How fast can you type? [Article]

Well, you may need to learn a new keyboard, if you want to type faster, especially on the now nearly ubiquitous touch-screens! (and come to think of it, you probably need to, whatever your current speeds are!) GigaOm highlights a new keyboard layout called KALQ that promises to take over from the legacy of the typewriting keyboard, which was designed to ensure that the typewriter was as efficient as possible.

 KALQ was designed so the most commonly used letters are clustered, which means the travel distances are short and both hands work roughly equally and alternately. Most of the vowels are positioned near the space bar and are handled by the right thumb, while the left thumb takes care of most of the consonants and most of the first letters of words.