Items tagged with peripherals
Have you ever wanted to cut your keyboard's spacebar in half and turn it into two different keys? How about relocating your keyboard's Escape key to somewhere that might be a little more convenient, rather than stretching your pinky finger all the way up to the corner? It's all fair game with System76's new Launch Configurable Keyboard. System76 specializes in desktops and laptops running on Linux, and it has taken its love for open source software over to the land of peripherals. This is its first keyboard, and not surprisingly, it is completely open source to allow for all kinds of customization, as well as support for a variety of platforms, including Linux (duh), Windows, and macOS. "Launch’s...
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HyperX is the gaming division of Kingston Technology Company and has been creating concrete gaming accessories and peripherals since 2002. This year at CES2021, HyperX is back with new PC and console gaming gear for the masses. HyperX Alloy Origins 60 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Perhaps you are working on a small desk or need a keyboard for on the go. A full-size keyboard, while nice, will not exactly suit your needs, so something smaller is necessary. HyperX has created the Alloy Origins 60 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, which is an “ultra-compact” 60% form factor keyboard. It features HyperX red mechanical switches and has RGB LEDs to make your typing faster. If you require a smaller...
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Gaming mice sure have changed a bunch over the years, though if you prefer the old school styling of rodents from yesteryear, you are in luck. Microsoft is now selling a Pro version of its iconic IntelliMouse. On the outside, it's a throwback to the old school mouse that first appeared in 1996, but on the inside, its guts are built for modern day gaming. We'll get to the specs in a moment, but first, a quick history lesson. After debuting the IntelliMouse in 1996, Microsoft continued to update the rodent for several years, up through 2003 when it released the IntelliMouse 3.0. That was the end of the line, until Microsoft resurrected the design in 2018 with a new Classic IntelliMouse. That model...
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Corsair has been putting out PC hardware and peripherals for years that appeal to hardcore PC enthusiasts. When we last visited Corsair, we posted a hands-on with the Hydro Series H100i platinum CPU liquid coolers. The most recent gaming gear from Corsair come in the form of a pair of high-performance gaming mice. The first is the Ironclaw RGB Wireless, which as the name implies is a wireless version of the Ironclaw RGB mouse launched earlier this year. The mouse uses Slipstream Corsair Wireless Technology with an 18,000 dpi sensor to give cutting edge wireless performance. The wireless mouse has the same palm grip optimized shape and rubberized sides of the wired version. Corsair uses 2.4GHz...
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A once popular gaming hardware brand is rising from the ashes after closing up shop last year. We are talking about Mad Catz, which before its surprise departure from the market had been focusing on gaming peripherals for nearly three decades. Now it is back, under new management with "new ideas," a "new attitude," and a new range of "high quality gaming products" that it will showcase at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next week. "Known for their award-winning range of R.A.T. gaming mice, arcade FightSticks, gaming headsets and much more besides, the new Mad Catz will focus first on quality, committed to producing innovative gaming products, designed and engineered in-house...
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There are plenty of backlit keyboards out there today and most of them are pretty much the same when it comes to lighting. You get lights around the keys and some light that glows through the keytop letters and that's it. However, a new keyboard has turned up on Kickstarter, and it's called the Curve Full-keyLit Scenario-Driven Keyboard, which is admittedly a mouthful of a name. The Curve is notable for having hexagonal keys with backlighting that glows through the entire keytop. If you tend to work in a dark room, we can only assume this keyboard and its bright lights might be a bit much. The "scenario driven" part of the keyboard comes into play because the smart backlighting can illuminate...
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If there is a downside to mechanical keyboards, it is that manufacturers have taken advantage of the category's popularity with inflated price tags. That is a shame because everyone who types should trash their squishy membrane plank and buy a keyboard with mechanical key switches. The good news is things are improving. Logitech, for example, just announced the G413, a sub-$100 mechanical keyboard for gamers that uses its fancy Romer-G key switches. We haven't played with one in person yet, but based on the press photos Logitech gets kudos for building a normal looking plank. By that we mean it does not have a gaudy design. It is a refreshingly subdued, in least in terms of being aimed at gamers....
