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The physical keyboard is back, and it is arguably cooler than ever. In this episode of Tech About Town, hosts Alex Kinsella and Alison Piel are joined by the minds behind the breakout hits of CES 2026: the Clicks Communicator and the new Power Keyboard.
Jeff Gadway (CMO at Clicks) and Joseph Hofer (Founder of Hofer Studio and former lead industrial designer at BlackBerry) discuss how they are channeling the engineering DNA that put Waterloo on the global map to launch a tactile revolution. They reveal the "anti-CES" strategy that earned them massive media coverage without a show floor booth, and dive deep into their vision of "complementary computing"—positioning new devices not just as phones, but as purpose-built tools for focus in a noisy, AI-filled world.
In this episode, we cover:
The "Anti-CES" Playbook: How Clicks used a hotel suite and a creator-first environment to generate outsized buzz and secure spots on the Today Show without a traditional booth.
Complementary Computing: Why the Communicator is designed as a "second phone" to separate signal from noise, rather than replacing your main flagship device.
Design DNA: Joseph Hofer on reimagining the iconic BlackBerry silhouette for 2026 without relying on nostalgia or making a carbon copy.
Hardware Meets Software: How the Niagara Launcher and the device’s unique features create a distraction-free user experience.
Startup Strategy: Lessons on purposeful product design, partnerships, and punching above your weight class as a hardware startup.
Guest Links:
Clicks: https://clicks.tech/ca
Hofer Studio: https://hoferstudio.com/
Tech About Town is brought to you by Communitech, the hub for Waterloo Region’s tech ecosystem. Whether you’re a startup founder or a tech enthusiast, we connect you with the people and ideas shaping the future. Visit us at communitech.ca.
