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Posts Tagged “

Optimus

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review

Ten Things You Need to Know About the Optimus Maximus Keyboard Hardware

It's been three months since we first got a true hands on with the Optimus Maximus OLED keyboard at CES, and we've had plenty of time to experience this innovative gadget by blogging with it full time over the course of three weeks. And by logging hours and hours with the keyboard—much like you would if you purchased one—we've come up with ten things you need to know about the Optimus Maximus keyboard's hardware. More »

2:00 PM on Thu Apr 17 2008
By Jason Chen
62,190 views, 83 comments

Latest by Viaco: An interesting application would be gaming.. More than just merely mapping the control keys. Imagine gameplay where you are in multiple alien environments and you are required to interact with various interfaces. The keyboard itself could change to more »

optimus

Next Gen Optimus Maximus Details: Sub-$800, One-Screen and Raised Keys

Apparently, when Jesus called Art.Lebedev's Optimus Tactus keyboard "Optimus Retardus" for its lack of physical keys, the design team listened. Or not. Either way, Lebedev's latest plan is to indeed make a visual keyboard with just one full-color screen as opposed to many tiny ones. But it will overlay physical transparent keys (like on the Upravlator). In the end, you'd actually have a hard time noticing that each key isn't its own display. The goal is to get this thing into production by year's end, and to sell it for under $800—a bargain by Art.Lebedev standards. Later, the dudes will move to E-Ink or e-paper for lighter, wireless keyboards. [Optimus Project]

10:15 AM on Thu Mar 20 2008
By Wilson Rothman
5,847 views, 26 comments

Latest by McMevan: Have they considered the fact that microsoft has a patent on a keyboard with a screen and key overlay? ... heres a link to it... [www.google.com] i suppose if they arent using a touchscreen it might be ok, not sure how more »

gadgets

Art Lebedev Designing Wireless Optimus Mini 3 3.0


Art Lebedev and his Lebedevites are hard at work designing a follow-up to the Optimus Mini 3, a smaller, three-buttoned version of the Maximus keyboard we saw at CES. Here's what they're thinking: wireless, possibly Bluetooth, maybe AC-powered. People use this to control PowerPoint presentations (good idea, you can see what's coming up before others do) and would like to have it not tethered to the computer. No actual renders of prototypes yet, but Art says they're coming soon. [Optimus Blog]

8:57 PM on Mon Mar 10 2008
By Jason Chen
5,091 views, 23 comments

Latest by Lizard_King: @ronnsprocket: Mine was $100 at the intro price. What this will do, that the iTouch would not, was work immediately and without running software (on it). It had elegant customizing software to allow you to have a multitude of options. more »

optimus maximus

Optimus Maximus Keyboard Now Shipping (At Last!)

It's a day some of us never thought would come. Art Lebedev's Optimus Maximus OLED keyboard is finally shipping to everyone who pre-ordered it. Icing on the OLED cake, the Configuator software is available now, too. If you bought one w/ passive keys, you've still got another month though. [Optimus Project]

3:00 PM on Thu Feb 21 2008
By matt buchanan
11,111 views, 39 comments

optimus maximus keyboard

Optimus Maximus Keyboard on eBay Already

We got our hands-on with the Optimus Maximus OLED keyboard back at CES, but now you can get your own on eBay. What? Apparently some guy received one of the earlier shipments of the keyboard (the one with unfinished software support) and is now hocking it. It's unclear which model this one is (we think it's the $1500 one, though you should email the seller to be sure), but if you can manage to get it for less than cost, this is a cheap way to grab an Optimus for yourself. [eBay]

2:55 PM on Tue Jan 29 2008
By Jason Chen
7,277 views, 23 comments

Latest by JoOngle: "The seller ended this listing early because of an error in the listing." more »

gadgets

Foxconn and United Keys Bring OLED Keyboards This Summer on the Cheap

The only complaint we have with the Optimus Maximus display-changing OLED keyboard is its price, which is why this news of United Keys and Foxconn teaming up to build their own keyboards is exciting. More »

4:00 PM on Tue Jan 22 2008
By Jason Chen
9,088 views, 33 comments

hands-on

Hands On With Optimus Maximus Keyboard

We've had video and pictures of the Optimus Maximus keyboard, but now we've got the first hands on with the mythical layout-changing input device. Is it as good as all the hype's built it up to be? No. It's better.

