In the age of electronic waste, hardware company Impecca has done an impressive job eschewing the plastic casing found on most electronic devices.
Displayed at the Consumer Electronics Week in New York a couple of weeks ago, the Impecca KBB500 keyboard is made of hand-carved bamboo, with an attention to detail visible on each of its keys. While not entirely biodegradabale (the USB cables and innards are the same plastic-and-metal composition of any standard keyboard), the casing is an at least nominally more ecofriendly, and creative, response to the millions of tons of electronics discarded each year, only a fraction of which get recycled.
The keyboard is very similar to the design of a standard PC keyboard, with a smooth wood finish, but features no stand if you happen to prefer one.
The mouse is a little more pared-down than the keyboard: it's a standard 3-button optical device with a scroll wheel similar to basic mice from other companies, albeit a little narrower, so it might not live up to the features and ergonomics of today's high-end gaming mouse.
Depending on your point of view, part of the charm of the keyboard and mouse set are the little idiosyncracies that come with hand-carving. For instance, the etching on the keyboard keys may be slightly uneven, having an effect on the texture of the letters and the readability of some of the keys. The chips and dents that occur with working with wood might make up part of the set's charm, but are superficial and won't affect the performance of the devices.
The keyboard is being sold on the Impecca website for $69.95 and the keyboard and mouse set is being sold for $79.95.
Via: Ars Technica
