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ZAGG’s new Flex universal keyboard will work with phones, tablets and smart TVs

NEWS – Darnit, I was all excited when I first saw the pictures of ZAGG’s new Flex universal Bluetooth keyboard for iOS and Android devices. Can you guess from the picture above and the one below why I was excited about a Bluetooth keyboard that can be used with smartphones, tablets, and some smart TVs? No, it’s not the built-in stand, and no it’s not the backlit keys, which is actually a pretty nice feature.

The reason why I was excited is because the images of the Flex make the keyboard look like there’s a solid platform on the bottom of the keyboard and the stand. Why is that so exciting to me? Because a solid platform would mean that you could use the keyboard and your favorite device on your lap like a laptop which feeds into my long time unrealized dream of forcing an iOS or Android tablet to work as a pseudo-laptop – on my lap.

But then my dreams were shattered when I saw another image and realized that the ZAGG Flex keyboard is actually comprised of two separate parts. The keyboard and the stand. It even comes with an ultra-slim protective cover so you can store it in your bag or purse. Sniff… It still looks like a nice little keyboard. The ZAGG Flex universal keyboard is available now at ZAGG.com and select Verizon stores nationwide for a suggested retail price of $79.99. For more information, visit ZAGG.com.

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ZAGG’s new Flex universal keyboard will work with phones, tablets and smart TVs originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 1, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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The ZAGG Nomad Book adds function to your mobile devices


NEWS – If you use your tablet every day as a laptop replacement as I do, then you know that it is important to have all of the right accessories to make the experience as comparable as possible. One of the accessories that I use every day is a case with a keyboard that connects to my iPad via the connection pins at the bottom of the iPad. While I really like my current keyboard and how it seamlessly integrates with my iPad, I am always interested in new products that offer such convenience.

Recently, ZAGG introduced the ZAGG Nomad Book. This is a case with a keyboard that has detachable bumpers on each side to allow the Nomad Book to fit most tablets up to 10.5 inches. The models of tablets include “the Apple® 10.5-inch iPad Pro®, Apple 9.7-inch iPad Pro, Apple 9.7-inch iPad® (2017-18 models), Apple iPad Air® 2, Apple iPad Air, Samsung® Galaxy Tab® S3, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2”.

The Nomad Book features multi-device pairing for increased productivity, four convenient modes (book, keyboard, case, and video) and the ability to easily adjust the screen angle, a rechargeable battery that lasts up to approximately 2 years between charges, and a sturdy reverse kickstand. It even includes a holder for your pen or stylus.

If you would like to purchase the ZAGG Nomad Book, it is available today at ZAGG.com for $99.99.

The post The ZAGG Nomad Book adds function to your mobile devices appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

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The ZAGG Nomad Book adds function to your mobile devices originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 1, 2018 at 10:45 am.

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Brydge bridges the gap between the iPad and MacBook with the new 12.9 Series II Bluetooth keyboard

Have you found yourself wanting to ditch your Macbook for the convenience of an iPad Pro but dread typing on a screen? Brydge might help you decide with their new 12.9 Series II Bluetooth keyboard. This keyboard gives you a MacBook-like experience you can’t get from any other iPad keyboard. When combined with the 12.9” iPad Pro, it creates a perfect balance between tablet and laptop, allowing you to be productive anytime… anywhere.

The 12.9” iPad Pro is Apple’s most powerful iPad—it’s more powerful than many PC Laptops. With the new Brydge 12.9, you can use the iPad Pro 12.9 like a laptop. Anywhere. Any how. Any time. 

You can have a true typing experience with it’s aluminum body, full sized keyboard and beautiful 3-level LED backlit keys. The butterfly keyboard has only 1.5mm of travel for a smoother typing experience. Plus, no matter where you are or how dark it is, the Brydge 12.9 delivers the perfect typing experience in low light conditions.

The Series II now features longer battery life and faster connection, zero lag and greater security with Bluetooth 4.1. There’s an integrated iOS Battery Management for less power drain.

Why get an iPad and a Macbook when you can have the best of both worlds? The Brydge 12.9 gives you the functionality of the iPad in the body of a Macbook. It comes in either silver or space gray to perfectly match the iPad. It sells for $149.99 US and will ship in July 2018. Visit www.brydgekeyboards.com for more information.

