Keyboards

We know — there’s a certain sect of you out there that just goes bonkers whenever a new mouse and / or keyboard is released. Unfortunately, we’ll be catering to the other 99% with this one. Alongside a few new laptops, a new desktop and a pair of digiframes, HP is also unveiling a whole host of input peripherals this evening. Up first is the HDX Laser Mouse, which features five programmable buttons, on-the-fly DPI switching up to 2,400, five individual setting profiles and USB 2.0 connectivity. Next up is the Wireless Comfort Desktop, which includes a spill-resistant Wireless Comfort Keyboard, a Wireless Vector Mouse (800 DPI), a USB wireless receiver and four AA batteries (imagine that!). Last, we’ve got the Laser Gaming Mouse with VoodooDNA, which cranks the DPI up to 3,200 and includes VoodooDNA GUI software. As for pricing, you’re looking at $39.99, $79.99 and $59.99 in order of mention.

Logitech has unveiled a new ultra sleek palm-sized wireless Bluetooth keyboard with a media remote and a dual-purpose click pad. Dubbed diNoVo Mini, this keyboard has been designed for those who need connect their PC to the TV.

The diNovo Mini features backlight and a click pad, which can be used as a touch pad to point, scroll, and click. It can also be used as a directional pad to navigate menus and make selections.

The keypad features dedicated hotkeys for media players and Web browsers, as well as Page Up and Page Down buttons, which also allows quick switching between channels while watching Internet-based television. In addition, it also has a dedicated button that launches Windows Media Center and media controls buttons for volume, play, pause, stop, fast forward and rewind.The diNoVo Mini comes quipped with rechargeable Li-ion batteries that can last up to one month between charges, eliminating the need to replace batteries. It is available for a price of Rs. 9495 with a 3-year warranty.

Microsoft’s SideWinder has been making some bold, unique design choices with its gaming hardware—and we’re not just talking about the obvious Darth Vader overtones that we seriously dig—they’ve been toying with conventional ergonomic designs and layouts. I love that they’re trying to do something genuinely new—the switchable keypad in the X6, the steel vertical thumb buttons on the first (new) Sidewinder mouse.

The problem is that some of the conventions they buck impact usability occasionally—the vertical thumb buttons on the Sidewinder mice, for instance, is a cramped, inferior setup to the standard horizontal layout. The X6 has a couple of similar issues—the space bar is longer than on most keyboards, running from the tip of the X key all the way to the question mark, so when reaching for right Alt, I’d smack the space bar eight times out of 10, even after a week with the keyboard.

The other major issue, versus other gaming keyboards, is that it doesn’t have built-in USB or audio ports, like ones from Razer, SteelSeries or Logitech (though it doesn’t have audio), for easy swapping of mice, headsets or other peripherals.

I still like this keyboard a lot—the punchiness of the keys is perfect, and has a very Logitech-y feel to it, actually. Dial controls for volume and backlighting are vastly superior to stupid buttons, and add to the "this fully armed and operational battle station" vibe. The removable keyboard is held in place with surprising strength by the magnets, so you won’t worry about it coming apart in the middle of a frantic fragfest. And macros, macros, macros—there are lots of them, although I’m more of an FPS gamer, so they’re less important to me—thought that might change when Starcraft 2 hits.

Eighty bucks puts it at the same price as Logitech’s G15 and Razer’s Lycosa (to which it’s the most similar in style/build quality), but it’s not better than either of those. Spring for this one if you’re trying to complete your SideWinder set, need a ridiculous number of macros, or having a detachable keypad would be the bee’s knees for you. Since this is only their first effort, I am pretty excited to see what they do next with the feedback on the X6. [Microsoft]

The Price: $80

The Verdict: A really fabulous effort.

Logitech has just unveiled the Illuminated Keyboard and diNovo Keyboard for Notebooks as well as the Cordless Desktop S520 keyboard + mouse combo. Featuring a thin (9.3 mm) transparent frame, the wired Logitech Illuminated Keyboard has a soft-touch palm rest, makes use of the PerfectStroke technology which is designed to create longer key travel - 3.2 mm compared to 2.2 mm and combines things like microlens reflectors, a multilayer painting process and laser etching so as to offer a top backlight experience that will surely be appreciated by all "night people." The Illu keyboard is expected to reach US and European stores in October and cost $79.99.

Illuminated Keyboard:

Also boasting PerfectStroke keys, the Logitech diNovo Keyboard for Notebooks is just 22.10 mm tall (from the base to the key caps), utilizes 2.4 GHz wireless technology and has a glossy black finish and an brushed-aluminum palm rest. According to Logitech, the keyboard’s battery offers a battery life of up to 3 years. This one will also make its retail debut in October and it has a recommended price tag of $99.99.

Cordless Desktop S520 keyboard + mouse combo.

