CES 2009

Keyboards typically don't get the attention they deserve, but perhaps they should. According to Smartfish Technologies and a recent study by the U.S. Department of Labor, more than 28 million Americans suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome or some other repetitive stress injury due to repeated use of computer keyboards.

Smartfish Technologies recognizes the need for a more ergonomic solution and developed the Pro:Motion family of products, starting with the Automatic Moving Keyboard. The researchers at Smartfish found that the static nature of the most commonly used keyboards are the main cause of carpal tunnel, so they partnered up with a design firm to develop an innovative design. The Automatic Moving Keyboard keeps track of your typing activities and trends and periodically repositions the keys as you're typing to allow for a full range of variable motion. These "7 Stages of Comfort" cut down on the discomfort caused by repetition, and Smartfish claims that the user will experience increased productivity as a result.

A robotic keyboard that moves around on you sounds goofy, but the Pro:Motion is so discreet that after awhile, the user won't even notice its motorized movements. The keyboard also features an integrated wrist rest for increased ergonomic comfort. The Smartfish Pro:Motion keyboard is available now for around $130.

These two keyboards from the input kings at Adesso combine the functionality of a desktop keyboard with the scrolling power of a laptop touchpad. Both keyboards feature a built-in Cirque two-button touchpad meant to take the place of your mouse and clean up your desktop.

(Credit: Adesso)

While we were a little hesitant to accept a touchpad instead of a point-and-click mouse, the Adesso touchpad is actually very intuitive to use. First, you can easily activate vertical and horizontal scrolling simply by swiping your finger along the edge of the square, and the GlideExtend feature gives you three seconds to reposition your finger for further scrolling once you reach the edge of the pad. We're still not sure if it's a mouse-killer, but it's definitely a nice feature to have in travel.

The WKB-4100 released Thursday here at CES 2009 uses a 2.4GHz RF receiver for completely wireless control. It's a full-size keyboard with Adesso-exclusive membrane switches built right into the keys that provide satisfying tactile feedback and quiet keystrokes across surface.

In addition, MCE buttons up top are designed for quick launching of music, videos, pictures, tv, radio, and DVDs. Finally, the body of the keyboard is angled in a semi-circle with a pad on the bottom for increased comfort while typing.

(Credit: Adesso)

The AKB-420 is Adesso's SlimTouch pro keyboard. It also features the aforementioned touchpad, but only incorporates 87 keys in a mini-layout for saving space on your desktop. We're disappointed to see that it isn't wireless, but the convenient touchpad features and a wrist support for ergonomics, not to mention the sleek silver and black design all make up for the connectivity.

Both keyboards are shipping immediately.