So close...and yet so far - a phone with an MP3 player on the back

Samsung has released its Upstage II phone that has a really elegant integration of a cellphone and mp3 player.

Now if only the EkaPad keypad could be integrated with a device similar to this, you could have full text entry and navigation capability. This would enable much more efficient SMS and text messaging, contact and calendar entry, as well as discrete note taking that could be emailed and synchronized with a desktop/laptop PC. Your phone truly would be a computing device that could further marginalize the PDA market.

Related Articles

1. Upstage II a Bargain? (Sheila Franklin, 4/23/07)
   http://www.gearlive.com/news/article/upstage-bargain-04231257/


2. Samsung UpStage (John Biggs, 3/26/07)
   http://crunchgear.com/2007/03/26/samsung-upstage/
   

13 Computer keyboards you’ve never seen before

http://hongkiat.com/blog/13-computer-keyboards-you-never-seen-before/

A great look at some of the alternate keyboards that exist. Everything from a roll-up keyboard (flexible plastic), virtual laser keyboard (projected onto the desk), a wrist keyboard (a pretty kludgy portable QWERTY keyboard strapped to the forearm), a keyless keyboard (OrbiTouch uses two domes with eight positions).

Unfortunately, the EkaPad is not listed though I did comment on this on the blog.

Richard.