Chris Pirillo » backlit http://chris.pirillo.com News and Reviews! Geek, Internet Entrepreneur, Hardware Addict, Software Junkie, Book Author, Once TV Show Host, Technology Enthusiast, Shameless Self-Promoter, Tech Conference Coordinator, Early Adopter, Idea Evangelist, Tech Support Blogger, Bootstrapper, Media Personality, Technology Consultant, Thicker Quicker Picker Upper. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:35:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 © chris@pirillo.com () chris@pirillo.com() Geek, Internet Entrepreneur, Hardware Addict, Software Junkie, Book Author, Once TV Show Host, Technology Enthusiast, Shameless Self-Promoter, Tech Conference Coordinator, Early Adopter, Idea Evangelist, Tech Support Blogger, Bootstrapper, Media Personality, Technology Consultant, Thicker Quicker Picker Upper. chris@pirillo.com No no http://chris.pirillo.com/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpgChris Pirillohttp://chris.pirillo.com 144 144 Optimus Maximus Keyboard Softwarehttp://chris.pirillo.com/optimus-maximus-keyboard-software/ http://chris.pirillo.com/optimus-maximus-keyboard-software/#comments Sat, 16 Aug 2008 01:51:15 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7907 Optimus Maximus Keyboard Software is a post from Chris Pirillo


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After successfully restarting my computer and pulling up the Optimus configuration tool for OS X, it was able to recognize the keyboard and map everything. I want to show you something that is really interesting on the keyboard.

Can you see this? Look closely at the keys. When I press the Shift key, the letters and numbers shown on the keyboard change to their “Shift” equivalents. Isn’t that kinda nice? Or, let’s say you’re thinking to yourself “I can barely see that font”. You really want me to make it a little bigger for you? I can do that if I want to! You can change the font size on your keyboard, bold the text on the keyboard, and even change the entire font altogether. You can do this either for certain keys, or the entire keyboard. You can even change the color of the backlighting to pretty much any color in the spectrum.

The main features of this amazing keyboard are:

  • Revolutionary Keyboard Features a tiny OLED screen on each key. 113 screens total.
  • Each key can be individually programmed to perform a series of functions, open an application or run an Applescript (Mac only)
  • Various System Monitor functions can dynamically display on a key including CPU usage, CPU temperature, Network Speed, and Memory Usage
  • Play a GIF animation or Quicktime movie on a Key
  • Paint images across all keys at once in your image editor of choice
  • Key sets can be linked to an application, so whenever you open that app the appropriate keys come up
  • Powerful layer function allows you to combine existing key sets in different ways
  • Use any language with the appropriate key images including Cyrillic, Ancient Greek, Georgian, Arabic, Quenya, and Hiragana.
  • Display notes, numerals, special symbols, HTML codes, math functions or any other special symbol.
  • Any key (or to be exact, a unit consisting of a cap, a microchip and a display) can be easily removed by hands to be cleaned or replaced
  • Built in USB hub
  • SD Card Slot for Storing keyboard Settings

I’m really looking forward to importing styles that other people have set on their Optimus Maximus keyboards and trying them out. Be sure to send me links to what you’ve done. I can’t wait to really dive in to the software, and set things up based on my wants and needs.

If you get a chance, you truly need to get your hands on one of these. It’s definitely worth the cost in my opinion. It’s just… an out-of-body experience. That’s the best way to put it. THANK YOU ThinkGeek. I will name my first-born child after you for sending me this keyboard.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> Optimus Maximus Keyboard Software is a post from Chris Pirillo


Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

After successfully restarting my computer and pulling up the Optimus configuration tool for OS X, it was able to recognize the keyboard and map everything. I want to show you something that is really interesting on the keyboard.

Can you see this? Look closely at the keys. When I press the Shift key, the letters and numbers shown on the keyboard change to their “Shift” equivalents. Isn’t that kinda nice? Or, let’s say you’re thinking to yourself “I can barely see that font”. You really want me to make it a little bigger for you? I can do that if I want to! You can change the font size on your keyboard, bold the text on the keyboard, and even change the entire font altogether. You can do this either for certain keys, or the entire keyboard. You can even change the color of the backlighting to pretty much any color in the spectrum.

The main features of this amazing keyboard are:

  • Revolutionary Keyboard Features a tiny OLED screen on each key. 113 screens total.
  • Each key can be individually programmed to perform a series of functions, open an application or run an Applescript (Mac only)
  • Various System Monitor functions can dynamically display on a key including CPU usage, CPU temperature, Network Speed, and Memory Usage
  • Play a GIF animation or Quicktime movie on a Key
  • Paint images across all keys at once in your image editor of choice
  • Key sets can be linked to an application, so whenever you open that app the appropriate keys come up
  • Powerful layer function allows you to combine existing key sets in different ways
  • Use any language with the appropriate key images including Cyrillic, Ancient Greek, Georgian, Arabic, Quenya, and Hiragana.
  • Display notes, numerals, special symbols, HTML codes, math functions or any other special symbol.
  • Any key (or to be exact, a unit consisting of a cap, a microchip and a display) can be easily removed by hands to be cleaned or replaced
  • Built in USB hub
  • SD Card Slot for Storing keyboard Settings

I’m really looking forward to importing styles that other people have set on their Optimus Maximus keyboards and trying them out. Be sure to send me links to what you’ve done. I can’t wait to really dive in to the software, and set things up based on my wants and needs.

