FrogBlog

Connecting with Bluetooth

ryanthejuggler — 2009-09-08T08:22:44-08:00

I have been using my FrogPad with a MacBook Pro and it hasn't been the greatest about connecting with the Bluetooth. Sometimes it connects right away, but some of the time it takes a very long time. I typically hit Shift on the FrogPad repeatedly until it connects, but I don't know if this helps or if it's my imagination. Is this the FrogPad or the computer, and is there anything I can do to either to fix this problem?

When is the next batch of FrogPads coming in

Davaris — 2009-09-02T10:39:56-08:00

I'd like to buy a USB version of the FrogPad, but it seems you are out of stock. Is another batch on the way? If so how long till they are ready for sale?

New YouTube videos about the FrogPad

Frank — 2009-08-30T07:56:46-08:00

Motivated by the new announcement Linda made and after I've found some free time I recorded a few YouTube videos for all the interested buyers out there

A video which just demonstrates the FrogPad, how typing is done and how other basic functions work:
FrogPad - One-handed keyboard - Overview and demonstration

Next, a video which shows how text editing can be done with the FrogPad.
FrogPad - Text editing

In the third video I recorded my current typing speed I reach on the left handed FrogPad
FrogPad - Speed/WPM measurement

The fourth video shows an exemplary usage scenario, which shows how much more productive the FrogPad can be, compared with other keyboards.
FrogPad - exemplary usage scenario with Cadsoft Eagle

The last video shows both the left and right handed USB FrogPad, how I type on them and how I switch between them on the fly.
FrogPad - left and right handed USB version

I hope you enjoy them and I hope that they are helpful for some of you.

If someone has open questions, ideas for other videos, just post them here

PS: All of the videos are available in HD, too, so select HD in YouTube to see more details and a sharper video.

News you have been waiting for, SoftFrog

Linda — 2009-10-23T09:29:58-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8AiUmueD0Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDBrhVNSpjI
It has been awhile since I have posted on FrogBlog. I have wanted to finish our latest developments before announcing. Yet some of the alphas we sent out were distributed. So I wanted to be the first to let you know what we are up to. FrogPad has IP since 1998 for multi touch applications. It is the IP that allows for FrogPad to work on our Hardware FrogPad. We offer that some of the BIG BOYS are stepping on our patents, yet of course they have more money than GAWD so we prefer to join them. In the Interim, we have developed the downloadable Froggie.

We are working with some other BIG BOYS to license this downloadable product, which we call SoftFrog for multi touch mobile phones and tablets. The apps are working in Alpha now for mobiles using a particular SDK of a company whose name shall not be spoken and tablets using Win 7 and N-Trig technologies. Now that Google has announced that Android will be multi touch, we are committed to developing this app for Android too. This will be developed with a partner.

If you want to be part of a beta group send an email to beta at frogpad dot com if you have an iPhone/iTouch with OS3.0 or Dell Latitude XT with Win7.

What we cannot tell you is what the app will do. And what we can tell you is that we will have an API and SDK for you to use to develop more apps. We will be using a similar licensing model as the JAVA licensing model.

Bottom Line: we will again manufacure the hardware, yet at the moment, we are concentrating on Softy.

Original FrogPad

Davaris — 2009-08-23T13:56:02-08:00

I have to say the original green FrogPad was an awesome looking.

http://www.frogpad.com/FPAbout-CompanyInfo.html

I wish you still sold them in those colours!

Left or right handed model

Tribal — 2009-07-28T11:31:36-08:00

I'm am right handed but am curious about how people chose their model. I was thinking that if I learned to Frogpad with my left hand that it would be easier for me to continue to use my right hand for the mouse.

Thoughts and experiences are much appreciated!

Keyboard Shortcuts on the Mac

ittekudasai — 2009-07-15T13:54:52-08:00

Having just bought a FrogPad and being a graphic designer I knew that I would run into some snags because I'm so heavily dependent on using my left hand for keyboard shortcuts.

