January 25, 2006

Pens for Computer Scientists

Hey, you must have read several articles about these pens on the internet... They define how well can technology serve man... and how much technology can man invent. Click here for more info on these virtual laser keyboards. In brief, this is how it works...

A virtual keyboard is where a full-size image of a QWERTY keyboard is projected onto any surface. The virtual laser keyboard (VKB) works by using both infrared and laser technology to produce an invisible circuit and project a full-size virtual QWERTY keyboard on to any surface. The virtual PC keyboard behaves exactly like a real one: direction technology based on optical recognition enables the user to tap the images of the keys, complete with realistic tapping sounds(!), which feeds into the compatible PDA, Smartphone, laptop or PC.Touching the image of a key generates a unique electronic signal corresponding to a key's image.

They are not just pens with hidden cams... Seems like, they were once designed for James Bond. These virtual laser keyboards are already on sale... but their price prevents them from being ubiquitous. You may want to buy one of those ~ Check out the online stores. Though slightly old, here is a review of iTech's bluetooth-enabled virtual laser keyboard.

Category: [My Findings]




1 Comment:

Anonymous said...

I have always said that someone should create a palm like devices that includes a processor/aps, monitor of the sort, keyboard and mouse. At the 2003 ITU Telecom World exhibition held in Geneva, the Tokyo-based NEC Corporation displayed a conceptual $30,000 prototype of what they dubbed a “Pen-style Personal Networking Gadget Package,” or P-ISM. As NEC described the P-ISM: This product allows you to work from anywhere in the world and have everything that you need at your fingertips. We all know that enough processing power and tri-wireless modes (Bluetooth, 802.11B/G, and Cellular) can fit into small devices (PSP, Treo’s). NEC only adds a viewing device (the projector) and an input device (a laser keyboard) to bring us to miniature-mobile computing. We know the input devices already function as seen in the picture below (although this devices causes numbness/pain in your fingers because you are typing on a hard surface) now can’t we just get a smaller projectors.

Oh and of course, for this to be worth anyone’s $$ I believe it will need to have a battery performance time of 6+ hours.

I expect to see a product like this by Jan 2007 CES with a cost of $4999.