Content
10 January 2007, 17:18
i.Tech Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard – play with laser.
i.Tech Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard
In this business I come across many different types of products – some of them are functional, some are revolutionary and some are just dull and utilitarian. But once in a while something lands on my desk that is just so damn cool that I can’t help but want it, whether I need it or not.
 Every so often, a device comes along that causes even hardened technology veterans like us to drool, Homer Simpson style, all over our desks. The Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard (VKB) from iTech certainly is one such gadget - and it definitely has the 'wow factor' about it. To put it in a nutshell, the VKB projects a 'virtual keyboard' on just about any flat surface, detects your typing, and displays the characters on your phone, PDA or PC, via a Bluetooth connection. Essentially, it eliminates the need for a cramped keyboard on your mobile device, and allows you the freedom of typing on a complete QWERTY keyboard. One of those super-cool products is sitting in front of me right now, and there isn’t a single member of the TrustedReviews team that hasn’t expressed a desire, nay, a need for one of these babies. The i-Tech Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard is one of those devices that you may have imagined was still in the realms of science fiction, but it’s real, it’s here and it works.
While iTech claim that the unit is about the size of a 'cigarette lighter', it is in fact larger than this, but will still fit easily into a pocket. The VKB works by utilizing both laser technology to project a keyboard, and infrared to generate a plane of light just above and parallel to the projected image. When a user touches a position on the surface, the light is reflected and the selected characters appear on your mobile device. Unlike any other keyboard, the i-Tech doesn’t actually have any keys. In fact it doesn’t resemble a keyboard in any way – instead looking like a prop from 2001 A Space Odyssey. But thankfully, you’re not going to find homicidal apes bashing each other to death around the i-Tech.
 Looking like an extra terrestrial black monolith may be part of what makes the i-Tech cool, but it’s actually the functionality that’s the really cool part. Stand the i-Tech on a desk/table/any flat surface and press the button on the side – instantly the image of a keyboard will be thrown onto the surface in front of it. Press the button again and the keyboard disappears – magic!
We see the main beneficiaries of this device being PDA or mobile users, as while the VKB can be used with a PC, you might as well use a normal keyboard. PDA manufacturers face a constant problem in trying to balance size and functionality. For example, while many PDAs ship with Microsoft Word, it's not exactly practical to use a PDA to type up large documents, and most people just use their PDAs to view, rather than create, document. This is because PDA screens may be too small, PDA keyboards are not comfortable and handwriting recognition is still a somewhat hit and miss affair. Of course just having a keyboard projected onto your desk isn’t much use unless you have some kind of device connected to it. Here i-Tech has pulled the stops out and gone for a Bluetooth connection method, allowing the keyboard to be connected to a multitude of devices, without the shackles of any wires.
 There’s a list of compatible devices on the i-Tech website here. Here you’ll find that the keyboard is compatible with Windows 2000 and Windows XP if you’ve got a Bluetooth dongle of course. There’s also a list of Pocket PC, Palm and Smartphone devices that are also compatible.
The VKB does alleviate some of these problems, as you can now type on a full size QWERTY keyboard, making working with word processing and other documents, a much more practical affair. But the VKB is not without its problems, and this is an early generation of this technology which isn't for everyone. I decided to test the keyboard with a couple of devices that aren’t on the compatibility list – an Orange SPV C500 and a Fujitsu-Siemens Pocket Loox 720. Although loading the driver and configuring it is definitely a pain, once correctly setup the i-Tech worked perfectly with both my test beds – so don’t despair if your PDA or phone isn’t on the list.
Firstly, you'll have to install the software on your Bluetooth-enabled mobile device. Secondly, like any Bluetooth device, the VKB has to be paired, and we found this to be a confusing and frustrating process with our Nokia N70. The manual does have some detail in it, but is not particularly well structured or clear, meaning you will be fiddling with the unit for some time, trying to get it to work Once the i-Tech keyboard is connected up to your device of choice via Bluetooth, it’s just a case of opening a text editor application (such as Word) and tapping away at your desk. Typing on the i-Tech is a bit tricky at first, and you’ll probably find yourself making quite a few mistakes at first.
 The biggest issue is that there’s obviously no key travel, since there aren’t actually any keys. There is a reassuring click, every time a key press is registered to give you some piece of mind when typing.
