Virtual keyboards have come a long way. Far enough to be so powerful that you don’t really need a physical keyboard. But don’t be surprised if there comes a time when tapping relentlessly on screen and making mistakes or moving slower than your typical pace is no longer good enough. For those occasions, it wouldn’t hurt to have a physical keyboard to go along with your Android tablet.

The Toshiba Wireless Keyboard – Android Optimized is a device to have for those times that you want the benefits of physical keys to press, increasing speed and accuracy in the process. As the name implies, this a tablet-friendly Bluetooth keyboard built specifically with Android in mind (USB cable also available). Optimization for Honeycomb (3.0 or higher) means that this device isn’t simply a Bluetooth keyboard that connects to your tablet; it has a set of “Hotkeys” tailor-made for Android. There are buttons for accessing back, home, menu, or search, so common functions don’t require actually reaching over to touch the tablet. You can also control audio levels and playback settings, get shortcuts for email, and jump directly to the calendar.

The TWK-AO, available for $69.99, adds a jolt of productivity to anyone with an Android tablet. Androinica.com and Toshiba USA are teaming up to give a free keyboard to one lucky reader – consider it a late holiday present.

The rules for entering are very simple

1. Follow both @androinica and @ToshibaUSA on Twitter
2. Send BOTH handles a tweet with the tag #AndroidHoliday. For example: “Happy #AndroidHoliday from @androinica and @toshibaUSA, who are giving away a keyboard optimized for Android tablets”
3. Limit yourself to ONE entry PER DAY. The contest runs from now until December 26th, 2011.
4. Open to all legal residents of the United States

Good luck!

Yes, I love this particular story and I’m definitely getting one of these units when they materialize. I’m a big fan of retro video game console emulation on mobile platforms, and while the on-screen controls usually work really well; they can’t beat proper hardware gaming buttons.

The Game Gripper accessory has been around for a while, and it’s a game controller that you simply clip over your phone’s keyboard and it uses the existing buttons. But what if your phone doesn’t have a hardware QWERTY? That’s when the Game Gripper with Bluetooth support saves the day. It works just like any Bluetooth keyboard, and the accessory will support many different devices since the clamp that holds your phone is adjustable.

There’s just one little obstacle that currently stands in the way of gaming goodness: the mechanical engineer behind the Bluetooth Game Gripper needs $30 000 in funding to start producing them. He’s getting the necessary cash via Kickstarter, so visit the site if you want to donate or place a pre-order.

The Game Gripper with Bluetooth support is expected to start shipping in April or sooner. We’ll keep you posted on the progress.

Via [Engadget]

In late September, Sony Ericsson introduced a new neat Android accessory to the world: LiveView. It looks similar to a big, digital wrist-watch, and acts as a second display for your phone. Via Bluetooth, LiveView can show instant notifications for SMS and incoming calls, and it can also provide you with Facebook and Twitter updates, calendar reminders and RSS feeds.

The little gizmo may also be used as a remote control for your music app, and since the functionality of it can be extended with compatible third-party apps, LiveView shows promise.

Not many LiveView reviews are out yet, but if you live in France or the UK and want to grab one – now you can. In the UK, you can get the accessory from Amazon and SuperETrader-UK for £55.99. In France, LiveView is sold by The Phone House for €59,00.

Via [EuroDroid]

Sony Ericsson has a new accessory for Android phones in the works called LiveView™. The device is similar in appearance to a digital wrist-watch, and it’s meant to act as a second display for your phone. Besides showing instant notifications for text messages and incoming calls, LiveView™ can display Facebook and Twitter updates, as well as RSS feeds and calendar reminders. The device may also serve as a remote control for your music app, a phone finder and a regular watch.

LiveView™ isn’t just intended for Sony Ericsson devices, since it should be compatible with most Bluetooth enabled phones running Android 2.0 and above. The functionality of the accessory can be extended with various LiveView compatible third-party apps. An application that has already implemented LiveView support is the work-out tool SportyPal.

One battery charge will typically last 4 days according to SE, and the accessory measures 3.5 x 3.5 × 1.1cm. LiveView™ features a 1.3-inch OLED display with a 128×128 resolution and will be available in select markets Q4 2010.

Via [Sony Ericsson LiveView, SweDroid]

However, it looks entirely possible that Zeemote could be adding Android to that list very soon, as the video below proves.  You see, Zeemote released their own Android SDK last month,  prompting someone to beaver away porting Quake III from a PC to make it run beautifully on a Motorola Droid, then making it equally as brilliant to play using the JS1.

Now all we need is for Android games developers to start supporting the JS1 in their games, as judging by the video, first-person shooter games will be transformed by it!

Impressive as it is though, do we really need such a thing for a mobile phone?  Isn’t the whole point not to have to carry accessories around to play a game?  How about you, are you a gamer who would consider the JS1 a must-buy when it’s a commonly supported accessory for Android?

(via Mobile-Ent)

The Q1 Android app now makes it possible for users to listen to their text messages read aloud, which will prolong the hands-free experience. When someone receives a text message, the Q1 headset will notify that person that a message has been received. It will then read the sender’s phone number and the full text message using a text-to-speech engine.

BlueAnt also recently added A2DP to its Q1, which enables GPS navigation and audio streaming being piped into the headset via Bluetooth. The Q1 retails for $99, and can be enhanced by the free Android application. Android 2.0 or above is required in order for these features to work.

BlueAnt will make the app available April 1 in the Android Market and the MyBlueAnt website.

The H790 headset is 1.85(h) x 0.71(w) x 0.47 inches (d). It has a flexible hinge that fits snugly on the ear, and comes with five earbud options to find the best fit. Other features include CrystalTalk noise reduction and dual mics for improved communication, up to 5 hours of talk time, Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, and a 33-foot Bluetooth range. There’s even a Rapid Charge feature that can provide up to 2 hours of talk time on only 15-minutes of charging.

On my first day with the H790, it took only a few seconds to pair it with both my T-Mobile G1 and Sprint Hero test unit. A few minutes later, a voice prompt told me that there was an incoming call on Phone 1 (my G1) before the phone even began ringing. I tested the headset in a typical conversation with my father: starts with banter, segues into an inquisition, and ends in a life lesson. Our 10 minute conversation was headache free, at least in terms of sound quality. I had no problem understanding what was said or being understood when speaking.

Sound quality was consistent for most conversations over the next week; however, there were two random episodes of static during calls. The static lasted for a few seconds at a time and didn’t prevent me from understanding anyone I spoke to, but it was annoying to hear. Otherwise, call quality was exceptional. My contacts’ words were crisp and they reported that I sounded clear as day when asked. The CrystalTalk feature does a terrific job of canceling background noise to make it easier to communicate. As I walked down the street to meet someone for lunch, we were able to understand each other despite the sound of passing cars.

Overall, the Motorola H790 is a definite keeper. The solid build, call clarity, and comfort provided make this a quality Bluetooth headset. The H790 has a suggested retail price of $80, but I have spotted it for as little as $52 at Amazon or $59 at Best Buy.