iTech Bluetooth Keyboard
http://www.virtual-laser-keyboard.com/
Price: $224.99 + $24.99 for USA Adapter

The iTech Bluetooth Keyboard is a very unique item and one of the neatest items I have been able to review so far. It is almost sci-fi in its workings, and yet it does a good job of doing what it is made for?entering text onto your PC or PPC. The big reason for this products sci-fi like workings is that the keys are projected onto any flat surface! The keyboard unit itself is only around the size of a lighter. It is compact, professional looking, and works well. But enough talk, now onto the review!

The iTech Bluetooth Keyboard came from Israel via Fedex in a standard Fedex box well packed.  The retail packaging for the Keyboard looks very good. It is black with the picture of the keyboard itself on the front. For review we received the Bluetooth Keyboard and USA Adapter. This retails for about $250 + $11.99 shipping. Inside you find:

• Bluetooth Keyboard
• Power Adapter
• Leather Case
• Driver CD
• Quick Start Guide

The Keyboard is really a rectangular post that, as VKB says, is ?Roughly the size of a disposable lighter, (90 x 34 x 24 mm)?. The unit has a button on the top to turn it on and off, a small port on one side for recharging via the power adapter, and on the front is a dark red plastic (where the IR and keyboard components are). There also is a button on the bottom that is used to detect when the keyboard is picked up off the surface it is being used on.

To start using your keyboard, you will want to charge it up. The keyboard lasts about 2-3 hours on one charge so you do not need to always bring a power adapter with you. Once charged, the light on the power adapter will turn green (red while charging). Now you are ready to start using the keyboard. First I took it out and set it on my desk. Then I pressed the power button and the laser turns on and shows the keyboard on your desk. One thing to note is that you should turn it on after you set it on the desk as it seems to calibrate to the surface on startup. You will then need to pair the keyboard with your device (if you are using a PPC, install the software from the CD first). After pairing, in windows you can start using your keyboard right away, or on the PPC, go to the software and you can click enable to start the keyboard. You can also adjust the sensitivity and other things like repeat rate in the program on your PPC.

After you have it paired, the keyboard works very easily and has no problems at all with delay. You use the keyboard by pressing each button with the tip of your finger, but beware that you cannot set your fingers on the keyboard as it detects this as a key being pressed. This can be troublesome for some home row typers (like myself) as you cannot set your hands on the keys. But you can hover your fingers about 2cm off the keyboard to type the home row way. It takes some getting used to, but in practice you can get very fast at using the keyboard.

(Version I had used arrow keys like on your keyboard, not the DPad like setup as shown in the picture. I used this picture as it turned out better then I could get with my camera)

After you are done using the keyboard, to shut it off you can use the power button on the unit, just pick up the unit, or turn off your PPC. All these ways work to turn off the Keyboard.

In use I felt that the keyboard worked very well. It is small and very portable, plus works on almost all surfaces. At times it could be hard to see if you are on a dark surface, but most of the time there is no problem at all. The brightness of the keys tends to get dimmer at the sides of the keyboard, but usually it is still fairly visible. The sensitivity of the touch of the keys is something you will want to play with as it can make a big difference in the usability of the keyboard. Really it depends on your own personal preference.

One last thing I should mention is the case. The case is a small leather case that just fits the keyboard. It has a nice magnetic closure and fits perfectly plus provides good protection for the keyboard.

Overall I feel this is a very good, unique product that works well to be a portable input device. It may not be a conventional keyboard, but the ?coolness? factor and portability are awesome!

Pros:

• Great coolness factor (its sure to turn heads)
• Portable
• Rechargeable
• Included Case

Cons:

• Price ($250)
• Cannot rest fingers on the keys

Thanks to Virtual Laser Keyboard for the Review Sample!