The first time we came across Grippity was when it was just a mere media center keyboard. But those days are over as the company behind the concept is doing something completely new, though we are not certain if it has the legs to become a mainstream product either now or in the future. Still, it's an interesting product, one that deserves at least its 15 minutes of fame until it goes into obscurity. The device in question is a tablet with a transparent display along with a touch sensitive backside similar to that in the Sony PlayStation Vita.
The Israel-based maker of the Grippity, Jacob Eichbaum, is attempting to get this idea up and running with Kickstarter crowdfunding, and so far the project has generated $21,550 of the $199,000 funding required to get the product off the ground with only 28 days left.
It's a neat idea to have a tablet where users can use the digital keyboard with more than just their thumbs. It is possible another company might improve on this idea in the future to come, but the implementation in Grippity just won't cut it. The biggest problem here is the transparent display that allows the user to see his/her fingers behind the screen. We believe users might find this annoying, especially when reading text and in direct sunlight.
Anyways, at least these guys are doing something new and trying to innovate rather than rehash the same old things into a new product
Here are the specifications, according to Grippity's Kickstarter page:
- Semi-Transparent 7" LCD display 800X480. Upper 25% non-transparent for thumbs input.
- Back sided capacitive multi-touch panel (approved patent)
- Front sided capacitive multi-touch panel with extended programmable touch area (marked with 2 lit circles)
- Android 4.2 (or 4.4 if available by then, spec allows it)
- ARM processor - Cortex A8 512K RAM
- IR transmitter to control TV's and DVD's.
- SD card slot
- 4Gb internal storage
- Wi-fi, Bluetooth
If you're able to pledge $235 right now, you could receive a tablet for yourself sometime in October 2014. However, this will only happen if Grippity's full pledge is met before the end of the campaign.
