Gboard is available in a new physical form factor, courtesy of Google Japan [Video]
– Sep. 30th 2022 7:52 pm PT
A year after introducing the “teacup version,” Google Japan is back with a new physical form factor for Android’s default keyboard app: the Gboard bar.
This “Gboard bar” arranges keys in a straight line “so you don’t have to look around.” This is said to be “extremely simple” and comes in at 1,650 mm long or just under 65-inches. The upside is that it takes up very little vertical desk space, thus “making it convenient even on desks where documents are piled up.”
The official specs sheet lists the width as “wide enough for a cat to walk across,” while the height is simply a “comfortable thickness.”
In terms of functionality, there’s joint typing and the ability to use it as a bug net with the “bug removing module”:
- If two people share the device and use it, they can enter characters at high speed at the same time. It is also recommended for pair programming where two people face one problem.
- If you attach a bug removing module, you can quickly turn it into a bug removing stick. By taking advantage of its elongated device shape, it can be used in a variety of situations.
The most wild thing about this announcement is how you can actually build one with instructions on Github.
Google Japan has a penchant for Gboard and keyboard-related April Fools’ jokes, even if the broader company no longer celebrates. There was a device in 2018 that let you swipe on a physical keyboard as if you were interacting with a touchscreen, while 2019 was character input based on how far back you bend a spoon. The latter appears in today’s video as a cameo. The full project list includes:
- Google Japanese input drum set version
- Google Japanese Input Morse Version
- Google Japanese input patter version
- Google Japanese Input Magic Hand Version
- Google Japanese Input Piro Piro Version
- Google Japanese Input Physical Flick Version
- Google Japanese input bubble wrap version
- Gboard physical handwriting version
- Gboard spoon bending version
- Gboard teacup version
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