More »

7:24 PM on Mon Jan 7 2008
By Jason Chen
54,355 views, 72 comments

Latest by pfromg: They should increase the price to $50000. Encase it in titanium & gold. Sell to Russians,until they have enough capital to correct the basic key construction/design and make a product that is ready for market. Either that , or sell to Apple and more »

concept vaporware

Optimus Tactus Touch Keyboard Should Be Called Optimus Retardus

While we love touch surfaces, as people who type hundreds of thousands a word each week we know that there is a limit to them: keyboards. Like this Optimus Tactus, an extruded shape/touch surface/keyboard concept by Art.Lebedev. We really like the soon-to-be-released Optimus keyboard Art but, seriously, how often do you type on your computer? More »

11:55 AM on Fri Dec 28 2007
By Jesus Diaz
13,661 views, 30 comments

rumor smashed

Rumor Smashed: Optimus Keyboard Not Delayed, Was Always Shipping in February [Updated]

We're not sure where Impress.jp got their info that the Optimus Keyboard was delayed until late February '08, because from all the info we've got from Art.Lebedev in the past few months (here and here) says that's the targeted ship date. More »

2:20 PM on Wed Dec 26 2007
By Jason Chen
8,029 views, 6 comments

Latest by JoshS: It looks cool, but the price is insanse (though it does reflect the calue of the materials). Like SOCKATUME said, no one else will make this because it's just impossible right now to mass produce cheaply. I do worry about Art more »

expensive peripherals

Optimus Keyboard Configurations, Pricing Info Released

Yes, it's true: you can get an Optimus Keyboard for less than $500. There is a catch, however: if you're cheap and spend less than $500, your keyboard will only have one "active button," and it's the space bar. Yeah, weak, I know. But hey, it's "only" $462.27! If you bump it up to $599.01 you get the 10 function buttons on the side active, $999.25 gets you just the letter keys active, and a whopping $1,564.37 gets you all 113 buttons active. So while yeah, there's a cheaper option, it's clearly not worth it. Not that the full version is worth it, but if you're going to waste a lot of money on a keyboard you might as well go all out. You can preorder the Optimus in any of these configs in black or white and you'll get your keyboard in late February. [Product Page]

10:41 AM on Wed Nov 28 2007
By Adam Frucci
4,825 views, 48 comments

Latest by JoshS: The people who want it want for a reason. For me it really has no value, though it looks cool. I am not so sure about their manufacturing ability - it seems all their products get pushed back again and again, more »

optimus video

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

We just got some hangtime with Art.Lebedev's non-vaporous Optimus keyboard at the Wired Store in SoHo, NYC, and it is as shiny, pretty and luxuriously pointless as billed. Enjoy the video, then check out our impressions and a gallery: More »

5:13 PM on Wed Nov 21 2007
By Wilson Rothman
162,076 views, 63 comments

optimus

Video: Optimus Maximus Changing Layouts

At times it may seem like the Optimus Maximus Keyboard is some sort of mythical creature that is only seen in photographs, but this video illustrating layout changes proves that it does exist, somewhere. Whether or not we will actually see it in the wild one of these days (in the arms of Bigfoot no doubt) remains to be seen. [Livejournal]

8:00 PM on Mon Nov 12 2007
By Sean Fallon
18,195 views, 35 comments

keyboards

Optimus Keyboard Goes Sub-$500 and Sub-$1000, But Gimped at Launch

The Optimus keyboard team brings good news and bad news today, with word that they're going to have sub-$500 and sub-$1000 models (not just one $1564 keyboard), but the software will not be ready for launch. That's not to say that you'll buy a $500 keyboard that you can't use; it's just "functionally limited," and will get firmware updates every month or so until it gets up to the point where you're getting all the features you were promised. Apparently the keyboard is so popular that the first pre-order lot is completely sold out. However, the first pre-order lot was only 200 units, so it's not that great of an achievement. If that's you, you'll get your keyboard in the latter half of February '08. [Optimus Blog]

