Tap Strap 2 - All-in-one keyboard, mouse, and air gesture controller

Often time I find myself looking for new ways of accomplishing various tasks. For this reason, I like new innovative tools or devices that help with increasing efficiency, do things in ways you never thought of before, and also have a fun element to them. Tap Strap 2 is one of those devices. First I saw it on @steemhunt. I really liked the idea of reinventing how we interact with our computers, tablets, phones, and other devices. However, I am always skeptical of innovative devices. Because of half of the time startups they over-promise and do not fully deliver.

Tap Strap 2 is a second version and is an upgrade to Tap Strap. So, they have made some improvements to the original product and added air gesture controls. I wanted to give it a try but was not prepared to pay $200 for it. Usually, the first thing I do after researching the products I like I search for available coupons on the internet. You will be surprised how most of the products we buy have coupons available. If you are not looking for these hidden discount codes and coupons you may be throwing money away.

Very quickly I found several discount codes. The best one was $25 off. $175 plus tax still seemed expensive. So, I was not ready to buy yet. Then Black Friday / Cyber Monday week arrived, I saw Tap Strap offering 30% discount. I thought it was a good deal. But I had to try one more thing. I remember there was a $25 discount code. I added that on top of the 30% discount and was able to lower the price down to $115. Now, this was the deal I couldn't ignore and ordered my Tap Strap 2. I received my package about a week ago and have been testing and playing with it.

Tap Strap 2 is a wearable device equipped with a gyroscope and accelerator. It uses haptic technology to detect finger taps and registers them as key inputs. You can use the same device in either the left or right hand. You can even alternate hands if you choose to, simply change the hand selections in the TapManager App.

It comes in two sizes: small and large. On their website they a measuring tool to decide which size is better for you. Also, the way Tap Strap 2 is designed you can adjust rings with the straps that go through the rings. It has a charger case. Charger case itself can be charged and used to charge the Tap Strap 2 at a later time. I haven't used it for more than an hour a day. I haven't faced running out charge issues. In fact, most of the time when I looked charge was above 80%. It supposes to last a full day of use. It connects to your devices via Bluetooth. Super easy to connect, had no issues there. There is only one button on the Tap to connect and disconnect it. When you are not using but still wearing you may want to hit that button. Otherwise, your hand movements continue registering inputs.

Using Tap Strap 2 as a Keyboard

The way it works is, your each finger tap or combination of tapping multiple fingers represents a certain assigned character. Since it is a completely new way of inputting text, it will take some practice to get used to it. They have done a good job of creating Apps to help with this learning curve. The first app you would want to install is TapManager which is used to configure settings and update software. The second app you will need is TapGenius which has tutorials and practice tests that show how to use Tap Strap 2 step by step. After you go through the tutorial phase, you can use Endless Mode to continue practicing and improving your tapping. The third app you will need is Tap Academy which has multiple game style practices where you can measure your improvement and see how fast you are tapping. They have more apps, but these three should be enough to get started.

I have been practicing for about a week and currently tapping 30 wpm. It is fun, comfortable to use and I like. However, I don't think it is a replacement for a keyboard. I think it is a good additional input device to use occasionally. I don't see it replacing my keyboard at this time. Maybe it will once I get better at it.

I works great on a flat hard surface. It also works on soft surfaces like carpet, couch, chairs, etc. However, accuracy drops to 85-90% on a soft or curved surface. Maybe practice may improve that too. Not sure at this time.

What is really cool about Tap Strap 2 is customization. So, it comes with a default keymap that you learn going through their tutorials. You can build your own keymaps based on different use cases like for different languages, playing certain games, using for different software. Not only you can remap every tap combination, but you can also configure it so it executes series of inputs. For example, if you have a certain combination you use for playing a game, you can assign it to a single tap. I have not played with this feature yet. But they have a TapMapper tool that allows you to create custom TapMaps. Moreover, community members can share their maps and you can use maps others have created already.

Lastly, it can be super helpful to use with VR devices.

Using Tap Strap 2 as an Optical Mouse

The thumb ring of the Tap Strap 2 has a flat area. To activate mouse mode you simply place the flat area on the flat surface. Then just move your has as if you are moving your mouse. Tap index finger for a left-click, and middle finger for a right-click. Since it only registers taps, for drag & drop, and scrolling you need to use tap combos. To get back to keyboard mode simply lift your thumb off the surface. You can configure mouse and scroll sensitivity in the TapManager app.

Using Tap Strap 2 as a Air Mouse or for Air Gestures

For Tap Strap 2 they have added air gestures. I think air gestures only work on phones and tablets. To enable this feature you will need to configure assistive touch on your device settings. Once that's done, you move your hand to a gesture mode as shown in the image above. Now you can swipe and scroll up, down, left, right. I only tried this once and wasn't super impressive. Since I wasn't testing it on my phone I don't really think air gestures are really necessary. I will go back to test this more at a later time. At this time keyboard and mouse seems sufficient. That is to use it on a computer. I used it on a Macbook Pro in keyboard and mouse modes. It connected and worked without any issues.

Overall, I like Tap Strap 2 and do not regret buying. I like the design, the technology behind it, how ergonomic it is to use, apps they have built. I will continue using it. Will it replace my keyboard & mouse. Probably not. But I can see the benefits of using in combination with traditional keyboard & mouse. I still think $200 is too expensive. Currently, they are offering a $50 discount which will be available until December 21.

I also like the fact that they offer open source Tap SDK for developers and trying to build a community around the this tech. Visit TapWithUs to learn more about Tap Strap 2.