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Brydge bridges the gap between the iPad and MacBook with the new 12.9 Series II Bluetooth keyboard originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 19, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Logitech KEYS-TO-GO Bluetooth Keyboard review

Logitech KEYS-TO-GO bluetooth keyboard leaning next to metal pole

If you’ve ever tried typing a memo or a lengthy reply to an email on your smartphone, then you’ve probably experienced that frustration of cramped fingers, getting the cursor in the right position, or wrestling with highlighting a bit of text to copy. Logitech’s KEYS-TO-GO portable keyboard is a serviceable remedy that comes with a few small hurdles of its own.

What is it?

The Logitech KEYS-TO-GO is an ultra-light, super-portable standalone Bluetooth keyboard specifically made for mobile phones and tablets.

Hardware specs

  • Works with all Bluetooth-enabled devices
  • Height: 5.39 in (137 mm)
  • Width: 9.53 in (242 mm)
  • Depth: 0.24 in (6 mm)
  • Weight: 6.35 oz (180 g)
  • Powered by rechargeable battery, a single charge lasts up to 3 months (2 hours of typing per day)
  • Full-Size Keyboard with sealed edges
  • 17 mm key pitch
  • Scissor Keys (1.2 mm key travel)
  • Keys wrapped in spill-proof, crumb-proof covering
  • Full row of iOS shortcut keys

What’s in the box?

  • KEYS-TO-GO Bluetooth keyboard
  • Attachable phone stand
  • USB micro adapter
  • Documentation
Keys-To-Go Contents
Comes with all you see here.

Design and Features

In my initial tests with the KEYS-TO-GO, my first thought was that it was going to take a lot of time to get used to typing on it. The overall size of the keyboard is maybe 85% of the Apple Magic Keyboard that I type on every day, which is admittedly already diminutive compared to many standard PC keyboards. But boy does that little bit make a big difference.

Setup

Pairing is as easy as any Bluetooth device. After the initial pairing, the KEYS-TO-GO connects automatically upon powering on. The indicator light emits a blue light while the Bluetooth is connecting (very brief) and changes over to bright green, indicating that it has a good charge. Then the light remains off until the batter button is pressed or the battery itself starts to get low. There is no key backlight or indicator that the caps lock is enabled.

The indicator light also glows while charging over the included USB micro adapter, and emits a slowly pulsing light.

Usage

First impressions of the key travel, which is arguably the most important aspect of any keyboard… it feels similar to the Apple iPad Smart Cover keyboard. There is a decent amount of separation between the individual keys, lessened by the tension of the rubber material stretched over all of the keys. You can feel the adjacent keys dip a little bit in response to the material being depressed next to those keys. For a touch typist like myself, it certainly doesn’t feel as “clean” as typing on a regular keyboard for that reason. It feels easy to accidentally press the key next to the one you were aiming for.

Keys-To-Go Keyboard with hand on it
KEYS-TO-GO vs. my hand.

I’m getting used to it, and it’s certainly better than many travel keyboards I’ve tried in the past. And it’s practically silent.

Being used to Apple’s Magic Keyboard that they bundle with their iMacs or the keyboard they embed in their laptops, I’m accustomed to a low profile and low travel keyboard. The Logitech’s keys are slightly lower than any of those.

Apple Keyboard situated above Logitech Keyboard
Apple Magic Keyboard vs. KEYS-TO-GO

The whole keyboard feels sort of “spongy.” The home row key bumps on the F and J keys are very prominent, so that serves to realign my hand after moving them off the keys or making a strange combination.

That said, it is very well suited for travel. You can throw it in any tote bag, backpack or purse. The keyboard itself is about as thick as a newer Kindle. Thinner than an iPad or iPhone. And it’s waterproof, save for the ports on the side, so spills are no problem.

I like the function keys at the top. It’s something I miss on my iPad Smart Cover’s keyboard.

Logitech keyboard on top of iPad Keyboard
KEYS-TO-GO vs. 12.9″ Apple iPad Pro and Smart Keyboard.

Those function keys are, from left to right: – home button – app switcher – search – keyboard language selector – software keyboard show/hide – screenshot button – media keys – volume keys – Bluetooth pairing – battery

There is also an odd function key that enables a handful of extra functions, such as hitting FN-C for copy and FN-V for paste, or FN-left or right arrow for highlighting the next word in either direction. And that’s it. I would have much rather that space be utilized to make the CMD key twice as wide as it is… like I’m used to on my other keyboards.

