Peripherals - Page 27

CES 2013 - For those that weren't aware, a few weeks ago I was given the golden unicorn of keyboard from CoolerMaster, the Trigger with Cherry MX Green switches, and to keep my response short without giving away too much of the review that is soon to hit TweakTown's front page, let's just say I am very impressed and even so much that I have now given away the Matias Tactile Pro 3 that used to be what I would say is the best keyboard I have had, until I got the Trigger that is!

So as I was about to leave the room housing most of the peripherals and a couple of very well modded HAF XB, I caught what most would think is a keyboard that is a bit odd looking. This new keyboard, I was told, will also be offering a green switch version is the new Stealth mechanical keyboard. While the design isn't finalized, the legends on the key caps have been moved to the front edge of the keys. This does two things. One is that you will never wear off the numbers, letters, or words on the keys, and secondly, it will leave your friends a bit dumbfounded as they take a quick glance at this board and assume there are no legends on the keys at all. There were also talks of using double shot moldings on these key caps, or possibly laser etching caps and backing this board with LEDs to allow the much smaller legends on the caps to be much more visible to those that desire to see their keys as they type.

I was told we could expect to see the Stealth (based on a Filco) very soon, barring any issues with the supply of the very hard to obtain green switches, and I for one am very excited to give this ten keyless keyboard some time on my desk so I can express my thoughts about this exciting, yet slightly irregular concept. I know that the keyboard elite are also drooling, and as soon as I get my hands on one, I will be bringing this to the forefront as soon as possible!

CES 2013 - Corsair are unstoppable today, announcing the next-generation of their awesome Vengeance lineup of gaming peripherals. Not only that, but current owners of the Vengeance 2000 wireless gaming headset will receive an upcoming free software update which will give them Dolby Headphone 2.0 7.1-channel surround sound support - not bad for free, eh?

First off we have the Vengeance K95 Gaming Keyboard, which the team at Corsair have started with the innards of the K90 keyboard and added a "never-before-seen level of precision, technology and styling". The Vengeance K95 is the most advanced keyboard in the Vengeance gaming lineup. The K95 sports a black anodized brushed aluminum chassis with some sexy white LED lighting and has been upgraded to the Cherry MX Red key mechanical switches on every key on the keyboard - including the function and macro keys.

Each key on the Vengeance K95 is individually backlit which gives some supreme customizability options, with the overall backlighting capable of being adjusted over four levels of intensity. Corsair's Vengeance K95 also features 18 dedicated macro keys that can be customized through the included software, or on-the-fly with both macros and lighting profiles stores on onboard flash memory. The Vengeance K95 wraps up keyboard awesomeness with full anti-ghosting, 20-key rollover and a 1ms reporting rate.

CES 2013 - SteelSeries start off with a sprint this morning, unveiling the "world's fastest gaming keyboards" otherwise known as the SteelSeries Apex and Apex RAW. Both of these keyboards sport "unique enhancements" to the keyboards layout from low-profile keys, specifically designed raised macros rows for quick access, as well as various customizations in terms of colors and intensity on the keyboard itself.

Where the world's fastest gaming keyboard term comes into play is in the SteelSeries ActiveZone, which is a combination of programmability as well as visual support to navigate the keys better.

The Apex keyboard is the higher-end of the two, sports the aforementioned SteelSeries ActiveZone which gives an insane amount of customization functions available to the user. Up to 8 levels of illumination intensity in each of its 5 zones, with up to 4 different customizable layers per zone.

Ever since I purchased my iPhone 5, the Lightning cable that came with the phone has been attached to me as much as the phone itself seeing as all of my previous charging cables are completely useless. Buying additional cables has been a challenge for me as I don't have an Apple Store in close proximity to me and buying additional cables online is nearly impossible. But my worries will soon be over as Belkin has announced it will be the first third-party company to have Lightning accessories available for purchase.

Belkin announced today it will release two accessories that support the iPhone 5 and 4th Generation iPad's Lightning connector: the Belkin Car Charger for Lightning and Belkin Charge + Sync Dock. Both accessories will retail for $29.99 and will be made available in mid-November.

