While surfing the Web at lunch time, I found myself looking at two distinct types of new keyboards that will be available in the market soon. Both types hail from Japan, so do not even pretend to be surprised at the newness of the concept.

The first keyboard is the hands-free type. Made by the Japanese company Actbrite, this keyboard is actually designed for use by the physically disabled. What you do with this keyboard is to plug it to your PC and place it where you can see it. And then strap on the sensor to your head.

How does this hands-free keyboard with the strap-on sensor work? Just nod your head to get the sensor to activate the keys that you want to put in. The same goes for moving your mouse around – it only takes a few small movements of your head.

It is completely effortless to use this Actbrite keyboard, so much that even those who are not disabled and are just plain lazy may just be tempted to make a grab for it. This nifty gadget, however, runs for €1,800, so do the math and be prepared to cough up the cash if you want it.

As for the do-it-yourself keyboard, Marubeni has just released a keyboard set that you will have to assemble for yourself. They dubbed this DIY keyboard the Hacoa Keyboard. It is made mostly of wood – walnut, to be exact – and it comes with its own saw, too. So if you are feeling compulsive enough to want to build your own keyboard (hey, putting a saw to your keyboard does promise some stress relief and a few psychological benefits), you can pre-order your own set for a cool $300. Do not worry about compatibility; the keyboard is said to work fine with Mac OS X 10.4 and later, as well as with Windows ME/2000/XP/Vista.