There comes a time when you have to say goodbye to your parents. That time is when you graduate high school. You go to college, set up in the campus, meet new people, your life is barely starting and with it the hassles. Moving in your college's campus implies having room mates and you know what that means. It means everyone must give something from himself and settle for something other that he/she is used with in order to live along.

We're talking about silent agreements and small compromises, like going to bed earlier, keeping the music at a lower volume. If this is the case and your room mates are the studious types, you can get a pair of headphones, but what about the keyboard?. I really hate it when someone shush-es while I'm typing. You know you can't type slower and there's no way you're going to bed at 9:00PM. Thanko released a while ago their first generation of silent keyboards that sold very good but discontinued them for some unknown reason.

Now they're back. That's right, Thanko recently announced their new (and improved?) silent keyboard, the Silent Keyboard EX. It only "screams" out 44.5dB, which is 16.5dB quieter than your usual keyboard. Remembering that a 3dB increase in the sound pressure level equals with doubling the volume, we can relate that a 16.5dB decrease makes the keyboard 5.5 times quieter. It features a rubber key stopper, so the keys will be cushioned.

You can now type as fast as your will when your room mates sleep. Combined with the Silent Mouse EX, that sports the same technology and has a 35.5dB SPL, you will have input companions that you'll benefit from even after college when you want to work late at night and your girlfriend (or boyfriend) is sleeping.

Only sold in Japan, they are however available online, both, for the price of $75.59.

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