Hi Chris,
First of all, I must apologise if my message appears both at the top and
the bottom of this thread, I forgot to move the insertion point to the top.
I discovered from a little researching on the net that only the iPhone 4
will hold the bluetooth pairing. Hopefully, this will improve with time and
upgrades to the bluetooth stack. Still, either way, this is so much better than
using the soft keyboard isn't it?
Happy typing,
Sandy. Chris,
From my researches via Google I discovered that only the iPhone 4 will stay
paired and that the 3Gs won't. Sorry about that, but, as with many things, many
people are working on this and improvements in the inbuilt drivers may well
sort this for you.
Happy typing!
Sandy.
Sent from my iPhone
On 22 Aug 2010, at 13:53, Scott Howell <scottn3...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Sandy,
>
> I have an iPhone 3GS using iOS 4.0.2 . I also have the Think Outside Stowaway
> bluetooth keyboard. I have had no problem getting it paired, but I cannot
> close it and reopen and press a key to reestablish the connection. I am
> always forced to put the keyboard into pairing mode via control-left
> function-right function and tap connect on the bluetooth menu of the iPhone.
> I was curious if you have this keyboard and if so, how did you get it to
> reconnect when opening the keyboard and pressing a key.
>
> THanks,
>
> On Aug 22, 2010, at 6:39 AM, Sandy Tomkins wrote:
>
>> Hi Ester,
>> Just a comment re the Think Outside keyboard: I am using it with my iPhone
>> and find that with the iPhone 4, at least, there is no need to repair the
>> bluetooth after breaking the connection. Mine just reconnects as soon as I
>> touch a key. So this is great!
>>
>> Thanks for the super description of the keys, I have forgotten where most
>> of the are, so reading your mail will be very useful.
>>
>> Ciao, Sandy.
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On 22 Aug 2010, at 01:56, Esther <mori...@mac.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Anne,
>>>
>>> You wrote:
>>>
>>>> I, too, have one of the mini BlueTooth keyboards but the keys are
>>>> definitely not rubberised.
>>>>
>>>> The only problem I have with it is that it doesn't seem to have a grave
>>>> accent dead key. It has other accent keys such as acute, circumflex,
>>>> diaeresis, tilde and C-cedilla as well as the grave accent on its own.
>>>>
>>>> I gather there is an azerty version of the keyboard available from the
>>>> manufacturer, so I wonder if that one has the grave accent dead key.
>>>>
>>>> Cheers,
>>>>
>>>> Anne
>>>
>>> I'm cc'ing this to the macvisionaries list, since it may be of general
>>> interest.
>>>
>>> Can you use any of the control key sequences on your mini Bluetooth
>>> keyboard to change the keyboard input language for you iPhone analogous to
>>> using Command+Space on the Apple Wireless Keyboard? I've heard that on
>>> some keyboards, the Windows key will act like the Command key. You might
>>> also try using Control+Space, since I can also use some shortcuts when
>>> pressing the Control key in place of the Command key (e.g., in Command+Left
>>> or Right Arrow for movement to beginning or end of line, or Command+Up or
>>> Down Arrow for movement to beginning or end of document).
>>>
>>> I've just received one of the Think Outside Stowaway keyboards that Karl
>>> Smith posted about, and as I'd read, the Command key (alternatively labeled
>>> as a "Windows" key) works like the Command key on a Mac keyboard. I can
>>> also use the dead keys in combination with the "Alt/Option" key to type
>>> accents. The grave accent dead key can be accessed, but in a bit of an odd
>>> way on this keyboard: you need to press the left "Fn" key (key just to the
>>> left of the space bar) in combination with the "apostrophe/quotation mark
>>> (when shifted)" key to the left of the Enter key in order to generate an
>>> "accent". Holding down the Shift key with this combination (e.g.,
>>> "Shift"+left "Fn"+apostrophe) or, since Shift+"apostrophe"="quotation
>>> mark", using left "Fn"+"quotation mark", generates a tilde. This is
>>> normally the key to the left of the row of numbers, just above the tab key,
>>> on the Mac or Apple Wireless keyboards (e.g. "accent"/"tilde" when the
>>> Shift key is pressed).
>>>
>>> If I press Alt+left "Fn"+apostrophe (for the grave accent combination) and
>>> then press a letter key like "e" or "a", I'll hear the accented letter "e
>>> grave" or "a grave".
>>>
>>> Further, if I used Command+Space to switch to a Canadian French input
>>> keyboard, pressing the "apostrophe" key (just to the left of the Enter
>>> key), will type "e grave" directly. And, should I wish to switch to a
>>> French AZERTY keyboard (shudder <smile>), I can press the "backslash" key
>>> (key furthest to the right on a Mac or Apple Wireless English input
>>> keyboard, just above the Enter key and below the delete key) which key is,
>>> on the Stowaway keyboard, located below the Enter key and above the delete
>>> key at the far right, and then next pressing the letter "e" will produce an
>>> "e grave", just as if I had used a French input language keyboard setting
>>> on my Mac, or Apple Wireless keyboard. I hope this isn't too confusing, or
>>> at least, that Anne is able to follow what I'm saying.