The Belkin Car Charger is exactly what it sounds like: a car charger with a Lightning adapter attached to the end of it. It'll be MFI certified, will have over-voltage protection and will be made available in black.

Our friends over at Corsair have just taken the cover off of their latest computer gaming accessory. Under the cover, we found two new gaming mouse mats designed to "deliver durable, gaming grade surfaces and a best-in-class gaming experience." Dubbed the Vengeance MM200 and Vengeance MM400, these will be the first two models to launch.

"Just as performance sports cars needs premium-quality tires in order to maximize performance on the road, a high-quality gaming mouse mat is essential to maximize the performance of gaming mice like the Vengeance laser gaming mice", said Ruben Mookerjee, Vice President and General Manager of the Components Business Unit at Corsair. "Corsair gaming mouse mats are engineered from the ground-up to deliver the consistent performance that gamers demand, so they can focus on winning."

The MM200 is a "glide-optimized" textile surface that includes fray-resistant edges and a non-slip rubber base. This model will be available in four different sizes, ranging from small to extra large formats. They even have a wide format version so as to accommodate different playing styles.

Logitech have until now, stayed out of the mechanical gaming keyboard world - we've seen a bunch of other manufacturers push out mechanical gaming keyboards with Logitech-like styling, but Logitech themselves have been MIA.

Logitech have just unveiled their G710+ Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, which the peripheral maker says combines high-speed non-clicking key switches with a dampening ring underneath eay keycap to reduce overall noise - somewhat of an annoyance with consumers and current mechanical keyboards. The G710+ uses keys with an actuation force of 45g and a distance of 4mm. The keyboard is lit up beautifully with white backlit LED keys, which are adjustable with one of four brightness levels, or if you're not a fan of LEDs, they can be disabled completely.

The brightness of the arrow and WASD keys can also be adjusted independently for better visibility under low-light conditions for those late-night gaming sessions. Logitech have also put the G710+ under some stress testing with professional gamers, partners, publishers and the everyday gamer. Logitech tout their their new mechanical keyboard can take at least 50 million keystrokes.

Thermaltake has again partnered with BMW to design PC components. This time, they have designed a new mouse to complement the also BMW-designed Level 10. Under the same namesake, the Level 10M is a gaming mouse and comes with a price tag quite a bit lower than its case brethren. At only $99, it's probably the cheapest thing you can buy that has been designed by BMW.

The mouse was actually unveiled at the beginning of 2012, but it has just seen its release August 27, 2012. Even though it hasn't shown up on NewEgg or Amazon, the press release says that the device is available online and in brick-and-mortar stores for a recommended price of $99. Not too bad of a price tag.

The cool design is immediately noticeable. As opposed to what a "normal" mouse looks like, the Level 10M has a hollow body and the palm rest appears to hover above the sensor. The palm rest can be raised, lowered, and adjusted side to side by the turning of a screw. It features 7 keys and the DPI can be turned all the way up to

We've all spilt liquids on our keyboards before, accidents do happen, you just have to not cry over spilt milk (or expensive scotch). But never fear, Logitech is here, with their latest Washable Keyboard K310. Logitech's latest keyboard can be hand-washed, and is capable of being submerged in up to 11 inches of water.

Logitech have used some drainage holes at the back of the K310 that allow for easy drying while key characters are laser-printed and UV coated in order to keep them from fading. Logitech have also featured the K310 with the ability of sustaining five million keystrokes, meaning that not only is the keyboard washable, it can also take years of typing, gaming, or more.

Sophie Le Guen, senior director of mice and keyboards at Logitech has said:

As if we didn't have enough choice when it comes to gaming keyboards, Razer has introduced a new model that features it's Switchblade user interface. The Switchblade UI is the same that is currently used the on Razer Blade gaming laptop and has an LCD trackpad and LED keypad combo which can be turned into "a customizable control panel with 10 dynamic, adaptive tactile keys."

