Now before you come to the conclusion that this blog is transforming to another
Google blog, let me make some things clear.
1) There are tons of other posts on this blog that are not related
Google and are extremely cool.
2) This post is not exactly a
Google post.
3) Even if I do post about
Google, it's because they develop so many cool and useful application for the web.
Getting back to the post,
Gmail has long had keyboard shortcuts, though learning them can be difficult. Here is where the
Gboard, a specialized mini-keyboard for Google's e-mail service, comes in.
The
Gboard consists of 19 colored keys set in a standard size numpad-only keyboard. Clicking on any one of these performs that particular keyboard shortcut. Included are
Gmail-specific features such as starring messages, starting a search, and jumping between message threads. Outside of
Gmail they simply act as normal keyboard buttons, and will type in whatever letter or number corresponds with that shortcut.
The
Gboard is powered by USB and requires no special software or drivers, however users need to first enable keyboard shortcuts within
Gmail's settings before using it. Also worth noting is that it was created not by
Google, but by Charlie Mason, a film producer from Venice, Calif.
The
Gboard is a step up from the
free pack of color-coded shortcut stickers that could be tacked onto any keyboard, which were provide by
Google.
At $19.99, the
Gboard is not that expensive; but the device does not come close to including all of Gmail's 69 shortcuts and could be rendered less useful if Gmail's shortcuts change, though the
Gboard could just be the first step toward creating a full-size (100 plus key) version.
Visit the official
GBoard website
here.
