This wearable keyboard will let you type from anywhere

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If you're one of the many who resents incessant screen tapping, a new wearable could be set render traditional typing a thing of the past.

Thanks to the folks over at Tap Systems, a fresh product — the Tap Strap — uses gesture controls to mimic the work of a normal keyboard and let you work from any surface.

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Able to connect to any Bluetooth device, the strap uses embedded sensors to track information about your hand and finger movement. And once you've got the device linked up, tapping on anything from a couch to your own leg will see characters being thrown onto the screen.

This device doesn't work like a traditional QWERTY keyboard, though. Tapping one finger will give you a vowel, while hitting a combination will give you other letters of the alphabet.

With the device undergoing testing for much of 2016, David Schick, one of Tap's creators, said the feedback led to the introduction of a mouse and a fabric design, as well as haptic feedback to help users recognise when exactly they're registering taps.

And while it's a handy alternative for those looking to get a break from holding their device non-stop, Schick noted how the Tap is especially useful for people in a VR environment.

Whoever decides to strap on the wearable is in for a learning curve. But according to Tap, using the device alongside the companion app's games should see you pick up the alphabet combos in around an hour — a period we imagine will vary depending on how much time you spend hitting a regular keyboard.

The Tap Strap will be dropping around August, with Schick also indicating other languages and functionality beyond text could come in the future.

Source: Mashable

This wearable keyboard will let you type from anywhere


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Conor Allison

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Conor moved to Wareable Media Group in 2017, initially covering all the latest developments in smartwatches, fitness trackers, and VR. He made a name for himself writing about trying out translation earbuds on a first date and cycling with a wearable airbag, as well as covering the industry’s latest releases.

Following a stint as Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint, Conor returned to Wareable Media Group in 2022 as Editor-at-Large. Conor has become a wearables expert, and helps people get more from their wearable tech, via Wareable's considerable how-to-based guides. 

He has also contributed to British GQ, Wired, Metro, The Independent, and The Mirror. 


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