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Kensington launches Ci Lifestyle Collection of input peripherals
Just months after Philips went nuts and introduced a plethora of new input peripherals, Kensington is pulling a similar move by launching its colorful Ci Lifestyle Collection of wireless mice and keyboards. Each device was designed to be as thin as comfortably possible, sport advanced power saving abilities, and easily fit into the road warrior's bag of choice. Kicking things off is the $34.99 Ci70 wireless mouse, which comes in around 35-percent slimmer than common competitors and touts an automatic sleep mode to save those batteries. The $39.99 Ci70LE simply adds a dash of colorful (and bubbly) design, while the $34.99 Ci75m gets even smaller for the mobile crowd. The $39.99 Ci85m sports a QuickStart feature that powers the mouse up as soon as the PC turns on, and opts for an ExpressCard receiver instead of the USB dongle that its less expensive siblings rely on. For those looking for a keyboard / mouse combination, the Ci70 Wireless Desktop Set throws a Ci70 and a low-profile keyboard together in a convenient $79.99 package, and those who've already warmed to the cutesy allure will be delighted to know that all of the aforementioned devices are currently available for pre-ordering.
Kensington 7-in-1 ExpressCard Media Reader
Kensington's 7-in-1 ExpressCard Media Reader fits nice and snug in your ExpressCard notebook (we're looking at you MacBook Pro owners) so you can pull off pictures and what have you at USB2 speeds, nary a cord in sight. ExpressCard EVDO users might want to consider another solution but if your ExpressCard slot is barren and lonely, Kensington's got $40 worth of something for it.
Kensington discontinues Iridio mice
I love my Iridio. It is, if I am remembering correctly, my third Irideo in a row. It's small enough to fit my hand. It's Mac friendly. It has two buttons and it has a scroll wheel. It is, in other words, nearly a perfect mouse. Other than the fact that after about a year its USB bits die. And now it's discontinued. I called up Kensington for tech support because it started having some USB problems (as did the previous 2, which I replaced on my own penny) and the technician told me they'd permanently discontinued the line. They sent out a Si300 laser mouse to replace it, but it's a honking big old thing that's far too large for me to use. I went over to CompUSA to see if they had any Irideos left, but they were all sold out. I ordered a couple on Amazon, but they (Ritz Camera, actually, through Amazon) cancelled my order because they were out of stock. I just don't want to say goodbye to what is otherwise the most perfect Mac mouse ever. So do any of you TUAW readers have any recommendations for a replacement? I'm looking for a sealed USB laser mouse with approximately the same dimensions that can comfortably fit into a small woman's hand. Thanks in advance for any hints.
Kensington's iPod FM transmitter with RDS
Ever wonder what that "RDS" function was on your car stereo? Now your iPod has the ability to show you, as this particular FM transmitter takes full advantage of the often overlooked feature. The folks at Kensington are releasing yet another iPod FM transmitter into the mix, but have added quite a nice feature previous models have lacked. Along with charging your iPod, offering three FM stations to be programmed into memory, and coming in a stylish black and chrome finish to match your car's interior, this unit now displays the song name and artist information on your RDS-enabled car stereo. Kensington's RDS FM Transmitter/Car Charger for iPod plays nice with 4th-gen iPods and newer (nanos and videos included) but fails to support Apple's 3rd-gen player (even though it has a dock-connector, oddly enough). Watch for the $89.99 device to drop later this month. [Via Playlist]
Kensington's MicroSaver products lockdown your laptop
In the past, Kensington's security solutions have been far from infallible, but they're hoping their new line of locks will raise the bar when it comes to thwarting would-be laptop snatchers. The MicroSaver uses a carbon-tempered steel cable and traditional locking mechanism, while the MicroSaver DS adds a "nearly impenetrable multi-disc locking mechanism" to make sure only the person with the key can get your device off your desk. If you don't want another key battling your gadgets for pocket space you can opt for the combination lock, which simply requires a 4-digit code to open. Prices range from $40 (for the combo version) to $70 (for the Twin model that'll secure two machines at once), which seems like a reasonable price to pay for the privilege of knowing your brand new Superman-themed desktop replacement will be safe and sound while you're gone.
Kensington's Notebook Expansion Dock with Video
Just as we anticipated, Kensington has released that laptop dock we heard about a few months ago featuring Newnham Research's "NIVO" technology for connecting external monitors through a USB connection. Using only one USB hook-up to your notebook, the wedge-shaped (for keeping your machine cool) Notebook Expansion Dock supports multiple USB devices, Ethernet networking, desktop speakers, and a monitor as big as 17-inches at 1,280 x 1,024 pixels and 32-bit color. You can start turning your laptop into a desktop replacement immediately, for $180.
Kensington laptop dock first to feature startup's multiple-monitors-over-USB tech
Although we're pretty sure that many of you wouldn't agree with Newnham Research CEO Michael Ledzion's assertion that "connecting a graphics card to a PC is hard, and expensive," you might still be interested in his company's technology for connecting multiple displays to a PC through a standard USB connection, which will debut in a Kensington laptop dock in June. The Cambridge, England-based startup is able to achieve this rather amazing feat through a hardware rendering engine call NIVO, which can either be built directly into a monitor or incorporated into other peripherals, and which uses proprietary compression algorithms to deliver video up to 1280 x 1024 at 75Hz. As you could probably guess, this technology isn't designed for gaming -- the company suggests using it to display "largely static images" -- although it's supposedly capable of HD playback, which is something we'd definitely like to see firsthand.[Via Extreme Tech]
Kensington brings that portable keyboard feel to your desktop
I need to come clean: I thoroughly enjoy working on my PowerBook far more than my iMac G5. Why? Other than the obvious portability factor: it's the keyboard. Aside from an ergonomic (where'd those go, anyway?), the PowerBook's keyboard is about the best darn keyboard I've ever laid hands on. Every standard desktop keyboard just feels big and clunky, and the keys have a lot more travel to them. I can type much faster on my PowerBook's keyboard, and nowadays it's gotten so bad that I stumble and trip up on regular desktop keyboards. When you blog for a company like Weblogs, Inc. who revokes one day's lunch privileges for every typo they find, this can become a serious problem (just kidding about the lunch thing, but let's just say I'm missing a toe or two).If you're nodding your head in agreement to any of my keyboard obsessiveness, I think Kensington has a good solution for all of us. I found their SlimType Keyboard for Mac at a CompUSA last weekend, and wow did it feel like my PowerBook. Its layout is slightly different from both a PowerBook and standard Apple desktop keyboard, as the Home/End and Page Up/Down keys are lined vertically on the right of the Delete/Return side of the keyboard, but its keys have the same low rate of travel and a very similar, solid feel. I haven't grabbed one yet, but they retail for $40, and some of the online retailers that Kensington's product site link are selling it for as low as $30.If you pick one up or already own one, feel free to sound off with your thoughts.