Some things I thought just weren't working, and some things I found solutions for:

a) Screenshots . This is normally Command+Shift+3 or Command+Shift+4, but the way the codes are sent from the FrogPad, you have to remember that shift doesn't have the same meaning as it does on a QWERTY Keyboard, i.e. holding "Shift" with a "4" doesn't send a "$" character. But this is what the Mac OS expects.

So to do a screenshoot you have to invoke the GUI mode (Green + U) / Symbol / (Green + W) to send a Command+"$" which is different from thinking "Command+Shift+4".

b) GUI mode sticking after keyboard commands I hope there is some good way to avoid this. Modifiers often stick after I invoke a complex keyboard shortcut, but most notably when I do something simple like "Command-C" for copy. The Copy command executes, but the GUI light goes off and yet the computer still acts like the Command Key is being held down. So when I try and select things it starts making non-contiguous selections, or if I try and select a window in the background is moves it without bringing it to the foreground (as is expected when you hold down Command and click a titlebar).

The only solution I've found is to Hold the Green+U and hit the letter, but this obviously isn't possible with "C", since you have to release the Green to tell the frogPad to type a "C" instead of a "T". And for complex combinations like Command+Option+Ctrl+S, you have to invoke all those modes one by one before finally hitting the "S" and then some of those modifiers stick.

There really needs to be an easier way to invoke the Ctrl/Command keys, like a an additional key on the left side above Shift. And though I realize it's probably impossible, the cognitive change from knowing that "shift" no longer raises up the keystroke to the character above it is a little hard to wrap your head around.

Alternative tutorials

JoeLudwig — 2009-07-16T21:44:31-08:00

I'm not excited by the Demarque tutorial for two reason:
1) Online only: I don't really have time to practice outside of my 2.5 hours on the bus each day. And when I'm on the bus, I don't have an internet connection.
2) $30/month (or $50/six months): Really? I can't just pay once and use the software as long as I need it? They seem to support that option for their other typing tutors. Is this a subscription just because it's online?

So I'm looking for other options. Does anyone have a typing tutor for Frogpad to recommend that doesn't suffer from these two issues?

(Typing "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" in notepad will only take me so far.

Joe

Do you really plan a next generation of bluethooth left-hand keyboards

hkiessecker — 2009-09-15T20:22:22-08:00

Dear Frogpad Team
As no more lefthand bluetooth keyboards are available should I better buy a righthand device before investing still more time in training with my lefthand one?
I am a little afraid that there won-t be a new generation... and I already tried to find at least a used second failout device - without success.

USB does not fit because cannot cope with mechanically.

Should I wait for next BT lefthand device, hoping that my current one stays working...

Do you could find some two or three lefty bluetooth ones - they may be in used condition - I would pay for as they were new. Thank you very much and God bless

Harald Kiessecker

Mini laptops

Frobozz — 2009-06-29T08:01:33-08:00

We just got an HP mini laptop here at the office, pretty neat little machine. They are much more functional then I would expect. They run office 2007 (which is a hog) without problems, they use intel's net atom processor. The only problem is that you are stuck with a qwerty. I wish HP or dell would offer a frogpad as on option for the built in keyboard vs the qwerty.

H-Key stopped working

mhill — 2009-06-14T04:10:00-08:00

I've had my Right-Handed USB Frogpad for a couple of months, and the H-Key has stopped working. All other keys seem to work fine. What do I do?