It’s worth noting there’s no escape key. But I suppose there are not a lot of mobile apps that utilize the escape key. Even Apple doesn’t have on on their iPad Smart Keyboard.

The battery life is advertised to last for months when averaging two hours a day of typing time. However, I found that two weeks at that same pace of roughly 2 hours a day seems to drain it enough to put it in the red. It’s possible that I could have left the keyboard in the on position overnight, or over a weekend… that certainly would have done it. I will have to do more testing to see if that was the case. Still, a few weeks of life without having to recharge is excellent.

The inclusion of an attachable phone stand with the KEYS-TO-GO really positions it as a mobile phone keyboard, and that makes a lot of sense. Even with an iPad or tablet, typing in landscape format is fairly serviceable for long-form emails and documents. However, it’s not so easy on an iPhone. Being able to pull this keyboard out of your backpack or purse at a coffee shop or bookstore sounds like a great proposition on paper.

iPhone sitting in mobile phone stand
As minimal a typing experience as you can get, an iPhone with a keyboard.

However, in practice, I’m having a hard time thinking of a time or place where I’d prefer typing on the tiny screen of my iPhone vs. a laptop or tablet. If you knew you needed to type out something lengthy, then you’d probably just take something more comfortable (i.e. a larger screen) to type on. The KEYS-TO-GO does pair well with a tablet, provided you have something to prop it up with.

You do need a flat surface in front of you. Trying to type with the KEYS-TO-GO on your lap, on an iPhone, is nearly impossible.

Close up shot of Keys-To-Go keyboard
This rubberized coating can take some abuse, too.

This keyboard seems best suited for people who want to travel super light, as in just this small keyboard and their phone, which is certainly an idea I can get behind. If only this keyboard was a tiny bit larger, or my hands were a bit smaller. Personally, most of my bags are large enough to where I could carry around an additional Apple keyboard (which only costs $20 more, new) and use that exclusively with my phone rather than deal with to the differences in key travel and key size.

What I liked:

  • Ultra-lightweight and portable
  • Spill-resistant
  • Phone stand is nice

What needs to be improved:

  • The keyboard layout is just a little too cramped for my taste
  • For the price, there are many fuller-sized options

Final thoughts

The KEYS-TO-GO works well in a pinch, provided you have a nice surface in front of you to type on. I’m sure I could get used to typing on it, given time, but personally, there are better solutions for me that are within the price range. I can appreciate their vision of toting this keyboard to use with your always-on-you mobile phone, so it would be easy to recommend to someone who wants to travel light and still accomplish the goal of long-form typing on their phone.

Price: $69.99
Where to buy: You can pick up a KEYS-TO-GO Bluetooth Keyboard from Logitech’s website and Amazon in black, stone gray, blush pink or smoky blue.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Logitech.

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Logitech KEYS-TO-GO Bluetooth Keyboard review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 16, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Logitech Craft keyboard review

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I’ve been writing about and reviewing products for over 20 years now and in that time, I’ve come to learn that the most important tools for my job are a camera, a mouse, and a keyboard. Today I want to tell you about a new keyboard that I’m testing (and typing on right now). It’s the Logitech Craft keyboard and it’s a stunner.

What is it?

The Craft keyboard from Logitech is a full-sized premium wireless keyboard that’s been designed to be used on your desk when paired with a laptop, desktop computer, phone or tablet.

Hardware specs

Connection support: Logitech Unifying 2.4GHz wireless technology Bluetooth Low Energy technology
Power: Rechargeable with USB type C cable (included)
Size: 5.87 x 16.93 x 1.26 in

Design and features

The keyboard has low profile non-mechanical keys that are more like a laptop keyboard than a traditional desktop keyboard. You can click the image above to get a closer look at the QWERTY layout which includes a dedicated number pad on the right side and a row of function keys along the top.

The keys have a comfortably rounded depression on top of each key and the matte finish of the plastic feels great under your fingertips.

Even though the Logitech Craft keyboard does not have mechanical keys, I really really like the feel of the keys. I’m a touch typist, so I’m picky when it comes to keyboards, and I enjoy typing on this one.

The Logitech Craft keyboard has a power switch on the back and a USB Type-C port beside it which is used to charge the keyboard’s internal batteries. According to the Craft product page on Logitech’s site, the keyboard’s batteries should last for a full week on a charge. That has to be a mistake because I’ve been using this keyboard for several weeks and it’s still going strong.

