Did you ever wish your computer keyboard could transform depending on which application you were in at the time? The fine engineers at Art Lebedev Studio have created a new version of their aptly named “Optimus” keyboard called the “Optimus Popularis”.
Shorter and flatter than the Optimus Maximus that came before, the Optimus Popularis forgoes the number pad in favor of a thinner design, a la the Apple Wireless Keyboard. Like before, the keyboard doesn’t use standard clickety-clack keys, rather, each key is a 64×64-pixel LED display, capable of changing the symbol shown depending on the active application. Editing a photo in Photoshop? Your keyboard will now display icons mapped to the tools in the Photoshop tool palette, rather than letters and numbers.
As an added bonus, the Optimus Popularis also comes with a status menu directly under the function keys to keep you informed about the weather, new e-mail and even stock prices. Let’s hope with a sub-$1000 price tag, the Popularis will, indeed, gain some popularity.
