Logitech

The rock band, Queen just announced that they are releasing their new album, Absolute Greatest – a compilation of the band's most popular songs – on November 16 in Europe and November 17 in the U.S. Want it before anyone else? You can get it (at a cost) by purchasing the new Logitech Squeezebox Radio Wi-Fi music player. Queen has teamed up with Logitech to offer Absolute Greatest on the player. As of today, Logitech Squeezebox owners can listen to the new Queen album before it hits the stores in November, along with viewing Queen photos and hearing track-by-track audio commentaries recorded by the band. All you need to do is select the Queen application found under the Squeezebox Radio's new Apps menu.

Launched earlier this month, the Logitech Squeezebox Radio Wi-Fi music player lets you listen to Internet radio from around the world, from online subscription services such as Last.fm, Napster and Pandora, as well as your personal music collection. The Squeezebox Radio also features a color screen and access to Facebook and Flickr. The Logitech Squeezebox Radio is available now for $199.99.

Press release:

Queen Makes Music History with Launch of Absolute Greatest Album

Logitech and Queen To Distribute New Album and Exclusive Content on New Logitech Squeezebox Radio Wi-Fi Music Player Read more

The latest remote control to join the Harmony series from Logitech is the new Harmony 700 universal remote. It declutters the coffee table by replacing up to six remotes and features a color screen, rechargeable batteries and one-click control of your favorite activities.

Setup is easy too. Connect the remote to your computer, go to www.logitech.com/MyHarmony, and download the software. The software will then ask you to enter the component and model number, and it takes care of the rest. Logitech's online database features more than 250,000 home entertainment devices with more added daily, so you can feel confident your device is listed.

Once you've completed the online setup all you have to do is push one button to watch TV or a DVD. The color LCD screen makes it easy to go to your favorite TV channel too. The LCD displays icons for your favorite channels, so you can automatically view shows with just one click –no need remember the channel number. Read more

Logitech just announced a new computer mouse that you can use almost anywhere – even glass surfaces! With Logitech Darkfield Laser Tracking, you can use your mouse on clear glass (that's at least 4 mm thick) and high-gloss surfaces. The new technology is available in the Logitech Performance Mouse MX, a full-size mouse, and the Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX for the notebook computer.

To track on glass, Logitech Darkfield uses dark field microscopy to detect microscopic particles and micro-scratches on these surfaces, rather than tracking the surface itself. The mouse's sensor sees the clean areas of glass as a dark background with bright dots (the dust). Then, the sensor interprets the movement of these dots to track exactly where you've moved the mouse. Pretty cool, huh?Read more

Today, Logitech announced two new iPod speaker docks - the Logitech Rechargeable Speaker S315i and the Logitech Portable Speaker S125i.

The new, slim (less than 2 inches thick) Logitech Rechargeable Speaker S315i gives you up to 20 hours of power on a single charge when used in power-saving mode. Also, unlike some iPod speaker docks, you can play your music while it's plugged in and charging your iPod. Read more

The new rechargeable Logitech Harmony 900 remote, announced today, features wireless RF control, a full-color touch screen, and can replace up to 15 remotes.

Setup is easy. The Harmony 900 features a setup wizard that prompts you to enter the make/model numbers of your components, and the software then programs the remote with the correct IR codes for your device. Then, simply place the included IR blaster and a mini blaster on the shelf near the devices you want to control. Unlike other RF remotes, you don't need to tape emitters to each of your devices. Then, use the remote's touch screen to choose which devices you want to control...it's that easy. Once setup is complete, you can close the doors on your entertainment-system, point your remote, and let the entertainment begin! Read more

Logitech's Wireless Drum Controller features premium drum heads with recessed rims – making it easy for you to play like a rock star. It will feature three fully adjustable drum heads and two cymbal pads. Each piece can be positioned to fit your reach and suit your style.

