The iZen Bamboo Keyboard really, really looks like an Apple Bluetooth keyboard with a bunch of bamboo caps stuck on top to the existing keys. And oddly enough, there’s nothing in the Kickstarter description to say otherwise.
There are a few telltale clues, though. This keyboard has iPad-specific keys that mimic the home button, search and slideshow functions, and comes with a li-ion battery.
The iZen Bamboo “is the first eco-friendly bluetooth keyboard on the market,” says the blurb, and is made from 92% bamboo. What’s more it is “renewable, recyclable, and won’t pile up in landfills.”
I’m not sure that bamboo is more recyclable than aluminum, and the landfill part might be flat-out wrong: old bamboo has little value, whereas aluminum has a high value in recycling terms. Being grass, though, bamboo is certainly more renewable.
The Kickstarter project wants you to pitch $100 to get an iZen, rising to $129 when it goes on general sale. Amusingly, the maker also tells us that a “USB charging cord is included in the box with the keyboard. ($19 value).”
Seriously? Those things are worthless. Even breakfast cereals come with a USB cable in the box these days.
Should you want in, head over to the project page. And should you be the owner of a lazy pet panda, stay well away.
