Kensington SlimBlade Pro is a stylish wireless trackball with HAL 9000 vibes

Tech companies and visionaries would have us believe that the future of computer interaction will all be either touch screens or holograms floating in front of our faces. Our present, however, is still very much tied down to indirect pointing devices like mice and touchpads. These aren’t the only input methods for computers, though, and some prefer a type that traces its origins even farther back than the venerable mouse. There are some people who still swear by trackballs that may now look alien to our eyes because of the convenience and precision they offer. Kensington is definitely still heavily invested in this market, and it just launched a wireless version of its elegant trackball that eerily calls to mind one of pop culture’s less savory AIs.

Designer: Kensington

Although mice became the predominant computer pointing device, it was hardly the first one. To some extent, the older trackball had an advantage in precision and economy of movement since you won’t have to lift and move the base around. It may look and feel weird to the majority of people who have grown around the mouse, but there is no shortage of professionals that find it more ergonomic and more usable. Kensington was actually one of the first to make the trackball popular with its Expert Mouse, and the new SlimBlade Pro tries to keep it ahead of the game.

The SlimBlade is one of the company’s most recent trackballs, and this new “Pro” model cuts off the cord to help keep your work desk neat and tidy. You can still use it with a USB-C cable if that’s what floats your boat, but its selling point is the wireless and Bluetooth connectivity options. It uses a built-in rechargeable battery that’s advertised to last up to four months on a full charge, freeing your mind of worries as much as it frees your desk of an additional cable.

The Kensington SlimBlade Pro definitely looks classy and refined on your desk without the wire. The base’s black surface contrasts nicely with the shiny red ball that serves as the main control of the trackball, almost like a crystal ball or gem that gives you power over your computer. Seen from the top, though, the trackball is almost like a glowing red eye staring at you, reminiscent of HAL 9000’s iconic and notorious appearance.

A trackball may now be the distant minority compared to even touch screens, but its design offers ergonomic benefits over a conventional mouse. The Kensington SlimBlade Pro even takes that to the next level by providing a finger-operated design that can be used by either the left or the right hand. It will definitely require retraining muscle memory, but for the professionals who have gone through that process, it was well worth the growing pains.

The post Kensington SlimBlade Pro is a stylish wireless trackball with HAL 9000 vibes first appeared on Yanko Design.

Kensington’s iPad dock turns your tablet into an iMac (and wirelessly charges your iPhone too!)

The iPad was practically designed to be the spiritual successor to the computer and Kensington’s StudioDock, unveiled at the virtual CES 2021, fulfills that prophecy.

Designed to easily snap your iPad Pro onto it (thanks to the magnets built into the tablet), the StudioDock gives you a miniature desktop experience, complete with a whole variety of ports as well as charging stations for your iPhone and AirPods. The slick-looking StudioDock comes with a machined aluminum body, allowing your tablet to righteously look like an iMac. Aside from the StudioDock’s USB-C power input, extra ports on the back let you connect an ethernet cable, accessories like mice and keyboards, as well as an external monitor to your iPad, while a neat 3.5mm port on the side lets you hook up headphones (that’s unless you choose to use AirPods), and an SD Card Reader to pull photo and video dumps from your DSLR or drone. In addition to rapid charging your iPad (USB-C at 37.5W – that’s 108% faster than Apple’s own charger), the StudioDock even sports Qi wireless charging surfaces on its base for your iPhone and AirPods and a dedicated dock on the side for your Apple Watch. It also keeps the iPad’s upper edge exposed, so you can snap your Pencil on too.

The StudioDock is designed to let you independently use your iPad as a desktop, or even as a secondary monitor for your current desktop. The even dock comes with a swiveling base so you can shift your iPad from landscape to portrait whenever you like, something Apple’s own levitating stand cannot do. Moreover, it really gives you the freedom to use your iPad however you see fit – as a monitor, a charging station, a makeshift desktop with ports, or even as a tablet PC that you can use independently. The dock is compatible with all iPad Pro models and even the 2020 iPad Air and comes with a 3-year warranty.

Designer: Kensington

Kensington wants you to be very afraid of losing your iPhone, buy its $60 Proximo system

Kensington wants you to be very afraid of losing your iPhone, buy its $60 Proximo system

A mobile phone is lost or stolen every 3.5 seconds, warns Kensington, handily quoting data from 2011. The company's solution is simple: a low-power wireless fob that stays in your pocket and sounds the alarm if you move too far away from your iPhone 5 or 4S. The idea has been around for a while, of course, and it's proving popular elsewhere at CES right now, but the $60 Proximo Starter Kit -- now available for pre-order -- adds a couple more components. As well as the fob, you also get a tag that can be attached to other valuables and an iOS app that allows the monitoring of up to four further tags (priced at $25 each) simultaneously. Each fob and tag lasts up to six months thanks to low-power Bluetooth 4.0, and the CR2032 battery should be easy enough to switch out. Calm your separation anxiety further with the press release after the break.

