Microsoft Remote Keyboard for MCE

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MCE Keyboard ReviewThey're still a bit tough to find, but I finally got my hands on one of the new MCE Keyboards -- for some reason, Best Buy seems to be about the only folks carrying them so far. To digress a bit, the main reason why I've been quiet on the MCE front for the last month or so is that the drivers for the new keyboard that rolled out on Windows Update about six weeks ago essentially broke the hell out of my MCE system. When they installed, my other IR keyboard (a venerable AirBoard) ceased to function. This made it quite difficult to deal with a driver issue I had on the box, and with the combination of those...


More MCE Keyboard InfoMore info on the new MCE Keyboard, from Chris Lanier. Additional highlights include "spill-resistant" keyboard (hey, that means it's livingroom friendly!), a "key lock" feature to keep buttons from being inadvertantly pushed, TV Power and Volume Control, and a 30 foot range. Available in September. Chris links Microsoft's consumer page, Google's cache of an OEM info page, and a Flash demo. No official word anywhere of it using the same remote receiver, but apparently a new update for the existing remote receiver includes support for the new keyboard, so I suspect that means it all works together. I'm looking forward to this one....


Updated Microsoft Keyboard & Mouse Drivers 6.1 for OS XIn the process of mucking about with all of my HID ("human interface device") drivers the other day, I managed to mess up my keyboard mapping (I use a Microsoft keyboard) so that occasionally it would get in the mode where the "Alt" key to the right of the spacebar was mapped as the Command key, and not the one on the left side. Sheesh... (Yes, I know Mac keyboards should only have one of these keys, and it should be labeled with the little "Command Key" symbol. Unfortunately, I still have to use Windows with this keyboard occasionally, Microsoft makes better keyboards, and feel free to burn me in effigy as a heretic.) So, I do a little digging...


Apple Two Button MouseThere’s a rumour afoot that Apple is busy working on a two-button mouse...  This may be yet another sign (along with the Mini) that Apple is getting serious about taking over some Windows market share. Or it may just mean that Steve Jobs discovered his middle finger was useful for more than non-verbal communication… In any event, if it’s true, it’s high time.  Too late for me, though—I’m corrupted; I can’t use a computer (even a Mac) without four buttons (two thumb buttons for back and forward) and a scroll wheel.  There’s probably a special place in hell for me, but I’m still using a Microsoft wireless keyboard and Explorer mouse. (Along with the awesomely useful open-source app uControl to...


SnapStream Firefly Remote ReviewProbably the one thing Tivo has most over the various other PVRs is its user interface, and a large part of that user interface is the well-designed remote. Although the trusty Tivo is still getting a workout here, I keep playing with PC-based PVRs as well, mostly because I like the flexibility of having a PC attached to a TV, and having recorded media in an easy-to-refactor format.  I also feel a little more insulated from Tivo’s increasing tendency to bend to the demand of the content providers. I’m currently reasonably happy with Sage TV, which provides excellent picture quality, hacked up with a Windows MCE-style interface to replace Sage’s less-than-stellar UI. What’s still lacking is a decent remote. I’ve...