Daily Dotventures: 10/1/11

Thursday, October 13, 2011

The Next Stroke: Laser Projection Keyboard

Things are going to feel a little different.

The buzz over the technology grapevine these days is about the advent of the laser projection keyboard. This virtual input device can project the layout of a keyboard on any surface and by simply tapping on said layout you could work your PC as if you do have a wired keyboard. This is bound to send your old, dusty, crumb-ridden, tippety-tap PC keyboard to obsolescence in a few years.

It is certainly an exciting technology but certainly nothing new. As early as 2008, the i.Tech Virtual Keyboard was already being sold at Amazon.com. The latest projection keyboard to come out in the market is the Celluon Magic Cube Laser Projection Keyboard and Touchpad. It debuted with an SRP of about $200 during the summer and is fast gaining the interest of tech aficionados. And what's not to drool over? You're typing with laser!

While projection keyboards are certainly a step closer towards realizing a Matrix-like future, personally I would wait for the second or third generations of this technology to come out. As were most transitional technologies (i.e. laser discs, zip drives, etc.) it won't take long for the trend to snowball into better, faster and cheaper versions of the product.

At any rate, apart from the flexibility of using your projection keyboard with multiple devices (from PCs to mobile gadgets) the clear upside for the device -- you won't have to worry about spilling your drink on your keyboard!

Learn more about the laser guided keyboard here and here (Death of the Keyboard).

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Tech World Mourns: Steve Jobs Reaches End-Of-Life

The Apple homepage in mourning for Steve Jobs.

It's the final upgrade for the enigmatic co-founder of Apple.

Steve Jobs -- after struggling with pancreatic cancer since being diagnosed in 2004 -- passed away October 5, 2011. He was 56.

He recently relinquished his post as CEO of Apple to Tim Cook. Technology enthusiasts around the world expressed their condolences through a special webpage for their fallen hero at http://www.apple.com/stevejobs where you may also send thoughts and prayers through a designated email address.

Steve Jobs was a well-known trailblazer of the computing era having spearheaded technologies that helped define technology trends for the past 4 decades. These include the first Apple and Macintosh personal computers, the iPod, the iPhone, and more recently the Apple iPad tablet computer..

Here's a fond farewell to a true innovator, Steve Jobs. He is a testament to the human capacity to make things better.