The thing looks pretty sweet, but looks don't matter with a gaming keyboard. Instead, it's all about how it works. Without actually using the keyboard, I'm unable to comment on that aspect of the new product. It has some unique aspects which are relayed in a humorous pres release, including this gem: "The Razer DeathStalker Ultimate features an anti-ghosting infrastructure of up to 10 keys in game mode. Users may actuate as many keys as they have fingers, and have them all register accurately and swiftly in-game."

"With the Switchblade UI on the Razer DeathStalker Ultimate, we wanted to offer gamers an enriching and intuitive gaming experience built for total game control," said Robert "RazerGuy" Krakoff, president of Razer USA. "We continue to work closely with independent software vendors to integrate the API of their games on the Switchblade UI, so that you can see more of the game as you play. I'm excited that we are making such cutting-edge technology available to gamers everywhere, and look forward to bringing more game-specific apps."

The new line of hard drive docks from XIGMATEK are called the Secure III and are USB 3.0 compatible. The USB to SATA converter allows for transfer speeds up to 5Gbps, almost as much as the SATA3 spec calls for. This means its compatible with SATAII/III HDDs and SSDs of up to 3TB in size. It does all of this while looking great.

The features, as provided by XIGMATEK, are as follows:

A good keyboard can make all the difference in the world for a typist. Every person likes something slightly different, whether it be red or blue Cherry switches or the newer keyboards without switches. That's why companies make so many different models--to give you the choice to see what works best for your hands and typing style.

Das Keyboard has announced the release of a new Professional Model S that comes with the added functionality that media keys bring to a keyboard. They say that "fans have asked for a Das Keyboard with media functionality for a while now" and that this is the reason they have crafted this keyboard.

Microsoft will release Windows 8 on October 26, and have today unveiled a bunch of accessories that are designed to work with the new operating system. Microsoft unveiled five new products which are made up from two Bluetooth-enabled keyboards, and three wireless mice. All of the accessories will be made available from Microsoft's online store, as well as the usual retailers, and will be priced from $49.95 to $79.95.

First up there's the Wedge Mobile Keyboard. It's a stylish Bluetooth keyboard that has been made specifically for tablet use, sporting a slim design with Win 8 hot keys for quick access to search, device settings, and more. It includes a protective that can be folded at different angles, so that you can use it as a stand for your tablet. If it's placed over the keyboard, it will power down the Windows 8-based device in order to save battery. The Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard will be priced at $79.95.

Next up we have the Wedge Touch Mouse, which looks like a treadmill. The Wedge Touch Mouse is small enough to throw in your pocket, and sports four-way touch-scrolling to make navigating Windows 8 nice and easy. The mouse also features technology that allows it to be used on virtually any surface, as well as a battery-saving mode. It will be priced to $69.95.

Sharkoon has released a new gaming keyboard at CeBIT at an affordable price. I'm always amazed at the prices charged by some companies for gaming keyboards as I figure there is no way it can be that much better. This new gaming keyboard, the Skiller, features 18-key rollover, interchangeable WASD and cursor keys, and software for creating up to ten keyboard profiles.

With all those features, you'll be surprised to learn that it comes with an MSRP of only 14.99 euros, which works out to about $20 USD, give or take 0.25. The keyboard features a stunning visual design that includes a striking geometric design and a blue illuminated Skiller logo in the palm rest.

The company explains the features and how it is customizable: "With its programmable keys and profile memory, the Skiller is an extremely versatile companion that quickly adjusts to all changing areas of operation: Through the enclosed software all standard keys can be assigned frequently used individual functions or macros. The configuration supports the creation of up to ten profiles, each with three sub-levels. This allows an optimal keyboard layout for a variety of different applications and gaming environments to be created with only a little bit of effort."

Remember the free-to-play mech game Hawken? Well, after seeing the MEK-FU controller you won't... the USB-based controller was unveiled at E3 last week and is designed by new accessory company RIPLEIGH. CEO of RIPLEIGH, Chen Yisheng has told Destructoid that his team did a lot of research in order to get to the MEK-FU, going as far as having a guy on the team that used to drive tanks in the military.

