They have designed a keyboard that represents all 26 letters of the alphabet with only four keys. The letters are grouped by shape:  Letters that stand on one leg, like “I,” “F”  and “T,” are grouped on one key. Two-leg letters would include “A,” “H,” “W” and “M.” Those with a wide base, like “U,” “C” and “Z” on another key, and letters that are sort of circular, like “O,” “Q” and “R” on another.

Interestingly, this fits with past research on reading that found readers typically identify a word by its shape rather than mentally spelling it out. This approach is commonly used in speed-reading exercises. You will be able to download the app for this kind of four-button keyboard from the Android Market Placeor Apple App Store in coming weeks. More info at Snapkeys.com.

This thing fits in the palm of your hand and absolutely defines cute. With Mickey or Minnie Mouse on the case, it is definitely set to please. The camera packs a surprising number of features, such as adjustable picture resolution, and works with a free editing app. We found it at Walmart and online at B&H Photo.

Though the $60 price seems reasonable for a cute camera like this, there is a catch to it. Since it only connects to the iPad, which costs around $500, it’s really a $560 camera. One critic pointed out that you can get good digital cameras for $100, and you could give that to a child or young person and they would be able to plug it into almost any device to unload and view the photos. So to use the new Disney Camera you should already have an iPad, or at least be on the verge of buying one.

By the way, needing the right connector to plug into the iPad can be gotten around by buying a $30 “Camera Connection Kit” from the Apple store. This lets you transfer photos from almost any digital camera.

But back to the camera … The free Disney Pix editing software that you download at the iTunes app store lets you add Donald Duck and other Disney characters to your photos, as well as Disney photo frames and other fun stuff. Photo editing is easy but basic: you can flip the image or crop it. We loved it.  The app can be used with any photos.

The number of paid apps increased by 4% on Android and 2% on Apple platforms during October. Users are willing to pay for games such as Cut the Rope, Zenonia, Need for Speed, and Asphalt 6.

But “Free” was the top search term. The top five Android apps for October were Dropbox, Google Sky Map, Ebay, Angry Birds and Dolphin Browser HD. The top Apple apps for October were TuneIn Radio, Instagram, Zombie Highway, TuneWiki and Doodle Jump.

Jobs says it was the “Blue Box” that inspired his life of invention. The Blue Box was a device that reproduced the tones AT&T used to connect phones worldwide. When Jobs found a list of the tones in an AT&T technical journal at the Stanford library, he and Steve Wozniak created their own box and used it to call the Pope. They didn’t actually get the Pope because they were laughing too hard just before he came on the line.

Bob’s experience with the Blue Box brought down Ramparts Magazine. Like Jobs, he had read about the box and got his hands on the AT&T technical journal. Bob wrote a “how to” article for Ramparts on making free phone calls worldwide. AT&T got a court order to confiscate every issue of the magazine before it went on the stands. With that enormous loss of revenue, the magazine never recovered.

“Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview” is a joint effort of technology writer Robert Cringley and Landmark theater co-owner Mark Cuban. Cringely made Triumph of the Nerds, a successful PBS miniseries. A highlight of the show was Cringely’s interview with  Jobs in which he sorely criticized Microsoft for making bad products. You can see that interview in this film, but it’s a lot more than that.

“Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview” screens at the Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema Wednesday and Thursday, November 16 and 17 at 2828 N. Clark St. in Chicago,  7:15 pm and 9:00pm. For a list of  theater locations nationwide, visit stevejobsthelostinterview.com/

Playing Windows games on the Mac

A goodie for Mac users is “CrossOver Games.” With it you can run popular Windows games on your Mac or Linux computer.  The games include the usual suspects: first-person shooters, fantasy, strategy, and role-playing titles. It lets Mac users run the popular World of Warcraft among many others. The application is $40 at codeweavers.com or download.com.

GogoBeans works on iPhones, iPads, and Android devices and is coming soon to Blackberry and Windows. They call it “shake to bounce” because your photos, music and files bounce from one device to another.

Start by uploading your files to an online storage locker. Then share them by shaking your device near your friend’s. GogoBeans was recently rated the best entertainment app at the CTIA Wireless convention. More info at bu.mp and gogobeans.com.