http://www.ecoustics.com/latest/news Latest news, updated every five minutes http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17710 Microsoft is getting close to owning 10,000 patents, and the latest is one for the Page Up and Page Down keys on your computer keyboard. Yes, really.They first applied for the patent in 2005 and were finally granted it last week, according to ZDNet, although the service showed a 1981 IBM keyboard with those keys.In the patent application the invention of the keys is credited to Timothy Sellers, Heather Grantham and Joshua Dersch and described as "in one implementation, pressing a Page Down or Page Up keyboard key/button allows a user to begin at any starting vertical location within a page, andRead | Permalink | Linking Blogs Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:00:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17660 Keyboard-video-mouse switches make it easy to control two or more computers with only one set of controls – but up until now, hooking up a laptop to one always meant replacing its compact built-in interface with the clunky desktop version, never the other way around. Iogear has reversed that equation with the USB Laptop KVM Switch, the first KVM to allow a notebook’s controls to work on another computer.The compact switch – a tiny rectangular box with USB cables coming out of either end – c Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:15:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17650 Smartphones may be all about piling every feature possible into one device these days, but one manufacturer seems to be running against that tide with a new mobile device that does just one thing: e-mail. Call it a unitasker or divergence device if must, but the upcoming Peek has no voice capability, text-messaging or even a basic media player – all it does is send and receive e-mails.Peek’s e-mail-only device is simply a slim rectangular block with a screen and QWERTY keyboard that can be configured to interface with just about any e-mail service, from your ISP’s POP mail to free accounts like Gmail a Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:10:00 -0400 http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/8301-13555_3-10023024-34.html?part=ecoustics-cnet Ever wonder why there are automated call-centers that communicate eerily well, yet there are dozens of keyboards, buttons, and remote controls in your consumer life? For the first time, here's the story of the one company you should blame. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:05:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17622 At the Leipzig Games Convention in Germany, Microsoft has introduced its new Sidewinder X6 gaming keyboard and Sidewinder X5 gaming mouse, hoping to appeal to serious gamers and everyday computer users. The peripherals represent Microsoft's latest foray into gaming hardware, and new entries in the company's resurrected Sidewinder line, which it originally launched in 1995 but killed in 2003."We know that consumers don't want to pull out and set up a second keyboard for a gaming session, so we created a device that was perfect for both gaming and regular computer use," said Microsoft user researcher Kevin Flick, in a statement.The Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:45:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17569 Computer folks might know the name Logitech for things like keyboards, mice, and Web cams, but the peripheral and accessories maker has apparently set it sights on the portable audio market, announcing today it has entered into a deal to acquire the privately-held Ultimate Ears for $34 million in cash. Ultimate Ears is mainly known for producing in-ear monitors used by audio engineers and performing musicians, but it has recently expanded its product lines to include consumer-oriented products as well as audiophile offerings."Ultimate Ears is a perfect fit for Logi Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:15:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17515 Move over Sidekick, there’s a new side-slider in town. On Friday, Samsung announced the new SCH-R450 Messager for the MetroPCS network, a relatively no-frills handset except for its handy slide-out QWERTY keyboard.The simplistic rectangular phone gets a 2.1-inch LCD, 1.3-megapixel camera, MP3 capabilities, and just about every type of text capability under the sun, including SMS, MMS, and IM. There’s also a microSD slot for expanding its storage by up to 2GB, speakerphone, Bluetooth, and advanced voice recognition.MetroPCS has the phone availa Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:55:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17487 Computer hardware designers have built a lot of strange devices in the name of ergonomics. Witness: kneeling chairs, wave keyboards, and wrist rests that feel like they’re made of Jell-O. You can now add to that list the vertical mouse, a 90 degree spin on the conventional mouse that puts your hand in a handshake position as you push it around on a desk.The creatively named Korean company Wow-Pen announced the Joy ergonomic mouse back in February, but the device just Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:55:00 -0400 http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/506818.html Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:18:00 -0400 http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/8301-1001_3-10005090-92.html?part=ecoustics-cnet Notebooks, mice, and keyboards will be in hot demand as students head back to campus. Though handy for toting to class, netbooks will still make up a small portion of notebook sales this fall. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:00:00 -0400 http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/8301-13880_3-9997098-68.html?part=ecoustics-cnet Keep events private, change your default view, add weather info, use keyboard shortcuts, and import specialty calendars. