HARDWARE
The Gist: The Keyless Qwerty Killer
$399
Unlike ergo-friendly keyboards, which simply rejigger key placement, Keybowl redesigns the entire typing process: It eliminates individual finger motion altogether. To type, users move orbiTouch's two rubber domes in various directions - for an e, slide both up; for an m, slide both down.
I must admit, my first try was hardly what you'd call word perfect: The quck brwn fox jmped ver thh laz dogss. I also had trouble with the mouse mode, which engages the pointer when you press down on the right orb - a great concept, but it proved to be stubbornly unwieldy in the prototype. And it took about five hours on my regular keyboard to regain half of my typing prowess.
But for people with arthritis, disabilities, or carpal tunnel syndrome, this dual-dial system is worth a try. Keybowl has also cornered the market on adventure writing; the unit can be used by an explorer's gloved hand on an icy mountaintop with no problem.
Keybowl: +1 (877) 363 7774, www.keybowl.com.
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