News Blog

ESPN brings its venerable brand to consumer electronics.

(Credit: espnremote.com)

We got an e-mail Tuesday announcing that ESPN's Wi-Fi remote was going on sale just in time for Father's Day. The remote is simply called ESPN The Ultimate Remote, which shouldn't be confused with another heady remote, Logitech's The One.

While The Ultimate Remote did make an appearance at CES in January, we really hadn't heard anything about it. It looks somewhat like one of Logitech's last-generation Harmony remotes, but it's apparently made by tvCompass, "a provider of digital media solutions."

On paper anyway, ESPN The Ultimate Remote looks like a serious contender. The release notes that the remote not only "manages your home-theater components, set-top boxes, and IP equipment with intuitive 'location-free' setup using a standard wireless connection," but you also get one-touch access to Internet content with an electronic program guide (EPG) for TV listings, a weather widget, mobile Internet browsing, and e-mail and text messaging. The only thing missing seems to be an RF option for accessing components hidden in a cabinet or a closet.

The remote's list price is $300.

Axiom Audio's new Audiobyte PC speakers: the lacquered walnut version runs $559 a pair

(Credit: Axiom Audio)

Most PC speakers are afterthoughts--the computer equivalent of those awful earbud headphones that come bundled "for free" with portable media players. But Canada's Axiom Audio is offering a high-end alternative with its new Audiobyte PC speakers. At 6.5 inches high by 5.5 inches wide by 4 inches deep, the stereo speakers aren't too much larger than standard computer audio offerings, but they're effectively miniaturized versions of high-quality bookshelf speakers, sporting two-way designs with a 1-inch titanium dome tweeter and 3-inch aluminum cone woofer.

The Audiobyte is now available in a variety of finishes and price points: silver, charcoal, black or white standard synthetic matte finish ($349); cherry or burled walnut high-gloss synthetic ($399); and lacquered real-wood burled cherry or walnut ($559). Each package includes a pair of stereo speakers and a separate amplifier module, that latter of which can also accept direct iPod connections via USB. An optional EPZero subwoofer runs $179. Those price tags aren't cheap, especially compared to most offerings from PC audio stalwarts like Logitech and Altec Lansing--and not having yet heard the Audiobytes in action, we can't make any claims as to whether or not they live up to their audiophile billing. But Axiom is betting that more refined listeners--those who might be considering the $400 Bose Companion 5 speakers, for instance--would be willing to give the Audiobytes an audition.

Logitech wireless receiver

(Credit: CNET Networks)

This digital receiver transmits a signal from your PC to the receiver component, then pipes your playlist or streaming radio through your home (or office) audio system. It was one of the first on the market to use Bluetooth.

You can now have the highly rated computer-based wireless system for around a two-thirds discount. Originally listed by most sellers at $150 or so, Buy.com's offering it now for $40, with free shipping.

What: Logitech wireless music system for PC
How much: $39.99
Shipping: Free
Where: Buy.com (via Dealhack)
When: Through unknown date
Click here for CNET's product review.

New name, same iPod speaker system

(Credit: Logitech)

Logitech today unveiled the successor to the AudioStation--the Pure-Fi Elite High Performance Speakers. While any major updates over the AudioStation aren't immediately apparent, the Pure-Fi Elite maintains its LCD display, touch-sensitive buttons, wireless remote, digital AM/FM tuner, line-in jack, and video out (via composite or s-video) support for your photo or video iPod. Behind the grilles are two-way satellites, 1-inch dome tweeters, and 4-inch woofers--although it doesn't look like these grilles are removable like how we saw on the AudioStation. Unfortunately, one thing we wanted to see added to the system, an alarm clock, is surprisingly still absent on the Pure-Fi Elite.

While there's no word yet on whether the Pure-Fi Elite will support the recently announced new iPods, the Pure-Fi Elite will retail for $300 and is expected to hit store shelves sometime next month.

We don't mind a little weirdness in the pursuit of better ergonomics, but we really dislike funky mice and keyboards that require you to relearn how to type and/or mouse. That's why we're particularly excited about Logitech's Cordless Desktop Wave desktop set, which the company announced this morning.

Logitech's new Cordless Desktop Wave mouse and keyboard set.

(Credit: Logitech)

For $89 when it hits stores this August, the Cordless Desktop Wave will give you two major ergonomic features. The first is that, as the name suggests, the keys are arranged along a wave-like pattern that ripples across the keyboard. This design is supposed to account for the fact that your fingers are not all the same length, thus the keys the keys near your little fingers and your thumbs rise up to meet your shorter digits. The other feature is the gradual arc of the key tray. The arc is not as pronounced as Microsoft's classic Ergonomic Natural Keyboard, but Logitech's design also doesn't distort the basic size and shape of any of the main letter keys.

We're especially happy about that last part. We typed this very blog post with this new keyboard, and we've been surprised at how the new layout didn't slow us down. With other ergonomic keyboards, any design tweaks usually result in certain keys that are bigger than others, which means we have to retrain our fingers if we want to maintain our standard rapid typing pace (77 wpm, but we don't like to brag). That hasn't been the case with the new Logitech board, at least after about 200 words or so. We'll have a full review of this thing, soon, but so far so good.

Logitech R-10 speakers

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Through July 17, MWave.com is offering these all-purpose, basic little speakers for only $7--about half of their usual price--plus $8 shipping. Plug-and-play means they connect easily to PCs, CD and MP3 players and shielding means you can use them near your PC or TV without interference. Here are the specs:

Total RMS power: 4 watts RMS (2W + 2W)
Total peak power: 8 watts
Frequency response: 70Hz - 20kHz
Signal-to-noise ratio: >70dB

What: Logitech R-10 PC multimedia speakers
How much: $7
Shipping: $8, varies
Where: MWave.com (via Dealhack)
When: Through July 17, 2007
Click here for CNET product overview.

Logitech's new MX Air Mouse

(Credit: Logitech)

Logitech took the covers off its MX Air Mouse this morning. We've seen this thing twice now during preview visits, and we've been impressed both times. If you're familiar with the Nintendo Wii controller or Gyration's mice, you'll get the idea behind the new Logitech mouse, although the underlying technology isn't quite the same. With the Gyration mouse, you need to point the device directly at your computer. Logitech's MX Air Mouse simply interprets how you move the mouse, regardless of where you point it. You can aim it at the ground and the cursor will move properly on your screen, which means you can be a little more casual when you use your home theater PC. It also works as a standard table-top wireless mouse.

In addition to letting your arm be lazier, Logitech has incorporated a few gesture controls. Flick it from side to side and you'll bring the volume up and down, for example. It also replaced the scroll wheel with a touch-sensitive strip between the two buttons. The strip felt normal enough when we got to play with an early version of it, and it worked much better than the touch-sensitive cursor pad and volume control on Logitech's diNovo Edge keyboard. There's also a few media control buttons on the new mouse, although we have a feeling they'll take some getting used to before they feel as natural as they might on a standard remote control.

The $150 cost of entry for the MX Air Mouse puts this device firmly in luxury territory, so we expect that those boutique home theater PC vendors who love pricey add-ons will scoop this up right away. It hits retail shelves in August, although we don't expect that this will be the last of this kind of product. The technology behind this motion-sensing capability, called MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical-systems), is the same underlying tech that keeps the Segway properly balanced. We expect to see more devices that use MEMS, as the price has finally become affordable to the mass market.