Hasta La Gadget!

Logitech has unveiled a new keyboard that isn’t aimed at desktop users or gamers. This keyboard is called the Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard K830 and it is specifically designed to allow HTPC fans easy control over their computer when sitting on the couch.

The big feature of the keyboard is backlit keys that make it easy to control your machine in the dark. The backlight has a sensor that will change the intensity of the backlight depending on how much light is in the room. That should help the battery last longer in the rechargeable keyboard.

Logitech also built in a trackpad with dual buttons on the side to make controlling the cursor a snap. Wireless range for the keyboard is 33-feet and it ships with a small Unifying receiver for connectivity. The keyboard will ship this month for $99.99(USD).

It’s too bad there’s not a version that will work with set-top boxes and not just PCs.

The living room is no longer the domain on the TV – never mind if it was during the days where everything was shown in black and white, or when color TV first hit the scene and you had just three or four channels to choose from. In fact, TV shows have received plenty of heated competition from the likes of video game consoles over the years, not to mention this thing that is known as the Internet which has definitely captured the attention of many a person that TV can be forgotten. Apart from game consoles, computers too, have evolved to such a point where they no longer arrive in ugly cases, but rather, look sleek to boot even when placed in your living room so much so that it does not look out of place. Steiger Dynamics knows this, which is why they have come up with the Maven Home Theater PC (HTPC).

The Maven HTPC is an aesthetically pleasing living room device which is capable of just about doing it all, including replacing that Blu-ray player of yours (unless you are one of the many folks who purchased a PS3 as a Blu-ray player primarily, game console next), DVR, Desktop PC, and gaming console. This would certainly make the Maven HTPC a unifying device, offering less headaches with just a single remote control and virtually unlimited functionality.

Maven has been declared to be the world’s most powerful Home Theater PC in its segment, and is already available for order via the website configurator. There are three different lines to choose from, with the Pure line starting at $999, where it caters to the media center, audio and video enthusiasts. As for the Core line, it has been tailored to the hardcore gamer, while the Reference line offers the highest processing and graphics power for the ultimate enthusiast.

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[ Maven HTPC looks great, performs even better copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

We’re finally half way to MediaPortal 2.0, and while version 1.5’s updates are more nuts and bolts than 1.3’s flashy visual overhaul, they’re important nonetheless. Now let’s dig in, shall we? First up, PowerScheduler++ has been integrated directly to the app, which should make it easier set up and schedule system reboots — it adds options for remote clients, too. Next, IPTV support got a makeover and the dev team says its product should meet your needs both “now and well into the future.” CableCARD users still have to deal with DRM restrictions on pay-TV channels, but most everything else — ESPN, TNT and USA, for example — should function without the cumbersome workarounds of days passed. None of the latest additions break version 1.4’s skins or plugins, and it’s even supposed to be compatible with the Windows 8.1 preview. The only bad news is if you’re still rocking Windows XP, since MediaPortal is finally killing support for the OS — but that can’t affect too many people, can it?

Filed under: HD

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Source: MediaPortal (1)

The Raspberry Pi-focused XBMC port Raspbmc’s June changelog is a lengthy one. Among the changes are new settings, new skins, support for the Stealth Nighthawk F117A device and changes to make booting up faster, among many other things. Getting this month’s update should only require rebooting one’s Raspberry Pi, and a few new mirrors that have joined the network should make downloading the updated software even faster. That’s not all however, because the July update is promising Linux kernel updates, Raspbmc “Cloud” features with automatic settings backup / restore across multiple devices and an unspecified “special announcement.”

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: Raspbmc

During a chock-a-block event at Computex 2013, ASUS just announced the VivoPC, a compact Windows 8-based home theater PC that can also double as your primary desktop. It’ll let you stream HD video via a newfangled 802.11ac WiFi connection, and has a similar spun metal design to the freshly announced VivoMouse. The mini-PC will also feature ASUS’s SonicMaster audio, but that’s all we know so far in terms of specs — of course, as soon as we find out such minor details as, say, processor, RAM and storage, we’ll update you right here.

Filed under: Desktops, ASUS

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