It's not an official Google product, with Californian film producer Charlie Mason behind the Mac and Windows-friendly peripheral, which can also be used for non-Gmail shortcuts too.

Rack up the $19.99 charge on your card, plug into into your USB port, turn on Gmail's keyboard shortcuts option, and start saving time. [Gboard via CNET]

I rest my case. I want Ziggy in my keyboard now. [Chris DeLorenzo via Notcot via Albotas via Ohgizmo]

The price you pay is that it's got a single hi-speed USB port instead of a pair, which has been de rigeur on gaming keyboards lately. And of course, it's got space for 36 macros. It's $80, and works with PC or Mac. [Logitech]

The entire kit includes a 3-stage, pivoting laptop stand, a wireless keyboard and a wireless M505 laser mouse (along with the tiny, USB-based Unifying Receiver that communicates with the peripherals).

Purchased alone, the components would run you $130 ($50 for each peripheral and $30 for the stand). But combined in this Costco-like bundle, you'll get it all for $100. That's $30 savings, which equates to six McDonald's Value Meals or 30, count them, 30 Dollar Menu items. [Logitech]

The bad part is that 0.01% that it doesn't kill gets to breed and breed and become superbugs—but that's something for our kids to worry about. You can buy your own Vioguard for $900 up in Canada's version of Amazon.com, and if you're the kind of person in charge of a large number of computers, like a University's computer lab, you owe it to your users to try and pass this off in the next budget meeting. [Businesswire via Engadget]

Once your signals hit the receiver, you can support Windows, Linux, Mac or Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii (supposedly). Hard to tell whether or not it can actually do all of these things, since the website looks like one a kid would make for his dad's business over the summer between Jr. High and High School, so we'll have to see for ourselves to be sure. [EFO via The Gadgeteer via Oh Gizmo]

From the concept shots and information leaks, both Microsoft and Apple's feature on-screen inputs for doing a lot of things, but they don't talk about text input. Is it going to be a virtual keyboard? Probably. But that doesn't preclude a USB port for a physical keyboard.

What would you use? Obviously, if you need to take this around town, on the train or in the car, you'd need to use the onscreen keyboard. But what about at home and at work? Which would you prefer to use? And why?

The problem with screen keyboards is that you actually have to look at the screen to hit the keys correctly. With real keyboards, touch typists have a physical reference to position their hands. That's why they type blind. With a flat screen keyboard, however, you lose the physical reference frame.

The patent for this screen keyboard, however, uses multitouch technology to automatically align the keys to the position of the hand. Since the keys are always in the same relative position to your fingers, you will always have a physical point of reference: Your own hand. That way, you can blindingly hammer your keys against the screen, knowing that your fingers will always hit the keys they are aiming for.

The patent also details the way this virtual keyboard would appear anywhere on the screen: Just place your hands as you would normally do while typing, and the keyboard will pop up. [USPTO via WMPowerUser]

Kahney argues that the "new" virtual keyboard, and Exposé in the Dock are signs of preparation for an Apple tablet:

The more I play with Snow Leopard, the more it looks like it's designed to run Apple's upcoming tablet.

However, there are simpler explanations than these conspiracy theories (without even entering into the debate of iPhone OS—the most likely candidate for a 10-inch tablet—vs Mac OS X. Clumsy desktop operating systems don't translate well to slates, as Windows has demonstrated many times).

The virtual keyboard has been in Mac OS X forever, as part of the input system. In fact, it was part of the old Mac OS as well, and was incorporated as part of the input menu system in Mac OS X. In Snow Leopard, you can activate it using the Keyboard panel in System Preferences. Go there and check "Show Keyboard & Character Viewer in menu bar."

Before, the keyboard window used to be so tiny—as you can see in the top image—that it even made people whine about it in Apple support forums. Fortunately, Apple changed this, and now you can resize the window as much as you want.

There's no magic here. It's just a vector-based app that can be scaled at any size you want. The same happens with the Character Viewer.

So, if this is not a sign of the tablet, what could it be? Apple has been working on a fully resolution independent display model since Mac OS X 10.4. During every Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple has been preparing developers to ready their apps for the jump. Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard implemented a system wide resolution independent model (unfortunately, it was systemwide, and not on a per-screen basis).

