Jaasta is seeking to redefine what the computer keyboard is capable of, with an assist from e Ink. The company will be releasing their product in the next few weeks and features a very innovative design that allows anyone to switch to foreign language on the fly or customize the key layout to suit the needs of using Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Office.
Have you always wanted to try the Dvorak layout without full abandoning Qwerty? You could even get rid of keys you never use, or add duplicates of ones you rely on often. Twitter power-users could finally get a dedicated hashtag key, instead of having to press multiple keys to access it.
The core technology behind this keyboard is e Ink, the same company responsible for the e-Paper used in the Kindles, Kobos and Nooks of the world. The premise behind it is quite simply. One keyboard to rule them all. Instead of hunting around for a specialized keyboard on Amazon for Japanese or Chinese characters, you just install a software package and the entire keyboard conforms to it.
The keyboard sports a 3.5-inch multi-touch touchpad and a display where users can see the time, the language, and battery life. The wireless keyboard will be available to pre-order in the next few weeks and if the $300 price does not scare you off, you can sign up for their newsletter to be the first on your block to own one.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.