Now, a portable keyboard for wireless phones
14 Aug 2001
This may be one welcome product mobile phone users would want at least most Motorola mobile phone users. The worlds leading provider of integrated communications and embedded electronic solutions, Motorola Inc., today launched the first full portable keyboard for wireless phones the Motorola iBoard.
Designed by Think Outside, in co-operation with Motorola, for use with the Motorola i85s and i50sx Internet-ready wireless handsets and future models, the keyboard leverages and extends the mobile computing power of these handsets, giving users the option of a full-size keyboard for such tasks as composing e-mail messages and entering date book appointments.
The Motorola iBoard offers unique function keys that optimise the phone operations. For example, it allows users to launch programs such as expense pad, note pad, and date book; surf the wireless web, turn the phone off, adjust the volume, and activate the speakerphone directly from the keyboard.
The Motorola iBoard is a 100 percent full-size, collapsible keyboard for wireless phones, similar to Think Outside's award-winning Stowaway Portable Keyboard for handheld computers. It allows users to enter text into their handsets quickly and comfortably, with an experience comparable to the best laptop keyboards. Folding from a full size 13 1/2" x 5" x 3/4" (343 x 127 x 13 mm) to a compact 3 1/2" x 5" x 3/4" (89 x 127 x 19 mm), the Motorola iBoard keyboard's ingenious design and lightweight construction enable true mobility.
The Motorola i85s and i50sx wireless handsets are the first Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition technology-enabled handsets in North America. Java technology allows users to customize their devices with applications to meet their individual needs, such as productivity tools and games.
According to Bob Olodort, chief executive of Think Outside and inventor of the iBoard, "This keyboard is a logical complement to Motorola's multiple communication handsets because they are geared for the mobile professional."
Priced at $99.99 the keyboard is currently available only in the US.
