Huh, seems like one of those why didn't we think of doing that before kind of ideas. I wonder how they fare when they undergo stress tests compared to the traditional springy keyboards. It looks like its just a number pad right now, hopefully they'll create a full keyboard. I wonder if it would be easier to move keys around and fuck with people using one of these? I smell an easy office prank if they are...

I's like the magnetic suspension on a ferrari, it's all about response time. I imagine that some legal professional could hit 200+ words a minute on something like that. Plus since no physical springy thing to pop the buttons back up, it should last forever, or the life of the magnets anyway. Don't lay a floopy down on it though (does any one still use floppys? I'm sure someone...)

They could make it like Perfection and have it launch all the keys at you if you make a spelling error.

Quite an interesting idea. It looks like the electromagnet is similar to the micro speakers used in cell phones, but I am not sure how they measure the feedback in order to maintain the touch force. there must be some method to measure the distance between the key's magnet and the electromagnet. one interesting idea is a self-typing keypad. you could use the electromagnet to attract and repel the keys. don't mess with daddy's computer honey. see? it's haunted. there's a *ghost* typing on it. yaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!

Am I the only one to sense disaster brewing for the geek who is into practical jokes? Now it will be even easier to to do some rearranging for the n00b who can't touch-type yet.

@thedancingrogue:

Well based on the hinges and clips that are on the board itself, it looks like the keys will be as attached as any other keyboard. Sorry to rain on your parade. It's just the contact point that is different.

I'm sure the keys are still fastened down (it appears they are using a plastic hinge based on the picture), as I highly doubt anyone would want the keys to fall off if you tipped the thing or bumped your keyboard tray.

If its struck by lightening, which seems to be all the rage these days, will the keys shoot off like ball bearings from a claymore?

@thedancingrogue: lmao didnt even think about that. so true.

@DB2: Funniest. Thing. Ever!

I just want analog keys. Would that be too much trouble to ask? Just think about how pressing harder would change the keys.

light press == lowercase
hard press == uppercase

Not to mention that in FPS/RPG games, I would be able to walk without doing some convoluted button combo. And now Alt and Ctrl would have many more functions put into them.

Now, if we combine it with the Optimus Maximus--dynamically changing keys based on keypress which change the keycaps to show what they are now doing--Holy smoke.

Pretty neat stuff, if you ask me. And as a previous poster had commented: why haven't we thought of this before.

What happens when you place that keyboard on top of your tower like I see people do a nearly every cubicle.

97 keys on a keyboard = 97 magnets = bye bye hard drive. ;)

@SportBilly: 97 tiny magnets (each with a field only carrying a few mm's), in a case with the base shielded (to comply with FCC regulations) sat on a tower with one or two optical drives & 1.5mm of aluminum sitting between the keyboard & the HDD's.

Not much threat there, I think.

Magnets are not a threat to hard drives. I regularly fish the most excellent, strongest of magnets *from the very depths* of broken old hard drives, mere fractions of an inch from the very discs inside them.

Actually, there are some magnets that can pernetrate the shielding case of a HD and Erase all of the data on the platter. They are called Degaussing Magnets or Degaussers. It's a government requirement to use them when we're throwing away bad drives.

This magnet is seriously strong, I had trouble prying it off of a HD case that I Degaussed.

I'm pretty sure a degaussing magnet has to be AC, with its magnetic field constantly fluctuating one way then the other. Also, as you say, it'd have to be seriously powerful *and* fluctuating AC to erase a hdd.

I'm pretty sure a degaussing magnet has to be AC, with a the magnetic field constantly fluctuating back and forth. Plus, as you say, to actually affect the hdd it'd have to be *seriously* powerful.

oops.

Looks like urge has a fluctuating 'Submit' button.

or an itchy trigger finger...

maybe he got the prototype for this keyboard and he's testing it...

Speaking of practical jokes... am I the only one who is thinking about a switch to reverse the polarity and make all the keys fly off at once?

So, this makes me wonder if this does, or if it could easily be modified (at the manufacturing level) for people with tendinitis.

I started playing counterstrike again and realised quickly why i'd quit. My tendinitis kills after a few hours of play.

So, perhaps these keys are easier to hold down (holding W down to walk forward all that time really screws with my whole arm)...

hmmmk?

@Papercutninja: dude...are you retarded?