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Use the wired ones, instead.

Very funny! Find a place to plug them in...

Easy, just carry one of these. https://www.logitech.com/en-us...
Progress \ (^_^) /

I've been able to use any wireless USB keyboard on any streaming box I have had, I don't even think I've ever put the batteries in the remote. This is the one I tend to get for the purpose. Maybe there are streaming boxes that are not compatible but I've pretty must understood that they always are.

My dad bought a Logitech Bluetooth keyboard and the specs claim it can last TWO YEARS between charging. It can pair to three different devices and you just switch between them on the keyboard. So awesome!

The K480 with the dial? That thing is awesome.

https://www.logitech.com/en-us...

Though I only paid $11 for it, not $49, on clearance at Wal-Mart. I don't know why they weren't selling, it's very nice for a bluetooth keyboard.

Exactly this.

A similar example I hit recently (although an admittedly lower end product than a fridge). Logitech HD TV Skype camera.
http://support.logitech.com/en...

Came out in 2012 or there abouts. I purchased a couple in 2014 and had good use for them. Then early last year (2016) they fail at "checking internet connectivity" stage of log-in to skype. On any wireless or wired network.

Turns out the camera is stupidly hard coded (firmware) to ping test skype.com at this step. No response means failed internet connectivity stage, no way past that step, non functioning camera. Skype had decided to configure skype.com to stop responding to ping requests (as they can do, it's their site not logitechs. Who knows, maybe they were sick of being flooded with ping requests from some other companies cameras for no good reason).

Logitech don't sell the camera anymore, so no firmware upgrade to fix it forthcoming. Fixable by hacking around with your DNS settings on your router (if your router allows it), or some other non-trivial networking hack in order to trick your camera into thinking it is on the internet when it is already on the fucking internet.

Logitech also went through a very helpful stage of removing all references to this problem, including customer documented workarounds, from their community support forums in an effort to sweep it under the carpet. They leave them up nowadays which is the very least that they could do seeing as it was their short sighted design decision that caused the issue in the first place.
https://community.logitech.com...

Exactly this.

A similar example I hit recently (although an admittedly lower end product than a fridge). Logitech HD TV Skype camera.
http://support.logitech.com/en...

Came out in 2012 or there abouts. I purchased a couple in 2014 and had good use for them. Then early last year (2016) they fail at "checking internet connectivity" stage of log-in to skype. On any wireless or wired network.

Turns out the camera is stupidly hard coded (firmware) to ping test skype.com at this step. No response means failed internet connectivity stage, no way past that step, non functioning camera. Skype had decided to configure skype.com to stop responding to ping requests (as they can do, it's their site not logitechs. Who knows, maybe they were sick of being flooded with ping requests from some other companies cameras for no good reason).

Logitech don't sell the camera anymore, so no firmware upgrade to fix it forthcoming. Fixable by hacking around with your DNS settings on your router (if your router allows it), or some other non-trivial networking hack in order to trick your camera into thinking it is on the internet when it is already on the fucking internet.

Logitech also went through a very helpful stage of removing all references to this problem, including customer documented workarounds, from their community support forums in an effort to sweep it under the carpet. They leave them up nowadays which is the very least that they could do seeing as it was their short sighted design decision that caused the issue in the first place.
https://community.logitech.com...

I just use one of these for my TeamSpeak push-to-talk key, with a headset that can support two inputs so I can have audio from both my PC running teamspeak and the PS4 for FFXIV.

Based on my cursory Googling:

Microsoft keyboards have been broken for a while.
http://arstechnica.com/securit...

Logitech apparently actually uses 128-bit AES, though the question of how they generate their symmetric key isn't exactly answered in a way that's satisfying.
http://www.logitech.com/images...

Not sure about Dell. Couldn't find much on their keyboards with my cursory Googling. They seem to mostly rebrand other people's wireless keyboards?

And Apple keyboards all seem to be bluetooth.

I've been fairly happy with my Logitech wireless home theater keyboard. I believe it uses AES encryption and uses USB for charging. There also isn't any pairing to deal with either, just plug in the tiny USB receiver.

Document covering Logitech wireless encryption.

Here ya go...
https://forums.logitech.com/t5...

And all the steering wheels I've seen have special attachment to clamp/screw them on the table.
(See Logitech official page)

Are you forgetting about the force feedback? Without clamping the wheel to your desk the wheel is going to jump around like a piece of cooking popcorn and that's before you even get to the first corner.

Hence the clamp-attachement-thingy that is on nearly every single wheel I've seen, and that's clearly visible on lots of the picture on Logitech's official website.
They even have a paragrph about mounting it securely.

I suppose it might be possible with force feedback turned off but then what's the point?