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If you've never heard of Razer's DeathAdder gaming mouse, then chances are good that you're not a PC gamer. Since the launch of its original model ten years ago, the DeathAdder became the de facto gaming mouse, one that few seemed to have complaints. That's to be expected given its great comfort, great control, and of course, great aesthetics. Continuing the DeathAdder legacy is the brand-new DeathAdder Elite, a mouse that features Razer's own 5G optical sensor to speed movement up to 16,000 DPI at 450-inches-per-second. Razer says that both metrics set a new standard for the industry, and if you don't believe it, it has another stat: the DeathAdder Elite hit the "highest measured resolution...
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If you're an old school gamer, then you probably remember Razer's original Diamondback mouse. Released in late 2004 at the World Cyber Games, it was one of Razer's earliest products, with only the Boomslang (multiple versions) and Viper predating it. If you were a fan of the Diamondback, you'll be happy to know that Razer is bringing it back. This isn't the same Diamondback from a decade ago. It's been updated for the modern gamer, which means colorful LED lighting, something that peripheral makers seem to think is a necessity these days. In this case, the cutomizable Chroma lighting loops around the Diamondback's midsection as a tasteful accent. The sides of the scroll wheel and a logo on the...
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Not all computer mice take aim at hardcore gamers. Case in point is Logitech's new MX Anywhere 2, a wireless mobile mouse with a premium aesthetic that would look right at home in a lawyer's office or other professional setting. That's fitting, as it's intended for productivity chores as opposed to fragging your friends or going on virtual quests.In place of a million buttons is a compact design with a rubber surface. It uses what Logitech calls an advanced Darkfield laser sensor that can track on any surface, include glass tables, shiny laminate tops, and other high gloss areas. Digging into the spec sheet, we find that the laser sensor is adjustable from 400 dpi to 1600 dpi in increments of...
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With Apple bringing the USB-C port so definitively into the light back on March 9, there could be no doubt that it would only be a matter of time — and not a lot of time at that — before the inevitable onslaught of USB-C compatible peripherals and accessories. In fact, the very next day in these very pages HotHardware reported on LaCie's new "Porsche Design" portable hard drive, designed for use with systems sporting the new USB-C port...and the race was on! Most computer users remain saddled with legacy non-reversible USB ports. In deference to this reality but determined to keep an eye towards the future too, Emtec is introducing their DUO USB-C flash drive, which comes...
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Ever in trend with thinner-is-better, Blogging Windows is reporting a May launch for the Microsoft Designer Bluetooth Desktop. Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc speaks of the keyboard's sleek design, as well as the unexpectedly high quality typing experience born of the Designer's chiclet-style soft touch keys. LeBlanc specifically calls out the Designer's Function Keys, which offer one-touch access to Search and other Windows features, as well as the board's "Media Center" keys that literally put control of both music and video at the user's fingertips. (Source: Microsoft) Utilizing the latest Bluetooth 4.0 tech, the Designer Bluetooth Desktop pairs up with desktops, laptops, and tablets...
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Don't beat yourself up if you're not familiar with the Cougar brand. It's a German company that's been in the game since 2007, though its presence in the United States is largely overshadowed by companies like Razer and Logitech, two of the bigger dogs in the gaming peripherals scene. But like Roccat, another device maker headquartered in Germany, Cougar is making an effort to establish a higher level of brand recognition on our home turf by releasing competitive gaming gear that blend form and function. The product we're looking at here is Cougar's 600K Mechanical Gaming Keyboard. It's a subdued version of Cougar's flagship 700K intended for people who want the look and feel of the higher end...
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When EVGA released its first gaming mouse last fall, it was evident that the company wasn't interested in entering the market with a whimper. While we found that some aspects of the Torq X10 could have used some tweaking, it was without question a solid first effort, and did well to whet our appetites for what was to come. Today, EVGA expands its Torq line with the X3 and X5, and as you've no doubt surmised already, these are EVGA's mid-range mice. Like the X10, both the X3 and X5 feature two separate models that tweak things ever-so-slightly. The X10 remains the exclusive mouse in the Torq series to be available in a "Carbon" model, though. The main differences between each mouse can be seen...