Last but not least, the Logitech Cordless Desktop S520 is made up of a wireless and curvy S520 keyboard and a wireless laser mouse that offers smooth and precision tracking. The mouse has a battery life of up to 8 months while the keyboard can top 15 months on one charge. The Logitech Cordless Desktop S520 will be released later this month and cost some $59.99.

Sandberg’s latest computing peripheral lets you operate both mouse and keyboard from the same device within a radius of up to 10 metres from your computer. Wireless keyboards with built-in pointing devices are usually pretty ugly, and Sandberg’s new HTPC-oriented keyboard is no exception: sure, the dedicated Media Center Keys and 32-foot range are nice, but that two-tone color scheme is straight out of 1987. Plus, check the placement of the Media Center button — yeah, that’ll never get accidentally pressed. On the plus side, it’s just £49 ($97), so you’ll have plenty of scratch left over for fiber-optic lights and white shag rugs. source

Hard to believe it has been well over a year since Logitech unveiled its original Cordless Desktop, huh? As of today, said outfit is formally introducing the Cordless Desktop Wave Pro, a two-pack that includes the Wave Keyboard and the MX1100 laser mouse. You’re plenty familiar with the first half of the equation, but the new critter promises to last up to six whole weeks on a full charge, and the included USB plug enables users to charge and work if they’re okay with a temporary tether. You’ll also find a 1,600DPI sensitivity rating, MicroGear precision scroll wheel and eight programmable buttons. Look for the happy couple to land in the US in October and Europe in mid-November for $129.99, while the mouse alone will go for $79.99 two months earlier in each region. Full release after the jump.

Logitech Offers You Its Highest Level of Comfort with Cordless Desktop Wave Pro

Popular Wave Keyboard Now Available with New, Exceptionally Comfortable MX1100 Mouse

FREMONT, Calif. - Aug. 19, 2008 -Logitech (SWX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) is now offering you its highest level of comfort with the introduction of the Logitech® Cordless Desktop® Wave Pro™ keyboard-and-mouse combination. The second-generation Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Pro combines the field- and laboratory-tested comfort of the Logitech® Wave Keyboard™ with the exceptionally comfortable, rechargeable Logitech® MX™1100 Cordless Laser Mouse. If you’re looking to upgrade your mouse only, a battery-powered version of the MX1100 mouse will be sold separately.

"Independent research clearly demonstrates that the Wave Keyboard can help improve the comfort of your typing experience," said Denis Pavillard, vice president of product marketing for Logitech’s keyboards and desktops. "The keyboard’s wave-like shape is popular because it provides comfort without requiring people relearn how to type, unlike traditional ergonomic keyboards. And with the addition of the MX1100 mouse, which was designed according to ergonomic principles, our new desktop gives you even more comfort than the original Logitech® Desktop Cordless Wave™."

Wave Keyboard Improves Comfort
According to an independent study by Peter W. Johnson, Ph.D., of the University of Washington, the Logitech Wave Keyboard improves comfort. Combining three distinctive elements, the newest Logitech keyboard offers you an innovative wave key frame, a U-shaped constant curve and a cushioned, contoured palm rest. In comparison to ergonomic keyboards, you can use a Wave keyboard immediately – there is no learning curve. The Comfort Wave Design guides your hands and cradles your fingers to create a naturally comfortable typing experience.

MX1100 Cordless Laser Mouse
A perfect complement to the Wave keyboard, the MX1100 mouse is designed to support the naturally curved shape of your hand. Logitech’s newest mouse features an elegantly contoured, full-size shape that fits your hand for maximum comfort, providing exceptional palm support.

When sold in the desktop bundle, with its included USB plug, the MX1100 mouse allows you to fully recharge your mouse while you’re working – you don’t need to stop what you’re doing. A 15-minute charge gives you enough power for up to one day. A 7-hour charge provides up to six weeks of power. Or, for your convenience, plug the USB cable into the included AC adaptor and recharge your mouse using any available wall outlet. (When sold separately, the stand-alone MX1100 offers up to nine months of battery life and uses two AA batteries.)

The mouse’s MicroGear™ Precision Scroll Wheel has two scrolling modes, including hyper-fast scrolling for flying effortlessly through long documents and Web pages. Eight programmable buttons allow you to get to the information, the Web pages, the files and the applications you want – fast. With software installed, a stealth thumb button makes application switching easy and zoom controls allow you to zoom in and out of documents with the press of a button. The mouse also features adjustable dpi (up to 1,600 dpi), which can come in handy when editing an image at the pixel level or, alternatively, when you need to move the cursor quickly within a document.

Logitech’s Advanced 2.4 GHz Wireless Technology
To give you a secure, reliable signal in a busy wireless environment, such as an office, Logitech’s advanced 2.4 GHz wireless technology dramatically reduces interference, effectively eliminating delays and dropouts. In fact, Logitech’s wireless technology exchanges data between the receiver and the mouse 300 times faster than conventional 27 MHz wireless technologies for cordless mice – and 800 times faster than conventional 27 MHz wireless technologies for cordless keyboards. Plus, Logitech’s advanced 2.4 GHz wireless technology provides 128-bit AES keyboard encryption for advanced security.

