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Optimus Maximus keyboard can be pre-ordered and apparently coming out Febuary 20th: http://store.artlebedev.com/computer_add-ons/optimus/

Why a cellphone? so that everyone can see who's calling me? I see a lot of other cool possibilities, perhaps a new market for personal portable media.

What about adding this projector to portable videoplayers/camera's or a (video) iPod (iPhone as well)
Or build it into a car / (portable) gps navigation system so you can use your cars windscreen as a transparent heads up display!
Another cool application could be a replacement of the virtual laser keyboard creating a virtual optimus with dynamic keys :)

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/

Check it out. They even show right on the web site the profiles for Adobe CS programs.

Also, check out the demo page:

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/demo/

The images can and do change on the fly as needed.

Apple is attempting to patent prior art.

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/

Check it out. They even show right on the web site the profiles for Adobe CS programs.

Also, check out the demo page:

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/demo/

The images can and do change on the fly as needed.

Apple is attempting to patent prior art.

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus-tactus/

Like one of these? http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus-tactus/

Art Lebedev's Optimus Maximus is also dynamic (application programmable). It's not just for static English vs Russian or QWERTY vs DVORAK layout.

e.g. The demo page shows specific layouts for Photoshop or even for Half-Life :

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/demo/

The Art Lebedev Mini Three suggests an even greater variety of uses, including things like e-mail notification:

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus-mini/overview/

The "dynamic" part of Apple's patent is certainly nothing new, and even if it had been it's trivially obvious. You're not going to put programmable key tops on a keyboard unless you plan to reprogram them!

Art Lebedev's Optimus Maximus is also dynamic (application programmable). It's not just for static English vs Russian or QWERTY vs DVORAK layout.

e.g. The demo page shows specific layouts for Photoshop or even for Half-Life :

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/demo/

The Art Lebedev Mini Three suggests an even greater variety of uses, including things like e-mail notification:

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus-mini/overview/

The "dynamic" part of Apple's patent is certainly nothing new, and even if it had been it's trivially obvious. You're not going to put programmable key tops on a keyboard unless you plan to reprogram them!

Apparently the Optimus Maximus keyboard is now shipping and according to the Art Lebedev Studio site it costs $462.27. They also have another product concept for a single-surface display keyboard where any part of the display can be used to take input or display images. The site says, "Any part of the [Optimus Tactus] surface can be programmed to perform any function or to display any images."

Im not ready for LCARS yet. I like the feel of a Keyboard. like this http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/

What they dont tell you in that article is that the coolest bit of tech you can get in the US. http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/ Come on! A programmable 32x32 pixel display on each key. How cool is that? I so want one.

Never say never... http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/

Sounds like you need one of these.

Personally, I like my keyboard to never ever change. When I press a key I want to know exactly what's going to happen. I even bothers me when numlock gets unset.

Just as demonstrated with morse code, you can have inifinite combinations.. with just one key. It doesn't make it practical, since it's hard to develop an industry around *one* morse code typer with 80 years of experience.

It's easier to develop an industry around millions of teens who don't want to learn a lot to use their gadget properly.

since all the rage now is dynamically changing input device, ala iPhone, but we can't exactly forget tactile feedback, a mobile version of this comes to mind.

Try this.

...but what i would like to see is a self reconfiguraing keyboard (maybe just a big oled/lcd touch display) that rearrages its layout for the application at hand...

You mean like this, Optimus Maximus keyboard?:
http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/

Of course, for maximum benefit it needs the software to aware of it...

They're taking pre-orders, but it's over $1,500 USD. At that price I don't think you'd want to be doing any such experiments with it.

Ah, sounds like you didn't inherit a Model M.

As for the tactile feedback, I think you're underestimating the UI mechanisms used to use the device. The most pressing activity on a phone is dialing.

From TFA:

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/optim us_maximus_01.jpg

And for the first time it is revealed that "ANY" keys are actually: F2, E and Y.

And all this time I thought it was A, N and Y.
Well... got one right. Lucky I was using THAT ONE all this time.

Well, that ones just a joke design but the linked product rozetkus is definitely cool.

Nope. As they state in their just-released faq:

Why isn't there any Linux software?

