As great as your chosen tablet may be, there is still something to be said about typing with that on-screen keyboard. Having a physical set of keys beneath your fingers just feels more natural and that’s why there are so many Bluetooth keyboards on the market. If you’re in the market for both a case and a keyboard for your iPad, this keyboard case from Gembox could be the perfect fit.

It serves three main purposes. First, the polyurethane “synthetic leather” case will protect your iPad against bumps, bruises and other damage. The “thin and stylish” case also has a magnetic flap closure to maintain those clean lines. Second, the case can function as a stand, letting you watch videos without having to hold on to the iPad itself. And third, of course, is that keyboard.

Even though the spill-proof keyboard is built into the case itself, it actually connects to your iPad via Bluetooth. It has a rated battery life of 45 hours, recharging via the provided USB charging cable and bonus USB A/C wall adapter. You can conserve battery life by using the on/off switch.

Normally retailing for $99.99, the Gembox iPad Keyboard Case is available now for $29.99, a savings of 70% off the regular price.

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Do you love your new Apple iPhone 5 but wish that it had a slide-out physical QWERTY keyboard to make text messages and Facebook status updates that much easier? This case could be the perfect fit.

The MiniSuit iPhone 5 Bluetooth QWERTY Keyboard Case has two purposes. First, it can act as a protective case for your iPhone 5. Much more interesting is the second function, though, since it has an integrated slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Even though it’s physically there with your iPhone, it actually connects wirelessly via Bluetooth 2.0.

The net result is an iPhone 5 with a slide-out keyboard, giving you a similar form factor to what we saw with devices like the original Motorola DROID. There’s an on/off switch to conserve power, raised buttons for tactile feel, and even backlit illumination for typing in the dark. Standby time has been rated at 45 days and you can recharge the case/keyboard via the provided USB cable.

The MiniSuit iPhone 5 Keyboard Case is on sale on Amazon for $17.95, which is 48% off the regular price of $34.50. It’s eligible for Amazon’s super saver shipping, but you have to top up your order to $25 to qualify.

The post Daily Deal: Apple iPhone 5 Bluetooth Qwerty Keyboard Case for $18 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Can’t decide if you want to have an iPad or a MacBook Air? If you pick up the CruxSKUNK Keyboard Case from CruxCase, you can almost have the best of both worlds. This is a protective case for the iPad 2 and the “new” iPad, but what it really does is transform that tablet into a notebook. You get a complete Apple-style keyboard that very much mirrors what you get from the MacBook series, except you’re still being powered by iOS.

The CruxSKUNK goes even further by providing a 360-degree hinge. What this means is that when you don’t want to use the keyboard, the case can be rotated all the way through so that you can more easily use the touchscreen. The keyboard portion is just 6mm thin and the whole thing is made from aircraft-grade aluminum. The CruxSKUNK uses Bluetooth to connect to your iPad and the built-in 350mAh battery is said to last about a month.

CruxCase has even integrated Smart Cover technology, so just like the regular Smart Cover from Apple, your iPad will turn itself on and off when you open and close the CruxSKUNK. It’s currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, but with over $87,000 raised of the $90,000 goal with 36 days to go, I think they’re in good shape. Pledge a minimum of $135 to get your hands on one of the first CruxSKUNK cases, plus a bonus leather sleeve. Shipments are expected to commence in December.

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I’m writing the review of a device I am writing about using the device I am writing about. If it wasn’t such a painful experience this review may have been a bit more positive, but since I have chosen to write the review from the very device I am testing you’re going to get a raw look at how it performs. Here is an unedited snip:

i dnot have an issue with the lack if tactke feed back, nor with the $90 oprice piount, my main issue stems from the responsivebess of the nkeyboard itself, its so sensitive, very sensitive, in fact too sensitive. for some nstrange reason somke keys are moare sensitive than others, while making an inconsistent typinag experience all around. if my finger lightly hovers over one area, ,it will activiate that keystroke.. this ends up resulting in all kinds of extra charectars getting mixxec up in between othersf. theres aso the spacing of th ekeys.. they are a bit different than what i am used to so this may contribute in me being unable to not accidentaly press additional keys..