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:01:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17353 Peripheral and accessories maker Kinesis has been devoted to making keyboards, mice, footswitches, and other input devices for folks who have trouble with everyday keyboards and pointing devices. And let's face it: many of us know firsthand that the more we type, the more time we spend wondering if there's a better, less painful way to get things done.Kinesis' Frestyle Solo splittable keyboard (available for PC and Mac users) is a big step in that direction for many users, offering completely separate keyboard modules that can be placed any distance apart and a Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:30:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17345 If you’ve been yearning for Art Lebedev’s Optimus Maximus OLED keyboard, but $1877.43 sounds just a little expensive for a typing device, fear not, the company hears your plight. On Tuesday, the company revealed the 15-key Optimus Pultius as a cheaper alternative to the full 113-key Maximus.Since most users probably set a majority of the keys on their Maximus keyboards to the standard QWERTY configuration, the sidebar of application keys ends up being the main attraction, and that’s what the studio has recreated with Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:50:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17340 If you're using an HTC Touch or Mogul from Sprint and the launch of the iPhone 3G has got you thinking you're using yesterday's handset, an announcement today could put a smile on your face. Sprint has announced a free software update for the HTC Touch handset that brings EV-DO Rev. A mobile broadband to the smartphone, along with enhanced GPS capabilities, the mobile version of the Opera Web browser, and an onscreen 40-key QWERTY keyboard that offers an additional op Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:15:00 -0400 http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/8301-1023_3-9994405-93.html?part=ecoustics-cnet Filters and labels helped move me from Yahoo Mail to Gmail; search and keyboard controls made me happy. Too bad about the rocky transition. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:00:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/news/148467 Readers discuss the pros and cons of Apple's iPhone 3G, and gush over their favorite PC keyboards. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:00:00 -0400 http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/8301-13579_3-9982288-37.html?part=ecoustics-cnet A new report suggests that Apple has developed prototypes of an iPhone that uses a hardware keyboard that slides under the display, but won't be out until next year. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:35:02 -0400 http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/8301-13880_3-9976894-68.html?part=ecoustics-cnet Switch active windows by hovering your mouse, change the duration of notification pop-ups, disable unnecessary animations, and underline menu keyboard shortcuts. Thu, 26 Jun 2008 03:01:00 -0400 http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/8301-13845_3-9972548-58.html?tag=rsspr.6242049&part=ecoustics-cnet Featured links from the CNET Blog Network Watch feature films free of charge at Hulu.com--You'll have to sit through the occasional commercial--and stay tethered to your PC, of course--but that's a small price to pay for watching free movies on demand. Beijing considering antitrust suit against Microsoft?--China has long benefited from stealing Windows. Now it wants to sue Microsoft for charging for it? Former rock engineer designs fab high-end audio gear--John Curl once worked his magic on the Dead and on Jefferson Airplane. Now he's finished work on an all-new Halo Series JC 2 stereo preamplifier. Use your keyboard to move and resize windows--From the Workers' Edge: Put the brakes on your mouse and rearrange your open windows with your keyboard's arrow keys. Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:54:00 -0400 http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/8301-13880_3-9964019-68.html?part=ecoustics-cnet Create a keyboard shortcut that opens your browser to the Google Docs upload option. Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:01:00 -0400 http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/8301-10787_3-9944703-60.html?part=ecoustics-cnet It wasn't Tom Cruise in `Minority Report' up there but Bill Gates' latest product demo had me wondering if we weren't seeing a realistic harbinger. Wed, 14 May 2008 21:03:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/16652 Computer maker Dell has announced that it will replace the keyboards on Vostro 1310 and 1510 sold in Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Africa because of a bizarre decision it made on the keyboard layout which effectively makes the keyboards unusable to touch typists. For unknown reasons, Dell decided to widen the Shift key on the lower left-hand side of the keyboard, and cram the blackslash key immediately to its right. The result was that the lower row of alphanumeric keys—the ones beginning ZXCVB—were effectively shifted one space to the right, so touch typists were forever "off by one" when using keys on the lower row. Fri, 09 May 2008 11:30:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/16648 The relatively obscure Singapore-based company MWg recently launched two new smart phones that may bring some much-needed attention to the brand. Its new Zinc II and Atom V roll high-speed Internet, GPS, and even FM radio into slick packages, but they won’t come cheap.The Zinc II is a slider with a 2.8-inch exterior touch screen and QWERTY keyboard beneath, much like the Glyde that Samsung launched yesterday. Its footprint measures a fairly beefy 4.3 by 2.3 inches, but it manages to stay fairly slim with a depth Fri, 09 May 2008 09:45:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/16629 If the last year of cell phone development seems to have taught manufacturers anything, it’s this: Touchscreens are great for simple navigation, but when it comes to typing and texting, nothing beats a full QWERTY keyboard. So goes the logic, we think, behind Samsung’s latest slider for Verizon, the SCH-U940 Glyde. Like the Thu, 08 May 2008 09:40:00 -0400 http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/8301-10784_3-9938822-7.html?part=ecoustics-cnet The Samsung Glyde offers Verizon Wireless customers a touch screen and a full alphabetic keyboard. CNET gives it a full review to see how it rates. Thu, 08 May 2008 08:30:00 -0400