TREWGRIP set to revolutionise mobile typing?

As the market has shifted more to mobile devices, many people find that typing longer notes and emails can be rather painful. Outlier Technologies are trying to resolve the issue with their new TrewGrip device, a rear keyed smartphone and tablet dock which you can hold in your hands and type with. It can even be used in conjunction with smart television sets.

Touchscreen keyboards are far from ideal, and using one on a smartphone can be a laborious process. Even most portable keyboards can be awkward to use when they aren't set on a stable desk or surface.

The TrewGrip offers a keyboard that can be moved around as easily as your smartphone or tablet. You can use it while moving, or sitting down without a stable flat surface close by.

There are keys on the back, laid out in a vertical, split QWERTY style, so you can use eight fingers on the rear of the device while holding both the TrewGrip and mobile device.

The front of the TrewGrip has a dock to hold smartphones and small tablets, up to 7 inch in size, with a suction mount. There are also a handful of ‘thumb keys' including space, enter and back. The remainder of the front is covered with a backlit illustration of the keys on the other side, so you can practise and become familiar with the layout. Each key illustration will light up from the front to help you figure out finger positioning.

The TrewGrip is powered by a lithium-ion battery which gives 90 hours of life and will connect via Bluetooth 3.0. Outlier Technologies will be planning to deliver a version with a USB dongle and integrated gyroscope. The gyroscope means it could be also used as a mouse, navigating on screen for instance. This could work well with a PC hooked up to a television set, from the comfort of a sofa.

Outlier say that people can learn and achieve 90 percent of their QWERTY speeds within about 10 hours. The Kickstarter campaign has raised around $12,500 at time of publication, although they need $100,000 to take it forward further. There are 15 days left on the campaign, so if you are interested then best to head over soon. Various pledges are available from $39 to $4,999+.

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