Review

Imagine the result of a quick bunk-up between a wireless keyboard, a regular games controller and a Wii Remote, and you will be close to understanding what the Air Keyboard controller is all about.

Cideko's Air Keyboard: Back and dongle

The Air consists of two units: a two-handed controller about the same size and weight as a Sony PlayStation Portable, and a wireless USB dongle that you plug into whatever computer you have connected to your telly. A nice touch: when not in use, the dongle can be slotted into a receptacle on the back of the keyboard for safe keeping.

Hold the Air in both hands as you would a games console controller and its 80 keys fall easily to hand - or thumb, to be more precise.

Two bumper switches on the front edge of the unit act as left and right mouse buttons. The left one also doubles up as the on/off switch.

But the real trick up the Air's sleeve is its motion sensor, which lets you move the cursor around the screen by tilting the Air to the left or right about its vertical axis, or back and forth about the horizontal.

Bumper switches on the front work as mouse buttons

The accelerometer's calibration is very well judged, making the whole tilt-to-move system very easy to master and undemanding to use even over long periods, especially when combined with a big TV screen.

If you find the cursor a distraction while typing there is a disable key that locks it in place.

The keyboard has two rows of function buttons.

Most of the Air's keys replicate those on a regular Qwerty keyboard and have a clean and positive action. The keys themselves are slightly rubberised and pleasant to the touch, but they are just a bit small. My hands are hardly huge but I could easily have coped with a keyboard - and keys - at least 30 per cent larger.

Above the main keyboard sit two rows of function buttons. The top row take care of media player control and worked perfectly with both iTunes and Rhythmbox, as well as Windows Media Player. The bottom row deal with basic system functionality such as opening a search box, starting the calculator or launching your default web browser and e-mail client.

The function buttons aren't programmable so you're stuck with what they do out of the box, but they all worked as indicated with both Windows 7 and Ubuntu 10.04.

All told, I tried the Air with Windows Vista, 7, Linux and a PS3 and it worked immediately with them all - just plug the dongle in, wait for the green LED on the handset to light up and away you go. There's no software to load, no mucking about.

Cideko says the Air also works with kit made by that Jobs bloke.

The navigation pad in the top-left corner can be used to scroll within applications in either the vertical or horizontal planes. It came into its own when used with Google's StreetView allowing for a smooth 360° rotation of view.

Get a grip!

Hold down the button in the middle of the navpad and you can use the Air's motion sensor to pan around documents and web pages.

If the keyboard design has a failing it's the absence of a backlight, a problem in the subdued lighting of your average domestic lounge.

Power comes from a couple of AA batteries one of which sits in each hand grip for perfect balance, and Cideko reckons a fresh pair of cells will give you 50 hours of use. Battery life is helped by the Air's ability to put itself to sleep if not used or moved for four minutes.

Verdict

As an media centre controller, the Air has a lot going for it. It's small and light, and the accelerometer lets you move the mouse cursor around your TV screen with ease. You can even type at a fair old clip. It may lack the style or out-of-sight intuitiveness of the Glide Navigator - reviewed here - but at under £70 its half the price and packs in more functionality. ®

Thanks to Firebox.com for the review sample

More Controller Reviews
Livescribe Pulse Smartpen	Universal Remote R50	GlideTV Navigator	Apple Magic Mouse