This is the year 2006. Five years beyond the setting of the famous 2001: A Space Odyssey. We're not on Mars. We haven't been back to the moon in 30 years. I don't have a rocket car or a robot to clean my house. It seems the science fiction writers of yesteryear were jumping the gun a little.
Now, however, we get a little glimpse with promise that we're not that far off of schedule. You can now get the Laser Virtual Keyboard for quite a reasonable price. Powered by Bluetooth, the matchbox-sized device uses a laser to project a 63 key QWERTY keyboard onto any flat surface. Designed to work with Palm, Symbian and Windows Mobile operating systems, it was originally meant for your PDA. Fortunately, it is supported by Windows XP, and has some OS X support as well.
This is a great idea, even if it is plagued by two gaping holes: two hours of battery life and a 63 key keyboard. According to ThinkGeek, it comes with an AC adapter, so for desktop use it'll do fine (if you actually have a spare power outlet). I think the biggest hurdle is the tiny keyboard. Sure, 63 keys is fine for your PDA, but for your PC, 102 is the only way to go. After all, those function keys are pretty handy.
Despite these limitations, this is a brilliant idea. This virtual keyboard has the amazing ability to be immune from spills, crumbs, dirt and cat hair (I know that one way too well.). And of course, the high-tech wow factor. This thing just looks cool, and would impress just about anyone. When the 102 key models come out, I think my current keyboard will have to be retired.
Enjoymyfriends
