review (see next page), I'll provide a hands-on test of the freeKEY with an iPad 2 and let you know how it held up to my lightning-fast typing.
Scosche freeKEY Bluetooth keyboard: flexible and splashproof
Have you ever wanted to spill water onto your Bluetooth keyboard? Of course not. But that doesn't mean that some day you might not accidentally dump an icy glass of sweet tea onto the keyboard or have one of the kids decide to give Mr. Keyboard a bath in the toilet. Schosche's new freeKEY Bluetooth keyboard (US$59.99) doesn't mind spills, although a swim in the loo might prove too much. The chiclet-type keyboard rolls up like a frightened armadillo for compact travel and is made of a water-resistant silicone material. When it gets wet, simply shake it off. Chiclet keyboards have been known to be typing-unfriendly in the past, so you may want to try one out at a local retailer before buying. The freeKEY is available now, works with all of your Bluetooth-equipped devices, including the iPad 2, and comes with a retractable USB to micro-USB cable for recharging. There's video on the next page, showing the freeKEY in action as it gets splashed and rolled up into a snug cylinder. I'm hoping to try one out soon for a full TUAW review just to see how comfortable the keyboard is, and to see how the freeKEY works after spilling a Margarita on it.