As you see, the above text was left raw and unedited and simply painful. My apologies, the rest of the review was edited on a normal Apple Bluetooth Keyboard otherwise it would never get finished. Things like spelling and double characters were corrected to prevent you from going mad reading it.

By focusing very carefully on the keys and looking at the keyboard closely, I am able to train myself to only touch the exact key I am intending to touch. By hovering my hands over top and not resting them anywhere, i’m be able to just drop a finger on it in a traditional QWERTY fashion. Although let me tell you, it feels very odd and unnatural. For one, hovering directly over top the keyboard dropping each finger one by one does not feel normal, it also gives you the terrible viewing angle you saw in the first photograph above. I think once you get past the learning curve of very carefully tapping each button precisely and making sure to be exact, the oddness of the viewing angle postion is no longer a distraction and becomes a real life nuisance. I wonder if it was tested by any humans before the company decided to mass produce it. I would never want to look at any screen the way this one forces you to. If you wanted to face the screen you would literally have to crouch down and arch your back in the most uncomfortable position at a desk. If you were on the floor, it would look like you were doing yoga child pose with your hands out in front of you. Sure, it’s a good way to stretch out your back, but you’ll kill your neck in a few minutes trying to correct the extra keystrokes you just pressed.

Conclusion
The keys are colored nice, the geiger-counter-esque keyboard ticks are kinda cool and can be turned off, I like the use of quck launch keys, it has its own internal battery, easily connects via Blueooth, charges via Micro-USB. But the keyboard is still overly sensitive with an unconventional viewing angle I couldn’t imagine enduring for any length of time. I wish the company would have done some real people testing, or maybe just sent us a unit before going all out and producing them, it’s really put together nicely. It may have avoided these issues like ergonomics and keystroke performance like I experienced. As it stands though, I would not recommend the SKINNY Bluetooth Keyboard Case for iPad 2 by Hatch & Co..

The post A Skinny Little iPad 2 Keyboard Review appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The Apple iPad may seem more like a fun device to play games on, watch movies, read magazines and other stuff like that, but it can actually be quite useful for business folks too. Even so, typing on that touchscreen for extended periods of time might just not be good enough. And so, Logitech has come up with a Fold-Up Keyboard that works in tandem with Apple’s tablet.

The core functionality is really no different than any other Bluetooth keyboard. You pair it up with the iPad and start typing away at those documents and e-mails. What makes this product different is its fold-up nature. It folds up and hides behind the tablet when not in use, automatically shutting itself off. Fold it back out and it’s ready for you to type away again. It’s meant to be convenient and compact. The keyboard itself charges over USB and still uses Bluetooth to communicate with the iPad 2.

The split design is pretty interesting and it even comes with a stand in the back to prop up the iPad. That gives you an “ideal angle for typing and taking notes,” not unlike what you’d get with a netbook or notebook… or even something like the Asus Eee Pad Transformer. And just like the Eee Pad, this keyboard dock is priced quite similarly at $129.99.

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No matter how much we enjoy our tablets touchscreen interface, there are times when tapping with a finger just doesn’t cut it. That’s why Logitech has now launched the “first wireless mouse for Android tablets.” It’s not for iPad though, since iPad has the Apple Wireless keyboard already, this mouse is especially designed for Android. The Tablet Mouse for Android 3.1. is a wireless optical mouse that connects via Bluetooth. Sadly it doesn’t use any tablet specific functions, even though it’s the first mouse designed for Android tablets supporting Android 3.1. (Honeycomb) or later. The mouse is priced at $49.99 and it is powered by AA batteries.

Alongside the release of the Android Mouse is Logitech’s keyboard for Android 3.0.+, connects via uses Bluetooth and runs off four AAA batteries for a cost of $54.99. It also comes with a case that can be used as a tablet stand too.

[Logitech]

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Zagg’s ZAGGmate is a Bluetooth keyboard case that sells for $99 and doubles as protective shell for your Apple iPad – essentially turning your Apple tablet into a 10″ touchscreen netbook.  Sure, you could just go buy a MacBook Air and end up with a real computer, but for those of us intertwined in the evolution of mobile device tabletry, we couldn’t have it any other way.  Besides, how are we going to run Angry Birds and all our iOS apps with Mac OSX?

