Windows Phone Thoughts: Brando Workshop Releases Mini Bluetooth Keyboard

"Predictive text and alternative keypad arrangements (some bizarre) ease the painstaking procedure of hammering out the occasional email or note on the old mobile, but at the end of the day, nothing beats good, old-fashioned QWERTY (or Das Keyboard, if that's how you roll) for text entry. Brando's new $56 Mini Bluetooth Keyboard takes the old, tried-and-true formula of the foldable keyboard and scales it down a smidge, giving users a device that they can realistically carry pretty much everywhere they're taking their phone."



I actually spotted this the day it was posted on the Brando website, and was seriously tempted for about half an hour before reality set in (blame it on my W?BIC gadget lust :D). I've got a couple of USB mini keyboards that I use with my Loox, and they're already uncomfortable enough to type on - this is even smaller (95x70x13mm closed) than the Freedom/Smart keyboard (143x95x19mm closed) that Brando sells, and I can't help wondering whether a bluetooth thumboard wouldn't be better. If it's that small you might as well take it to the extreme, right? Having said that, if you're looking for a more portable alternative to the Stowaway or the Freedom keyboards, this might be a good deal (and cheaper too)! The mini bluetooth keyboard retails at US$56 and can be ordered direct from Brando Workshop - they ship internationally. Don't be put off by the odd looking website and that direct deposit payment instruction at the bottom of their product pages - it's for local Hong Kong customers only. I've used Brando countless times over the last couple of years for screen protectors and other stuff, and I've never found their service and products to be any less than excellent.