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Inflatable Keyboard

 For use with highly portable devices such as phones & PDAs
 
(0) 		  [vote for,
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An inflatable keyboard, manufactured from two layers of plastic, with the contacts on either side of small air-bladders.

When not required, the keyboard is deflated and folded into a storage compartment on the PDA. When needed the user inflates the keyboard and by 'squishing' the air from the bladders causes the key contacts to close registering a keypress.

Admittedly this wouldn't be suitable for a touch typist (or anyone for long periods) but it would be better than the current 3 letter per key arrangement used on phones.

—witless, Feb 05 2003

not like this http://www.kelcom.i...latablekeyboard.htm
but why does this exist? [rbl, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

Flexible keyboards http://www.backpack.../Keyboards_Keypads/
Half-way down the page. [8th of 7, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

[link]






       In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Lessons", Neela Daren plays a duet with Jean-Luc on a "roll-out" piano-like keyboard; which would be similar to this idea. Flexible keyboards are Baked (link).   

       Inflating the keyboard with positive pressure would give it more rigidity and might improve its feel and useability.
—8th of 7, Feb 05 2003
   

       Imagine trying to do a CTRL-ALT-DEL though...
—LittleMissLoopy, Feb 06 2003
   
      
[annotate]
   


 

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