There’s no shortage of Bluetooth keyboards that you can use to enter text on a tablet, smartphone, or other gadget. Some are even flexible keyboards that you can roll up to save space when you’re not using them.

But Tap is something… different.

It’s a strap that basically turns your hand into a Bluetooth keyboard. Place the strap on your fingers and it’ll detect movement and send the data to your phone, tablet, smart TV, or smartwatch.

Tap Systems unveiled a prototype almost two years ago. Now the company is starting to ship the wearable wireless keyboard… to anyone who thinks it’s worth spending $150 on the gadget.

The company says Tap can be used to enter text, but also to perform mouse actions including scrolling, pointing, and clicking.

Of course, you can’t actually see a keyboard that doesn’t exist. So you’ll probably need to spend some time getting used to tapping your fingers against a table, desk, or other surface (such as your arm). Tap says “it takes users less than an hour to learn to tap using the TapGenius app.”

Compared with learning to type the first time, that’s not so bad. But compared with, you know… just typing on a regular keyboard, it sounds like a pretty high barrier for entry. But so does the $150 price tag.

Maybe the best usage case I can think of for this type of gadget is VR headsets: if you’re wearing a device that obstructs your vision, but which allows you to move through space, typing on any surface may be easier than typing on a physical keyboard that’s stuck in one place.

The Tap strap features a 45 mAh battery that’s good for up to 8 hours of use or 7 days of standby time and comes with a charging case with a 370 mAh battery that should let you charge the strap up to 8 times before you need to recharge the case.

Tap Systems says the strap is compatible with devices that support Bluetooth 4.0 or later, including phones, tablets, and PCs running Android 4.3 or later, iOS 9 or later, Windows 8.1 or later, and OS X Yosemite or later.

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10 replies on “Tap wearable Bluetooth keyboard now shipping (for $150)”

    1. I want to know as well especially () and ‘ and ; and || all of programmes stuff

  1. My vote: Nah. Call me vain, but I’d never use this in public. You know how people look at you like you’re crazy if you’re talking on your phone with a Bluetooth headset they maybe can’t see? Imagine if they saw you typing on your arm or other surface like there’s an imaginary keyboard there. 🙂

  2. Doesn’t the Myo armband already do something similar, in a somewhat more elegant way?

  3. I do want to see this in action before considering buying, but I am very excited by this sort of tech. Can’t wait to go full gargoyle!

  4. I guess I’m overly self-conscious but I wouldn’t want to be seen wearing this. Plus I don’t see how it’s more useful than a regular keyboard. Even those cheap strap on keyboards for tablets seem better.

    The VR use case seems to be the only one that could beat out a regular keyboard. To bad VR itself is declining (never actually took off either). For AR, a regular keyboard looks to still be better.

    Another cool tech solution looking for a problem.

  5. I thought about preordering but I really want to see some real reviews first. I can see a certain value, especially if it is decidedly faster than a touch screen. I use a Bluetooth keyboard at home but on public transportation and stuff it’s not a viable option. So making better use of those thirteen hours a week of commute would be great.

    I was also interested in gestr but it seems to have died.

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