MEK-FU sports two joysticks, lots of buttons, flip switches, and is fully programmable. There's even a full keyboard on the thing! The MEK-FU is also capable of taking a mobile or tablet device that acts as a secondary display, or the main screen, that works with Hawken thanks to the Gaiki streaming partnership.

Hawken drops in December and the MEK-FU should hopefully arrive soon after. How much would you want to pay for this controller? I'm loving the idea of using a smart device such as a tablet as a secondary display, I've been waiting for a game developer to do this since the iPad was released.

Microsoft have announced that they've released version 1.5 of the Kinect for Windows runtime and SDK. They've also announced that Kinect for Windows hardware is now available in Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan.

As of next month, Kinect for Windows hardware will arrive in 15 more countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, India, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. Once this is done, Microsoft will have Kinect for Windows available in 31 countries around the world. The company have also added more capabilities to Kinect that help developers build amazing applications:

On top of this, they've improved the skeletal tracking capabilities:

Soldiers have their guns, pilots have their planes, congressmen have their pens, and gamers, well, they have their mice. A good mouse is critical to gaining the advantage in an online game, a place where everyone is extremely competitive. This is why companies like ROCCAT produce mice like the new Savu, to give gamers the advantage in a game.

Not only will a new, high quality mouse give you an advantage in an online game, but this mouse will give you that advantage in style. You see, this new Savu mouse features a lighting system that allows up to 1.8 million different colors. The device also features changeable DPI resolutions all the way up to 4000DPI.

The feature list is quite extensive, so I'll post the press release below. The mouse, with more information, is available at ROCCAT's site.

Fractal Design always has cool looking products and today's launch of the new Adjust 108 is no different. Fractal Design often uses metal in the products they design and, once again, today's launch is no different. The new Adjust 108 is a fan controller which can manage up to 6 different fans from one 5.25" bay.

The device has some other unique features that I have never seen on any other device. One of the coolest and most useful features is that it features a jumper to change the intensity of the LED. This is something that I have often wanted on many cases and other devices, so for it to finally be included on something is awesome.

The device can also give you more information in a glance than other devices through its use of dual-colored LEDs. If the LED below a fan slider is white, it means the fan is operating at a low RPM. If the LED is blue, then it means that the fan is operating at a high RPM. Of course, the device is clad in brushed aluminium to give it a clean, simplistic look.

USB flash drives can be hard to hang onto sometimes. They always seem to disappear at the worst time possible. And I'd venture to guess that most people don't run any sort of encryption on a flash drive. This new device claims to be the "only USB storage drive that protects its contents with a password spoken by its owner."

But, what if you have a cold or are in a room with other people? Don't worry! The flash drive features a back-up text version where you can type your password instead. This is for those times where you have laryngitis or just forgot the spoken password. At 8GB, it's not the largest drive on the market, or the best looking, but it certainly is cool.

If you make security easier, such as this, then people are more likely to use it. And since it analysis the voice along with the password, just knowing what to say won't allow access. Unfortunately it still has a text-based password which could get out and compromise security, but it's still a novel device to show your friends.

If you want to be a champion gamer, you better have some good hardware to support you in your quest to be the best. There are many different mice and keyboards built for the sole purpose of gaming, and today sees the announcement of another. Genius has announced a new mouse in its line of GX Gaming.

The new mouse looks pretty sleek. It features five programmable buttons and can handle 21 macros to give you an edge in whatever game you may be playing. All of the settings are stored in on-board memory so that they move with the mouse rather than stay with the computer. Additionally, it features 4 different DPIs that can be changed on-the-fly via the mouse.

The full text of the release is below.

UPDATE - Happy April Fools :)

Feeling nostalgic? Missing those terrible graphics of yesteryear? Well, SteelSeries has your back with an all new line of products that are based on an 8-bit theme. The products are boxy just like the graphics were not too long ago. I'm not quite sure of how comfortable they are, but they sure do look cool.

The first product I would like to look at is the mouse. A brick isn't my first choice for a mouse. The press release states: