We all remember Elecom’s amazing concept of a virtual keyboard, it was futuristic, innovative and certainly different. Smartphone’s these days can clearly match up to the performance that Notebooks have to offer. The biggest disadvantage with smartphones is their small size. This is the only aspect that stands in the way of achieving good productivity. To solve this problem Elecom devised the concept of a projection keyboard. The product code named Elecom TK-PBL042BK, will project small rectangular block using infra red to project the virtual keyboard on a flat surface. As most of the futuristic concepts, this product won’t come at a cheap price. This product also promises a mouse in the form of a virtual track pad. At a price tag of $350 the product costs more than many smartphones in the market today.
The only product capable of competing against Elecom’s virtual keyboard is Cellulon’s magic Cube, which promises a similar virtual keypad and track pad at just $200. “Just” here is relative; $200 is still high in comparison to most smartphones. Elecom’s product is compatible with the iOS, Android and even supports a USB connection for personal computers. The elegant and compact design makes it a great product. This was making news three months back, and Elecom has realised that the market require a cheaper product. Obviously, the projection idea didn’t catch up very well (primarily because of the price tag), so here’s another solution from Elecom.
This new product named One2Touch QWERTY, has a full sized keyboard and a pad in the middle. The product uses Near Field Communication in order to ensure that the smartphone interacts with the keypad. One2Touch is even portable as it folds right into the pocket. The keyboard was introduced earlier this year, as a full sized QWERTY keyboard, that didn’t use cables, pairing or even a recharge for the battery. The product was given an internal battery with an 18 month life. Weight-wise the product weighs only 5 ounces, would fit right into your pocket. However even this product wouldn’t be as cheap as expected. Priced at $240, Elecom will first launch this product in Japan at the end of this month. The company is planning to market it to 8 Asian countries initially. Plans to expand to the US and Europe is in the company’s future agenda. The company is currently negotiating with several handset manufacturers in order to finalise a deal.