Continue reading Kensington wants you to be very afraid of losing your iPhone, buy its $60 Proximo system

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Source: Kensington

Got a Bunch of iPads to Charge? Kensington’s Charge & Sync Cabinet Has Got You Covered

Most of us probably have just one iPad – or maybe two in our households, so managing the chargers is pretty straightforward. But say you run a restaurant, museum, shop or office that’s started to use iPads in your business. How do you charge up a bunch of iPads at once? Well, Kensington has got you covered.

kensington charge sync ipad 1

The Charge & Sync Cabinet ($599.99 USD) for iPad can juice up 10 iPads at the same time. Simply side the tablets into the cabinet, and the system will charge the iPad right up. A single power cord charges all the iPads, and there are also built-in USB ports for charge and sync operations. You can stack up to three of these cabinets too, and they each have a cooling fan inside to make sure the iPads don’t get too hot.

kensington charge sync ipad 2

In addition, the cabinet has a locking front door, and can be secured using a mounting bracket or security cable, so you don’t have to worry about thieves walking off with 10 iPads at once. It looks like the Charge & Sync Cabinet currently only supports iPads with the 30-pin dock connector though, so if you’ve got iPad 4′s or later, you’ll have to look elsewhere for a charging solution – until Kensington releases Lightning adapter cables.

Ask Engadget: how do you secure a laptop without a Kensington slot?

Ask Engadget how do you secure a laptop without a Kensington slot

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Scott, who needs some peace of mind with his new laptop, since it doesn't have a security slot. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"I have a Lenovo U410, which doesn't have a Kensington lock slot. Do you have any suggestions as to how to keep it physically secured? Thanks!"

Well, Scott, while it's not the greatest situation, there are a few alternatives you might want to try. For example:

  • Griffin's TechSafe connects through the device's hinge, and should do a job to deter casual thieves.
  • There's also Kensington's laptop docking station, which also clips around your device's display -- but does require you to drill some holes through your desk.

Of course, that's just our two cents, now it's time for you lot out there to chip in with your own suggestions. If you've learned the secret to securing Kensington-free laptops, share your knowledge in the comments below.

Filed under:

Ask Engadget: how do you secure a laptop without a Kensington slot? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Nov 2012 23:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Kensington Pro Fit Mid-Size Wireless Mouse

Kensington-Pro-Fit-Mid-Size-Wireless-Mouse

Kensington hits back with their new wireless mouse, the Pro Fit Mid-Size. Coming in a 5-button design, this ergonomic right-handed mouse features a 2.4GHz radio frequency (works up to 10 meters), a high-definition optical sensor (1750 DPI) for responsive control and a tiny USB receiver. The Pro Fit Mid-Size sells for just $24.99 in sapphire blue, ruby red, graphite gray and emerald green color options. [Product Page]

Kensington updates DisplayLink universal laptop docks with USB 3.0

Kensington updates DisplayLink universal laptop docks with USB 30

Having somewhere to dock your laptop is insanely convenient. Of course, each manufacturer tends to have their own proprietary solution. And usually a different dock is needed for each model. Fun, right? Well, Kensington has their own universal solution that makes the most of the ubiquitous USB port and the unfortunately less ubiquitous DisplayLink. The company unleashed an update to its line of universal laptop docks today that takes advantage of the bonus bandwidth provided by USB 3.0. The Office Dock (sd3500v) and Home Dock (sd3000v) both offer USB 2.0 and 3.0 expansion slots, a gigabit Ethernet port, audio out as well as DVI and VGA ports for plugging in an external monitor. The Office dock ups the ante by supporting 5.1 surround sound via HDMI which, obviously, also gives you an additional video port option. Both are available now world wide, with the Home Dock retailing for $170, while its slightly more premium brother commands a $200 price tag. Check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Kensington updates DisplayLink universal laptop docks with USB 3.0

Filed under:

Kensington updates DisplayLink universal laptop docks with USB 3.0 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 02:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SlashGear  |   | Email this | Comments

Upscale London borough says no no no to BT’s broadband revolution, ugly green boxes

http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/31/chelsea-kensington-council-reject-bt-broadband/

Between all of the delays, disappointment and a general lack of availability, many Brits can't seem to catch a break when it comes to getting fast internet -- but this time it could be their own fault. BT's fiber optic rollout plans came to a screeching halt in Kensington and Chelsea after a staggering 96 of 108 applications for big green street cabinets housing the fiber were flat-out rejected. The local council just isn't prepared to clutter its pristine streets with the "ugly" boxes. The telecoms provider now says it'll concentrate on nearby areas that "have shown a greater eagerness to enjoy the benefits of broadband." It's a good thing there are no plans to paint their famous telephone booths green, or those might be out of a job as well.

Upscale London borough says no no no to BT's broadband revolution, ugly green boxes originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 01:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceHuffington Post  | Email this | Comments