BlackBerry's iconic keyboard patent has expired
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The LG Env2 would have been the perfect smartphone form factor, change my view.
I had the Motorola droid, it was pretty sweet
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It's why somebody make this. They too were missing the keyboard
I need this to be a slider.
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Yes please I hate fucking virtual keyboards and haptic feedback.
I literally go out of my way to use shit like KDE Connect to not have to type on a shitty phone virtual keyboard
What keyboard do you use? They are not all the same
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I had two BlackBerry devices for work, right about the time they were going away. I'd heard the keyboard was good on earlier models but it seemed like the quality had gotten pretty cheap on the later phones. The BlackBerry 10 OS on my last phone was actually pretty good, and probably would've kept them in the market if they'd launched it 5 years earlier.
Oooooh guuurlll!
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I had two BlackBerry devices for work, right about the time they were going away. I'd heard the keyboard was good on earlier models but it seemed like the quality had gotten pretty cheap on the later phones. The BlackBerry 10 OS on my last phone was actually pretty good, and probably would've kept them in the market if they'd launched it 5 years earlier.
Un popular opinion when I had to support those damn things I actually hated the keyboards, always felt the keys where too small
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I remember this. Was it a kickstarter?
I can't find any mention of it being on Kickstarter, but here's an early promo for it:
https://crackberry.com/clicks-iphone-brings-real-keyboard-back-smartphones
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Remembering the BlackBerry keyboard leads me to remembering the Palm Pre, which had so much potential. In many ways, still my favorite phone ever. It's sad to see WebOS reduced to Smart TV shit.
My friend in high school had every palm pre, those things were awesome
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Un popular opinion when I had to support those damn things I actually hated the keyboards, always felt the keys where too small
You need to adjust your patterns to it, but when you do, oh boy is it convenient. I still can type on it blindly almost as quick as I do with full desktop keyboard, and I'm pretty quick with that
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Looong loooooong maaaaaaaaaaaan
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The LG Env2 would have been the perfect smartphone form factor, change my view.
Surely you mean the slider style of the Xperia X1 and not the more common folding style of the LG
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Un popular opinion when I had to support those damn things I actually hated the keyboards, always felt the keys where too small
What is this? A keyboard for ants?!?
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I had two BlackBerry devices for work, right about the time they were going away. I'd heard the keyboard was good on earlier models but it seemed like the quality had gotten pretty cheap on the later phones. The BlackBerry 10 OS on my last phone was actually pretty good, and probably would've kept them in the market if they'd launched it 5 years earlier.
I absolutely loved my passport. It was smooth, and it was a pleasure to use. the keyboard was amazing. At the time with bb10 os, it could do things android and apple could only dream of. Too bad they shit the bed with damn antenna desoldering it's self.
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I hate tapping away on the glass but swiping works okay, until the phone decides a word couldn’t possibly be what you’re trying for. My most recent frustration was New Zealand, which of course worked fine this time.
I use a FOSS (ish) keyboard and it's not very accurate, but all still way better than typing everything.
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Remembering the BlackBerry keyboard leads me to remembering the Palm Pre, which had so much potential. In many ways, still my favorite phone ever. It's sad to see WebOS reduced to Smart TV shit.
I still keep it around. It doesn't work, but it is such a nice object. That was my favourite phone. I miss interesting phones
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The LG Env2 would have been the perfect smartphone form factor, change my view.
I really enjoyed my Sidekick from TMo. Great device to play Google roulette back when feature phones were king.
But the dual slide on the Helio Ocean was pretty dope too. The screen was just too small for most people to care.
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The article is absolute trash for not mentioning this. "Their iconic keyboards..." is the closest it gets to describing them.
Thankfully, there is a link to the patent at the end.
Abstract
A keyboard comprising a plurality of transparent keys. In use, the keyboard is attached to a device such as a mobile device, to overlie a display screen of the device. One or more images displayed on the display screen are made visible to a user through the keys, which may be pressed by a user. User input is determined by identifying a pressed key, and the image or part thereof visible through the key when pressed.
Basically a detachable keyboard of transparent material as a display overlay, providing tactile feedback while the LCD allows for backlit and customizable key labels. I don't remember seeing a practical implementation of this IRL or in media but I might be too young for that.
That sounds pretty rad. I'm almost 40 and haven't ever seen this either. Perhaps it was just the coke addicted business tycoons of the 1980s and '90s that got to experience this tech.
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I still keep it around. It doesn't work, but it is such a nice object. That was my favourite phone. I miss interesting phones
I still have mine too, and really for the same reason. It is such a great design, and the aesthetic of a water-smoothed river stone was really cohesive. The Pre was all smooth lines and soft curves. Just gorgeous.
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That sounds pretty rad. I'm almost 40 and haven't ever seen this either. Perhaps it was just the coke addicted business tycoons of the 1980s and '90s that got to experience this tech.
Even after they stopped producing phones, they could have made a killing licensing the patent to phone case manufacturers.
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You need to adjust your patterns to it, but when you do, oh boy is it convenient. I still can type on it blindly almost as quick as I do with full desktop keyboard, and I'm pretty quick with that
For reference I have large hands and throught the original huge Xbox "Duke" Controller was comfortable.
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This was hilarious
