12-09-2003, 09:02 PM
|
|
Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
|
|
Think Outside Inc. Announces New Bluetooth Keyboard Software Standard: a Royalty-Free Driver for Smartphones and PDAs
"Think Outside Inc., maker of the revolutionary Stowaway(R) Portable Keyboards for handheld devices, today announced that it has created a royalty-free keyboard driver that utilizes the Bluetooth Human Interface Device (HID) profile and that the company will make available to any OEM interested in including it in a smartphone or PDA design. As a result, device manufacturers will be able to include Think Outside's keyboard HID driver in their Bluetooth-enabled products to ensure that they will support an external keyboard in the future.
One of the design limitations of Bluetooth has been that OEMs had to license a Bluetooth software stack from a software supplier to make their devices operational, and a HID profile had to be either licensed or created. The HID profile lists a series of devices, and it is this list that tells the Bluetooth radio how to communicate with a specific device. If a Bluetooth product doesn't have a particular device listed in its profile, it can't communicate with it."
If this is all that's been stopping companies from releasing Bluetooth-based keyboards, and we'll soon see some, then we all owe Think Outside a huge round of applause. However, that's a big "if" - and considering that Think Outside just released an infrared-based keyboard (which seems very retro to me), I'm not going to hold my breath. Let's hope I'm wrong though and we see some great Bluetooth-based keyboards in 2004...
<reads press release again, slower this time>
"In related news, Think Outside today also announced its Stowaway Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard, a new Bluetooth-enabled Stowaway keyboard for use with compatible smartphones and PDAs. This full-sized, collapsible mobile keyboard is based on a reference design that is capable of being modified to meet an OEM's specifications, to speed their time to market with Bluetooth keyboard products for smartphones and PDAs."
Oh. Nevermind.  Let's hope that several big companies adopt their reference design!
|
| |
|
|
|
12-09-2003, 09:16 PM
|
|
Pupil
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 31
|
|
fantastic
this is fantastic....
now..when!!!????
i ripped through their website, no sign of the press release or related keyboard....
HERES MY CHECK!!!
|
| |
|
|
|
12-09-2003, 09:38 PM
|
|
Magi
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,341
|
|
So, here's the question I think is on most people's minds.....Will they sell the keyboard with a fix/patch/undate/driver for the Bluetooth stack on existing devices? The press release seems purposefully vague.
Dave
|
| |
|
|
|
12-09-2003, 09:41 PM
|
|
Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 601
|
|
If it integrates and plays nice with my Dell then my IR keyboard is history!
__________________
CTSLICK - ROCK ON
|
| |
|
|
|
12-09-2003, 09:47 PM
|
|
Ponderer
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 90
|
|
:werenotworthy: :multi: :werenotworthy: :multi: :werenotworthy: :multi: :werenotworthy:
Yup! Got my credit card ready! Won't leave screen until order completed!
|
| |
|
|
|
12-09-2003, 09:48 PM
|
|
Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 174
|
|
Perhaps now 2004 will be the year of Bluetooth :lol:
|
| |
|
|
|
12-09-2003, 10:00 PM
|
|
Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Christian
Perhaps now 2004 will be the year of Bluetooth :lol:
|
Yup. Just you wait. Next year will be the year. :mrgreen:
|
| |
|
|
|
12-09-2003, 10:13 PM
|
|
Ponderer
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 84
|
|
:grumble: !@#$!#@$#
Just got my Stowaway XT for my Ipaq, before they announced the IR keyboard... And now they anounce the Bluetooth keyboard.
:grumble: !@#!@#$
Ah well, we'll see if they publish the bluetooth support for existing platforms (i.e. Ipaq 221x)
D.psi
|
| |
|
|
|
12-09-2003, 10:21 PM
|
|
Pupil
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 31
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
Yup. Just you wait. Next year will be the year. :mrgreen:
|
Are you a Cubs fan too??? 
|
| |
|
|
|
12-09-2003, 11:13 PM
|
|
Neophyte
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 4
|
|
Finally some news on a portable bluetooth keyboard! Just hope it works with my 2215.
That makes me wonder. Which would provide better battery life? The serial port connector, IR or bluetooth?
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Linear Mode
