Maplin intros virtual laser keyboard, type on any flat surface

Maplin has announced the availability of its Bluetooth Laser Key Projection Keyboard, a gadget that will project a keyboard onto any flat, non-reflective surface and allow you to type. It works by optically tracking finger movements, and incorporates both keyboard and mouse functions.

Maplin claims that it’s comfortable to use, and reduces the wrist strain associated with using a standard keyboard. The keys are also projected larger, which is supposed to assist faster, more accurate typing.

Whether the virtual keyboard is to the traditional keyboard what the iPhone’s touch screen is to a standard mobile keypad is another matter. I haven’t used such a keyboard, but I can imagine that the lack of tactile feedback might be an issue, and you’d probably want to choose what to project the keyboard on to.

Still, for a space-saving gadget that could be a boon for travellers, this £119.99 piece of kit doesn’t seem at all bad. It works with Windows PCs and most flavours of PDA, though Mac and Linux users seem to be left out in the cold.

Maplin

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