Once paired however, the unit is a breeze to use. You simply stand it upright, turn it on by pressing the switch on the side and start typing away. A micro-switch is placed at the bottom of the VKB, and if lifted, automatically switches the device off, so you'll have to keep it flat all the time. An indicator light has been placed on top of the unit, and this flashes different colours when the unit is ready to pair, in use or in need of charging. A power socket is on the side, which hooks up to an AC adapter. In our tests, typing on the VKB was just about average. We experienced missed keys, double characters and incorrect presses, although these did reduce significantly as time went on and we became accustomed to the peculiarities of the device. We would say the VKB is useful for slower single finger typers, but touch typers will have problems if typing at any speed. In any case, using the VKB, while not perfect, was much easier than using a phone or PDA keyboard. Although there is definitely a learning curve with the i-Tech, once you get used to it, you can achieve a decent typing rate. Also, it’s worth remembering that this isn’t supposed to be a replacement for a conventional keyboard, instead it’s a pocket size keyboard for devices that don’t have simple text input methods. Anyone who has tried to compose long emails on a PDA or smartphone will know exactly what I’m talking about, and will be able to appreciate the convenience offered by the i-Tech.
 Of course the other big advantage with the virtual keyboard is that I can almost guarantee that wherever and whenever you take it out of your bag, people around you will just stop and stare – ideal for showing off in the executive departure lounge.
iTech has also included a variety of customizable options which the user can set, such as the keyboard sensitivity, light intensity and auto-repeat of keys. These settings help in alleviating any typing problems and you should adjust the sensitivity until you are comfortable. Users can also control the sounds emitted by the keyboard as well as the intensity of the projection, which is important when outdoors. With dimensions of 90 x 34 x 24mm (LxWxD) and a weight of only 80g, it won’t be too much of a chore to carry the virtual keyboard around with you. There’s even a protective carry case supplied in the box, to make sure that you don’t scratch or bash the i-Tech while you’re transporting it. Also in the box you’ll find a power supply to charge the integrated battery, and a driver CD.
One of the better features on the product is the implementation of the power saving options, and these are important as the VKB only has a measly 2 hours of batter life. The first option allows you to set a timer for the keyboard projection to turn off. Thus if you are typing, but stop for a minute or so, the keyboard projection will turn off, but the unit itself will stay on. Then, if movement is detected again, the projection will reappear. The second option is another timer, which turns the unit completely off. We liked the flexibility of using both timers in conjunction, setting the projection timer to one minute, and the power timer to five. Still, two hours of battery life is nowhere near enough, especially if you are typing up long documents. Talking of battery life, the quoted usage time is two hours of continued typing. Strangely, that’s the same quote as the wired version of the virtual keyboard – considering the extra power drain from the Bluetooth transmitter I would expect a difference between the two battery times. In use I found that I got between an hour and a half and an hour and three quarters of continuous use.
 There’s no denying that the i-Tech Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard is an incredibly cool product, but as is often the case with cool products, you’re going to have to pay a high price. The review sample was supplied to us by Virtual-Laser-Keyboards.com and although it’s a US based company, it does ship world wide. Taking shipping into account the Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard will set you back Ј125.44, although it’s worth remembering that you might get stung for VAT by UK customs.
Would we buy one of these devices? Probably not. This is both because it would be yet another thing we would have to carry around, and this technology is still in it infancy and typing is rather mistake-ridden. We would love to see this integrated into a PDA if possible, thus making it much more practical. If you want to turn heads and impress your friends though, the VKB should be on the top of your list. If you can swallow the high price, the Virtual Keyboard is a great gadget to pair up with your smartphone or PDA, but it’s not going to keep you typing all day.
Verdict
I can’t help but love the i-Tech Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard, and I’m almost tempted to gloss over the high price or limited battery life. Ultimately though, battery life and price are real world issues, and can’t be ignored. But if you’ve got deep pockets, don’t need long battery life and want the coolest input device on the planet, this is the product for you.
Specifications:
• Operating system: Blackberry, Palm OS 5, WM 2003 for PPC, WM 2003 for Smartphone, S60 (version 3 or higher), UIQ 2.x, Window Mobile 5.0, Windows 2000/XP;
• Interface: Bluetooth 1.1 Class 2;
• Supported profiles: Bluetooth Serial Port Profile (SPP), Bluetooth Human Interface Device (HID);
• Battery: built-in Li-Ion 450 mAh, time of continuous typing – 120 minutes;
• Light conditions: up to 600 lux;
• Power consumption in typing mode: 12 mA;
• Projection size: 295x95 mm;
• Number of keys: 63;
• Temperature range: from +10 to +35 degrees C;
• Dimensions of the block: 34x90x24 mm;
• Weight: 80 g.
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