Hasta La Gadget!

Finally. I think the mobile controller that I’ve been waiting for has arrived. And it’s not from Apple, Samsung or any of the major mobile device manufacturers. It’s from a small company, the same one who made the iControlPad. As one might expect from a group who named its product the iControlPad 2.

Like its predecessor, the iControlPad 2 can connect to any device that supports Bluetooth. But as you can see, the iControl Pad 2 has a lot more to offer. It packs a 55-key keyboard, a d-pad, four face buttons, two analog nubs, two shoulder buttons and more into a case that’s about as wide as the iPhone 4 is tall. It also has a new swiveling clamp, so you can tuck it behind your phone while still keeping it attached, and a 1360mAh battery that lasts up to 14 hours per charge.

The iControlPad 2 can also connect via USB and is open source, meaning it can be made to control all sorts of devices. Imagine using just one remote to game on your phone and tablet, control your HTPC and order your robot butler to attack the neighbors. I am vividly imagining that last bit.

Best of all, the iControlPad 2 can be made to work with a lot of games with virtual buttons thanks to BluTrol, the same app used by the iCade 8-Bit. Skip to about 3:30 in the video below to see how easy it is to map the buttons. What isn’t clear is if the app is built-in to the iControlPad 2 or if we have to jailbreak the device to install and use the app.

Pledge at least $69 (USD) to its Kickstarter fundraiser to reserve your own iControlPad 2, and check out its official website for more information. Of all the controllers I’ve seen, I think this has the best potential of becoming a standard controller for mobile devices.

[via Hack A Day]

We know better than most that when you’re working to a deadline, constant pop-ups, notifications and pings can be a real pain. Our frustrations might soon become a thing of the past, however, with some help from boffins at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Japan. They are working on technology which monitors keyboard pressure and silences those distractions until it deems you’re not busy, showing over 80 percent accuracy during volunteer testing. Understanding that quiet time is also appreciated for other tasks, they plan to use similar techniques to spot when you’re staring intently at that report or — more importantly — attending to a beverage. It’s still early days for the project, but if the stress-saving tech ever spawns a product, we’ll take two please.

[Image Credit: Getty Images / Jean Louis Batt]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Software

Pressure-sensing PC technology knows when you’re busy, blocks notifications accordingly originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One of the biggest complaints that users have about on-screen keyboards is that the virtual keyboards lack tactile feel. That means you pretty much have to look at the keyboard to be able to tell where your fingers are since you can’t feel the keys like you can on a real keyboard. This may not be such a big deal on a smaller screen like the iPhone where you’re likely to be looking at the screen as you type.

However, the lack of tactile feel on larger devices, such as the iPad, where you can actually work if needed can be a big problem. You can take a portable keyboard with you, but that just adds bulk to your mobile kit. A company called Touchfire is showing off its screen-top keyboard made from clear silicone. The clear silicone keyboard snaps into place magnetically over the top the iPad on-screen keyboard.

The little clear silicone keys match up perfectly with the iPad virtual keyboard when in landscape mode. With the Touchfire silicone keyboard in place, the on-screen virtual keyboard the iPad feels more like a real keyboard. Touch typists will be able to feel where their fingers are and know they’re hitting the correct keys without looking.

The company says that the Touchfire keyboard weighs under an ounce, is about as thick as to credit cards, and will work with all versions of the iPad. The device is thin enough to be rolled up in the cover for storage making it easy to keep with you at all times. The only downside is that the clear pieces silicone sells for $49.99 making it rather expensive at roughly 1/3 the price of many nice Android tablets on the market.

Touchfire makes on-screen keyboards feel less virtual is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of keyboards which don’t have physical keys, but if given the choice between a virtual full-size keyboard and the tiny virtual keys on the touchscreen of my smartphone, I’ll go with the bigger keys.

Laser virtual keyboards have been around for a few years now, but they’ve always been a bit of a pain to carry around in addition to your gadgets. Now, there’s an updated version of the virtual keyboard that’s small enough to tote on your keychain, and at a lower price than previous models.

The new keychain virtual keyboard turns any flat surface into a keyboard for your smartphone or tablet. The device pairs using Bluetooth, so it should work with any gadget that supports the wireless standard. The laser keyboard runs on a rechargeable Li-ion battery, which can be juiced up through the included USB cable.

While I’m not sure it really adds much value beyond the keyboard built into larger tablets like the iPad, I could see it coming in handy for any smartphone, 5″ or 7″ tablet. The keychain virtual keyboard is available for $99.99(USD) exclusively from Brookstone, and ships this October 1.

Those who live and die by color coordination can breathe a bit easier today, as Logitech has introduced its Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for the iPad in white. Like the black model, the accessory operates via Bluetooth and features a battery that’s said to provide up to six months worth of go time — a statistic that’s based on two hours of usage per day. You can expect to coat your very own white keyboard with a layer of grime in short order: it’s currently available for pre-order on Logitech’s website for $100 and is said to hit Apple retail stores later this month. For the curious, you’ll find a teaser video after the break.

Continue reading Logitech debuts white Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad, arriving before month’s end for $100

Filed under: Peripherals, Tablets

Logitech debuts white Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad, arriving before month’s end for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 04:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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