4:50 PM on Mon Nov 5 2007
By Jason Chen
6,025 views, 18 comments

Latest by soldstatic: how about we just get that oled hiptac whatever keyboard thing nokia is making. thatd be way cooler than any keyboard. change the shape and the keys so that it doesnt even look like a keyboard for games and such, more »

optimus

Optimus Maximus Keyboard Passes FCC Level Without Cheat Codes

In case any of you still thought the Optimus Maximus was all a big alien autopsy-esque hoax, the fact that the preliminary version of the keyboard just passed FCC testing should be enough to put your doubts on hold. The current status, non FCC-wise, has their OLEDs approved for mass production back in September and arriving in their offices late October/early November (and ship to customers at least a couple months after that)—which means no Optimus for Christmas this year. The Maximus will also ship with a 512MB SD card to store layouts instead of storing them on the PC. Jump for a picture of the Panic Room/special shielded room the FC uses for testing (sans Jodie Foster). [Optimus Blog] More »

4:46 PM on Mon Oct 8 2007
By Jason Chen
6,631 views, 20 comments

Latest by BigDanInTX: @Palestina: At $150, the coolness factor is worth the cost. Anything higher and I would feel stupid for buying it. more »

keyboards

Optimus Maximus Shipping in White...Whenever it Actually Ships

White is the new black is the new white, as Art.Lebedev anounces the Optimus Maximus is going to be blanco—not negro—at launch. Better or worse? [Optimus Project]

4:00 PM on Fri Oct 5 2007
By Jason Chen
4,944 views, 28 comments

Latest by wrenchmonkey26: Today, on Gizmodo..."Prisoner complaining of anal pain, caught with an Art Lebedev Keyboard in his ass, iPhone felt better, prisoner claims"...On a serious note folks, if you want a cool keyboard, check out the Logitech DiNovo Edge. I picked up more »

expensive sorta-vaporware

Wow, There's Actually a Working Optimus Keyboard in Moscow

Hey, remember the Optimus Keyboard? Yeah, it's still not out, and it's still kind of a joke, but look! They have a real one in Moscow! No other details, and this is probably some sort of $15,000 one-time mockup and they're probably no closer to releasing it, but it still looks pretty neat. [Optimus Project]

12:00 PM on Fri Sep 14 2007
By Adam Frucci
6,740 views, 11 comments

Latest by hezz05: Hmmm, I thought the keys were downgraded to black-white? more »

keyboards

Fairlight $28,000 Xynergi Keyboard Makes Optimus Look Cheap

These $28,000 keyboards from Fairlight aren't made for you, they're designed for media professionals who need different keys for different tasks. It's the world's first "Self Labeling Illuminated Computer Keyswitch Technology," beating the full-sized Optimus keyboard to market by a good few months. Of course, that price tag is prohibitive to all but the wealthiest of Giz readers (unless you work at a job where this is necessary), so watch the video after the jump and dream about the day when you can have a keyboard that changes its keys for a reasonable price. More »

6:00 PM on Wed Sep 12 2007
By Jason Chen
15,127 views, 34 comments

Latest by n/a: As an editor in a post house, there is absolutely no way I would ever use this keyboard. Program shortcuts, and multiple monitors kick the shit out of having to look down at that keyboard. The Optimus keyboard might be nice, but more »

transformers

Transformer-Themed Bearbricks Protect The All Spark, Steal Food From Campers

Considering that we love Transformers and toys, it's no surprise that we're drooling over these Transformer-themed Bearbricks. The foursome of Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee and Barricade were spotted at this year's Wonder Festival in Tokyo. The specialty toys from Japan come in various themes and colors, and this batch is to commemorate the Transformers Movie. They will be sold in packs of two, with the choice of Optimus Prime/Megatron or Bumblebee/Barricade. Sadly, these are Japan only, selling for 1,890 Yen. [ToysREvil via Hype Beast]

5:43 PM on Fri Aug 17 2007
By Adrian Covert
2,793 views, 12 comments

Latest by buffawhat: These Be@rbricks are a highly collectible toy in the US. The bearshape never changes, but the design does; they even made a Saw(the movie) themed set, and people snap these up like crazy. I just shelled out 50 bucks more »