At CES on Tuesday, third-party accessory maker Matias announced an RGB-backlit wired aluminum keyboard for Mac. Inspired by Apple's own, now defunct wired keyboard, Matias' silver and space grey versions look almost identical, except for the addition of a "color dial" on the back and a dedicated key on the layout that allow users to incrementally shift the backlighting through the color spectrum.

4
Citing a Harvard sleep study, Matias notes that too much blue-light exposure at night is known to negatively impact melatonin levels, which can shift the body's natural time clock — leading to poor sleep and various other health issues. However, the existence of the rotary color dial on its latest keyboard means users can dial back the blue component of white light when they're working late into the evening.

The RGB keyboard features Apple-style function keys to let users control screen brightness, volume, iTunes, and so on, and also includes a built-in USB 2.0 port underneath on the right hand side, for connecting a wired mouse or wireless dongle.

The keyboards cost $99 each and will be available in a wide range of international layouts (US, EU, and Asian). They can be pre-ordered now from the Matias website, with free shipping to the U.S. and Canada, for delivery in late February.

Top Rated Comments

theluggage Avatar
85 months ago
I’m glad to see this. I just wish Apple would come out with a backlit keyboard. It’s odd to me that they haven’t.
It was clearly more important to reduce the key travel and decrease the typing angle - as demanded by absolutely nobody at all.

Not even clear why wireless is a must-have on a desktop keyboard, either... solve the problem with backlights sucking power, and it is jolly useful to have a couple of extra USB-A ports on the desk, esp. with an iMac where all the ports are tucked around the back.

Matias notes that too much blue-light exposure at night is known to negatively impact melatonin levels, which can shift the body's natural time clock
...quite possibly a "thing" in the case of that ultra-bright 27" rectangle that you're staring intently at, but methinks that if your keyboard backlight is disturbing your sleep then you're holding it wrong...
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
theluggage Avatar
85 months ago
Likely to capitalize on scale by sharing parts and processes between desktop and mobile versions
Because they want a uniform typing experience across all their products.
I could almost understand that, but it's not the same part - its a sort of half-way house between the old-style (excellent) key switch and the (horrible) new MBP keyswitch. Its not bad - and I stuck with it for several weeks before deciding it was just less comfortable and somehow more error-prone that the old keyboard, and switching back. Some people seem to like it (but then I know people who liked the hockey puck mouse and Windows Vista :-) ) but several others here have found the same as me: it feels OK at first but becomes uncomfortable after extended use (I think it is a combination of the angle and reduced "springy-ness"). However, I don't recall anybody complaining about the old keyboard unless they were die-hard full-travel people...

A classic case of "It ain't broke: don't fix it!"

Fortunately, it's a very easy problem to solve on the iMac
True.

Unfortunately, the old Aluminium wired keyboard was a really, really good example of how to make an acceptable short-travel keyboard. Fortunately, I have a couple of spares...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mrzz Avatar
85 months ago
It's really difficult to understand that apple hasn't been able to create their own external backlit keyboard - what a shame.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Solomani Avatar
85 months ago
I'd pay a premium for an official Apple (extended with numeric keypad) wireless backlit Magic Keyboard!
[doublepost=1515592043][/doublepost]
It's really difficult to understand that apple hasn't been able to create their own external backlit keyboard - what a shame.
do they know there is a demand?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jamisonbaines Avatar
85 months ago
no pictures of the space grey model?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
theluggage Avatar
85 months ago
I was under the impression that the new MacBook Pro "second gen" butterfly keyboard was about the same as the Magic Keyboard I have. Is that not true?
I've only tried the butterfly keyboards in a shop, but my brief impression was certainly that the 2nd gen in the MBP was better than the 1st gen in the rMB - similar travel but somehow better "feel", but it certainly isn't the same as the Magic - which is still a scissor mechanism.

The travel on the "magic" is somewhere between the "butterfly" and the "classic" key - but it ain't Goldilocks.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
Apple TV Plus Feature 2 Magenta and Blue

Apple TV+ Curbs Costs After Expensive Projects Fail to Capture Viewers

Monday July 22, 2024 5:11 am PDT by
Apple is scaling back its Hollywood spending after investing over $20 billion in original programming with limited success, Bloomberg reports. This shift comes after the streaming service, which launched in 2019, struggled to capture a significant share of the market, accounting for only 0.2% of TV viewership in the U.S., compared to Netflix's 8%. Despite heavy investment, critical acclaim,...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

These 5 Features Will Make the iPhone 17 the Biggest Update in Years

Monday July 22, 2024 4:02 pm PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 16 models that we're expecting to see in September are going to be quite similar to the iPhone 15 models, but rumors suggest that Apple is making big changes in 2025. We've been hearing hints of an all-new device in the iPhone lineup, and it may be the most expensive iPhone Apple has offered to date. New 'Slim' Design Rumors have taken to referring to the new iPhone 17...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Launch Early Next Year With OLED Display, 48MP Camera, and More

Monday July 22, 2024 7:22 am PDT by
The fourth-generation iPhone SE will offer a series of major upgrades over the current model, the leaker known as "Ice Universe" claims. The information was listed in a post on Weibo, which also detailed the specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup. As previously rumored, the fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to feature Face ID and USB-C, marking a major upgrade from current and previous ...
bsod

Microsoft Blames European Commission for Major Worldwide Outage

Monday July 22, 2024 11:55 am PDT by
Last Friday, a major CrowdStrike outage impacted PCs running Microsoft Windows, causing worldwide issues affecting airlines, retailers, banks, hospitals, rail networks, and more. Computers were stuck in continuous recovery loops, rendering them unusable. The failure was caused by an update to the CrowdStrike Falcon antivirus software that auto-installed on Windows 10 PCs, but Mac and Linux...