Local start-up develops pop-up keyboard for tablets

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- It's one of the big nuisances of modern technology -- a lot of people say typing on a piece of glass just isn't the same as using an old-fashioned keyboard. Now, a Bay Area team has given ABC7 News a look at their first product and a possible solution.

At a conference a few months ago, Google got people's hopes up. A presenter said, "What if there was an Intel material that was a simple as paper but could change form and change shape in response to touch?"

They certainly oversold it. They were actually just talking about the new look of their software, but all those oohs and ahhs? That's because a touch screen that changes shape has been called the holy grail of modern computing. Patent filings as far back as 2008 show Apple trying to come up with a way. Now, a Bay Area start-up's announcing -- they've done it.

"When you see it you're like, 'Whoa! Where did those come from?'" Tactus co-founder Micah Yairi said.

Out of a flat plastic screen cover, little round ridges rise up with the flick of a switch. The company is called Tactus and yes, that rhymes with cactus, because both are filled with fluid.

"There's a small reservoir of fluid. And when you slide the slider on the back, it presses against that reservoir and that fluid is routed properly and makes the physical buttons rise up on the screen," Yairi said.

Their first product, called "Phorm," is $100 case for the iPad mini that ships this summer. The makers say it speeds up your typing by helping you develop muscle memory.

"Your actual satisfaction with the typing experience changes, from one that's frustrating to one that's more actually enjoyable," Yairi said.

Tactus hopes to sell a lot of their iPad cases, but this is only the beginning. Before long, you'll be able to buy a tablet with this technology built right in.

"What we're doing is replacing the glass in an existing touch screen with one of the Tactus layers, and then integrating it into the operating system," Tactus CEO Craig Ciesla said.

A small Android tablet's screen can change shape automatically, whenever you bring up the software keyboard. Like the iPad case, it has just one set of keys they're either on or off. But future versions could be more elaborate.

"A programmable surface, where you can have whether it's keyboards, gaming controls, media controls, it's really whatever you want, wherever you want on the screen," Ciesla said.

And if you're thinking how nice it would be to have that on the touch screen in your car, Tactus says automakers have already started getting in touch.