Computer Column-5

In last week's column, I wrote about two upcoming keyboards that have a very high "Gee Whiz" factor.

I was a bit surprised to get a number of e-mails asking why I made such a big deal about products with abilities that have no practical application. At first, I didn't understand the response because one of the features I described, that of each key being able to display any character on the key itself can be extremely useful. Being able to display the current font on the keys or displaying the function of every key within a currently running application is sure to make one more productive.

Mostly the objections were about the keyboard that would begin to glow as you approached it and dim when you walked away. OK, so it's not practical, but it's really, really neat. My point is that sometimes a product can just be plain amazing and it really doesn't matter whether it may actually be practical or even useful. And that's exactly the category the Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard falls into. This is so far out there that it really doesn't matter how well it works or if you'll ever actually use it when you need to get your work done. This is something that you're going to use because it will grab everyone's attention when they see you using it.

Actually, I wrote about this years ago but it was only a product concept that never made it to the market place. Evidently the technology needed to make it work just wasn't in place at the time. But cool ideas evidently never die, and I'm glad to say that I recently discovered the Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard and it's available right now. Basically, you could say that this is the world's lightest keyboard because that's exactly what it is. It's a keyboard made of light.

The unit consists of a tiny black rectangular, 3.6-inch-tall keyboard projection device. Standing vertical on its short end, the projector sports a thin red window through which a red diode laser projects the image of a 63 key, full sized QWERTY keyboard onto the table surface on which it stands but directly in front of it. The window kind of reminds me of the monocular red eye of a Cylon from the TV series "Battlestar Galactica."

So there you are with your Windows PC, one of the many compatible PDAs or even some model cell phones and you set this down on the table and switch it on. As the glowing red keyboard appears on the table's surface, you begin to type. And as you type, the corresponding characters appear on your computer's screen. I'm sorry but if you don't get an immediate reaction from anyone nearby watching you do this or wind up with a crowd of spectators around you, there must be some other major distraction going on at the moment.

The keyboard can be seen even in a well-lit room but of course, the darker it is, the better the effect will be. No wired connection is needed to your computer, PDA or cell phone as the device communicates via the wireless Bluetooth standard. Of course your computer or PDA must be Bluetooth enabled to be compatible. According to ThinkGeek, which has this available on its Web site, it will also work with Macintosh computers running OS X, but not all of its feature configurations -- such as adjusting the brightness -- may be operational, since no Mac driver comes with it.

The Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard comes with the keyboard projection unit, recharging plugs and cable, and a small soft carrying case. The rechargeable battery lasts for around two hours of continuous typing.

OK, so I could go on and on about how you won't need to carry around a heavy keyboard and the messy connecting cables if you use this or some other lame practical reason trying to justify the $189.95 you're going to spend to get one. But that would be totally transparent -- like the keyboard itself -- and a really big lie.

No, you want the Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard because it's just about the wildest keyboard out there and it's going to make you the center of attention when you use it. And if you're like me and like being the center of attention, you're going to own one of these really soon. Have fun.