If you get a chance, you truly need to get your hands on one of these. It’s definitely worth the cost in my opinion. It’s just… an out-of-body experience. That’s the best way to put it. THANK YOU ThinkGeek. I will name my first-born child after you for sending me this keyboard.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/optimus-maximus-keyboard-software/feed/ 11 Optimus Maximus OLED Keyboard Unboxinghttp://chris.pirillo.com/optimus-maximus-oled-keyboard-unboxing/ http://chris.pirillo.com/optimus-maximus-oled-keyboard-unboxing/#comments Sat, 16 Aug 2008 01:10:43 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7902 Optimus Maximus OLED Keyboard Unboxing is a post from Chris Pirillo


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There were people waiting up to seven hours in my live chat room today. I FINALLY have gotten an Optimus Maximus keyboard, courtesy of ThinkGeek. I am completely stoked, since I’ve wanted this thing for like… EVER. I managed to let it sit on my desk all day, and build anticipation. People in chat ended up being as impatient and excited as I was for the unboxing.

Time to take a second mortgage on your home or break into your kid’s college fund. With the singing of angels and a ray of sunlight parting the clouds, the fabled Optimus Maximus Keyboard has descended from Russian design studio Art Lebedev like an orgasm of geekiness. As you should know by now this amazing keyboard features a tiny screen on each key… that’s 113 screens in all. What can you do with these tiny screens, you ask? Well, each key can change its image dynamically depending on what you’re doing. Hold down SHIFT and all keys go uppercase. Run Photoshop and you can set it so each hotkey has an image representing its function. Set a key to monitor your CPU usage or display what iTunes track you are currently playing. You can make a key into a tiny clock with moving hands and play animated gif files or even quicktime movies. Of course all this futuristic technology is going to cost you a pretty penny… but we figure you’ll just expense the Optimus and tout its “incredible increased efficiency when using PowerPoint hotkeys” in your expense report summary.

This thing is just… fricken AWESOME. From day one, I wanted this keyboard. Now that I have it, I’m in Geek Heaven. Every key is a separate screen. Look how shiny it is!!!! The keys don’t feel awesome, but that’s not the point. It’ll fit really well front and center on my desk.

After much hard work, I finally got the power run behind my desk, and was able to turn the keyboard on. Look at the secksay purple lights backlighting every key. The coolest thing is when it was plugged in. Before being plugged in, the keys on the keyboard had the Windows key, CTRL key, etc on it. You know, native Windows keys. However, when I plugged it in, it immediately recognized that I was using a Mac. Those Windows keys changed over to Mac keys!!! How fricken cool is that?! The OLEDs aren’t actually on the keys, they’re under it.

Don’t worry, you’ll get to see much more of my amazing new keyboard in upcoming videos. All I have left to say is… I HAVE AN OPTIMUS MAXIMUS!!!!.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> Optimus Maximus OLED Keyboard Unboxing is a post from Chris Pirillo


Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

There were people waiting up to seven hours in my live chat room today. I FINALLY have gotten an Optimus Maximus keyboard, courtesy of ThinkGeek. I am completely stoked, since I’ve wanted this thing for like… EVER. I managed to let it sit on my desk all day, and build anticipation. People in chat ended up being as impatient and excited as I was for the unboxing.

Time to take a second mortgage on your home or break into your kid’s college fund. With the singing of angels and a ray of sunlight parting the clouds, the fabled Optimus Maximus Keyboard has descended from Russian design studio Art Lebedev like an orgasm of geekiness. As you should know by now this amazing keyboard features a tiny screen on each key… that’s 113 screens in all. What can you do with these tiny screens, you ask? Well, each key can change its image dynamically depending on what you’re doing. Hold down SHIFT and all keys go uppercase. Run Photoshop and you can set it so each hotkey has an image representing its function. Set a key to monitor your CPU usage or display what iTunes track you are currently playing. You can make a key into a tiny clock with moving hands and play animated gif files or even quicktime movies. Of course all this futuristic technology is going to cost you a pretty penny… but we figure you’ll just expense the Optimus and tout its “incredible increased efficiency when using PowerPoint hotkeys” in your expense report summary.

This thing is just… fricken AWESOME. From day one, I wanted this keyboard. Now that I have it, I’m in Geek Heaven. Every key is a separate screen. Look how shiny it is!!!! The keys don’t feel awesome, but that’s not the point. It’ll fit really well front and center on my desk.

After much hard work, I finally got the power run behind my desk, and was able to turn the keyboard on. Look at the secksay purple lights backlighting every key. The coolest thing is when it was plugged in. Before being plugged in, the keys on the keyboard had the Windows key, CTRL key, etc on it. You know, native Windows keys. However, when I plugged it in, it immediately recognized that I was using a Mac. Those Windows keys changed over to Mac keys!!! How fricken cool is that?! The OLEDs aren’t actually on the keys, they’re under it.

Don’t worry, you’ll get to see much more of my amazing new keyboard in upcoming videos. All I have left to say is… I HAVE AN OPTIMUS MAXIMUS!!!!.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

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