Cervantes Mobile, the award-winning designer of the Jorno Bluetooth keyboard, has officially introduced the production model of its ultra-compact input device for tablets and smartphones. Reflecting an increasing trend in gadget R&D, the company is trying to bring the Jorno to market using Kickstarter.
When not in use, the Jorno folds five ways into a square that is no bigger than the palm of your hand. The designers claim that the final product will be the smallest foldable Bluetooth keyboard in the world. A prototype of the Jorno has already won prestigious Engineering Design and Innovation awards at the Consumer Electronics Show. Early demos showed that it fits easily into a user's pocket or handbag.
When opened out, the Jorno has a rigid design, presumably to make typing feel the same as it does on a laptop keyboard. The Jorno also comes with a detachable cradle designed for iOS and Android devices that allows vertical or horizontal positioning of the screen when typing.
"We are incredibly excited to introduce a mobile keyboard to the market, which offers such a unique and essential design that has yet to be created,” Scott Starrett, CEO and founder of Jorno said. “We are passionate about this innovation and are certain it is the next big thing in the mobile productivity arena."
For users concerned about colour co-ordination or just looking for something less conservative than plain old black, the Jorno will be available in red, green or blue. It will also be compatible with the QWERTZ and AZERTY formats.
Another appealing feature is likely to be the battery. Not only will it be rechargeable — giving the product an advantage over similar devices like this one from Verbatim — it also might beat out some of its competitors on longevity: the Jorno team claims that the battery will last a month on a full charge.
So far five prototypes of the Jorno have been produced over two years of development. Starrett recounts on his blog how the engineering was paid for by the man himself or his relatives. To bring the product to consumers, Starrett is hoping to raise $100,000 on Kickstarter. At press time contributions had reached almost $75,000 with 12 days still to go. More information can be found at the Jorno Kickstarter page.
