A B.C. couple may have the solution for people who find it difficult to type on the increasingly smaller keyboards populating smart phones.
Salt Spring Island’s Bill and Janice Harkley have created typing helpers nicknamed “thornies” – small plastic pointers that adhere to thumbs just below the fingernail that make it easier for smart phone users to see what they are typing and to more accurately hit one key at a time.
The couple claims that after using the product for a short time, most users see a significant improvement in the speed and accuracy of their typing.
"Thornies" work with all types of PDA keyboards, including BlackBerry smart phones, but not with iPhones and other touch-screen devices that have heat sensors.
The Harkleys, through Thorny Texting Inc., are marketing the typing helpers online.
Janice told BIV Wednesday that “thornies” are ideal for people waiting for the bus or at the airport and who want to conduct longer sessions on their PDA.
A dozen thornies cost $2.99, four dozen cost $9.99 and nine dozen cost $19.99. Wholesale prices are available for orders of more than 200 dozen.
“This is something Bill has wanted to do since he figured out the idea in 2007, “ said Janice, who teaches entrepreneurship and business planning at Royal Roads University. For other students and curious would-be entrepreneurs, she is documenting their experience in creating and selling “thornies” at thornydetails.com.
Entrepreneurialism is not anything new to the Harkleys.
They just opened their third bed and breakfast and are former owners of Salt Spring Winery. Janice previously operated and eventually sold an accounting practice.