Levitatr Bluetooth Keyboard

By now there are a fair amount of iPad compatible Bluetooth keyboards on the market.  At their core they’re all the same, which is to provide a tactile typing surface for those that can’t cope with the virtual keys.  As a result few of them stand out in the design department and probably won’t have anyone ogling with envy.  That’s all about to change.

While it’s probably not the slimmest portable Bluetooth keyboards – it measures 12.5mm thick – the Levitatr is by far and away the most ingenious and fun we’ve ever had the luxury of laying eyes on.  With the push of a button the keys elevate from the glossy face of the device and the backlighting turns on.  On the converse when the keyboard is not in use the keys retract back into the body and stow away safely.

The benefits, aside from the aesthetical bliss you’ll enjoy every time you whip it out, is that the keys will avoid a mispress while stored in your bag.  Additionally, crumbs and whatever other debris  is lurking in your bag won’t be able to force its way in between the low-profile scissor switches, which if you haven’t used any of Logitech’s low profile keyboards, make for a smooth and comfortable typing surface.

Integrated into the Levitatr is a aluminum precision-machined kickstand and holds most any device at a 20-30 degree angle.  It locks into place using a high-powered magnet, which only adds to this device’s cool quotient.  A set of hot keys, 5 in total, are built specifically for the iPad, which control some of the most common functions (we’re assuming volume and play/pause, etc).

Instead of a built-in rechargeable battery, which we’ve seen in most Bluetooth keyboards, is a slot for 4x AAA batteries.  We’re not sure if James Stumpf, its designer, plans on including a set of rechargeables, but either way there are conveniences and drawbacks to either setup.

The Levitatr is a Kickstarter project, so James is looking for at least $79 if you want one of your own, though you can pledge less but you won’t get the actual product when it goes into production.  He says they’re currently prototyping a version that integrates directly into a tablet and they have a patent pending.