Logitech redesigns diNovo keyboard

It's more than a keyboard - it's a minimalist work of high-technology art. Today, Logitech unveiled the Logitech diNovo Edge keyboard, which will succeed Logitech's original diNovo Media Desktop.

The comfortable new keyboard, with a high-gloss finish, is laser cut from a single, semi-translucent piece of black plexiglas and set into a brushed-aluminium frame. Its minimalist style is further evident in the limited number of buttons and the dynamic, backlighted icons embedded within the keyboard, which are invisible when not illuminated. This eye-catching design seems impossibly thin at only ¾-inches (19.05 mm) thick.

The icons embedded within the keyboard, which are invisible without illumination, come into life when pressing the function key to enable the extra functions, including media controls and application-launch keys. After the function key is released, the icons above the F-keys disappear and the keyboard's top panel returns to its pristine black state.

The keyboard rests completely flat, with a low profile, on a desk or coffee table, or on a lap. Several studies have shown that lower-profile keyboards reduce wrist extension and thereby reduce the risk of hand and forearm discomfort.

The diNovo includes the touch-sensitive TouchDisc, which enables people to scroll and navigate a graphical user interface without having to reach for a mouse - perfect for leaning back from the desk, for making a small adjustment when working at the desk, or for using a media PC in the living room. Moving a finger up and down or across the disc moves the cursor on the computer screen, and moving the finger in a circular motion around the perimeter of the TouchDisc enables people to scroll horizontally and vertically through documents. 

Located above the TouchDisc, the keyboard's touch-sensitive volume slider makes it easy to quickly adjust the computer's volume. And on the left-hand side of the keyboard, three zoom buttons - zoom in, zoom out, and 100 percent view - enable people to navigate and edit digital photos with ease. A pointer button, used with the TouchDisc, enables two-hand navigation.

With Bluetooth wireless technology, the diNovo Edge can connect directly, without the included USB micro-receiver, to PCs that have built-in Bluetooth technology. For computers without built-in Bluetooth technology, people need only plug in the micro-receiver to a USB port to connect the keyboard to the PC; the keyboard and receiver are pre-paired during manufacturing so that they automatically connect when plugged in. Bluetooth wireless technology provides the keyboard with a longer range (up to 10 meters, or 33 feet) than for many cordless keyboards - important for use in the living room.

The rechargeable diNovo Edge comes with a stylish stand that serves as both a recharging station and a display base; when inserted in the stand, the keyboard rests perpendicular to the desk, showing off its slim design and freeing up valuable desk space. A two-hour charge yields up to two months of battery life.

The new diNovo is ready for Windows Vista, with a special start key that launches the Vista start menu, and an F-key search button which provides one-touch access to Vista's search feature and is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in November. Its suggested retail price is $199.99 in the U.S.