HtpcKeyboard
Latest
Lenovo N5902 ditches the fingerprint magnet finish, adds backlit keys (video)
Home theater PC enthusiasts, you've grumbled and Lenovo listened. The company took your feedback to heart when it prepped its latest multimedia remote with keyboard -- the N5902 -- for release. Gone is the glossy piano black finish that marred your sweet N5901 with unsightly fingerprints, as well as its trackball pointer. In their stead, Lenovo's outfitted this update in a matte exterior, adding an optical pointer with a "ridged" scroll bar located just below it. Perhaps the most notable addition to this refresh, however, is the ability to navigate and type from the now backlit keys. Fancy updating your couch control with this AA-powered peripheral? The head to the source below to fork over your hard-earned $52.
Veho's Mimi all-in-one HTPC controller attempts to be a gamepad, looks overwhelming
So you've done it. You've bought a top-of-the line computer and turned your once-scary basement into the home theater of your dreams. But, since the HTPC is well, a computer, you're probably still using the age-old mouse and keyboard combo. Veho, a company that once claimed to have the world's smallest camcorder, recently announced a device called the "Mimi wifi Keyboard & Air Mouse with game controller." A long name indeed, but suitable considering the number of buttons found on this Xbox 360 gamepad lookalike. It's got everything you'd expect in an all-in-one computer-controlling unit -- including a motion sensor to control the mouse, separate buttons for left- and right-clicking and a range of around 33 feet. The controller is compatible with both Windows and Mac via a USB dongle, but the customizable buttons will only work on a Microsoft machine. If you're ready to take computing and gaming, along with your dignity, to a whole new level, hit up the source link to drop around 150 bones (£90) for this hybrid gadget.
EFO's diminutive Google TV keyboard makes us laugh, cry, exclaim
Google's remained fairly mum on its TV experiment ever since a number of major networks blocked Google TV devices from accessing their online content, but you can bet that Logitech and Sony are still doing everything they can to unload inventory. If -- for whatever reason -- you've found yourself in the precarious position of needing a backup keyboard, EFO's got a couple of comical solutions. The outfit's new Google TV keyboard is named simply enough, and it's also one of the smallest KB remotes in the history of KB remotes. That's great for those who tend to shove their controlling devices into pockets and whatnot, and there's even a touchpad that works vertically and horizontally -- depending on preference, of course. Bluetooth ($75) and RF ($65) versions are available, with initial shipments to go out starting on the 15th. Head on past the break for a demo video, also known as the cutest thing you'll see all day.
Dell whips out 23-inch Inspiron One all-in-one and Zino HD
It's been awhile since we've heard from Dell on the home entertainment front, but don't you worry, the guys in Round Rock have been right on top of it. First up is the brand new Zino HD home theater PC, which like we'd heard is being updated with an AMD quad-core Phenom II processor that's more than capable of pumping out full HD to your HDTV. In typical Dell spirit there's tons of configuration options, including one for 1GB of ATI discrete graphics, a Blu-ray drive, and up to a terabyte of storage. For $299, we're a bit giddy about this little one considering it packs more power than any of those Ion nettops and it comes with a wireless keyboard and IR remote control. If a large touchscreen all-in-one is more your thing, the Inspiron One can be configured with similar parts -- an AMD Athlon II X4 processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5450, Blu-ray, and up to 1TB are all on the list. To us, the real appeal of this one is its 1920x1080 resolution, 23-inch display, which produced some pretty stunning HD playback when we saw it in action last month. Dell's put a lot of energy into its new Stage touch interface, which consists of different tiled applications. It's actually more than eye candy as we're betting those Netflix and CinemaNow tiles will see plenty of tapping. The One starts at $799 and will be available this coming weekend -- but before you yank out the wallet, we'd suggest flipping through the galleries below and hitting the break for a read of the press release. %Gallery-103008% %Gallery-103009%
Litl working on a settop box with smartphone-like remote, not scared of Google
You've got to hand it to Litl -- even after the Webbook failed to impress, the startup is still trudging though the gadget trenches. And there's no doubt that the new settop box it's tinkering with sounds interesting: like the Webbook, it will run Litl's very own Linux OS, and will be based on a browser and web apps -- in fact, the company is launching an SDK for the Flash-based HTPC tomorrow at the Flash and the City conference. The most interesting thing to us is the cute little touchscreen remote, which will apparently let you control the UI from the couch with multitouch gestures. Sounds pretty snazzy to us, but you'll have to wait until early 2011 to get one of these in your living room. Litl's CEO John Chuang wouldn't share much on the hardware front, but we know it's powered by some sort of x86 processor, and will have HDMI and composite-out to connect to your HDTV, as well as Ethernet / WiFi connection options. We're hoping by then that there will be some Android-based settop boxes on the market, but that doesn't worry Litl -- Chuang claims it'll be a dead-simple consumer product. No word on the name of this thing, but there's obviously time to decide on that. Hit the break for the press release, and the gallery below for some early designs of the device. %Gallery-92983%
ASUS EeeKeyboard finally shipping at the end of April
We'll give you a few seconds to re-read that headline and recover from the initial shock, but yes, after almost a year of delays the EeeKeyboard is in fact ready for prime time -- ASUS confirmed that the Atom-based HTPC keyboard will go on sale in the US in three weeks. We don't have firm details on pricing, but we're assuming the battery-powered PC with an integrated five-inch touchscreen, HDMI-out, and UWB will range somewhere between $500 to $600. We should know more soon as well as have a real-life review unit, but we're curious, will you actually be putting some Eee in your living room? Oh and there's a new EeeKeyboard promo video after the break in case you've missed our numerous hands-on vids.
