It's especially interesting because he doesn't dismiss modern software conveniences—he uses them and likes them, and understands their value. But he also uses these old-school drum machines for their simplicity and their physical presence, and often for their visual appeal. It makes me like Moby, so, you know, good job. [Motherboard.tv]

Indeed, designers Yoonsang Kim and Eunsung Park designed this keyboard with true paranoia in mind. They even slapped a "None Bacteria Project" label on there so there's no confusion about the design's true purpose. Bring this Japanese fan of a keyboard around with you, and never have to touch a filthy public terminal ever again. Or something. [Yanko Design via DVICE]

Besides processing power, price and battery life improvements, our preferences for gadgets and the direction of those desires point towards three things: Richer displays, more seamless inputs and smaller packages—the first two being in direct conflict with the last. Looking at where we've been and where we are, I don't think we can keep pursuing these goals without going gadget prosthetic.

Now here's a trip: For the first time, this decade, design choices are being made to limit resolution in screens to show mercy to the human eye. Apple's recent iMac revision increased the desktop monitor's pixels per inch rating to about 110. That's the equivalent of a laptop levels of density, but on a big 27-inch screen, and it was so sharp, it hurt. Any desk jockey can tell you that as displays get sharper, the strain goes up. On mobiles, which are already the most pixel dense of the gadget kingdom, designers are frequently bashing into conflicting goals of fitting lots of pixels onto pocketable devices. Resolution-independent operating systems (that rely on vector-based graphics) are important but if we don't take displays inside the human body, gadgets can't get much smaller—there's no way for them to become as pixel rich as desktops while continuing to get smaller than they already are.

The the idea for hybridized HUDs featuring reality and computed interfaces has been around for ages. Science fiction has already dreamed up what it is we want to see in animations like Ghost in the Shell. But the recent explosion of augmented reality apps—powered by smartphones with directional compasses, internet connections, location awareness, cameras and the power to draw data driven overlays—are simply prototypes for real HUD and in-eye/mind displays. It's not a conceptual problem as much as it is a question of how.

Keyboards and buttons are easier to understand as a limitation, as we type on increasingly baby-finger sized keyboards on smartphones with appendages that look like hot dogs. Keyboards just need to go away. Towards that trend, software keyboards may be error prone but when used by the proficient, the typing is way faster and the devices are way smaller. Further away from traditional keyboards, Microsoft Research's projects point towards gesture and voice commands. I don't see how we could get full work days done that way, though, and there's the rub. There's not even a good concept for controlling a PC to the level we need to without keyboards and pointers now. Mind control is a joke.

In user-interface design, we've always trended towards the invisible. Instead of seams, we want the seamless. Instead of four clicks, any given major task is better with three. Maybe one day, none—the blink of an eye. Funny enough, the only mentally controlled gadgets these days are toys. And usually the low-end QVC valley where high-end tech ends up after dripping down from the peak of military or space program development to gadget fiends, and finally their kids. I would guess the sloppy capabilities of such toys, like the Mindflex Brainwave, make it inappropriate, unsafe and unusable for anything but hovering a ball in mid air.

It's funny looking back at attempts of strap-on computing. We always thought these clunky setups—"wearable" PCs velcro'd to our arms or slung over our backs—were the predecessors to in-body computing. I've long assumed that getting to prosthetic gadgets was an issue of micronization. "When we can fit a computer into the profile of a Bluetooth headset, people will use 'em," we thought. But it's clear to me that it's about the interface; the inputs and outputs.

Gadgets don't have much more room for revolutionary improvement unless we bypass our own natural limitations of fingers meant to peel bananas and eyes designed to spot prey and predators, and get these damn things we love and depend on so much routed directly into our brains.

This week, Gizmodo is exploring the enhanced human future in a segment we call This Cyborg Life. It's about what happens when we treat our body less as a sacred object and more as what it is: Nature's ultimate machine.

[Image from Stuart Moore]

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 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?

It connects to computers via USB, but also has MIDI in/out connections. The line-in jack is what you'd use for any external audio source, including the iPhone. Away from the desk, the Korg can last about 4 hours on 6xAA batteries.

Sample modes include one-shot, gate, loop, key gate, and auto-next. What you record in is mapped onto the keys for you to play and build up layers. Sampling time/internal memory is 42.66 minutes at 24kHz quality, and half that at 48kHz.

The 21 built-in effects include all the usual stuff (distortion, EQ, reverb, delay, chorus, looper, etc), but there's no vocoder (think Daft Punk "Around the World"). Seems a little strange given the attached microphone begs for it.

