Hasta La Gadget!

Canada’s Matias Corporation has made something of a name for itself with its tactile keyboards, but those have primarily appealed to those who also enjoy (or at least accept) the sound of a mechanical keyboard in addition to its feel. The company’s hoping to bring a few more into the tactile fold with its new Quiet Pro, though, which it claims is the “world’s quietest mechanical keyboard.” That, Matias says, comes without any sacrifices to tactile feedback, and is said to be the result of more than two years of work. As usual, the keyboard comes in both PC and Mac specific models (all-black and silver & black, respectively), each of which boasts three USB 2.0 ports and laser-etched keys with beveled keytops as opposed to the increasingly common flat variety.

Not surprisingly, you can also expect to pay a bit of a premium over your average keyboard — each model will set you back $150, with US models available today (UK, German and Nordic versions are promised for January). Interestingly, the company says it is also planning to sell the new switches it’s developed to other companies for use in their own keyboards, and even to hobbyists interested in going the DIY route. Additional details on that are promised soon.

Continue reading Matias Quiet Pro claims to be the ‘world’s quietest mechanical keyboard’

Filed under: Peripherals

Matias Quiet Pro claims to be the ‘world’s quietest mechanical keyboard’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember the Sony HMZ-T2 3D head-mounted display that we tried on back at IFA? Well, it’s being prominently featured here at TGS, too. Tucked away at a smaller, much more modest booth around the corner, however, is something a smidge more interesting. Kept behind glass and a safe distance away from our grubby mitts and sweaty foreheads resides the “Prototype-SR” (Substitutional Reality) that was outed on YouTube last week. Essentially, the unit appears to be the HMZ-T2 with a front-mounted camera for head tracking and camera functionality — the sort of thing that will provide what’s being called a 360-degree immersive entertainment experience. From what we can tell from the booth monitors, the unit displays 3D video overlaid in real space for the person wearing the device. Details are scarce and extremely limited demos were available in an apparent lottery (no luck here). You can rest assured that if we’re able to snag one, though, we’ll be sure to offer up some impressions. For now, take a look at the camera-wielding set of hi-tech goggles in the gallery below and the aforementioned video awaits just past the break.

Continue reading Sony ‘Prototype-SR’ spotted at TGS 2012: the HMZ-T2 tacks on a camera, plays with user perception (video)

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Sony ‘Prototype-SR’ spotted at TGS 2012: the HMZ-T2 tacks on a camera, plays with user perception (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 06:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In addition to unveiling all those laptops, HP just announced a boatload of peripherals. Of the bunch, the most compelling might be the NFC-enabled Touch to Pair Mouse, which, as the name suggests, can be paired with another device simply through tapping. (Good thing lots of computers currently have NFC, right?) If, by chance, you don’t have NFC on your laptop — and you probably don’t — the mouse will function just fine as a regular old Bluetooth device. Look for it in November for $39. Elsewhere on the wireless mouse front, HP announced the X6000 (pictured), which has four-way tilt scrolling and can be used on most surfaces, including glass. That arrives this month for $59. Finally, if your tastes are a bit simpler, there’s also the Wireless Mouse X4500 and X5500, which will be available this month for $29 and $39, respectively.

Beyond mice, HP also trotted out the $29 Wireless Classic Desktop keyboard, along with the $49 Wireless Elite v2. For audio lovers, there’s the HP Portable Bluetooth Speaker, which will go on sale next month for a cool $79. Eighty bucks (or thereabouts) will also get you a 90W universal power adapter that claims to be compatible with most notebooks. It also has a built-in USB port, allowing you to charge a mobile device at the same time. Rounding out the list is the Webcam HD 4310, an $89 shooter capable of 1080p video, autofocus, autoexposure and three-way video calling. All that in more digestible form in the PR after the break.

Continue reading HP unveils first NFC-enabled mouse, various other PC accessories

Filed under: Peripherals

HP unveils first NFC-enabled mouse, various other PC accessories originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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These days, just about every Apple product is defined by a non-removable battery. It’s with no small hint of irony, then, that Apple just received a US patent for a universal removable battery system. As proposed, the technique would let Apple cut batteries from lithium-polymer or similar materials into commonly sized packs that could then be swapped between devices, providing all the benefits of removable, rechargeable batteries with a longer lifespan than an old set of AAs. Batteries could have serviceable cores for when they finally give up the ghost, and computers could even alternate between charging the batteries (when plugged in) or using them to extend the runtime of MacBooks. We’d recommend against basing any purchasing strategy around Apple’s filing, though. The Cupertino team originally applied for the patent in 2010, and in turn broke out the technology from a patent it had filed in 2007 — there’s no guarantees Apple is still interested in replacing those disposables, let alone any sealed-in batteries. That won’t stop us from yearning for the day when a Magic Mouse lasts for more than a week of heavy use.

Filed under: Peripherals

Apple gets patent for universal batteries, edges closer to long-lasting wireless peripherals originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 22:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking to save some coin on your tech purchases? Of course you are! In this round-up, we’ll run down a list of the freshest frugal buys, hand-picked with the help of the folks at Slickdeals. You’ll want to act fast, though, as many of these offerings won’t stick around long.

Everyone loves to save some hard-earned cash when it comes to those tech spending sprees. In today’s batch of discounted tech links, Slickdeals offers up a bit of a gadget sampler. There’s a duo of keyboards, a wireless router, a VoIP phone system and a gigabit networking switch that are ready to get cozy at your place if you’re in the market. Don’t sweat the rebates this time around, though, as all of these links come with coupon codes. Head on past the break to see the full list.

Continue reading Slickdeals’ best in tech for September 19th: an ASUS wireless router, keyboards and more

Filed under: Misc, Peripherals, Networking

Slickdeals’ best in tech for September 19th: an ASUS wireless router, keyboards and more originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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