>>>
>>> It may help to give a description of the layout of the Think Outside
>>> Stowaway keyboard. It is standard QWERTY with full-size keys, but uses only
>>> four rows, and has 51 keys (really only 50 distinct keys, since the space
>>> bar key is split into left and right halves where the keyboard folds). The
>>> top row of number keys are typed by pressing the corresponding QWERTY keys
>>> in combination with a left "Fn" key to get the regular numbers (1 through
>>> 9, 0, hyphen, and equal sign), and in combination with a right "Fn" key to
>>> get the shifted number keys (on a U.S. English language keyboard this is
>>> "!", "@", "#", "$", "%", "^", "&", "*", "(", ")", "_", and "+"). The left
>>> and right "Fn" keys are immediately to the left or right of the space bar
>>> on the bottom row. The back space/delete key from the top right end of the
>>> row of numbers has been move to lie at the right end of the top QWERTY row,
>>> just to the right of the left and right bracket keys beside the "P" key.
>>> This displaces the "backslash"/"vertical bar" key that normally falls at
>>> the right end of the QWERTY row, and this key moves down two rows to become
>>> a short key just to the right of the "Shift" key on the "ZXC" row of keys,
>>> with the "backslash" and "vertical" line functions accessed by pressing the
>>> right "Fn" key with this key, and adding a "shift", as well, to get the
>>> "vertical line" function. The second row of ASDFG keys is just the same as
>>> on the Macbook and Apple Wireless keyboards -- it starts with a caps lock
>>> key at the left, and ends with the Enter (or "Return") key at the right.
>>> The third row of ZXC keys is also the same as on a Macbook or Apple
>>> Wireless keyboard, save for the addition of a key to the right of the
>>> "Shift" key that we've already mentioned. One modification has been made
>>> to accommodate use of an inverted T set of arrow keys: the key to the left
>>> of the "Shift" key functions normally as a "?" key when shifted, but acts
>>> as an "Up arrow" key when the shift key is not used. The unshifted
>>> function of "slash" has been moved to the extra key to the right of the
>>> "Shift" key -- the same key that, when pressed together with the right "Fn"
>>> key gives "backslash" and with "Shift"+Right "Fn" key gives "vertical
>>> line". Actually "vertical line" can be typed either with right "Fn"
>>> key+Shift+ this key or with left "Fn" key (without a Shift) + this key.
>>> The other arrow keys of the inverted "T" follow in position, with the "down
>>> arrow" below "up arrow", and the left and right arrow keys to either side
>>> of the "down arrow" key on the bottom row of keys. The inverted "T" is
>>> flanked by the right "Fn" key on the left, and the "delete" key at the
>>> right, marking the right end of the bottom of the keyboard. In order, the
>>> keys in the bottom row of the keyboard are: "Control", "Command/Window",
>>> "Alt/Option", "Left Fn", "Left Space Bar", "Right Space Bar" (reflecting
>>> the "fold" in the keyboard running through the space bar), "Right Fn",
>>> "Left Arrow", "Down Arrow", "Right Arrow", and "Delete".
>>>
>>> The feel of the key surfaces is very much like the surface of the Apple
>>> Wireless Keyboard, and the "F" and "J" keys are marked with the same
>>> reference raised horizontal bars at the bottom of those keys.
>>>
>>> I'd encourage any non-English speaker who has a Bluetooth keyboard that has
>>> a Windows key, or any key that might act as a "Command" key on a Mac, to
>>> check whether they can press Command+Space to switch to another input
>>> language keyboard format, if this has been set up under Settings > General
>>> > International Keyboards. I know that Krister has asked about support of
>>> Swedish language keyboards, and Anne has asked about AZERTY support for the
>>> mini-Bluetooth keyboard.
>>>
>>> The Think Outside Stowaway Keyboard runs on two AAA batteries. Pairing is
>>> initiated by putting the device into Bluetooth discovery mode by holding
>>> down the Control key together with both the Left and Right Fn keys. At this
>>> point you are prompted to type in a series of numbers followed by a press
>>> of the enter key to pair the keyboard. You have to hold down the left Fn
>>> key while you press the keys for the numbers, then release the left Fn key
>>> and press the enter key to pair.
>>>
>>> If you break the connection (by closing up the keyboard, which
>>> automatically turns the device off, or by pressing the Control+Left and
>>> Right Fn keys), you have to go through pairing again -- re-establishing the
>>> connection is not automatic, as with the Apple Wireless Keyboard. The
>>> keyboard is fairly sturdy for its build, given the light weight, and the
>>> two halves are held rigid by the mechanism once opened. There's a stand
>>> for the handheld or iPhone that flips up from the top of the keyboard, and
>>> which can be detached from the main keyboard to hold/support your iPhone or
>>> iPod Touch. The size, when opened is 9.9" x 5.8" x 0.5" (251 mm x 148 mm x
>>> 13 mm) and the weight is 160g (5.6oz). This is nearly an inch shorter than
>>> the Apple Wireless and about 60% of it's width. When closed, the keyboard
>>> is 5.5" x 3.9" x 0.5" (139 mm x 99 mm x 13 mm), or about 20% longer than an
>>> iPhone or iPod Touch, and maybe half again as wide.
>>>
>>> Here's an old 9-May-06 review of the "Think Outside Stowaway Bluetooth
>>> Keyboard" by Brandon Miniman at pocketnow.com, that describes the keyboard
>>> I received:
>>> http://pocketnow.com/review/think-outside-stowaway-bluetooth-mouse-and-universal-keyboard
>>>
>>> This keyboard came with a CD (presumably of drivers for use with different
>>> hand-held devices), but the only this I used the CD for was to read the
>>> User Guide.
>>>
>>> HTH. Cheers,
>>>
>>> Esther
>>>
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