Logitech launches Cordless Desktop S 510 Media Remote

Logitech today unveiled a sleek, stylish keyboard-and-mouse-combination that ships with a remote control for the PC. The Logitech Cordless Desktop S 510 Media Remote breaks new ground with its minimalist appearance, designed to elegantly blend in with home décor as more of today´s PCs are prominently placed in living areas. The media remote makes it easy for people to experience and share their digital media — pictures, music, and videos — without being tied to the computer.

“Many people today use their PCs to store pictures and music, and even view movies on their flat-panel monitors,” said Denis Pavillard, Logitech´s vice president of product marketing for desktops and keyboards. “The S 510 Media Remote desktop allows people to step back from the computer to share those media files with friends and family. And, it provides many of the benefits of a media PC at a fraction of the cost.”

The Logitech Cordless Desktop S 510 Media Remote gives people powerful media control for music and streaming audio, PC navigation and photo viewing. Using Logitech´s advanced 27 MHz wireless technology, the remote has a range of 16 feet. The remote is compatible with today´s most popular media player applications, including iTunes, Musicmatch, Windows Media Player, and WinAmp. It also comes with Logitech MediaLife software, a powerful, full-screen interface that brings together all of the music, pictures and video on the PC.

The remote has seven customizable keys, including three smart keys, which can be programmed in Logitech SetPoint. The smart keys can also be programmed simply by pressing and holding them while in the desired online-radio, play list, application, folder or Web page.

To reflect modern, minimalist design, the mouse, keyboard and remote have a limited number of buttons, each selected for the level of its usefulness. The keyboard includes buttons for manipulating images and music, including Rotate and Shuffle. By default, the Rotate button turns digital photos 90 degrees to the right, but it can be configured to turn them to the left. A Ctrl+Rotate key combination rotates the image in the opposite direction.

The 800 dpi optical mouse features Logitech´s Tilt Wheel Plus Zoom scroll wheel for scrolling side to side and zooming in and out of photos and documents. Each of the buttons on the mouse and keyboard can be programmed, using Logitech SetPoint software, to launch any application.



The keyboard in the Logitech Cordless Desktop S 510 Media Remote has an expected battery life of up to six months or more with regular use. Due in part to an optical light that is invisible to the human eye and consumes less power than mice with red optical lights, the mouse has an impressive battery life of up to eight months or more. An on/off switch on the mouse extends battery life even farther. To avoid the surprise of a dead battery, each of the S 510 desktop components features a battery indicator light, which turns from green to red when the keyboard, mouse or remote has 10 days of battery life left. To check the battery status of the keyboard at any time, the user simply presses the F1 button.

The keyboard, mouse and remote control are designed to mirror the style of today´s consumer electronics — razor thin with polished black and silver tones — while maintaining important principles of comfort. The ultra-flat and Zero Degree Tilt™ keyboard design serve both aesthetic and ergonomic purposes. To further increase the comfort of the user, Logitech has designed the keyboard to include a large built-in palm rest. The mouse and remote control are designed to be comfortable for both left- and right-handed users. And, the slim remote has an intuitive design that makes it easy to control media — without looking at the remote.

Instead of the traditional D-pad or four-button navigation design, the remote has a roller located in the center of the device — the natural landing area of the thumb — for maximum comfort and better usability. The location of the roller limits the range of finger travel and allows for more fluid movement through scroll menus on 10-foot user interfaces, such as Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition, Intervideo Home Theater, Cyberlink PowerCinema, and Logitech MediaLife software. Large Back and OK buttons can be found by touch due to their prominent locations above and below the roller.

The Logitech Cordless Desktop S 510 Media Remote uses high-power 27 MHz wireless technology. It comes with an optional USB stand that holds the USB mini-receiver, which connects the keyboard, mouse, and remote control. This desktop is therefore also a mobile solution; one can simply take the USB mini-receiver on the road, along with the mouse and/or remote.

The Logitech Cordless Desktop S 510 Media Remote has a suggested retail price of $99.99 in the U.S., and will be available in the U.S. and in Europe, beginning in September. Logitech also offers a version of the product without the remote or mini-receiver; the Logitech Cordless Desktop S 510 has a suggested retail price of $79.99 in the U.S., and will also be available in the U.S. and Europe in September.

Additionally, Logitech also launched the following keyboards today: cordless MX 5000 with keyboard LCD, cordless MX 3000 and the diNovo Media Desktop Laser which also features a keyboard LCD.