The French designers over at Orée first had us oohing and aahing over their beautiful maple and walnut keyboards; one of the rare times when wood and technology blended perfectly. And now they’ve gone and stolen our hearts again with a warm alternative to Apple and Logitech’s sterile touchpads that it’s calling the Touch Slab.
How exactly the keyboard sidekick manages to detect your finger gestures through a layer of maple or walnut wood with minimal electrical conductivity remains a mystery, but for $200, available mid-October, we’re going to assume Orée’s already found a way to make it work. (Or it hasn’t and will be really embarrassed and then prosecuted for mass fraud and larceny.)
The touchpad also does away with unsightly wires, relying on a rechargeable battery and a Bluetooth connection to your Mac or Windows system. And if all you’re after is a dedicated number pad for your wireless keyboard, an included overlay clearly defines your numerical tap targets. [Orée]
