It’s been almost a year since I started using a smartphone, and I still cannot seem to type on the stupid touchscreen keyboard without making a dozen mistakes. Which leads to some interesting conversations when autocorrect steps in, but still bugs me. I’m one of those people about spelling, grammar, and proper word usage. Not that I’m perfect, but touchscreen keyboards make me look like a complete idiot sometimes (probably because I’m too impatient to proofread before hitting “send”, but whatever). This is actually one of the main reasons I’ve not even remotely considered buying a tablet, actually… I need an actual keyboard. Call me a Luddite, I can take it.

But, along comes Elecom with a keyboard that fits in your pocket that will connect via Bluetooth with your phone or tablet. Actual keys? I’m intrigued. Granted, you’ll still have to use your thumbs to type (something that I find pretty much impossible, since I’ve been touch-typing on a real keyboard for 30 years), as it measures just 13.0mm X 141mm X 53.0mm. But then if it wasn’t small, it wouldn’t fit in your pocket now, would it? And it could make texting or quick Facebook status updates a lot easier to type correctly the first time. You can even answer the phone with it, although I’m not sure how that is an advantage over just answering the phone normally. What’s nice is you can use it without actually removing your phone from your pocket, and it features a headphone jack (headphones not included), so you can listen to your tunes. It also comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and a USB charging cord.

There’s no word on when this might be available worldwide, but it’s due to be released in Japan soon. It comes in three colours (black, white and blue) and will run about $230.00 US. Which means my lukewarm tendency toward this just went a little more toward cold. That’s three times what I paid for my phone.

Source: Geeky Gadgets