The Design
Molded out of lightweight aluminum, the 86% sized QWERTY keyboard layout (in comparison to Apple’s wireless keyboard) will give you a slightly cramped feeling at first. But don’t fret, it’s easy to adapt to after a punching out a few lines of text.  The keyboard is recessed slightly within the aluminum shell, making for raised areas that come in to contact with the iPad and your thumbs as they rest near the space bar. And a comfortable resting place it is, made of a soft, smooth, dense rubber compound.  This prevents scratching your iPad’s outer bezel, because that’s all that really comes into contact with the ZAGGmate aside from the inner edges.   These inner edges have a thin strip of high-density foam that hugs the sides of your iPad in place – also providing some sort of impact protection, all the while keeping it “locked” in for mobile transportion.

Zagg has added a bonus row of keyboard shortcuts all along the top.  Starting from left to right are the Home (double tab for multi-tasking, sorta like cmd+tab), Spotlight, Photos, Virtual Keyboard and Turn off Display.  Going further along the top are also a tradtional set of multimedia keys we find on all Apple keyboards.  Command, Option and Function keys are situated in their typical places, giving you instant copy/paste capabilities.  Most of the keys are exactly where you would expect them, thankfully no tricks in re-learning a layout with the ZAGGmate. The up and down arrows threw me off on several occasions,  the left/ right arrows are besides the up/down.  Aside from that, you’ll be hammering out keystrokes faster than anyone iPad users.

The Good
The iPad virtual keyboard is restrictive in a sense.  Sure, it adds mobility and can be accessed with a touch, but when large amounts of keystrokes are being inputted – especially the ones on Apple’s second menu – on-screen typing is just a virtual bottleneck.  Addressing the need for an alternative to the virtual keyboard, the iPad ZAGGmate does a very good job. We received a production ready model and its keys are smooth and soft to press.

It couldn’t get any easier. The simplicity of its on/off syncing abilities are really painless.   As soon as you have paired the ZAGGmate with your iPad all it takes is the flick of the switch to bring back instant access.  No delay as I would have imagined.

Protection is prime.  When in “case mode” your iPads display is protected with a solid aluminum plate.  The backside is left bare, but that’s just another plate of aluminum, so if you’re not all freaked out about cosmetics, slap a sticker on there and call it a day.

The Bad
It’s not a netbook.  Ok we know that, it’s the iPad.  So having a keyboard on the iPad could make some people mad. They  may kick, scream and yell things at you, like “go buy a netbook” but in the end, you’ll be typing twice as fast as them, if not more. So is it really a bad thing?

The function + delete key did not not work in notes, typically, combination should delete keystrokes in front of your cursor.

No ability to adjust the angle that your iPad is tilted at.  It will be locked in at roughly 68°, although you do get to switch between landscape and portrait modes.

The Verdict
At $99 its a bit pricey, but this is a really well made keyboard accessory for the iPad that will cater to one specific user; someone who is banging out emails, text and other bits of data on their iPad.  If you  feel the bottleneck of the iOS virtual keyboard like a fuzzy itchy wool Christmas sweater your treehugging Aunt Jen just gave you, then the ZAGGmate is for you.  Typing at those speeds you’ll sooner bust out a T9 cellphone and get it done with.

Like I said, although the iPad’s back is exposed when in case mode, the screen is protected, which is the most important part.  Adding a back to this could have been done, but you would be gaining extra bulk and ruling out your ability to just slip it in a nice sleeve.  As the end user, you will have to decide if the extra battery draw on your iPad while using Bluetooth is worth the increased typing speed you’ll gain with an 86% keyboard. Allthough the ZAGGmate has its own internal battery that runs for “months,” having Bluetooth constantly on your iPad to connect to it will significantly decrease your runtime, if that’s even an issue.  I would have been really impressed if Zagg had a beefier battery pack built in that could simultaneously charge the iPad, but that would have raised the price.  If for some reason you just want the case, sans keyboard, Zagg sells that for $30 less.

So, if on that sunny Saturday afternoon on your trip to the golden Apple store you accidentally purchased an iPad instead of a that MacBook Air, or perhaps that Acer netbook you walked past at Best Buy, here’s your chance to get some QWERTY action back.

Sent from my iPad using the Zagg/mate

[Zagg]

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