The objective: To be able to use ultra-dense resolution displays without making everything on the screen tiny. As a user, if Apple decided to turn on this feature, you would see that menus, icons, and buttons use the same physical space now matter what display you use. Things would have the same size but would look sharper on a display with more pixels per inch. Example: A button will be one inch wide in a 24-inch 1080 pixel-wide display, and a 24-inch 2160 pixel-wide display. However, it will look a lot sharper on the 2160 pixel-wide display because it will be made of more dots.

If you have the developer tools installed in your Mac, you can check the scalability of the user interface using Quartz Debug. This tool allows you to zoom in and out the user interface, seeing how everything—except bitmap elements—scales in real time, with no pixelation.

What about Exposé on the Dock? I'm a believer in Occam's razor theory: The simpler theory is always the better. In this case, Exposé on the Dock is just a more convenient way to see your open application's windows. More intuitive and easier to use for the normal user than hot corners or function keys.

Bottom line: I've no doubt that touch interfaces will come to Apple devices, but these two functions are not any indication of it.

This hack, still in pre alpha testing, is based on an onscreen keyboard that the Pre already has—the phone's symbol input panel, for characters that aren't accessible by keyboard shortcuts. By patching the keyboard layout to include "regular" characters, the guys at webOS Internals were able to slap together a simple proof of concept onscreen keyboard, in both portrait and landscape modes, which, as Adrian said before, would make quick, short text input waaay more convenient.

It's too new to recommend installing unless you're versed in the cryptic particulars of Pre homebrew, but given the demand for the hack, it doesn't seem like an easily-installable onscreen keyboard is too far over the horizon. [webOS Internals via PreCentral]

Logitech promises that its new "Incurve" concave keys and wrist-rest properly cradle your fingers in a way we suppose flat keys can't. We haven't gotten a change to use it, but it sounds interesting to have a little gully for fingertips. The MK700 also has improved battery efficiency that yields some impressive results: The keyboard will last about three years, and the mouse about 12 months. Otherwise, it's a pretty standard set, clocking in at $100 when it ships later this month. [Logitech]

Updates to the Comfort Curve design include a soft-touch palm rest and low-profile quiet touch keys. As for Windows 7, users can take advantage of a time-saving feature called Taskbar Favorites that allows easy access to open programs by mapping their location to a series of hotkeys and instantly adapting to changes. It also includes Device Stage support—giving users quick access to peripheral devices and a dedicated Windows Flip button for thumbnail previews on both the mouse and keyboard.

The Wireless Comfort Desktop is available now for pre-order on Amazon ($80) and is expected to ship later this month.

Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 Makes Everyday Tasks Easier with Smart Features for Windows 7

New desktop set offers ultimate comfort made easy.

REDMOND, Wash. ¾ Aug. 4, 2009 ¾ More than seven in 10 Americans have felt discomfort from computer use,1 so today Microsoft Corp. debuts the ergonomist-approved Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000, which utilizes a Comfort Curve layout that encourages natural wrist posture with a slight six-degree curve. This new desktop set combines the Microsoft Comfort Curve keyboard layout with a soft-touch palm rest to make the PC experience more comfortable. Since the Comfort Curve design launched five years ago, more than 10 million units have been sold,2 and the design's ease of use continues to draw praise, with 94 percent of users recommending the keyboards.3 To complement the comfort, the Microsoft Hardware Group also created smart one-touch features for Windows 7 to help consumers make the most of their new Windows 7-based PCs.

"People are spending more time on computers than ever before, so comfort is very important," said Dan Odell, lead ergonomist and user researcher at Microsoft Hardware. "A Comfort Curve keyboard, like the Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000, provides an easy way to improve your typing ergonomics while maintaining your productivity."

Full Package: Comfort, Style and BlueTrack Technology

The design elements of the keyboard enhance its look and feel with an updated soft-touch palm rest; low-profile quiet touch keys; and a contoured, compact shape that looks great on any desk. The included Wireless Mouse 5000, with rubber side grips and an ambidextrous shape for comfort in either hand, features Microsoft BlueTrack Technology, which lets consumers go anywhere and work with confidence on more surfaces than when using optical and laser mice.4 Both the mouse and keyboard wirelessly connect to the computer via a reliable 2.4GHz mini-transceiver that works up to 30 feet away.

