Posted 03/05/10 at 08:45:28 PM by Ryan Whitwam

Leave it to Brando to really talk up a product. The “Rii Mini Wireless Keyboard” is apparently pretty awesome if you take their word for it. It has 26 “dazzling” LEDs backlighting the keyboard. As if that wasn’t enough to sell you, it is designed to be easy to carry; by being small apparently. Then there’s the “notebook trackpad”. If you still have doubts, just remember this: it also has a laser pointer. How can they power all this awesome? Well the Rii Mini Wireless Keyboard has a “Built-in rechargeable more staying power lithium-ion battery”.

In all seriousness though, it doesn’t look like a terrible solution for a media center PC controller. The keyboard layout looks a bit awkward with the trackpad shifting the keys to the left. It uses a standard 2.4GHz wireless radio with a 30 meter range. The price is a little steep at $92. That’s maybe too much until you consider that you get “iPhone style craft, classic style” according to Brando. Get it here, if you wish.

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Posted 02/26/10 at 08:01:24 AM by Paul Lilly

Novatel is ready to ride the WiMAX wave and has announced that it has successfully completed over the air testing of its new MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot prototype based on 4G WiMAX.

"Novatel Wireless is pleased to support the growing 4G ecosystem and the evolution of next-generation communications with this milestone WiMAX call," said Rob Hadley, CMO, Novatel Wireless. "The combination of our intelligent software platform on MiFi with 4G speeds from Beceem's high-performance 4G-WiMAX chips will open up new opportunities for the growing number of initiatives involving 4G mobile broadband applications and services."

According to Novatel, it was immediately able to achieve throughput of 18Mbps in over the air testing, and that's just the beginning. The company's MiFi prototype is capable of throughput speeds in excess of 30Mpbs downloads and 10Mpbs uploads in a 10MHz channel, Novatel added.

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Posted 02/24/10 at 08:06:15 PM by Ryan Whitwam

Say what you will about Microsoft, but they’ve always made pretty good mice in our book. The Redmond giant’s new BlueTrack technology has made for some fairly lust-worthy pointing devices. Though, the pricing has been high thus far. Their newest offerings though, are priced at a mere $30 or less.

The Wireless Mouse 3500 is a smaller mouse aimed at notebook users. It has five buttons and the hand-contorting form factor common on notebook mice. The going price is $30. The Wireless Mouse 2000 is a more generously sized standard mouse with five buttons and a tilt wheel. This one also retails for $30. Finally we have the Comfort Mouse 4500. This unit is basically just the 2000 with a wire instead of wireless technology. This model will run only $25.

If you aren’t sold based on the price alone, the new BlueTrack mice are available in an assortment of colors to brighten your work station. Microsoft has gotten some kudos for the BlueTrack technology, and these new mice make the technology more accessible than ever.  You might see these inexpensive mice in your office soon.

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Posted 02/22/10 at 11:30:24 AM by Michael Brown

Every portable computer, from the brawniest desktop replacement to the tiniest netbook, has one thing in common: terrible speakers. There’s no shortage of powered speaker systems on the market—some of which are very good—but what’s the point of using a laptop if you have to tether it to a box to get good sound?

Klipsch has a better solution: The ProMedia 2.1 Wireless uses a USB transmitter to send audio from the host PC to the speakers over the airwaves. The speakers themselves are all hardwired, with the amplifier tucked inside the subwoofer. And lordy, what a subwoofer it is. There’s a 6.5-inch long-throw, side-firing driver housed inside a bass-reflex enclosure with a front port. The sub cabinet also houses the wireless receiver and the 200-watt amplifier that powers all three channels. Klipsch claims line-of-sight range of 30 feet and our experience backs that up. If you’re looking for a wireless audio system that will send audio from a computer in one room to speakers in another, this isn’t the right solution.

Continue reading this review after the jump.

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Posted 02/17/10 at 10:50:29 AM by Paul Lilly

There was a time when computer keyboards were little more than bland, beige planks with nary a unique feature to be found, but that certainly isn't the case anymore. Today there are tons of higher-end keyboards to choose from, the latest of which comes from Adesso.

Adesso's newest entry into the 'not-just-another-plank' category consists of the WKB-4200UB, a wireless keyboard thanks to its 2.4GHz RF combo controller, giving the keyboard a range of 30 feet.. There's a touchpad nestled over to the side, but even so, the WKB-4200UB still boasts a full-sized QWERTY keyboard.

The touchpad isn't the only unusual feature. Adesso says you can use multiple units in the same room, a trick made possible because of 6500 IDs on 12 different channels.

This one's available now for $120.

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Posted 02/16/10 at 08:27:56 AM by Paul Lilly

Everything's fine over at Verizon, folks, and you can still expect 4G wireless service to materialize sometime later this year. Or so says Dick Lynch, the company's executive vice president and CTO.

Speaking during a press conference at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, Lynch reiterated that Verizon Wireless is on track to launch its commercial LTE (long-term evolution) service later this year. There's good chance it will come to fruition sooner rather than later, as Lynch said his company is in the final testing phase, otherwise known as "Phase 4," of its LTE technology. Within the next two months, he expects testing to be completed in Boston and Seattle.

Verizon hopes to launch its service in 25 to 30 markets throughout the U.S. by the end of the year. First-run solutions will consist of offering laptop owners USB air cards that access LTE. Later on, expect to see mobile devices with embedded LTE trickle into the market.

The biggest challenge, says Lynch, has been getting voice to work over LTE, and while more work remains to be done, he said the issue is getting resolved.

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Posted 02/16/10 at 07:35:44 AM by Paul Lilly

Adobe on Monday announced it has joined the LiMo foundation, an industry consortium "dedicated to creating the first truly open, hardware-independent" Linux OS for mobile devices.

The move will have Adobe bringing its Flash platform to the LiMo platform, enabling developers and content providers to create apps that can run on LiMo devices.

"Bringing the Flash platform to LiMo opens up a significant opportunity for Adobe to further its goals of open standards and multi-screen interoperability of rich mobile content," said David Wadhwani, general manger and vice president, Flash Platform Business at Adobe. "Following the goals of the Open Screen Project, the openness of Linux and the Flash platform represent a common vision to enable consumers to engage with rich Internet experiences seamlessly across any device, anywhere."

In addition to Adobe, the LiMo foundation said it also added ELSE Ltd. MobiTV, and SRS Labs to its ranks.

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Posted 02/12/10 at 08:06:50 AM by Paul Lilly

If you owned a pair of Sennheiser's PX 210 BT headphones, you'd never have to pause another Maximum PC podcast again, even when you have to use the bathroom or duck downstairs to check on the laundry. Not only do these headphones cut the cord in favor of a Bluetooth connection, they also come with a range of 33 feet.

On the technical side, Sennheiser's cordless headset comes constructed with Neodymium magnets and Duofol diaphragms for "excellent sound reproduction," apt-X technology support for audio compression duties, a collapsible design with a metal-reinforced headband, and integrated track and volume controls.

The set also comes with an audio cable for those times when Bluetooth isn't an option. Other accessories include a multi-country chargers, USB charging cable, rechargeable battery, and carrying case.

The headset is available now direct from Sennheiser for $300.

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