I have a love/hate relationship with soft keys. Never seen one corrode. I love the idea of 'in the field software updates' and after market 'new functions'. I have been working on a product that will have new functions for money in the future. It will cost us almost nothing to down load a new application with new buttons. $$$$$$
A friend is playing with a camera that watches your hand movements to get information. It can see you typing on your desk. It almost knows sign language. It knows up, down, left, right, fast/slow, move, copy, make big, make small, etc. If you touch your left wrist with your right finger it will give you the time of day. OK it does not work 100% but touch screens did not work 100% when they started.