Smart Features for Windows 7

The Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 is the perfect companion for Windows 7 because it gives people smart ways to make everyday computing tasks easier. A new time-saving feature called Taskbar Favorites gives Microsoft keyboard users an easy way to access their open programs. Instead of the traditional My Favorites Keys with stored locations, Taskbar Favorites will map to the location of open applications on the improved Windows taskbar. The icons in the taskbar can be easily rearranged just by clicking and dragging; Taskbar Favorites will instantly adapt to the new icon locations. Other Windows 7 integration features include these:

o Device Stage. Microsoft Hardware mouse and keyboard products will support Device Stage, a Windows 7 feature that gives customers quick and easy access to common tasks, including product information, registration, settings and more for popular device categories such as cell phones, cameras, printers, portable media players and input devices.
o Windows Flip. Microsoft mouse and keyboard users can easily see a thumbnail preview of all open windows with the press of a button. A full-screen preview of the application will automatically display, enabling the user to better identify and select the desired application.

"Our goal is to have a strong ecosystem of compatible and innovative products," said Gary Schare, director of Hardware Ecosystem Product Management at Microsoft. "We're excited about the work Microsoft Hardware has done to light up the key features of Windows 7. For example, the Taskbar Favorites keys on the Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 complement our improved taskbar - helping to deliver a full end-to-end experience to make life on a Windows 7-based PC easier and more enjoyable."

Pricing and Availability

The Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 will be available later this month for an estimated retail price of $79.95 (U.S.).5 The product is available now for presale on Amazon.com and will ship when it is widely released. The Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 is backed by a worldwide three-year limited hardware warranty from Microsoft. More information about these and other Microsoft Hardware products is available at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware.

[Amazon]

The Hunt and Peck keyboard features a one-button switch between alphabetical and QWERTY, and helpfully lists both letters on each key so you can get even more confused than you undoubtedly are already. It also maps certain irritating acronyms to the function keys, so even though you've never seen a keyboard before, you can type LOL and ROFL with ease, and more confusion. It costs $30, if you're looking for a keyboard for one of those feral children raised by wolves or, more probably, you want to play a prank on somebody by switching all their keys around. [Oh Gizmo!]

The idea is that brands are so recognizable that we can exchange them with letters, probably the most recognizable symbols we know. It works, too, if you give it a second, although some of them are tricky (The Rolling Stones is only a corporation in the most cynical of senses). It doesn't actually exist, but it's a fun little experiment. [Ignacio Pilotto via Crunchgear]

It's a half-baked idea, of course, which is why we're only seeing it in a patent and not in actual hardware. Unless the half-keyboards were incredibly strong, the whole device would feel like it's itching to break into pieces, and wouldn't it have to be twice as thick as standard QWERTY sliders to accommodate double the amount of hardware? So it's just a patent, and it'll almost certainly stay that way. But at least somebody's trying to figure out a way to keep hardware keyboards alive. [Reg Hardware]

Not surprisingly, it looks like an elongated notebook inside. One that uses a lot of tape to hold those cables tight in place.

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.

Now the question remains: When the hell is this coming out? [Blogeee—Thanks Martin]

Sadly, it is Photoshopped, as you can tell from a variety of tells and mistakes. Says resident PS guru Jesus Diaz, "the chocolate and marsmallow keys are poorly cloned (clearly seen in the chocolate keys, but also on the marshmallows), the perspectives are fucked up, and everything else is made with Photoshop embossing and shadows."

Indeed. Even with its embellished fakery, I am nevertheless hungry. [Geek Pad via Foolish Gadgets]

Inspired by this keyboard pants concept, modder Zach Hoeken scanned a silicone keyboard, programmed key holes to be laser-cut from the pant material and then sewed the keyboard directly into his jean shorts. Since he sliced the keyboard in half, only 50% of its keys are functional (through USB). But hey, YUIOP are overrated anyway. [Thingiverse via NYC Resistor via MAKE]

Jump to minute 2:00 to get into the test itself:

Yes, the iPhone wins. Even with its software keyboard, it proves more accurate than the netbook's tiny keys. I think I see him doing some finger sliding with the iPhone at one point—which is a good way to get accurate typing under stress conditions—but my guess is that the iPhone word prediction and correction did the rest of the trick.

