Portable keyboards? Yes, we've seen many, including some that date back to the Palm era. In general, compatibility tends to be rather poor, as does the user experience, but TextBlade is something very different from the rest. Its magnetic technology allows it to be assembled in a second, and its smart physical keys incorporate multiple letters at once, recognizing every keystroke without errors.
The Portable Keyboard Dilemma
Apple offers several keyboards compatible with its iPad tablets in official stores. The On The Go standard has allowed a good number of Android devices to connect to conventional mice and keyboards. Now, many believe that if you have to connect a keyboard to a tablet, you don't actually need a tablet, but rather a laptop computer. That seems like a rigid way of thinking, although it holds a certain logic underneath. Mobile devices, with few exceptions, have completely moved away from physical keyboards, placing all their bets on touch screens. The mere existence of portable and foldable keyboards reveals that not all users feel comfortable touching a screen to type, especially when data entry must be done at a respectable speed.
TextBlade: The Best of Both Worlds
The people behind the TextBlade keyboard promise the best of both worlds. A compact design that fits in our pockets, is compatible with iOS and Android devices, and features real keys. As we can see in the video, each of its parts has magnets that allow the TextBlade to be assembled in a second or less. Still, the most impressive aspect of this keyboard is the incorporation of multitouch technology on its keys. From a physical standpoint, the total number of keys reaches nine (including the spacebar), but by simply pressing on the desired letter, TextBlade recognizes and differentiates what we enter perfectly. With a reduced number of keys and the existence of tactile feedback, those with a certain skill in so-called "touch typing" can reach speeds exceeding one hundred words per minute.
Specifications and Compatibility
The official TextBlade page indicates that its connection is Bluetooth Low Energy, and that the charge of its battery (hidden in the spacebar) lasts a month. Operating system support is limited to iOS 7 and 8, and for Android, the beneficiaries are KitKat and Lollipop. The full package comes with a tablet stand and the nano-charger that fully restores the battery in 60 minutes. The TextBlade is not a crowdfunding project: It is already in production, and the official price is $99. Its first deliveries are scheduled for March.
