The Nuio Stream is a brand new ergonomic keyboard and accent system for many who don’t thoughts buying and selling severe money for a smooth and considerate design. Co-founded by two brothers, one in every of whom is a former Apple designer, Nuio has an Apple-like worth proposition: a cut up keyboard and an non-compulsory trackpad, desk pad, magnetic stands and wristpads for $400 for the keyboard alone to over $1,000 for all of parts.
On the middle of Nuio’s product lineup is the Stream cut up ergonomic keyboard, which (right here’s the Apple affect once more) “puts the human form at the center of every design.” Nuio CEO Tom Wilson says the product’s objective is to reject legacy choices that always dictate keyboard design. “There are literally no right angles in the human body,” Wilson wrote in a press launch shared with Engadget. “Yet we spend most of our lives hunched over rigid, rectangular keyboards and peripherals — often enduring hours of wrist pain, tech fatigue and poor posture.”
The corporate describes the keyboard’s cut up, radial design as optimum for hand positioning. (After all, there are many ergonomic and cut up keyboards you may already purchase for a lot much less.) It has curved keys with a scissor-switch mechanism (like many laptops, together with Apple’s present fashions), so this mannequin isn’t for many who like mechanical keyboards.
The keys and their symbols are backlit however with out shade customization. Every cost of the Stream keyboard is estimated at as much as 28 days, however that drops to round 15 days with “some backlight use.” The keyboard features a cut up USB-C cable that expenses each halves concurrently.
The corporate estimates that the non-user-replaceable inner battery will final about two years, but it surely says you may ship it to the corporate for a battery alternative after that. Once we reached out to the corporate to make clear the service’s value, a Nuio spokesperson mentioned the battery alternative is free for the primary two-year window. After that, “there will be a nominal replacement charge.”
In contrast to many top-of-the-line keyboards, you may’t swap out the Stream keyboard’s bodily keys. Nuio additionally doesn’t seem to supply key-changing on a software program degree; its FAQ says it affords “a limited amount of key customization” by way of your machine’s working system.
Whereas most ergonomic keyboards have built-in stands, Nuio sells a $99 pair of magnetic ones individually. They allow you to “tent and tilt” the keyboard alongside a number of axes. The corporate says the stands maintain their place firmly after every adjustment.
Nuio additionally sells a $249 wi-fi multitouch Stream trackpad to enrich the keyboard. The corporate says its edge-to-edge glass floor affords precision monitoring and pressure-sensing. In contrast to Apple’s present Magic Trackpad, it clicks mechanically, not with haptics and pressure-sensing. Nuio says its trackpad affords full gesture assist however doesn’t assist deep-presses like Apple’s. You too can purchase a $59 magnetic stand for the trackpad with multi-axis tilt assist.
The remainder of the Nuio system features a $99 pair of “supremely comfortable” wristpads. They’ll connect to a deskpad, obtainable first in a travel-friendly small measurement for $129. The value of a big one, initially listed on the web site at $179, is “still in the works,” based on an organization spokesperson. The deskpads embrace magnets, too, permitting “precise and flexible positioning of all NUIO components.” The corporate says it strikes a steadiness between firmly holding all of the system’s parts in place whereas nonetheless being simple to regulate.
If you happen to order the keyboard, trackpad, stands for every and enormous desk pad, you’re forking over $1,084. (Cue spit take.) Like a luxurious watch or automotive, the Nuio Stream system asks you to care sufficient about a sublime, trendy design whereas typing (and maybe have an Apple designer’s wage your self) to spend money on the elegant-looking accent ecosystem.
The Nuio Stream Keyboard and its peripherals at the moment are obtainable to pre-order from the corporate’s web site. The keyboard in house grey with a macOS legend, small deskpad keyboard stands, trackpad stand and wristpads are anticipated to ship in early December. In the meantime, if you would like the keyboard with Home windows / twin OS legends or in different colours (silver, gold, rose gold, blue, inexperienced and brown), you’ll have to attend for early January. The massive deskpad is “coming soon.”
Replace, October 15, 2024, 5:50PM ET: We up to date the story to replicate extra present particulars in regards to the keyboard’s estimated battery life and the big deskpad’s pricing, based on an organization spokesperson.
Replace, October 15, 2024, 5:00PM ET: This story has been up to date so as to add a Nuio spokesperson’s data in regards to the battery alternative service’s value.
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