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If there's one constant at CES, it's that ASUS will announce an enormous number of products from a variety of different categories. As we can now see, this event is no different. For this post, I'll be taking a look at the peripherals and monitors that ASUS wants you to know about. So, let's take a deep breath, and RoG this house. First up is the Republic of Gamers Swift PG27AQ 4K monitor, which looks like a spitting image of the Swift PG278Q 1440p monitor (something that really stands out to me as that's the display I'm looking into right now), and that's a great thing. Like the original Swift, the PG27AQ supports NVIDIA's G-SYNC, which is a technology I'm willing to put my weight behind (and...
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Over the years, we've seen numerous examples of how peripheral vendors have tried to remain competitive, and perhaps not surprisingly, many of the technologies introduced have revolved around making us better gamers. The way the promises are delivered to us, in fact, would make you think that there's only one thing stopping you from becoming a pro-gamer, and of course, it's probably that newfangled feature that the respective company is talking about. I think it's safe to say, though, that most of us have accepted the fact that we're never going to be a pro-gamer. But that doesn't mean that we can't still enjoy the features that target those who are. Take Mionix's NAOS QG, for...
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Riddle us this -- what looks like a Surface Touch Keyboard, won't give up the ghost if you spill your coffee on it, and is intended for Apple's iPad family? The answer is Logitech's new Keys-To-Go, an ultra-portable and standalone Bluetooth plank that's covered with a durable FabricSkin that wards off dirt, crumbs, and spills. "People use their iPads everywhere and the Logitech Keys-To-Go was specifically designed to effortlessly support people’s active lifestyles," said Michele Hermann, vice president of mobility at Logitech. "We have introduced the Logitech Keys-To-Go and updated our existing award-winning lineup of iPad keyboards for the new iPad Air 2 to offer a suite of products that...
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Being the hardcore enthusiasts that we are, it's easy to forget that not everyone lives on the cutting edge of technology or otherwise wants or needs high end components and peripherals designed for power users. So for those of who wouldn't dream of owning a mouse decked out with more buttons than you have fingers, meet Logitech's latest rodent, the M320. This little guy is a wireless mouse designed for comfort by way of its curved shape to "guide your hand to a natural position." It also sports an asymmetrical form, making it an ambidextrous rodent for both left- and right-handed users. "With the considerable amount of time each day that we all spend using desktops, laptops and tablets, it is...
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If your any kind of a computing enthusiast, you're quite familiar with EVGA, even if you haven't bought and of their hardware. From power supplies to motherboards and graphics cards, the company has established a solid reputation for producing high-quality, enthusiast equipment. EVGA recently sent over one of their new Torq X10 gaming mice -- does this new entrant into the crowded high-end mouse market deserve your gaming dollar? Let's take a look... Mighty Mouse? EVGA's Torq X10 Reviewed...
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If your any kind of a computing enthusiast, you're quite familiar with EVGA, even if you haven't bought and of their hardware. From power supplies to motherboards and graphics cards, the company has established a solid reputation for producing high-quality, enthusiast equipment. EVGA recently sent over one of their new Torq X10 gaming mice -- does this new entrant into the crowded high-end mouse market deserve your gaming dollar? Let's take a look. Of Mice and Markets: Ask ten gamers if a high-end mouse is important for gaming and you'll likely hear universal agreement. Ask them to name the best gaming mouse, and you may end up with a fight on your hands. Just as mechanical keyboards...
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A recent death that may have been caused by a faulty USB charger has prompted Australia's Fair Trading Commissioner, Rod Stowe, to issue a warning to consumers about the potentially fatal risk of using non-compliant or otherwise unapproved USB style charges. These are typically cheap knock-offs that can find at discounted sites and on eBay. They can also be found in local stores. Stowe said that Fair Trading investigators recently removed a bunch of unapproved and non-compliant USB chargers, travel adapters, and power boards at a mobile phone accessory shop at a Campsie area. The person running the shop faces possible prosecution. In such cases, maximum penalties for an individual are $87,500...
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As a species, we've come a long way from the days of carving notes into stone. While our ancestors used chisel and rock, we now use keyboards to hammer out our thoughts and anything that needs to be documented. Some of us spend hours a day sitting in front of a PC, a large portion of which is dedicated to punching keystrokes at a frenzied pace. There's a good chance that your keyboard is actively used more than any other peripheral or accessory, save for your monitor, yet some people give little thought to their plank, as if to suggest that all keyboards are essentially the same. Professional typists know better. So does Metadot, which started to build a better keyboard nearly a decade ago....
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