So, what about some good ol’ wireless (Bluetooth) mechanical keyboards?

I mentioned in a few posts before about Razer making wireless keyboard specifically for the iPad product line and other tablets.  I also mentioned that there are some Bluetooth wireless mechanical keyboards as well if someone rather use a more classical keyboard device.  That piqued some interests

So, there are basically two options.  One is to purchase a USB to Bluetooth wireless converter.  At one end is USB port that the keyboard of choice is plugged in.  And, there is no other end, because it is wireless.  It converts whatever keyboard that is attached to a Bluetooth one.  Pretty cool tech, but it’s a bit bulky and power source can often be an issue.  Some keyboards draw a lot of power provided by USB port.  Thus, even at measly 2.5W max clip, it can drain most portable batteries dry quickly.  One can browse around eBay and find such device to purchase if the use scenario makes sense.

The other option is to buy a wireless mechanical keyboard.  Here, the options are more limited.  One of the bigger player in this space is good ol’ Filco.  So, if you are Cherry MX keyboard switch fan, you are in luck.  Filco is one of the most respected mechanical keyboard brands out there as it’s basically DIATEC Corporation, based in Japan.  They offer quite a few wireless keyboards configuration using Bluetooth protocol as well.  Besides the standard 104 keys Majestouch Convertible 2 and the 87 keys TKL variants, they also offer one called Minila, stands for minimum layout.  The Minila Air is the one with wireless connectivity.  Minila is a 67 custom keyboard layout design, much like a non-standard laptop layout.  However, like Leopold’s FC660 series, it uses full size keys.  So, no strange half-height stuff.  That’s a big plus in my book….  These keyboards are also designed to run wired if needed.  So, it is a much more versatile keyboard than what meets the eye.  The only drawback?  Price and availability.  Filco’s products are not easy to find and the stock comes and go.  Because of the added complexity, it doesn’t come cheap either.  So, expect some price premium over regular boards as well. However, one can search mechanicalkeyboards.com and amazon.com in US to see if anything of interest is in stock.

Now, if someone would come up with a Topre switch wireless keyboard…..

Logi or Logitech (whatever they are called these days) quietly introduced G910 Orion Spectrum

Maybe I missed the fanfare, but from my perspective, Logitech quietly introduced G910 Orion Spectrum along with some other product updates.  Now, Logitech G910 Orion Spectrum mechanical keyboard is the same one we have seen with G910 Orion Spark.  What's the difference then?  Well, the only thing that I can tell is that G910 Orion Spectrum does not have the 3 sided key cap that Orion Spark has.  In another word, G910 now uses the same key cap set as G810.  The funky caps pushed aside in favor of a more traditional key cap style.

Although this move comes rather expected, I guess the new key cap experiment didn't work out as well as Logitech had hoped.  The gaming community seemed to liked the new key cap design, however, the general population and specially the typists and programmers threw a fit.  The 3 sided key cap is designed to hold the fingers in place.  This makes a great deal of sense for a gamer, as they don't move the fingers from key to key much.  The fingers tend to say on the same keys.  However, this is problematic for typists and programmers since, well, their fingers dance all over the board during a normal use session.  So, the classical cylindrical design is back.  Beforehand, Logitech offered the "normal" key cap set for sale as an add-on package.  I suppose they decided to save potential buyers some trouble and offer the regular caps instead.  Also, they get to relaunch a product.  Marketing for the win.  Maybe they will reverse it and offer the 3 sided caps as a gamer's special after a while.  I wouldn't be surprised....

In any case, it's now a buyer's market.  If you are looking to see what the G910 Orion Spark is all about, it's now discounted.  If you can't put up with the 3 sided key caps, loved the G810, but wished for more.  Well, Logitech has that base covered too.

Musings about optical (IR) sensor based key switches

Circuit design from Tech Resources

Optical sensor on switch is not a new concept and certainly there are optical sensor based key switches that has been around for quite a while as well.  However, with dominance of spring centric keyboard switches such as buckling spring design or the entire Cherry MX line and its clones, optical keyboard switches are rare birds indeed.  On the other hand, analog switches are now coming back in fashion as the new bleeding edge in gaming sphere.  It is no coincide that mechanical switches are popular these days.  The simplicity, reliability, manufacturing ease and cost are factors that contribute to this.  Adding optical sensors and emitters put more complexity.  However, the benefits are starting to make a good case for an optical based switch.