Some will argue that this test is too extreme and it will not happen in real life. Obviously, those people have never ridden the New York City subway, which sometimes gets pretty close to this experience. Specially in some of the express lines, which feel like a amusement park crazy ride rather than a train. Sure, maybe the subway turns don't generate three times the force of gravity, but to me it feels close enough. [Crave UK]

Because I am the token shameless jackass of the Gizmodo crew, I was the first person that came to mind when Rothman was offered a chance at the "World's Largest Cheeto." This one-of-a-kind object is more buoy than snack, with the middle completely unseasoned by cheese and tasting basically exactly like styrofoam.

But I persevered. It was stale and horrible. I will never eat Cheetos again. But hey, who am I to turn down a challenge of this magnitude?

Also, sorry for ruining your keyboard, Art Lebedev. It was in the name of science.

We're big fans of art deco, even though we're not old enough to actually have lived during the actual movement—septuagenarians we are not. But, with BioShock being such a great-selling game recently, we suspect that art deco could be coming back in style. At least, we hope so, or our art deco bedroom furniture set would look pretty dorky. [Datamancer]

If you've ever looked under or between the keys of your keyboard, you'd probably find a collection of sunflower seed shells, hair, toenail clippings and boogers—just think of all the bacteria those can trap. Now just imagine all the semen, blood, urine, excrement, vomit, mucus and chemicals a hospital keyboard could be hiding. The $140 Medigenc comes with a completely sealed body and tough exterior that won't trap bacteria and will allow you to clean it with super strong disinfectants. There's also a single button you can push that will "lockdown" all the keys so you can rub the keyboard down without sending out any e-mails that say, "SKDFJ#$%^&(@&#;@SDFJOIQOIERY(!I)_*&#;YUHEJFKDNFKJAOID OPO{PKLSF!!!!" Moreover, for those who are nostalgic for old hospital technology, the Medigenic outfitted with a silk-screened 3D keyboard design that is sure to give you that vintage, older-than-life feel. [Medigenic via OhGizmo via BBG]

Privacy, privacy, privacy. First there was the Blackberry visor for those who tried to hide the fact that they were looking at porn. Now enters the cleverly hooded USB keypad, which allows individuals seeking a certain level of privacy to do their work in the field with the utmost discretion. It's also sure to put paranoid pencil pushers at ease. Sadly, this is the category of number-punchers I fall under. I'll be hunched over my desk tip-tapping away while some shmuck try to peek over my shoulder. Too bad shmuck, you won't be able to see a thing (Please ignore me when I'm typing on my regular keyboard).

Whether you are a sneaky person or Excel monkey, the most covert of number pads is available for $18.99. [USB Fever via Geeky Gadgets]

Holy Crap, There's a Monitor in My Keyboard
The 320x240 LCD display that hovers over the keyboard is really the G19's raison d'tre. After incarnations of its G15 keyboard with a monochrome display for game stats and system info, it was really the only place left to go, and for the most part, it's a comfy place with silk sheets and free Coke in the minibar. I mean, you can watch YouTube or movies while you frag.

The screen's size and resolution are good, but not exceptional—it's okay for watching short video or YouTube clips with the built-in client, checking the time, scoping your CPU load and anything else you'd be peeping at a glance. The bezel around it is gigantic, so there'd definitely be some space to make it larger.

What makes it impressive is the fact that it's its own mini-computer, so matter how intensive the game you're running is—Left 4 Dead, for instance—you can pop up a YouTube video or your rip of Dawn of the Dead with no slowdown at all, and every applet runs quickly and smoothly. They're all pretty to use and configure as well.

There are a few annoyances with the video software. The YouTube client, for instance, doesn't let you hunt for a specific video, you're stuck browsing through a list of feeds, like top rated and most popular. That said, it's really fast and easy to use. With the video client for your local files (which monitors a single folder), in my experience it played anything ending in .mpg, but when I tried to play .avi videos it said more codecs were needed.

What's frustrating is that so much of the display's potential is still untapped. Logitech so far only provides a handful of applets and "can't comment on unannounced projects/products." It doesn't even do cool things with other Logitech products, like their G35 headset. It is open source, so anyone can develop for it, but we are talking about trying to build a development community around a $200 keyboard. The list of PC games that take advantage of it isn't mindblowing, so you might wanna check if your favorite is on board (mine weren't). So the currently anemic selection of software you can run on it might be a dealbreaker, at least for now.