Because first we want to let 95% of people to work with the keyboard.

Oh yeah? Well I wasn't gonna buy one anyway! I'm perfectly happy with my Model-M.

Check out the screenshot of the configurator utility. There appears to be some sort of screensaver functionality.
http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/confi gurator_screenshot.jpg

not all of them, http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/demo/

Too bad it's missing a key for us swedes... (the leftmost part of my keyboard shows totally wrong on the demo keyboard too =P)

Nope. As they state in their just-released faq:

Why isn't there any Linux software?

Because first we want to let 95% of people to work with the keyboard.

Oh yeah? Well I wasn't gonna buy one anyway! I'm perfectly happy with my Model-M.

You can always get the budget version.. http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus-mini/ Can anyone tell me what the purpose of it is? It's not wireless and only has three buttons so would barely function as a remote (volume up, down, pause toggle?) Or would you need to remember various key combinations ala morse code to start typing away with it? Also, has anyone noticed the displays/keys are 48/48 pixels (of the full version). Would the firefox logo look anywhere near as good as potrayed on the product page? At least it is able to animate at 10fps..imagine having a roommate with a arcade hall k/b when trying to get to sleep...

Given that the Optimus Three has an alpha driver available, I'd say it's reasonable to guess that the full keyboard will have support very, very quickly; and based on some of the things they say about all of their input devices (open standards and all that), and given that they seem to fully approve of the Linux driver (with a link to it from their own website), the new keyboard's driver will probably be based on the existing Optimus driver.

If you wanted fewer fancy keys you could always get the mini version...

Art's got you covered. Here.

What a site. Check out the second image down.I think its pretty clear from that what women are really looking for and its obviously not polite dance invites.

Well, you can afford to buy http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/vilcus/ :)

On top of that, I've -never- seen a Dvorak keyboard. I'm sure I could find some online if I looked

Well, there is this one. And here's the page for the original design concept. All I can say is that when I first saw this, all I could think was "Oh HELL yes!". Now that this thread has reminded me of it, I'm half thinking of switching to the Dvorak layout just to manufacture a way to justify buying one of these things. But it's a stretch -- they will not be cheap.

Apart from the fact that this thing is just waaay cool, can you imagine the improvement in user interface that would result from having keyboard shortcuts shown directly on the keyboard rather than having them buried in 2 or 3 levels of menu at the top of the screen? I can only assume that would be one of those "wow, this is exactly how it should have worked all along" moments.

Of course, it's not perfect. Some keyboard commands are sequences of keys, and there is no way to show the sequences directly on the keyboard all at once (hmm, although you could show them as animations!), but still it could be made so that as you type a sequence, the state of the keyboard changes in response, showing what following keys are legal and what they do.

On a side note, this keyboard was developed by some Russian guys, who would be accustomed to having to deal with various keyboard layouts, and the designer has written a great article on keyboard layouts.

And finally, check out the download page for one of their other products. I found it amusing.

On top of that, I've -never- seen a Dvorak keyboard. I'm sure I could find some online if I looked

Well, there is this one. And here's the page for the original design concept. All I can say is that when I first saw this, all I could think was "Oh HELL yes!". Now that this thread has reminded me of it, I'm half thinking of switching to the Dvorak layout just to manufacture a way to justify buying one of these things. But it's a stretch -- they will not be cheap.

Apart from the fact that this thing is just waaay cool, can you imagine the improvement in user interface that would result from having keyboard shortcuts shown directly on the keyboard rather than having them buried in 2 or 3 levels of menu at the top of the screen? I can only assume that would be one of those "wow, this is exactly how it should have worked all along" moments.

Of course, it's not perfect. Some keyboard commands are sequences of keys, and there is no way to show the sequences directly on the keyboard all at once (hmm, although you could show them as animations!), but still it could be made so that as you type a sequence, the state of the keyboard changes in response, showing what following keys are legal and what they do.

On a side note, this keyboard was developed by some Russian guys, who would be accustomed to having to deal with various keyboard layouts, and the designer has written a great article on keyboard layouts.

And finally, check out the download page for one of their other products. I found it amusing.

