Google Japan’s outlandish keyboards might be the best running joke in tech • TechCrunch

The TechCrunch newsroom fears just one factor: the approaching of April 1. As a result of, I’m simply going to say it, the tech trade isn’t very humorous. However Google Japan’s ongoing collection of ridiculous keyboards, the place they utterly decide to the joke, suggests we could have discovered the primary identified exception.

The newest is the “Gboard Bar Model,” (or stick model relying on the interpretation), a keyboard about 1.6 meters toes lengthy (down from 2.4 meters within the prototype) with all of the letters and numbers organized from left to proper in a “one-dimensional QWERTY format.” There are alternatives for ABC, ASCII codes and katakana.

Not will it’s a must to hunt and peck for particular person keys, the creators clarify. “With this keyboard, it is extremely handy to know instantly that the sixteenth letter from the left is G.” So easy!

It additionally has ergonomic benefits:

“If you use this keyboard, your arms will naturally unfold out, so you may stretch your arms secretly even at work. If you press the rightmost and leftmost keys on the identical time, you could stretch your legs unintentionally,” the group writes.

After all it additionally doubles as a reaching implement for hitting far-off mild switches, and triples as a strolling stick for when you’ll want to contact grass. Watch the video under for a lot of extra little light-hearted and genuinely chuckle-worthy makes use of and advantages:

It was posted on September 1, I believe as a result of it has 101 keys. The joke not showing on the standard day for such issues makes it all of the funnier.

However this isn’t the primary “new enter proposal from the Gboard group.” The posts have been happening for 10 years now, beginning with a Morse Code enter methodology and getting fairly extra concerned from there. Some are extra profitable than others, however even when the spoon-bending one is a bit a lot, the origin video remains to be wonderful. I really like send-ups of self-serious product journeys, and that is no exception:

The Tegaki “bodily handwriting” keyboard, basically a real-world model of the swiping used on the precise Gboard and others, is shut sufficient to actuality that you simply may simply assume it’s an precise product. The truth is I really feel positive I’ve seen one thing like this earlier than, as a method of controlling the cursor.

A number of the designs are genuinely fascinating and noteworthy little items of engineering, like this tilting-key keyboard:

And this built-in teacup merchandise is delightfully absurd:

In case you’re questioning how you employ it (translated by Google from the Japanese): “The kanji for fish are organized within the syllabary on the 50 keys. As an alternative of [an] alphabet, it makes use of a sushi association of horse mackerel, sardine, eel, ei, and okoze, and characters are enter by fish-kanji conversion.” Very finny.

However the group clearly had enjoyable with it, and amazingly they’ve really constructed these designs — you could find the code and blueprints right here.

That is certifiably historical information for our Japanese readers, however I hadn’t seen it get any play over right here within the States. And I determine the alternative finish of the yr from April Idiot’s is the most effective time to spotlight this pleasant bit of labor by a group that appears to be humorous and devoted in equal measure.