Adesso rolls out WKB-4200UB wireless keyboard
Adesso sure isn't lacking for keyboards of all shapes and sizes (seriously, look at its website), but the company has nonetheless somehow found room for yet one more with its new KB-4200USB model, which packs boasts both a built-in trackpad and wireless connectivity. Thankfully, the trackpad (non-multitouch, it seems) on this one is a bit less awkwardly placed than on the last model, and the design is more along the lines of something like the diNovo Edge (not exactly a bad thing). Of course, this one also packs a similarly higher-end price tag -- $120, to be exact.
Lenovo's wireless Multimedia Remote with Keyboard sneaks out for retail
In an age of advertising hyperbole so gratuitous that every spec tweak or color change is accompanied by a press release, it's honestly refreshing to watch Lenovo tip-toe interesting new products into retail with nary a peep. Like this palm-sized Multimedia Remote with Keyboard spotted by an Engadget reader inside a Singapore mobile phone shop. Seems this wireless pup (model 57Y6336) has been on sale for about a week across the globe with a $60 MSRP or about $30 after a quick Google for discount coupons. That meager tithe takes home a 2.4GHz keyboard with trackball and USB "nano dongle" for your Windows home theater PC good for about 10-meters of wireless sofa surfing. See it in the wild after the break. Update: This "pretty awesome peripheral" received a brief hands-on over at HardwareZone who tells us that it's powered by a pair of AAAs as well. [Thanks, Bryan C.]
Miyoshi rolls out wireless keyboard with built-in touchpad
Well, it may not quite match the likes of Logitech's diNovo edge in either form or function, but this new wireless keyboard from Miyoshi does nonetheless pack all the basics, and a slightly lower price tag than some of its competitors. That includes, as you can see above, a somewhat curiously placed touchpad, along with all the usual media-specific keys, a slider control of some sort, and full 2.4GHz wireless capabilities to make it a bette fit for your HTPC setup. No word on a release 'round here just yet, but it looks like folks in Japan can pick this one up now for ¥9,980, or just over $100.[Via PC Launches]
Cideko Air Keyboard doubles as 3D mouse / remote control
Looking for something a little more in your HTPC keyboard than just a multitouch trackpad? Then how about a built-in 3D mouse that'll have you waving the keyboard around at some potential peril to your couch-mates? That's just one feature of Cideko's new Air Keyboard, which also packs a pair of gamepad-style shoulder buttons in place of more standard mouse buttons, all the usual; dedicated media control buttons, and a promised range of 50 meters -- not to mention a purported battery life of 50 hours. Still no word on a price or release date just yet, unfortunately but it looks like a fully-functional version was on display at Computex earlier this month, so we're guessing that shouldn't be too far off now.[Via technabob]
Brando offers up wireless HTPC keyboard with multitouch trackpad
Brando may be best known for some of its slightly off the wall products, but it also carries plenty of less fanciful gadgets, like this HTPC-minded keyboard with a still relatively uncommon built-in multitouch trackpad. As you can sorta see above, that also doubles as the numeric keypad, and you can switch between the two functions at the press of a button, but not a swipe, apparently. Otherwise, you'll get a 2.4GHz RF USB transmitter that can be tucked into the keyboard itself if you don't feel like actually using it, along with 18 presumably customizable hotkeys, and support for Windows XP and Vista, but not Macs. $69 and it's yours.
