If you were thinking that they were no more possible improvement to the good old keyboard : you were wrong. Russian company Art.Lebedev just proposed the Optimus keyboard. This new keyboard could launch a new wave of keyboard technologies.

What make this keyboard special is not his slick design nor the fact that it’s made of alumnium, it’s because each key of this keyboard is a tiny screen. Those screens can be used to show normal keyboard key but the real advantage is when they are used to show icon of software (like in the picture) or when they are used to show special functions specific for each software (see the Photoshop or Quake example ).

The first estimate of price given by the president of Art.Lebedev is 300$ US. It could be expensive for someone like me that drown 3-4 keyboards a year in coffee, tea, soup or anything else. If you’re like me, another kind of keyboard could be pratical : the silicone keyboard. The main advantage of this technology is that the keyboard can resist to water, acid or alkaline. A silicone keyboard can also be rolled for easy transport!

July 18th, 2005 | Technology