How Touchscreens Are Forcing the Reinvention of Keyboards

New technologies are making touchscreen typing easier — but is a tactile keyboard still the best solution?
keyboard_magic_cube

New WebOS Phones Coming Next Year

Hewlett-Packard’s first webOS 2.0 phones are in the pipeline and will likely debut in the first quarter of 2011.

AT&T Gets Its Android On

AT&T has finally added an Android smartphone to its lineup–the Motorola Backflip. The first of five Android smartphones AT&T has promised to deliver in 2010, the Backflip will arrive at market in March at a price of $99–after a $100 mail-in rebate and a commitment to two-years of AT&T data and voice service.

The Android Invasion Continues: Motorola Debuts the Backflip

Motorola has added another superphone to its Android portfolio, the Backflip. Unveiled at a press event at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the device is similar to Verizon’s Droid in that it features both a touchscreen and keypad, but with one interesting twist: A reverse “qwerty” flip keypad that folds out from behind the display.
backflip_230

Smart Phone Keyboards Seem Dumb to People of Their Type

When the iPhone first came out, Richard Kasperowski wanted one. But there was a problem. The keypad on the phone’s touch screen uses the traditional keyboard configuration, called “qwerty.”

Motorola ROKR E8:Hip and User-Friendly

Motorola’s ROKR E8 is a head-turning phone with many built-in advances that give it a smarter interface than basic cellphones. Its standout feature is its keyboard, which dynamically changes to accommodate whatever you’re doing.

Tapping Your TiVo’s Hidden Talents

TiVo has a few tricks up its sleeve that might surprise longtime users and new owners alike. This column includes just a handful of those tricks and highlights some features that may make TiVo more useful.

Simple Cells: Basic Phones Put to the Test

Two no-frills cellphones called the Jitterbug and the Coupe do a good job of handling calls, but some of the Jitterbug’s nonconformist features can be confusing for people familiar with cellphones.

Palm’s Centro Tries to Steal Pearl’s Glimmer

Palm’s Centro is geared toward younger people who traditionally only carry a cellphone. Palm hopes the $100 device, a miniature version of the more expensive Palm Treo, will give it a much needed shot in the arm.

Beyond the Standard-Issue Keyboard

A look at alternative keyboard options: two sets that operate wirelessly using Bluetooth, and a stand-alone wired ergonomic keyboard made for touch typists.