The Nuio Flow split ergonomic keyboard uses magnets to help you find your ideal layout

Oct 15, 2024 11:00 PM - 4 months ago 147456

A caller institution called Nuio, founded by 2 brothers pinch backgrounds successful creation and manufacturing, is rethinking table accessories pinch the extremity of making our computers much comfortable to use. It’s debuting coming pinch a postulation of magnetic peripherals called Flow that’s centered astir a wireless divided keyboard, each designed to make it easier to find your cleanable ergonomic layout, moreover if that’s perpetually changing passim the day.

Tom Wilson, the CEO of Nuio (a operation of caller and I/O), antecedently worked astatine companies including Apple, Google, and Frog Design, while Greg Wilson, the company’s CMO, spent years astatine Frog Design and the imaginative agency Digitas. The brothers cofounded Nuio pinch the extremity of improving really we physically interact pinch our computers. “There are virtually nary correct angles successful the quality body,” says Tom. “Yet we walk astir of our lives hunched complete rigid, rectangular keyboards and peripherals.”

A close-up of the near broadside of the Nuio Flow keyboard.A close-up of the NUIO Flow cushioned wrist pads.A close-up of a toggle move connected the Nuio Flow keyboard offering 3 selectable channels.The NUIO Flow keyboard being charged utilizing a USB-C cablegram pinch a divided design.

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The Flow keyboard features concave keys successful some a radial and wave-shaped layout.

Photo: Andrew Liszewski / The Verge

That’s why the Nuio Flow is an full strategy of accessories and not conscionable a standalone keyboard. It’s designed to onslaught a equilibrium betwixt products for illustration Logitech’s Ergo series featuring a one-size-fits-all keyboard pinch a fixed ergonomic layout and much precocious divided options for illustration the ZSA Moonlander Mark I that users tin walk weeks fine-tuning and customizing. Through the usage of simplified peripherals for illustration stands, wrist pads, and a magnetic base, assembling a comfortable keyboard layout pinch the Flow strategy is almost arsenic easy arsenic utilizing Apple’s MagSafe accessories.

The prima of the show is the $399 Flow keyboard, which has a afloat divided creation pinch 2 independent halves featuring keys arranged successful a radial, wave-shaped layout designed to consciousness much earthy for your fingers to reach.

Unlike different divided keyboards that entreaty to those who for illustration to customize everything correct down to the consciousness of the keys, the Flow uses proprietary rubber dome switches and civilization backlit concave keycaps that aren’t designed to beryllium swapped retired pinch third-party alternatives. The Flow is alternatively targeted astatine those who for illustration the consciousness and quiet sound of a laptop keyboard — specifically those recovered connected a MacBook — pinch a likewise short cardinal recreation and little guidance than mechanical switches.

Each half of the divided keyboard is made from stamped aluminum, which, alongside the rechargeable batteries successful each one, gives them a satisfying heft. Aside from an included dual-headed USB-C cablegram for charging some halves simultaneously, the Flow is wholly wireless. It connects to PCs and mobile devices complete Bluetooth arsenic a azygous device, while a toggle connected the backmost lets you link the Flow to 3 different devices and move betwixt them without having to spell done the pairing process again.

Two Nuio stands positioned successful beforehand of the Flow keyboard.The NUIO magnetic stands attached to the underside of the Flow keyboard.The Nuio Flow keyboard supported by magnetic stands beneath them.

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Adjustable stands are utilized to connect the Flow keyboard to the deskpad utilizing magnets. A knurled instrumentality astatine the guidelines adds hostility to fastener successful a circumstantial angle.

Photo: Andrew Liszewski / The Verge

A rubberized bottommost helps support the Flow keyboard from sliding astir erstwhile you find a layout that’s comfortable for you. For moreover much grip, some halves tin magnetically connect to a $129 Deskpad accessory that’s besides rigid capable to beryllium utilized connected your thigh should you find yourself wanting to usage the keyboard while sprawled retired connected a couch.

The Flow tin beryllium further accessorized pinch adjustable stands. They’re $59 each, but astir users will want 1 for each broadside of the keyboard, truthful 2 are somewhat cheaper astatine $99. They link to the underside of the keyboard successful a fewer different spots utilizing magnets, elevating some halves while besides allowing them to beryllium angled successful immoderate guidance by astir 10 to 15 degrees, providing much layout options. When you find an perfect angle, a hostility instrumentality connected each guidelines tin beryllium tightened to fastener its position.

Once you’ve sewage some halves of the Flow elevated, you’ll astir apt want thing to support your wrists. Nuio besides sells a brace of cushioned wrist pads for $99 that magnetically connect to its Deskpad. And while Nuio isn’t introducing a rodent pinch its Flow system, you tin adhd a $249 compact wireless touchpad that supports gestures and does the full magnet thing, too.

Unlike immoderate products from caller companies that look awesome successful promotional materials but underdeliver connected quality, the Flow keyboard and each of its accessories consciousness for illustration they’ve travel from a squad pinch a batch of acquisition successful some creation and manufacturing. I’ve been testing the keyboard and its peripherals for a fewer days (not the touchpad), and the value feels connected par pinch what companies for illustration Apple deliver, which makes consciousness fixed the brothers’ pedigree. There haven’t been immoderate compromises made pinch the materials, build quality, aliases functionality of Nuio’s first products — but that comes pinch a steep value tag.

Fully divided keyboards are already mostly not cheap. ZSA’s Voyager and Moonlander Mark I some debuted astatine $365, while the wireless Dygma Defy is $369. But they each travel pinch built-in mechanisms for adjusting their heights and angles. The Flow keyboard pinch the magnetic deskpad and a brace of stands is $627, while the full Flow system, pinch the wrist pads and touchpad, will group you backmost $975.

Everything successful the Flow system, including accessories offered successful colors that see abstraction gray, silver, gold, roseate gold, espresso brown, heavy green, and midnight blue, is disposable for preorder today. However, only the abstraction grey type of the Flow keyboard pinch macOS legends, the matching touchpad, and the different accessories successful achromatic will vessel starting connected December 1st, 2024. If you want 1 of the alternate colors aliases a type of the Flow keyboard featuring some macOS and PC legends, you’ll person to hold until January 1st, 2025, for those to ship.

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