Frogpad gaming

joe — 2009-06-07T05:54:44-08:00

Hello. As my title suggests, im not yet a frogger.
Whats holding me back you say? I'm a gamer you see. i play instead of watching TV.
And what has always bugged me since day one of gaming. is the switching between mouse and keyboard with my right hand to chat(play only online)
I was excited when Touchstream LP was announced, but it was a bit pricey, so i thought id wait a bit. and now the company isnt producing anymore. Which saddened me alot. since it indeed seems a very very good way of going about the problem i had(it even had game mode)

The Other option out there is Frogpad. Typing speed isnt important for me. what IS important is keeping one hand on the mouse(or which even device i use to controll the game) and one on the keyboard for spells and weapons. and quick chat without loosing controll of my character.

a propos gaming. Ive read that the pad always waits a bit after keystrokes before sending them to the computer(aka keystrokes will lag in the game). Is this true even for the top layer of keys? As you can imagine, in any FPS a sidestep at the right time without lag is crucial(for example, when i have 200ms lag i die ALL the time. thats only an increase of 100-150ms from good responsetimes). Same in mmo's, lagging a bit while healing in games is devestating to the raid(raid = 24 other ppl playing with you, in real time.) And failing in raids is extremely unwelcomed.

These things make me hesitant to buy the frogpad.
So my question rephrased is :

Does the frogpad wait a while untill sending keystrokes to the computer. if so, does it do that even with the top layer of keys?

If so. i have a suggestion, A gaming mode!
What would a gaming mode need? not alot really. as most games allow for all keys to be remapped. the keys themselves dont change so much in effect then when game mode is activated. But what's needed is that when game mode is employed only the top layer is activated(activated maybe by a quick double tap shift, or symbol(or have it customizable?)). And when game mode is activated, with only the top layer activated, sends the keystrokes immediatly!

Well. thats it for me really, i dont need any money for this awesome suggestion, just make the frogpad a gamers first choice!

Number Keypad Trouble

DavidR59 — 2009-04-23T10:11:11-08:00

I perform and score sleep studies and thought using a FrogPad would make scoring easier. I just got the FrogPad today and I�m running into a problem.

The program we use to score the sleep studies is RemLogic; and the company that makes RemLogic is Embla (www.embla.com).

On a Qwerty keyboard, RemLogic distinguishes between the number keys along the top of the keyboard and the keypad to the right. In order to score a sleep study, I must use the keypad (the keys along the top won�t work), but there are also times I need to use the number keys along the top too (which serve a different function). When I used the FrogPad, the number keys act like the keys along the top of the keyboard.

Is there a way I may remedy this?

Frogpad on G1 (T-mobiles Android) and iPhone....

patnee123 — 2009-03-01T10:56:49-08:00

Does anybody know how to manage to get it working on the G1 (and secundary on the iPhone). The one that gives me the 2 satisfying solutions gets my secundary frogpad (iFrog, bluetooth) with dead battery (but works fine on charger or USB as charger) for free.

Would really like to have it running on my android phone.

Patrick

How do you think about this keyboard

FROGLOVER — 2009-02-18T19:37:07-08:00

http://opqrest.blog.sohu.com/110326905.html
Dear Sir,
I would hereby introduce a double way keyboard which does not require touching or typing, but just drawing various lines continuously on a surface using a pen or one of your fingers without raising up in the air.

The double way keyboard is simply a touch screen with a ring fixed on. On the inner side of the ring, there are 4 points scattered evenly. In case of high pressure, there are the 4 points on the lower part. In case of low pressure, there are the 4 points on the upper part. There are altogether 8 points.

A line could be written between every two points. A number or letter is represented by two lines. Each line is after another so that two lines equal to one button. There are 11 line models in the keyboard so that there are 11X11=121 buttons.

As for each capital letter, the first line is always between the upper part and the lower part. Thus it comes after the symbol �/� in the initial display.

figure1

Lines on the upper part are symbolized as continuous lines.

Now let us enter two capital letters WO as an example.

The first line of the capital letter W is a vertical line between the parts.

figure2

Lines on the lower part are symbolized as intervally continuous lines.

The second line of the capital letter W is a diagonal line. The display shall go back to the initial but not the exact as figure 1, for the points are now on the lower part.

Figure 3

The first line of the capital letter O is a diagonal line between the parts. In this case, the line shall be drawn from the lower part to the upper part.

Figure 4

The second line of the capital letter O is a vertical arc. In this case, moving along the left arc shall enter the letter and the display shall go back to the initial.