Offering a unique playing experience, the new Logitech Wireless Drum Controller provides quiet, responsive heads that deliver a lively feel, won't distract you from the music, and is designed to let you take advantage of all the latest features of Guitar Hero games.

The kick pedal uses a stainless steel surface and an adjustable spring, too. The controller also offers up to 50 hours of battery life on two AA batteries. The premium drum controller will be compatible with the PS3 and PS2, and it uses a 2.4 GHz wireless USB receiver.

The Logitech Wireless Drum Controller is expected to be available in the U.S. beginning in July and Europe beginning in August for a suggested retail price of $229.99.

The main issue with video calls is getting the software and hardware to work uniformly. Well, the Logitech Vid might have gotten it right! It offers a free, fast and easy way to make true-to-life video calls with your Logitech webcam on a PC or Mac computer.

The Logitech Vid offers a streamlined setup and a simple, intuitive interface dedicated to video calling. It also optimizes the speed and resolution of your video call, so you're always getting the best-possible frame rate and resolution for your webcam.

Vid is set up automatically when you plug in your Logitech webcam, so you don't have to worry about anything. Unlike video calling with IM or VoIP programs, the Vid was designed exclusively for video calling and is powered by the Logitech SightSpeed Network. Also, Vid features a very simplistic and intuitive interface.

The Logitech Vid is available for download at www.logitech.com/Vid and is free for anyone who owns a Logitech webcam or anyone who is invited by a Logitech webcam owner.

Logitech today announced their latest notebook mouse with Bluetooth technology, the Logitech Bluetooth Mouse M555b. The mouse features Bluetooth (obviously), Logitech's hyper-fast scroll wheel (or you can switch to click-to-click mode if you don't like to fly through web pages/documents), laser tracking and a low-battery indicator.

Features:

• Bluetooth wireless technology eliminates the need for a receiver, delivering a powerful cable-free connection
• Two scroll modes give you the option of hyper-fast scrolling for flying through long documents, or click-to-click scrolling for precision when navigating lists, slides, images, and menus
• Laser tracking delivers smooth, responsive, precise cursor control on surfaces that cause problems for standard optical mice, such as polished or wood-grain tables (Note: it does not work on glass and mirrors)
• Efficient power management includes a low-battery indicator to eliminate surprises, a smart sleep mode feature that turns the mouse off after a period of non-use and an on/off switch
• Programmable buttons: Easily access your favorite functions

Information that was given to me states it will be available later this month for $49.99. But Logitech's website has the price at $59.99.

Logitech announced today new, limited-edition notebook mice in a variety of patterns and colors. The V220 Cordless Optical Mouse for Notebooks features rubber grips, a ridged wheel for better scrolling, and has a battery life of up to 6 months (longer if you use the handy on/off switch). Its mini-receiver also snaps into the mouse when you're not using it.

The Logitech V220 Cordless Optical Mouse for Notebooks is available today for $29.99 and works with Windows XP, Vista and Mac OS X 10.2.8 or above.

Logitech also designed three exclusive patterns for Best Buy on the company's M305 Wireless Mouse. The M305 has Logitech's plug-and-forget nano-receiver, a receiver tiny enough that you can plug it in and leave it connected to your laptop. The M305 Wireless Mouse is available now for $39.99. Head on over to bestbuy.com and take a look!

Logitech today announced new accessories for the PlayStation 3. Available later this month is the Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller for PlayStation 3 (and PlayStation 2). In my opinion it is rather pricey at $199.99, but it does have a wood neck and body, a rosewood fingerboard and metal frets, so I suppose the cost is (somewhat) justified.

But what really caught my eye was the new Logitech Harmony Adapter for the Playstation 3. Back in March, Engadget uncovered some plans from the FCC website about an adapter Logitech was working on which allows you to control your Playstation 3 through your Harmony Remote Control. The adapter allows you to control movie watching on your PS3, be able to turn it on and off…basically you can use your Harmony remote to control the PS3 just as it would any other AV component (cable box, TV, DVR, etc.).Read more