Hardware
If you've used a higher end Logitech keyboard before—especially the G11 or G15, you roughly know what you're getting. Logitech's keys are a perfect balance of punchy and squishy and just really feel fantastic—it's why they haven't messed with the formula in a long time. Overall the G19 a solid piece of hardware, though you might expect something less plastic-y and more tank-like for $200, if only so it felt more likely to survive the onslaught of sweaty hands pummeling keys and Cool Ranch Doritos. The wrist rest is unacceptably cheap and crappy, though.

But Logitech adds a lot of value with little (and big) touches. There are a total of 36 possible macros (you can instantly switch between three sets of 12, which are color-coded. There are media controls galore, as you'd expect from Logitech. I really love the heavy spin wheel for volume, which matches up with the one on their G35 headset (more on that soon). You can make your backlight any color of the rainbow you want (or turn it off). And there's a toggle to deactive the Windows key, so you don't accidentally crash your game by popping up the Start menu.

It's got two high-powered USB ports on the back—standard for gaming keyboards. It works pretty well if you're just plugging in a mouse and a USB headset, but what I'd like is some audio jacks, so when I plug in my gaming headphones, I don't have to reach around to the backside of my desktop.

One of the tradeoffs for having dual high-powered USB ports and a mini-computer inside is that you're going to have to free up a space on your power strip for its power brick.

Game On?
Even with its handful of flaws, it's a fantastic keyboard that builds on what Logitech's been doing well for a long time, and it'll get better as more software is developed for it. But it's also $200, and its headlining feature isn't fully fleshed out yet. I love it, but practically speaking, I'd wait a couple of months for the price to come down and more software to make it more excellent.

You can work, catch a bit of rest at your desk, then wake up and get right back to it. What could be more efficient than that? Productivity will skyrocket! You'll wake up with QWERTY (or the Russian equivalent) stamped across your forehead! It's a win for you aaaand a win for your co-workers. [Project Page]

It's a progression of their previous project which added an RS232 serial modem interface to the iPhone's headphone jack—a dream of those who've spent most of their life huffing solder fumes. Serial interfaces can be mated to a world of electronics components cheaply and easily, and the headphone jack in/out hardware is one of the few interfaces that's open in the official SDK.

Here they've built a microcontroller that converts input from an external Targus IR keyboard into a format the iPhone's headphone jack can understand, which is then fed to a terminal app that doesn't require jailbreak. Pretty cool.

[Perceptive Development via TUAW]

While two separate teams have developed a variety of ways to sniff out your typing from a nearby area, my favorite involves just $5,000 worth of equipment: a PC, antenna, oscilloscope, and an analog to digital converter (use your government coupon!).

With this rig, they could decode what most keyboards were typing (with 95% accuracy) from 22 yards away. Laptops proved the hardest to read because a laptop keyboard's electromagnetic signature tends to mix with the rest of the system. But those fancy, wireless encrypted keyboards? Easy. Apparently such a keyboard identifies itself with every keypress because it passes an encryption algorithm. Once identified, it's decoded like any other keyboard.

No, it's probably not the easiest way to steal your password, but it's certainly the most theatrical. [ITWorld via Slashdot]

Let's see how many of you are dirty too.

Asus CEO Jerry Shen says they're working on two models, one wired and one wireless. The wired version will run about $400 while the wireless should run somewhere south of $600.

There's still no hard info on specs, such as processor or hard drive, but hell, a wireless keyboard/computer combo with a built-in touchscreen? I almost don't care what the specs are, I just want one.

The keyboard is packing a 5-inch built-in display, a 1.6 GHz Atom processor, 1 GB of RAM, 16/32 GB SSD, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. As far as ports, it's got wireless HDMI, 2 USB 2.0, VGA, HDMI, and audio in/out. [Reg Hardware]

Hitting shift will change the new fifth row of numbers to their symbol equivalent, giving you quicker access to the exclamation marks your mobile dispatches so clearly deserve. This is currently for jailbreakers only, but I'm wondering if it couldn't be turned into an actual app? The emoji-enablers work by adding a new international keyboard, so maybe this could work in the same way? If not, all the more reason to jailbreak.

