#open-source-hardware

#open-source-hardware

Smartphone processor and modem maker Qualcomm is acquiring Arduino, the Italian company known mainly for its open-source ecosystem of microcontrollers and the software that makes them function.

Instead of keys, the Gboard Dial Version keyboard features various alphanumeric characters and functions laid out beneath a series of nine dials of various sizes, including one just for the return key. To type a specific character, you stick your finger in its corresponding hole and then rotate the dial until you reach its limit. When you release it, the dial rotates back.

The dial is divided into three stacked layers, reducing the overall size of the device while still allowing for full character coverage. A single rotation cycle can be faster than pressing across a wide surface of keys, and the layering also allows parallel inputs. Function keys and cursor keys are placed on smaller independent dials around the main dial, so users can operate multiple rotary controls depending on the task.