Gaming keyboard meets manual typewriter

Hard-core gamers are always looking for gear that will survive the most merciless abuse under their sweaty palms. So needless to say, tough keyboards are frequently at the top of the list.

But it isn't often that a new version borrows a technology from the distant past. The first gaming keyboard in OCZ's new "Alchemy" series features keys made from "100 percent rubber-coating for no-slip comfort," according to PClaunches. And in doing so, the "Elixir" is taking a tack used by old Royal and Underwood manual typerwriters, which occasionally sported rubber caps designed to endure the relentless pounding required to operate the primitive equipment.

Alchemy has included a few more modern features as well, such as 10 programmable keys--the same number provided by the lower-end version of the vaunted "Optimus Maximus" keyboard from Art Lebedev, by the way. We don't know how well the Elixir stacks up in that regard, but at $30 vs. $462, it might be worth a try just to see.

From the Bat Cave to eBay

Kevin Core is showing that his imagination as an amateur computer modder is matched by a natural sense of marketing. Last year he impressed many Cravers with his “Tumbler Batmobile PC,” built from a remote-controlled toy purchased at Wal-Mart. Now, after waiting patiently for several months, he has put the creation up for sale on eBay–just days ahead of the much-publicized release of The Dark Knight.

In addition to the 2.8GHz AMD Sempron chip and other specs mentioned when it first went public, the Bat-PC has a “stealth” power switch and three orange LEDs that “simulate the jet exhaust,” according to the auction description. Somewhat surprisingly, however, the bidding hasn’t even cracked $250 as of this writing, a paltry sum that would be an insult to any self-respecting winged avenger.

Plat'Home launches coffee-cup-sized Linux network box

Plat'Home, a Linux company from Japan that specializes in combining eco-friendly, small, tough hardware with their own version of Linux, is announcing another in their series of MicroServers. Kanshi BlockS Pro, made to monitor servers and various network applications, is now available in North America.

This is a great example of applying technology where it's needed. A large percentage of IT budgets are spent on infrastructure monitoring and management. Up-time can be anywhere from just important to mission-critical. The problem for many companies, however, is that the medicine is worse than the disease. Implementing expensive, complex monitoring solutions regularly strains budgets or is simply out of reach, even if necessary.

Plat'Home's Kanshi BlockS is an "it just works" alternative based on open-source software and interesting Japanese hardware. Plat'Home claims that their devices "can be installed in minutes." And because of their small size, offices without server rooms--or server rooms that are overcrowded--can easily use them. Tomoyasu Suzuki, Plat'Home President, is quoted as saying, "Customers always comment on how they love the option of placing it virtually anywhere. For companies, departments, or remote offices tight on space, it's a great fit."

Hardware
KANSHI BlockS offers compact, fan-less, hard-disk-less design for high reliability. Roughly the size of a coffee cup (4.5'' x 3.2'' x 1.5''), it can fit virtually wherever needed -- on a rack, next to a wall socket, or inside bigger appliances. Even without a fan, it can withstand temperatures of up to 104° Fahrenheit, great for offices without climate-controlled server rooms.

Software
On the software side, there's as much flexibility as you would expect with Linux. Alive monitoring by ping, port monitoring, network monitoring with SNMP, graphical stats with Multi Router Traffic Grapher (MRTG), and lots more. Up to 255 devices, "regardless of manufacturer," can be monitored.

Apple MacBook: Change is in the Air

First, a disclaimer. I am not an Apple fanatic. The MacBook Air is the first Apple product I have ever used for more than a few days. For well over a decade, I have been wedded to Wintel (Windows-Intel) laptops.

Before I dive into upcoming features, I should also mention that I have been extremely pleased with the Air and have used it almost daily for the last four months. But I would be remiss if I didn't say it is overpriced, as all subnotebooks are.

• Overpriced but still an amazing design Apple made a very studied decision to exclude certain features. This makes the Air an Air. Apple could have included more ports and a little more of this and pinch of that--but then it would have been just another subnotebook.

So, I expect Apple to maintain the uniqueness of the Air for the next refresh.

But improvements are always welcome. And here are a few things that potential buyers can expect to see when a new Air is rolled out.

Apple has begun to give us hints of things to come. A $500 price cut for the solid state drive (SSD) model is one of the biggest indicators so far.

• A bigger, better solid state drive The next Air will offer drives that range in size to more than 100GB. A likely offering would be 128GB from vendors like STEC. (Samsung supplies the current SSD.) Intel and Micron Technology can't be ruled out. Their drives will come in 80GB and 160GB capacities.

These SSDs will also likely use multiple-level cell (MLC) technology, in contrast with current drives that use single-level-cell (SLC). MLC allows higher-capacities but presents power and data reliability challenges, which suppliers claim to have overcome.

• Processors Invariably, all notebooks get upgraded with better processors and graphics. I think the Air's current performance is superb for a subnotebook. I have owned many subnotebooks over the years and anemic performance can render them practically unusable as an everyday machine. But I haven't had this problem with the Air (see note at bottom).

Intel's upcoming 45-nanometer "Montevina" (Centrino 2) low-power offerings should make this experience even better. Though an initial Montevina refresh is slated for July 14, low-power versions won't appear until this fall. Intel refers to these as SFF (small form factor) processors. They will come in high-performance, low-voltage, and ultra-low-voltage variants.

SFF Montevina processors will range from 25-watt (2.4GHz) to 17-watt (1.86GHz) to 10-watt (1.2GHz). The current Intel processor used in the Air is rated at 20 watts at 1.8GHz.

Whether Apple chooses one of these or opts for something not currently on the Intel roadmap of course remains to be seen.

• Graphics Graphics will get upgraded. Montevina will come with Intel's GMA X4500 graphics, which Intel has said repeatedly will be three times faster than current X3100 integrated graphics.

• Battery Insufficient battery life is a problem that plagues all subnotebooks. It has often been suggested that Apple include a removable battery (for easy replacement), but that could compromise the ultraslim design. Having said that, I have been pleased with the battery life compared with other notebooks I have owned.

Hazarding a guess at other features such as upgraded hard disk drives, better screens, and external extras like a docking station is too speculative (and the latter would also compromise the design), so I'll refrain from making any predictions.

But the Air shouldn't change too much. With a simple performance upgrade, it would be an even more remarkable computer.

Finger mouse is just plain weird

We first saw a finger-mounted mouse more than a year ago, but our opinion of the idea hasn't changed much since then.

Granted, there's a new version that's wireless, which addresses one of our biggest complaints about its predecessor. But the new 3D Optical Computer Wireless Finger Mouse still looks too cumbersome to use comfortably for those of us who type about as much as we breathe on any given day.

And even though it's supposedly more ergonomic than a traditional mouse, according to PClaunches, we still think a bit of contortionism is needed to work the scroll wheel and other controls. Besides, just the thought of it freaks us out because it looks like some kind of robo-leech stuck to the hand.