There’s a small LED in the upper right corner of the keyboard will glow red to indicate that the keyboard needs to be recharged.

One of the notable features of the Craft keyboard is the Crown input dial in the upper left corner. This smoothly turning knob provides a different function in a variety of applications and can be customized in the Logitech application that you can install on your Windows or macOS computer.

If you don’t install the application, turning the Crown will adjust volume levels up and down on your computer, while pressing the dial will play or pause music, and pressing and turning the dial at the same time will adjust screen brightness.


When you install the Logitech Options application, it will detect the applications that you have installed on your computer and will allow you to customize what the Crown can do in each of these apps when each detected app is in focus.

For example, if you are working in a web browser like Chrome or Firefox, turning the Crown will let you switch between tabs.

In Photoshop, the Crown can do different things based on the tool that you have selected. If you have the cropping tool selected, rotating the Crown will zoom in and out on your image, if you have a paintbrush selected, turning the Crown will change the size of the brush, etc.

Once you can train yourself to use the Crown, it becomes very useful.

You can also add other applications not detected by the Logitech Options app to add Craft Crown capabilities to other apps on your computer.

In addition to customizing the function of the Crown knob, you can also customize the function of the F-keys.

Unfortunately, you can’t setup macros for the F-keys. You can only choose from a list of features.

By default, the function keys already offer features that will let you set screen brightness, media controls including next, previous track, play/pause and volume. But you can also use it to show open windows or show all apps.

The Logitech Craft keyboard also has backlit keys. You can adjust the brightness of the keys using the function keys and built-in proximity sensors will cause the keys to light up to “welcome” you when your hands get near the keyboard after it’s been idle and then the backlight will fade in intensity depending on ambient lighting. I have the backlight turned off to save battery life, but the “welcome” feature still works even with that setting.

This keyboard can be paired with up to 3 devices using Bluetooth and/or the unified USB dongle that is included with the keyboard. Switching between paired devices is easily accomplished using the dedicated 1, 2, and 3 device switch keys next to the number pad.

I did all my testing of the Logitech Craft keyboard with my 12″ MacBook and a Pixel 2 XL smartphone. Switching between devices was fast and effortless.

What I like

This keyboard has a premium look and feel. It’s heavy which is a good thing. It stays put and won’t slide around on your desk.

The feel of the keys and the sound of the keystrokes has a perfect level that’s not too loud or too soft.

I like using the Crown knob mainly for adjusting volume and sometimes find that I forget to use it in other apps because I’ve used my mouse or keyboard shortcuts for various functions for so long that it’s tough to break that habit and use a different way of doing things.

One feature that I was really surprised to have with the Craft keyboard is a Windows-style delete key that even works when paired with my MacBook. If you’re familiar with macOS computers, you’ll know that the delete key is really a backspace key which removes the character to the left of the cursor but we don’t have a dedicated key to delete the character to the right of the cursor like Windows computers. I am excited that the delete key on the Craft keyboard lets me have the best of both worlds.

What needs to be improved

If battery life is really only supposed to last 1 week per charge, then that would be at the top of my improvement list.

As I mentioned above, I’ve been using this keyboard for 3 or more weeks every day for at least an hour and it’s still running on the initial charge, so I can’t complain about battery life until I’ve had a lot more time with this keyboard.

Look for an update after the first of the year when I am able to get a better handle on battery life expectations.

Another improvement I’d like to see is the ability to program macros for the F-keys instead of only being able to choose from a pre-set list of functions using the Logitech Options app.

Final thoughts

I enjoy using the Logitech Craft wireless keyboard. The keyboard is very well made and I find it comfortable to type on. The Crown knob adds a new way to interact with my apps that is fun and intuitive.

If the $200 price tag doesn’t frighten you away, the Logitech Craft keyboard is worth checking out.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Logitech. Please visit their site for more info and check Amazon for lower prices.

 

Product Information

Price: $199.99
Manufacturer: Logitech
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Can be used with up to 3 devices
  • Comfortable keys and layout
  • Programmable knob and function keys
  • Delete button for macOS devices
Cons:
  • Expensive
  • Possible battery life limitations (I will need to revisit this)

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Logitech Craft keyboard review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 3, 2017 at 3:00 pm.

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