Hasta La Gadget!

It was last week that Logitech announced two mice and a trackpad, all optimized for Windows 8. As it turns out, the outfit wasn’t quite finished unveiling its Win 8 lineup: the company just outed the Illuminated Bluetooth Keyboard K810, which has a hotkey for toggling between open programs. It also features Easy Switch, a technology first introduced on the K760 that allows the device to pair with up to three Bluetooth-enabled devices at once, regardless of the OS. As for the switching bit, each paired device gets assigned to one of three function keys; just press the button to start using the keyboard with that device. In theory, then, you could have the same keyboard hooked up to your PC, tablet and phone, and be able to type on all of them from minute to minute, though that admittedly seems like an unlikely scenario.

As the product name would suggest, the keys have a backlight glowing from underneath. The lighting will automatically turn off if you haven’t been using the keyboard for a certain period of time, but thanks to proximity sensors they’ll kick in again when the keyboard detects your hands hovering close by. Lastly, the keyboard has a rechargeable battery rated for a month of runtime, though given the fact that it charges over USB, we can see some people bypassing the wireless connection entirely and leaving it plugged in. The K810 will sell for $100. Look for it to hit US stores in October, with European availability following a month later. In the meantime, we’ve got some hands-on shots below. (Psst… the Fn key is where the app-toggling button will be on final models.)

Continue reading Logitech’s K810 keyboard pairs with up to three devices, has a button for switching apps in Windows 8

Filed under: Peripherals

Logitech’s K810 keyboard pairs with up to three devices, has a button for switching apps in Windows 8 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 04:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Whee!, which we guess probably isn’t their real name, who is looking for a way to ditch their mouse. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’m a web developer, and my typical day involves a lot of moving and clicking when testing stuff in the browser. I’ve been thinking about ditching my mouse, because when using it for long hours it gets very uncomfortable. As such, I’m eyeing up a Wacom tablet and using the pen input to mouse around — but do you think it’s a good idea? Thanks in advance!”

Our questioner wants to solve their wrist-pain woes, and it certainly seems like a reasonable enough idea to us. Plenty of tablets come with a mouse mode, so it’s just down to the limits of your budget.

• If you’re just dipping your toes into the water, you can pick up a Genius device for around $60.
• Wacom’s Bamboo tablets occupy the mid-range, setting you back $80 for a 5.8-inch model, all the way up to $200 for the 8.5-incher.
• If you’re serious about making the change, then Wacom’s Intuos5 hardware is a top-range option, with the 6.2-inch version starting at $200, running all the way to $800 for the 18-inch unit, or even spending big on one of the company’s Cintiq units.
• We’ve also been wondering if a touchscreen Ultrabook might be a better idea, letting your fingers do the walking to spare your aching forearms.

That said, perhaps the wider Engadget community has an even better tip, so if you’ve already made that leap, why not share your knowledge in the comments below?

Filed under: Peripherals

Ask Engadget: Should I replace my mouse with a graphics tablet? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Oct 2012 23:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keyboards aren’t always high on the list of considerations for folks buying a new computer or looking to upgrade an old one. Some may be more likely to splurge on a high-end monitor, or cram in as much RAM as possible. For this writer, though, the keyboard is one of the most important components of a computer, if not the most important. For the past 10 years or more, that’s meant a split-design ergonomic keyboard in the vein of Microsoft’s Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 — at least when not exclusively using a laptop. That style certainly takes some getting used to, and is always guaranteed to start a conversation, but it has some clear benefits for comfort (not to mention the well-being of your wrists) over the long term.

More recently, however, that old standby has given way to a mechanical keyboard with a traditional design — the Matias Tactile Pro 3, specifically. A split-design mechanical keyboard would be ideal, but those are unfortunately quite a rare breed. While a something like the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 has advantages over your average keyboard in terms of overall comfort, it still feels like a regular keyboard. That is, it’s slightly mushy and generally less tactile given its use of a rubber membrane for the keys instead of the individual switches found in a mechanical model like the Tactile Pro.

As anyone who’s used both can attest, the difference is immediately noticeable. With a good mechanical keyboard, you don’t have to worry about a key press not registering; the keys have more spring to them for a crisper feel and (here’s the contentious part for some) they make more noise. It’s not a typewriter-level racket, but there’s a good chance you’ll be frowned upon if you’re sharing a desk with someone, or are trying to take notes while on a conference call. It’s that potential issue that led Matias to try something different with its latest keyboard — one that it claims is the world’s quietest mechanical keyboard. Did it deliver? Read on to find out.

Continue reading Matias Quiet Pro review: a mechanical keyboard with less clickety-clack

Filed under: Peripherals

Matias Quiet Pro review: a mechanical keyboard with less clickety-clack originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Product 3 LLC, the company behind the original iControlPad, has successfully funded a successor: folks, meet the iControlPad 2. While there isn’t much to its name, the sequel boasts a handy QWERTY keypad along with an optional swivel-mount that you can attach to any smartphone. It works over either microUSB or Bluetooth, and true to its open-source roots, is said to support the Ouya, the Raspberry Pi and pretty much any other device you can throw at it. What’s more, it can be programmed to control almost any app via its support for touchscreen mapping. There’s still room for additional backers, so you could try to get a raw version for $69 or a boxed edition for $75 if you manage to pre-order in time. Let’s just hope the sequel doesn’t experience the same delays as its older sibling, especially given the $150,000-plus the company earned in its Kickstarter campaign.

[Thanks, Craig]

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Peripherals

iControlPad 2 gets funded, adds QWERTY keypad and smartphone mount originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 02:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Even if you live in an area with 4G coverage, you might not get the best service inside certain buildings, and that’s where companies like Wilson Electronics come in — just take a peek at its Sleek 4G-V, for example. At MobileCon 2012, the antenna maker added three more to its lineup. They are the Tri-band 4G-V, the Tri-band 4G-A, and the Tri-band 4G-C, and are meant for Verizon’s 4G LTE, AT&T’s 4G LTE, and T-Mobile’s “faux-G” network — the latter of which is also recommended for use throughout Canada. The antennas are designed to boost the signal of older legacy networks too, so no worries if you don’t live in an area blessed with 4G. No pricing and availability just yet, and we don’t see any sign of a Sprint antenna either. To get more details, catch the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Wilson Electronics releases three 4G multi-band signal boosters, no soup for Sprint

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Wireless, Mobile

Wilson Electronics releases three 4G multi-band signal boosters, no soup for Sprint originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 08:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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