$750 is also pricey compared to fantastic software like Ableton Live ($450). But, if you're a hardware purist, the microSAMPLER looks like a very cute little board. [Korg via SlashGear]

For example, font size could be changed based on how much pressure you apply to a key and typos could be reduced by gauging the pressure applied to simultaneously pressed keys in order to determine intent. And, of course, varied pressure on a key could make gaming controls more interesting.

Microsoft will be showing off the technology at the User Interface Software and Technology conference taking place in Canada this October. At the conference, students will be given a sample keyboard and asked to compete with one another in an effort to find applications for the technology that are useful, well implemented or creative. Each one of these categories comes with a $2000 prize and special consideration for a spot at SIGGRAPH 2010's Emerging Technology (E-Tech) demos. [UIST 2009 via CNET]

For comparison, ThinkGeek sells the Optimus Maximus, the great grandpappy of the OLED-in-a-key concept, for a staggering $1600. Obviously, the OCZ doesn't match up to Art Lebedev's Cheeto-resistant masterpeice—fewer keys, limited colors, plainer styling—but come on, is it really 8.5% the keyboard the Optimus is?

The item isn't listed as shipping yet, though OCZ says they're on their way to retailers. [ZipZoomFly—Thanks, Justin!]

What Lenovo has done sounds like a smaller deal than it actually is: on the T400 series, the delete and escape keys are about twice as large as normal, taking an odd, long vertical form. As anyone who has used international keyboards can attest, even a little layout or proportion change can throw your typing off. Now why in the world would Lenovo go and do that? USA Today explains:

In designing the new ThinkPad, [Lenovo] installed keystroke-tracking software on about 30 employees' computers (They volunteered). On average, they used the "Escape" and "Delete" keys 700 times per week, yet those were the only "outboard" keys, or non-letter keys, that hadn't been enlarged.

As you can see, this is probably a practical change. The most fascinating thing about this kind of change, though, is how rare it is. Nearly everything about modern keyboards harks back to the early days of the typewriter, from letter spacing to key layout. This anecdote from the article sums up the problem fairly succinctly:

Tom Hardy, who designed the original IBM PC of 1981, said companies have tried many times to change the sizes of keys. That first PC had a smaller "Shift" key than IBM's popular Selectric typewriter did, and it was placed in a different spot, in part because the industry didn't think computers would replace typewriters for high-volume typing tasks.

IBM reversed course with the next version to quiet the outcry from skilled touch-typists.

When we're all living on Mars, our spacepods will still have Model Ms. [USA Today]

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]

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.The first thing you'll notice is that only a small cluster of the Sabre's keys—the numpad, specifically—are given the OLED treatment; the second, that the keys don't display color. OCZ tries to make up for the diminished key count and monochrome color scheme with a clever layered shortcut system and blue LED sidelighting, but there's no use denying it: the Sabre is no Optimus Maximus. Given that the Optimus is incredibly huge and oddly difficult to actually type on, though, this could be a good thing.

Another, better way that the Sabre doesn't measure up to the Optimus? Price. They haven't announced specifics yet, but OCZ says the Sabre, which is ready to ship to retailers, will be "affordable." Of course, compared to the Optimus's $1600 price, that could mean pretty much anything. $200, please? [OCZvia Electric Pig]

There are different two versions of the keyboard built for Windows and Macs, and although they both contain two USB ports, the Mac's version has extra keys that allow you to quickly access applications such as iCal, iChat, Mail, Safari and Front Row. For $150, you can purchase the iConnect sometime this summer. [Lifeworks via CNet via iPodNN via Technabob]

Just slip your computer into the anodized aluminum rails, and you're good to go. Almost. You see, the iStand Notebook Media Bundle does a whole lot more than just holding your laptop.

It can hold your iPod, too.

Holy fuck.

While we know it's difficult to believe, those speakers in front aren't just speakers. They're part of an iPod/iPhone dock. You plug them in, load your iPod and they'll play back music while charging the device. You know, just like a laptop, but with an ever-so-refined mediocrity that only the most tone-deaf music aficionado will appreciate. Still, iHome isn't done yet.

Oh no, they're throwing in a wireless keyboard and mouse as well for the mere $300 asking price. I know what you're thinking, "I could buy a pretty sweet netbook for that much." Well stop contemplating such practical thoughts and hand iHome your money. They've clearly earned it. [iHome Lifeworks via Crave]

It sounds like a good idea, but for those who frequently need to use both a mouse and keyboard, it might become a little less than convenient. [Econo-keys via OhGizmo via BoingBoing