Mechanical switches are, well, mechanical based.  When two separate metal pieces come in contact, an electrical connection is made and thus generating a signal.  Optical switch depends on an emitter, which is often the case, an infrared light source and a sensor.  When an object obstructs the light path or changes the reflectivity depending on the design, then the sensor knows that a key is pressed.  Now, some clever engineers already realized that if the object that is obstructing the light path is a gradient, then the sensor can capture a diminishing light emission as a function of distance.  Add some computing power, the senor can also calculate velocity and so on.  An optical based system might generate a clear on/off signal as well since physical connectivity is not always a sure and entirely consistent thing.  Because the sensor is entirely optical, the physical interaction of the key switch can entirely be up to the designer’s imagination.  Therefore, it is possible to design some complicated interactive switch that does not depend on any mechanical contact to trigger the switch.

For strictly typing keyboard, these added complexities have little benefit since typing just need to know if a key is pressed or not.  However, as a gaming device or navigational system for say a VR or AR device, then the possibility use cases make much more sense.  Thus, there is a sudden interest in these switches.  Perhaps sometimes later this year, we will see a mass marketed optical sensor based keyboard.  There are already a few prototypes and Kick Starters efforts floating around.  Let’s see what innovations these folks can bring to the table.

Hybrid rubber dome/mechanical keyboard from Razer- Meet Ornata

One of the things I emphasized is that rubber dome keyboards aren't inherently bad.  Some are great keyboards.  Many members of the famed Microsoft Natural Keyboard family line are rubber dome based.  However, with the return of the mechanical switch popularity and advances in scissor switch designs, the rubber dome keyboard seems to have lost the coolness factor.

If one really like that rubber dome feel, there are 2 paths before.  One is to invest into a Topre type keyboard which is unique, but not quite rubber dome like.  Or one can stick with a good ol' rubber dome board from MS or Dell.  What if neither is a reasonable?  Fear not, now, Razer is introducing a hybrid model, which is a rubber dome switch with simulated mechanical clicky feel.  It might be copying the clicky feel of a Cherry MX blue.  Based on the images published on the web, the Razer Ornata's key switch is most certainly using the rubber dome based technology.  The nib makes contact when someone bottoms out.  A half way press will not register, unlike a Cherry MX or a Topre type.  The mechanical click feel is emulated with a metal catch that is attached to the side of the silo on the plate.  As the plunger descends, the little fingers would activate the metal catch and create the click feel.  Razer is nice enough to provide an animated GIF to illustrate this new hybrid switch.

Rounding out the keyboard is the standard Razer fare such as software controlled LED lighting and other features such as detachable palm rest.  Another trends that I have begun to notice is the half height key caps that look more like a Chiclets key cap than a traditional Cherry MX or IBM Model M kind.  Mechanically, it doesn't make any difference, but perhaps it's for aesthetic reasons as well as conveying to the user that the key travel might be shorter than expected.  That would be subtle, but cool visual cue for a keyboard manufacturers to distinguish the key travel differences among its product lines.  Let's see if this trend catches on.  I think it would, because of the moves toward shorter travels.

Maybe it's marketed as a half-way device between rubber dome based keyboard and fully mechanical keyboard to help the users who prefer the rubber dome way of things, but have a case of click envy.

Virtual keyboard strikes again

I thought Apple would be the first one to try put out a virtual keyboard on a Macbook or the like given its penchant to make everything as thin as possible.  However, Lenovo has beaten Apple to the punch.  The new Yoga Book has a laptop clamshell design rather than a traditional slate design.  Instead of where the keyboard goes, it is a touch sensitive pad that is a digitizer and a doubles as a virtual keyboard.  It is not another touch sensitive display, however.  So, someone can trace drawings and it would transfer to the screen on top.  It's just like having one of those Wacom tablets attached a regular laptop or desktop.  From the images published, seems that the keyboard legends are simply baked into the pad itself and not reconfigurable.  Just lights get switched on or off as the pad changes its functions.  I think Apple might go with a reconfigurable design, judging from rumors of prototypes floating around.  Supposedly, the new Yoga Book comes in either Chromebook flavor or Windows flavor, with Chromebook version coming first.  Oh, it's also a 10" form factor.  Smaller than I thought.  So, the keys might be not be 100% sized either.  This is an interesting experiment that is worth watching closely.  Now, let' see if some clever marketers are going to jump onto the virtual 0mm travel as a competitive gaming advantage....