By This is probably one of the coolest ideas we’ve seen involving NFC. It’s a keyboard that can fold up and fit into a pouch. When unfolded the keyboard is split down the middle with space for a smartphone to nestle up on.
Beneath that space is an NFC chip. Can you guess where this is going? The NFC chip will gather your keystrokes and transmit them to your phone.
This wireless keyboard method may not be ideal due to the need to have the phone on the pad at all times, but if you’re not comfortable with the drain of Bluetooth and don’t mind having to keep your phone in one spot the entire time then this works just fine.
I can’t say I’d ever need to use a physical keyboard with a phone — you might as well just get a tablet at that point because you’re missing the point of a smartphone.
If the practicality (or lack thereof) of this arrangement wasn’t enough to deter you, perhaps the price tag will: $240 is the asking price for this thing, and a quick product search on Google tells me that I can get a Bluetooth keyboard much cheaper.
But if you’re the type who loves this geeky sort of stuff and want to see about importing one (these come from Japan) had to Elecom.co.jp. [via Gizmodo]
This thing must be made out of ground up crack rocks… That’s why it’s so expensive.
I did a little research for you.
This thing weighs 144 grams(質量：約144g) and 1 gram of crack is about a hundred bucks. If this device were a bar of crack, it would be about $14,000.
D.A.R.E.
Nice! Did you hit up upgrayedd for that price? :D
Who? Lol. He the dope man around here?
Upgrayedd… never seen Idiocracy? It’s a moving experience to say the least. LOL
Would I use it…Nope. Too expensive and not really worth it. I have a small bluetooth keyboard that I could use instead if I really need a keyboard.
I would get a cheap version of this most definitely
Not even close to being worth it
They paid too much attention to Google’s pricing strategy on the Nexus Q.
o.O
$240?! That’s a Nexus 7!!
that’s a 32gb Nexus 7. no, thank you.
16*
No, you are not missing the point of a phone if you use a keyboard occasionally. I take notes in meetings with a keyboard, then I put the keyboard away and my notes are still in my pocket. I do not want a tablet in my pocket.
I am pretty happy with my Logitech Android Tablet Keyboard, paired with
my phone via BT. There is some battery drain but not too terrible. But I wouldn’t pay any $240. When not on sale, the Logitech goes for $70. It doesn’t fold, but that just means it actually feels pretty much like a keyboard.
You put the keyboard away? May I ask where?
In my backpack, under my desk.
Well, you don’t necessarily miss the point of a smartphone, but if you bear a backpack, you might as well put a tablet in it.
And if you’re not used to wear a backpack and have to carry one to put a keyboard in, then you miss the point of a smartphone.
I think that’s what the author meant.
With a tablet, you have to decide whether the weight and bulk is worth it to you wherever you go. If you don’t feel like dragging it along, you don’t have your data. (Unless it is cloud-based and your phone can see it too.) With a smartphone your data is with you regardless… you just have to decide for any given outing whether you also want to bring the keyboard along.
Then you have to be sure whether you’ll need your keyboard or not, but yeah, true.
The most I’d pay for that thing is $29.99
No.
Fairly useless and stupidly expensive… I wouldn’t even give this a second look
I’d rather have the phone in front of the keyboard with the keys of the keyboard all together instead of having the phone seperate the keys into two sections.
thanks for the review mate
Playing on the geek factor. Wow your friends for a moment then get back to that sickening feeling you spent 240 bucks on a device that features great technology with the wrong practical uses.
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wouldn’t buy it for $40
“You might aw well just get a tablet”…
I actually just bought an MHL cord and hook my Galaxy Nexus up to a monitor and use a bluetooth keyboard and mouse. I code my Android themes on it with AIDE because AIDE is much easier to use than fucking eclipse. God I hate eclipse.