On top of that, I've -never- seen a Dvorak keyboard. I'm sure I could find some online if I looked

Well, there is this one. And here's the page for the original design concept. All I can say is that when I first saw this, all I could think was "Oh HELL yes!". Now that this thread has reminded me of it, I'm half thinking of switching to the Dvorak layout just to manufacture a way to justify buying one of these things. But it's a stretch -- they will not be cheap.

Apart from the fact that this thing is just waaay cool, can you imagine the improvement in user interface that would result from having keyboard shortcuts shown directly on the keyboard rather than having them buried in 2 or 3 levels of menu at the top of the screen? I can only assume that would be one of those "wow, this is exactly how it should have worked all along" moments.

Of course, it's not perfect. Some keyboard commands are sequences of keys, and there is no way to show the sequences directly on the keyboard all at once (hmm, although you could show them as animations!), but still it could be made so that as you type a sequence, the state of the keyboard changes in response, showing what following keys are legal and what they do.

On a side note, this keyboard was developed by some Russian guys, who would be accustomed to having to deal with various keyboard layouts, and the designer has written a great article on keyboard layouts.

And finally, check out the download page for one of their other products. I found it amusing.

On top of that, I've -never- seen a Dvorak keyboard. I'm sure I could find some online if I looked

Well, there is this one. And here's the page for the original design concept. All I can say is that when I first saw this, all I could think was "Oh HELL yes!". Now that this thread has reminded me of it, I'm half thinking of switching to the Dvorak layout just to manufacture a way to justify buying one of these things. But it's a stretch -- they will not be cheap.

Apart from the fact that this thing is just waaay cool, can you imagine the improvement in user interface that would result from having keyboard shortcuts shown directly on the keyboard rather than having them buried in 2 or 3 levels of menu at the top of the screen? I can only assume that would be one of those "wow, this is exactly how it should have worked all along" moments.

Of course, it's not perfect. Some keyboard commands are sequences of keys, and there is no way to show the sequences directly on the keyboard all at once (hmm, although you could show them as animations!), but still it could be made so that as you type a sequence, the state of the keyboard changes in response, showing what following keys are legal and what they do.

On a side note, this keyboard was developed by some Russian guys, who would be accustomed to having to deal with various keyboard layouts, and the designer has written a great article on keyboard layouts.

And finally, check out the download page for one of their other products. I found it amusing.

I would at least expect it to come with a $1500 keyboard.

The UI is obviously just a ploy to sell those cool cardboard keyboard overlays like they used to have for WP and Word for DOS. Making UIs really complicated and keyboard based is actually a value-addon for open source software :)

Care to reconsider who's really going to profit from this?

In Windows, you can setup Alt-Shift-Number to change to a different keyboard. I've used three different ones (Dvorak, US English, and Norwegian) for three years, no problem.

In Linux, you can even use the otherwise useless Caps Lock to rotate layouts.

The Optimus keyboard should be another stepping-stone in making non-English layouts a whole lot more mainstream.

Unfortunately the 3-key mini-Optimus only supports a refresh rate of 3fps, which I suspect will be too slow for anything other than strategy type games. Of course the full size one might be quicker, but somehow I doubt it...

P.S. Anyone who wants to see what developer tools/information they already have, click here. Good news is it looks like they have a protocol description, for the mini at least.

Where the heck is this $400 number coming from? I looked all over, and the only price I found was half that. They have a press clippings page, and the most recent link there (October 23, 2006) clearly states an expected price around $200.

That is exactly what I was thinking when I just saw their upravlator. That thing, although looking unconventional at first, might be a bigger succes than their oled keyboard, especially as it can have direct applications in industries.

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/
Might be perfect for such a situation, with a firefox extension to change the keys.

You're describing the Optimus Keyboard:

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/

That'd be the Optimus. I like it for the simple fact of not having to poke around trying to learn where the keys are when typing in foreign languages. It makes doing much easier. That being an example. was the only of the 3 letters that I found without 5+ attempts.

The gamers I know like it because they said not all games follow the standard commands (e=enter...I think?), so having them change on the keys depending on the game would make it easier. I don't know many gamers who look down at their hands while playing though.