Sony has announced a new wireless keyboard attachment for Sixaxis and DualShock 3 controllers, named simply the Wireless Keypad.
Some of the features of the new Wireless Keypad include bluetooth connectivity, automatic pairing with the PS3 via the included USB cable, a full QWERTY layout, and dedicated shortcut keys for one touch access to XMB features such as your "Friends" and "Message Box".
One additional and rather unique feature of the keypad will be it"s "touch pad" mode. In this mode, a user doesn"t type on the device, rather, he/she can slide a finger across the keyboard, much like a touchpad on a laptop, and move the cursor around the screen either in a game to select an option or in the web browser, to make for easier navigation. How well this feature will work is yet to be seen.
Sony also promises to utilize the Wireless Keypad in more and more exclusive software titles, including the hotly anticipated LittleBigPlanet, allowing for in-game text based chat, should you want to keep your microphone turned off.
You can expect to see the Wireless Keypad on store shelves this fall, if you"re in the US, and by the end of the rest worlwide. A price has yet to be announced