Google Japan is having a little fun this weekend with the announcement of the Gboard Bar, a physical keyboard with all the keys arranged in a single row. Google Japan says that its new keyboard has several advantages, the most important of which is that it allows users to find the key they’re looking for faster than before.
Like any good product, it all starts with inspiration. The inspiration for Google Japan came from the fact that many people have focused on the word “key” in the word “keyboard” for years and never gone any further. In Japanese, the word keyboard is translated as キット (kii-bou-do), so since キー (kii (key)) gets so much attention, he decided to focus on the 泽 (bou) part, which itself means to bow. (staff/bar). Using this, he was able to develop a new design that improved navigation compared to a traditional keyboard by placing all the keys in a straight line. According to the firm, this minimizes the need to look in all directions as with a traditional keyboard. You can just start from the beginning and go through each button until you find what you’re looking for.
He also says there are ergonomic and health benefits associated with the new keyboard, which allows arms and legs to naturally stretch while typing. The device even has additional features like being a physical extension of your limbs, making it easier to press buttons that are out of reach of your arms. You can also use it as a trekking pole or a ruler to measure objects on hiking excursions, and it’s even easy to clean, requiring just one long wipe. For now, Google only has plans for the standard layout, but is considering a version with emojis, as well as a gaming model with LEDs.
If it wasn’t clear by now, this is a bit of a joke, and Google Japan has no plans to mass produce and sell it. However, there is one Github page set where it downloads all the necessary data files so you can create your own if you choose. While this looks like a fun project, be warned that this thing is going to be 1650mm, or about 5 feet and 5 inches long. If that’s too much, Google reminds us that there’s also the excellent Gboard app available for download on iOS and Android devices. features it can improve your writing experience in new ways.
Source: Google Japan Blog, Gboard Bar website
