Crowdfunded Keyboard Embeds a Screen in Your Keyboard

For those who’ve dreamed of a giant Blackberry on their desk, Kickstarter has something for you. The FICIHP is a full-size tenkeyless keyboard - scissor-switched or mechanical - with a 12.6 inch touchscreen riding atop it like a giant version of the  Macbook Pro’s touch bar.

FICHIP is already considerably over its pledge target and with almost a month left to run. The aluminum-framed keyboard connects over a single USB Type-C cable, and offers up a couple of useful USB 2 ports so you can still plug in a mouse or thumb drive while working purely on the 1920 x 515  screen.

It’s compatible with Windows, MacOS and Android (including the Samsung DEX and Huawei EMUI desktops), and can be used to mirror the screen output from an iPad. As the input is purely HDMI, albeit using the Type-C plug, we imagine it could also be used with a single board computer, but not the Raspberry Pi 4 as the USB C interface does not have video capability.

The touchscreen can be used to directly control the host computer, acting like a touchpad, while having ten touchpoints means you can use gestures to do things like switch between apps and virtual desktops.

And of course, it wouldn’t be 2021 without some RGB - over 15 patterns of lighting are supported, while the keycaps can be swapped out and replaced with those of your choice. Gamers, or those who just like clacking away, get a choice of switches on the mechanical version of the keyboard, with Blue (‘Clicky’), Brown (‘Gentle’), and Red (‘Quieter’) variants available.

The Kickstarter runs until July 28th, with first deliveries expected in August. Remember that crowdfunding a project is not a guarantee of receiving a finished product. Backing a crowdfunded project is akin to an investment, you believe in the project and want it to succeed. You are not purchasing a retail product.