Wireless keyboards are nothing new. Whether you’re on a desktop trying to escape the tangle of cables or on a laptop wanting to expand your limited set of keys, a wireless keyboard offers a bit more freedom and flexibility than other keyboards. That said, they still have the same limitations, namely, requiring a separate mouse or touchpad to move the computer cursor around. Not only does that take up more desk space, it also means another device you might forget or lose along the way. Some Bluetooth keyboards add a tiny touchpad off to the side, but that comes at the cost of reducing the number of keys available on the keyboard. This ingenious solution gives the best of both worlds by practically turning the entire keyboard into one giant touchpad you can swipe and pinch, just like any other touchpad.

Designer: Igor Solovyov (Industrial Designer, Clevetura)

Laptops have the advantage of having both a keyboard and a pointing device in a single body, but their arrangement is hardly the best in terms of ergonomics and flexibility. Wireless keyboards with built-in trackpads, on the other hand, try to cram this component in an already small space but still manage to sacrifice keys like the numeric keypad. It’s almost as if there’s no ideal design that solves this problem, but the CLVX 1 boldly tries to think outside the box while offering a keyboard that, at least on paper, matches the functionality of many Bluetooth keyboards in the market today.

In a nutshell, the middle area of the CLVX 1 keyboard is touch-sensitive and functions like a giant touchpad. Thanks to a special slippery coating, you can effortlessly glide your finger across that area to move the mouse around without snagging on the edges of the keys. You can even pinch to zoom or perform any other touch gestures, just like a normal trackpad. As a bonus, the top row of function keys also functions as a slider that you can smoothly swipe without even having to look, making it just as easy to control the volume or any other function you program into the gesture. The keyboard promises that it won’t mix up typing and gestures, as it automatically disables touch detection once you press a key. And in case you’re wondering about mouse button presses, the keyboard has dedicated physical buttons below the spacebar for those actions.

In all other aspects, the CLVX 1 boasts a laundry list of features available on many wireless keyboards and then some. It has a 110-key layout, which is far more than your typical Bluetooth keyboard, and uses scissor switches. The RGB lighting also has a few tricks, like following your finger as you glide over the keys. You can pair up to three devices with it via Bluetooth, but you can also connect to a device using USB-C for a fourth connection.

The CLVX 1 is definitely an intriguing design, but its mettle still needs to be tested in real-world use. The smoothness of swiping over keys will definitely be the biggest point of concern, but the typing experience of having those keys so close together is also an important consideration. Nevertheless, it definitely deserves some praise for thinking outside the box to deliver a design that doesn’t compromise just to mix two functions in one.

The post Innovative Bluetooth keyboard turns its surface into a giant touchpad first appeared on Yanko Design.

Hot on the heels of the new Beats Solo 4 headphones and Solo Buds earbuds, eagle-eyed fans spotted F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo and basketball star LeBron James carrying what appears to be a brand new Beats Pill speaker. This has ignited speculation about a potential revival of the popular portable speaker line, discontinued in early 2022.

The original Beats Pill, launched in 2012, quickly gained a loyal following for its compact size, bold design, and surprisingly good sound quality. After Apple acquired Beats in 2014, they introduced the slightly larger Pill+ in 2015, addressing some sound quality concerns and adding a Lightning port for charging (likely to be replaced with USB-C in the new iteration).

These celebrity sightings with the new Pill come across as a calculated marketing strategy, similar to how the Beats Pill gained traction in the past. The new Beats Pill maintains the familiar pill-shaped design of its predecessors, measuring roughly 8 inches long and 2.5 inches wide. It retains the clean look with just the Beats logo adorning the front grille. A continuous rubberized strip separates the front and back speaker grilles, and rubber feet on the bottom keep it from rolling around.

For reference, the discontinued Pill+ earned praise for its significantly improved sound quality thanks to an internal redesign. It also sported a Lightning port for charging, which will likely be swapped for USB-C in this new iteration. The Pill+ offered a respectable battery life of 12 hours. While details remain scarce, the leaked images show a design that stays true to the classic Beats Pill silhouette. A lanyard attachment hints at portability remaining a key feature.

The post Unreleased Beats Pill Speaker spotted with LeBron could be announced at the Apple Keynote first appeared on Yanko Design.

Discover the best deals on devices and office essentials for remote work during Amazon’s Big Spring Sale.

Ça n’arrête plus ! Une faille de sécurité critique dans le protocole Bluetooth permettrait à un utilisateur tiers malveillant d’enregistrer l’audio capté par le microphone d’une enceinte Bluetooth se trouvant à proximité, même si celle-ci est déjà appairée et connectée à un autre appareil. Cette vulnérabilité peut malheureusement conduire à de l’espionnage de conversations privées que ce soit via une enceinte ou un casque. Tant que c’est bluetooth et qu’il y a un micro, ça fonctionne !

Et s’il n’y a pas de micro, cette faille permettrait également jouer ses propres fichiers audio sur vos enceintes sans votre consentement !

Ce problème de sécurité a été découvert et présenté la semaine dernière par Tarlogic lors de la conférence RootedCon 2024 avec en cadeau bonux un PoC (proof of concept) baptisé BlueSpy permettant d’exploiter la faille.

Ce script n’utilise pas de vulnérabilité non corrigée, non, non. Il exploite tout simplement la méthode d’appairage Bluetooth non sécurisée baptisée « Just Work« . C’est d’autant plus effrayant quand on considère le nombre d’enceintes ou de casques vulnérables qui traînent dans les zones résidentielles, les espaces de travail, les salles de réunion, les lieux publics, etc.

Pour sa démonstration, Tarlogic a utilisé un Raspberry Pi 4 sous Kali Linux, contrôlé par un smartphone. Notez que pour étendre la zone de couverture, il est également possible d’utiliser un adaptateur Bluetooth externe avec une antenne externe.

Mais alors, comment se protéger ? La clé de votre tranquilité et de votre sécurité réside dans la visibilité de votre appareil Bluetooth. Si votre enceinte ou casque est visible par d’autres appareils alors qu’il est déjà connecté à votre smartphone, il est vulnérable. Par contre, s’il n’est plus visible une fois appairé, vous êtes à l’abri.

Pour vérifier facilement si vos appareils audio Bluetooth sont vulnérables, vous pouvez utiliser l’application gratuite nRF Connect for Mobile sur un smartphone Android non rooté. Lancez un scan et si l’application détecte et permet de se connecter à votre appareil audio Bluetooth LE, c’est qu’il est probablement vulnérable. À l’inverse, si votre appareil n’apparaît pas dans les résultats du scan alors qu’il est allumé et connecté, vous pouvez souffler.

Malheureusement, si votre appareil autorise une telle connexion, il n’y a pas grand-chose à faire. Certains appareils émettent cependant une notification visuelle ou sonore lorsqu’un autre appareil se connecte, comme un bip, une vibration ou un changement de couleur des LED donc ouvrez l’œil et l’oreille ! Et surtout, éteignez vos appareils Bluetooth quand vous ne les utilisez pas.

Source