SlashGear

My thumbs aren’t very big, but I still have a hard time mastering the art of thumb-typing on my teeny QWERTY-equipped gizmos. If you’re a road warrior with the same problem, you ought to try out the G-Tech Fabric Keyboard. It is the ultimate in portability as its made of a durable and washable “smart” fabric and unrolls from the size of a plump twinkie into a full-size keyboard. It can connect to any Bluetooth enabled mobile device such as a PDA, smartphone, or UMPC. It runs on just two AAA batteries housed in a hard plastic compartment attached on one end that also houses the Bluetooth transceiver.

However, compared to the more common rigid foldable plastic keyboards, this one’s flexibility in material makes it difficult to type if placed on your lap while riding the metro. But should you find flat surfaces to set the keyboard on and you prefer the soft feel of a roll of fabric in your back pocket, the G-Tech does the trick. Plus, it’ll make you look cool in a geeky way when you whip it out infront of an unsuspecting crowd—that’s if your Samsung Q1B wasn’t impressive enough already.

But for those who can only be satisfied with the physical depression of a traditional keyboard button, this flat fabric interface will be frustrating. The buttons aren’t entirely flat nor sensitive enough for light-touch typing and they’re not bumpy enough to feel much of a depression either. It took some time getting used to, but I definitely typed faster than I could ever with just my thumbs.

Priced at around $130, the G-Tech Fabric Keyboard is a worthy option if you have the need for a portable keyboard that’s more durable than a folding plastic one. But most likely you’ll want one just because its cool.

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