By optimizing the power management system, the improved wireless technology delivers a 3-year keyboard battery life – Logitech’s longest lasting – effectively eliminating the hassle of changing batteries.

Pricing and Availability
The Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Pro is expected to be available in the U.S. beginning in October and in Europe beginning in mid-November for a suggested retail price of $129.99 (U.S.). When sold separately, the Logitech MX1100 Cordless Laser Mouse is expected to be available in the U.S. beginning in late August and in Europe beginning in mid-September for a suggested retail price of $79.99 (U.S.).source

Logitech DiNovo Keyboard Mac Edition

The Mac edition of Logitech’s Bluetooth wireless DiNovo keyboard, which has been around in its Windows state since 2006.

The Mac version has Mac-customized keys like Expose and Spotlight, as well as media playback keys and an on-board trackpad.

Pricing and Availability - The Logitech diNovo Edge, Mac Edition cordless keyboard is expected to be available in the U.S. beginning this month. The suggested retail price in the U.S. is $159.99.

Reviewt: High quality for a semi-premium price. The DiNovo keeps the same form factor as the old PC version, but adds Mac-centered function keys and shortcuts like Dashboard, Mail, Safari, iTunes, iPhoto, Expose and Spotlight, as well as custom playback controls, an on-board mini-trackpad, a volume slider and the obligatory command, option and control keys. In terms of build quality, it’s super stable and can stand up to quite a bit of hard typing if you’ve got hammer fingers. It’s also on the soft side of keyboard (not like the IBM clackfests), so people who enjoy the latest Apple aluminum keyboards will definitely like this. In fact, it’s probably even slightly more comfortable than Apple’s, which is good, seeing as this costs about twice as as their wireless version.

“We’re truly delighted to offer discerning Mac enthusiasts our highest quality in keyboard design and performance,” said Denis Pavillard, vice president of product marketing for Logitech’s keyboards and desktops. “From the piano-black finish to its built-in TouchDisc™ touch pad, the diNovo Edge can make it a pleasure for you to type, control music or launch your favorite applications.”

There’s no num pad, but even without it the keyboard takes up a not insubstantial amount of space on your desk. There’s a nice docking station for recharging once a month. We’d definitely give this a thumbs up for users who type a lot to justify the $160 price tag.

The bottom line: In the Windows world, Logitech’s diNovo edge easily beats its clunky keyboard competition. Against Apple, it stands out a bit less. The is still a better keyboard overall than the iMac’s default model, but not enough to justify its high price.

Specifications

source:[Logitech]

In 2009 Toyota will introduce their solar powered Prius (solar energy will be used mainly for the air conditioning system). Today Buffalo came with a very nifty idea, a solar powered, wireless keyboard…

Forget about the hassle of always carrying a spare battery, just make sure NOT to use your keyboard in the dark.

OCZ is really speeding up its release schedule these days so, after the hasty introduction of the Core 2 SSDs, the company has already started talking about an Elixir II keyboard. Part of the Alchemy line-up, the first Elixir has been unveiled under six weeks ago and is a "value-minded" slim USB 2.0 keyboard which, as unveiled at GC 2008, will be getting a sibling in the not so distant future.  Info about the Elixir II is scarce but hopefully this ‘issue’ will be resolved by OCZ in the coming weeks.

 This OCZ keyboard isn’t perfect, but at $30 it’s quite cheap and much more affordable than other gaming keyboards. If the lack of keyboard profile support and hot-keys on Linux don’t bother you, we have no problems recommending the OCZ Alchemy Elixir Keyboard. After looking at this product, it will be very interesting to see what other gaming products OCZ Technology brings to the Alchemy series.

Features:

    * 10 Blue Macro Keys with 3 User Defined Profiles
    * 7 Internet Hot Keys
    * 8 Keys for Media
    * Mode Selection: Switch between standard PC Mode or customized gaming mode
    * Lifespan: 5 million cycles

Specifications:

    *
    * Part Number: OALKBELXUS
    * Dimensions: (W)20" x(D)7.87" x(H)1.14"
    * Travel Distance: 3.8 +/- 0.2mm
    * Operating Force: 55 +/- 12g
    * Connection: USB 2.0
    * Membrane Tactile Switches
    * Rubberized Coating on all Keys

System Requirements:

    * Windows XP (SP2 or later)
    * Vista (All Editions)
    * CD-ROM Drive

Package Contents:

    * Elixir Software CD
    * Quick-Setup Guide

Sony introduced yesterday, at the Leipzig Games convention, the wireless keypad for your PS3 controller. I don’t know if this system is very practical…
Anyway, you’ll just have to attach the new device to the top of Playstation 3 controller. Available in 8 different languages, apparently the keypad also features a “Touchpad mode” for mouse input. Ther is no further information, in particular about the pricing, but, this new Sony’s device should be on the market this November.