LG Versa

The LG Versa incorporates a novel design: a removable QWERTY keyboard that's built into the case/cover. Reminds me of some of the early Tablet PC models that incorporated a detachable keyboard for the times when you need to do a lot of typing. Then, you can remove the keyboard if you need to carry the ultralight tablet around all day.

The engineers at LG may be onto something exciting here. Imagine what could be done if Apple also copied this design and created a case/keyboard for the iPhone? Samsung with the Omnia?

Windows Mobile 6.5: Touch Input

According to the folks over at Brighthand, Windows Mobile 6.5 is official. However, it may be a while before you see it out there (unless you happen to know some people at Microsoft). Of course, developers have been working on leaked ROMs that are based on Windows Mobile 6.5.

Smartphones are transitioning to finger-only input. The phones that are "business" or "professional" still have a hardware keyboard with physical buttons. But the vast majority of other phones running Windows Mobile are relying on screen-based touch input.

We've seen this phenomenon burst with the iPhone. Now we have the BlackBerry Storm. On the side of Windows Mobile, we have Samsung with the Omnia and HTC with the Touch Diamond, Fuze, and Touch Pro (which is a slider with a keyboard). LG has the Incite.

So are you ready to transition to a phone that only has a touch screen? Can you live without a hardware keyboard? How will this impact your search for drugs when you're using Epocrates? What if you're typing an email or editing a contact?