You can find this app listed under "5-Row QWERTY Keyboard" in Cydia. [iPhone Hacks]

A study by The National Labor Committee, which is a worker's rights group that actually is not associate with the government, found very crazy (and very cruel) working conditions in a Meitai factory in Dongguan City. Here's a very small subsection of cruelties employees were subjected to:

• Workers are prohibited from talking, listening to music, raising their heads, putting their hands in their pockets. Workers are fined for being one minute late, for not trimming their fingernails-which could impede the work, and for stepping on the grass. Workers are searched on the way in and out of the factory. Workers who hand out flyers or discuss factory conditions with outsiders are fired.
• The assembly line never stops, and workers needing to use the bathroom must learn to hold it until there is a break.
• All overtime is mandatory, with 12-hour shifts seven days a week and an average of two days off a month. A worker daring to take a Sunday off-which is supposedly their weekly holiday-will be docked 2 ½ days' wages. Including unpaid overtime, workers are at the factory up to 87 hours a week. On average, they are at the factory 81 hours a week, while toiling 74 hours, including 34 hours of overtime, which exceeds China's legal limit by 318 percent!
• The workers are paid a base wage of 64 cents an hour, which does not even come close to meeting subsistence level needs. After deductions for primitive room and board, the workers' take-home wage drops to just 41 cents an hour. A worker toiling 75 hours a week will earn a take-home wage of $57.19, or 76 cents an hour including overtime and bonuses. The workers are routinely cheated of 14 to 19 percent of the wages legally due them.

Workers are also routinely penalized for random things, including these, which BoingBoing highlighted:

* "Infractions" punished with the loss of over two hours' wages (fine of 10 RMB—$1.44), including for-
—"Being 1 to 5 minutes late to start a shift…"
—"Not periodically trimming fingernails, which will affect product quality."
—"Not lining up correctly while punching time cards or at the cafeteria."
—"Wearing work shoes outside the work room after work."
—"Putting hands in pant pockets while inside the factory or workroom."

* "Infractions" punished with the loss of 4 ½ hours wages (20 RMB fine, $2.88)
—"…answering a personal telephone call in the workroom."
—"Not diligently working or raising ones head to look around when guests or cadres come to visit."
—"Putting personal objects on the work desk."
—"…listening to the radio while on the job."
—"Not parking bicycles according to company regulations; riding bicycles in and out of the company in a way not in accordance with company regulations."
—"Returning to the dorm after regulated hours [curfew]."

* "Infractions" punished with the loss of nearly seven hours' wages (30 RMB fine—$4.32)
—"Switching beds without authorization." (Dorm beds are assigned by management.)

* "Infractions" punished with the loss of nearly 1 ½ days' wages (50 RMB fine—$7.20)
—"Workers who arrive over one hour late…"
—"Riding the elevator without permission."
—"Plugging in electronics [using electricity] in the dorm room for personal use."
—"Using the company phone to make personal calls."
—"Producing products of low quality…"
—"Workers who…go to visit other workers during working hours."
—"Chatting at the workstation during work hours…"
—"Entering or leaving the factory area without allowing door personnel [security guards] to inspect [search workers]."
—"Treating supervisors with an arrogant attitude…"

* "Infractions" punished with the loss of nearly three days' wages (100 RMB fine—$14.40):
—"Leaving one's workstation without permission…"
—"Putting up personal notices…or handing out flyers."
—"Revealing confidential company or production-related information."

* "Infractions" punished with firing:
—"Violating labor discipline…and not obeying the company's work arrangements."
—"…Taking part in illegal organizations." [In China, this means independent unions; human, women's and children's rights organizations and non-state-sanctioned religious organizations.]
—"Not following the procedures spelled out by government regulations on stopping work, slowing work down, encouraging others to stop or slow down work."
—"Missing three days of work."
—"Disobeying China's one-child policy."
—"Not obeying company arrangements or directions or…collectively causing trouble as a group…"
—"Any behavior similar to that listed above or helping or colluding in such behavior."

If you think these conditions are obscene—and I think most of us should—contact details for the companies that contract Meitai for manufacturing are located at the bottom of the link. [NLCNet via Boingboing]

Since he's a touchtyper, like any true nerd, he didn't need to see the letters. One can of white spraypaint later, and he has, as he calls it, "the most pretentious keyboard in existence." That's probably true, but it's damn nice looking. [Essel.org via NotCot.org]