Unfortunately, I’m not of an age where a rotary mechanism inspires wistful nostalgia; for me, looking at an old rotary phone is a bit like looking at a fascinating evolutionary dead-end, a path not taken by tech. Well, Google Japan’s latest bit of whimsical concept kit seeks to reinvigorate the rotary wheel.
The Gboard Dial Version is a keyboard that eschews clicky-clacky keys for the burbling whir of nine rotary mechanisms instead (via The Verge). For those unfamiliar with how this is supposed to work, rather than depressing a key, you jam your finger in the hole above the corresponding character you wish to type, drag the rotary wheel around as far as you can, and then release.
There you go, you’ve ‘typed’ a single alphanumeric character—now on to the next one. It’s a decidedly drawn-out process that would stop my hot takes long before they threaten to boil over, that’s for sure.
Oh, did I mention this concept keyboard comes with a stand that looks like an old-timey cradle for a landline phone? You can switch off your camera in video calls when you rest your mouse atop this cradle. That’s not quite as dramatic as slamming the receiver down to end the call, but I can appreciate how hardware these days doesn’t fare as well against such heated handling.
Google Japan is known for their weird and wonderful concepts. These began with the teacup keyboard in 2020, which was likely intended as an April Fool’s homage that got delayed into October by the Coronavirus pandemic. Since then, our Hope reported on its long, long stick keyboard back in 2022, and last year Andy had his melon twisted by the Mobius strip keyboard. Intended as a bit of playful fun rather than a product launch, neither of these impractical keyboards, nor the Gboard Dial Version, is available for purchase.
However, you may attempt to build your own. Apparently not one to stifle creativity, Google Japan has uploaded a GitHub directory full of files for making your own rotary keyboard, offering everything from a full build guide, to 3D printing data and firmware downloads.
While such a project is unlikely to ever be a contender for one of the best gaming keyboards, I am still curious what this bit of kit would be like to game on. I’ve little doubt I’ll be going around and around on that question until at least October next year when Google Japan unveils its next concept.
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