To simulate the steering wheel of an actual real-world everyday car. You know, the things which got equipped with "Power Steering" for the past few decades, and which you can almost steer around with a single finger. :-D

("Reality Is Unrealistic" trope again).

(Well I get the point that the "racing wheel" are for playing car racing games, which simulate cars with differently configured steering column.
But still, a steering wheel with the forcefeed-back turned as low as possible is the closest thing to the normal car that you use to drive around)

I don't own this peculiar item, but all the Logitech gaming gear I've used (mostly WingMan joysticks) have a rather heavy-ish metal base, to keep it stable.

And all the steering wheels I've seen have special attachment to clamp/screw them on the table.

(See Logitech official page)

Are you forgetting about the force feedback? Without clamping the wheel to your desk the wheel is going to jump around like a piece of cooking popcorn and that's before you even get to the first corner. To turn the wheel overcoming the force feedback generated by the turn wouldn't really be possible unless the base weighed 100kg (ok, maybe not that much but it'd have to be a darn heavy base). I suppose it might be possible with force feedback turned off but then what's the point?

I clicked on TFL (I know! I know!) and saw what looked like a plastic base.

I don't own this peculiar item, but all the Logitech gaming gear I've used (mostly WingMan joysticks) have a rather heavy-ish metal base, to keep it stable.

And all the steering wheels I've seen have special attachment to clamp/screw them on the table.

(See Logitech official page)

This is my favorite Logitech Gamer mouse (G602): http://gaming.logitech.com/en-...

It has a solid feel, great DPS and the perfect amount of mappable buttons.

Fellow former G15 user here. I recently switched to Logitech's modern replacement for it: The G910 Orion Spark found here http://gaming.logitech.com/en-.... The design is a bit more ostentatious, but it covers pretty much everything I liked about my old G15, except with a relatively quiet mechanical switch. You can even use a phone to perform the tasks the old G15 screen used to!

I'm not sure which version of the G15 you had, but it's about the same size as the V2 (orange LEDs) and substantially smaller than the behemoth that was the v1 (blue LEDs). I've only had it for a few months now, but I'm not finding any complaints about the build quality.

Instead of the Apple Slim Keyboard I opted for the Logitech Wireless Bluetooth K811.
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/illuminated-keyboard-for-mac-ipad-iphone

Reasons I like it:
- Build quality in comparable to Apple's Keyboard
- Backlit keys if I want to turn it on
- 1 year battery life (if the backlight it turned off)
- Can pair with 3 devices instead of 1
- For compactness of the footprint it's about the same as the Apple wireless keyboard
- Bluetooth and not a proprietary Logitech protocol that would require a USB dongle

If you are a fan of typing, I highly recommend the mechanical keyboards.in general red cherry buttons are for faster operations, and can improve your words per minute in a typing test. however the rate at which you will make mistakes also improves in this case as its very easy to missclick. these type of keyboards also tend to be cheaper if you are looking for a silent version which is desirable for mechanical keyboards. http://gaming.logitech.com/en-... this is a brown cherry key which is a midway option between red and blue. so its a balanced keyboard which is relatively silent for a mechanical keyboard.i personally used one of these for three years, but the lack of cleaning options is a real problem from logitech keyboards. recently i bought a Gigabye Aivia which was great with a key designated for cleaning. Blue cherry keys are usually best for reaching 100% correct input during a typing test, so where accuracy is important. Recently companies started making their own mechanical switches which makes it difficult to compare them directly. (find Razer BlackWidow Chroma for example) I guess heres a nice review of the more recent keyboards: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/be...

Logitech still lists them and I've found them on many sites.
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/...

I love trackballs and I think they may be the answer, but if he jerks a lot they may not be.

^^^ I second this: Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX sounds very much what OP is looking for. Anywhere MX mouse has a very good wheel and a special third button with middle click located slightly below the wheel (I use Debian as my desktop OS and I middle click is a need). The mouse uses 2 AA batteries (and is fine with rechargeable ones), lasts months, wireless (perfect for notebooks), and has two additional buttons on the left side, and works on almost any surfaces. You can easily reprogram buttons using xmodmap in Linux.

It has a small button below the wheel that you can program as the middle button. It's a decent mouse. I'm a happy with it. http://www.logitech.com/en-us/...

Hate to break it to you, but that is the TRACKMAN MARBLE PLUS (THE PAGE YOU LINKED!!). Mine is the TRACKMAN MARBLE. http://www.logitech.com/en-gb/...

You save to the on-board memory it's a basic function, and everything works the same in linux etc. http://support.logitech.com/en... if ya need instructions. Works fine for me when I multi boot.

"why a scroll wheel will not work for you"

With a clickable scroll wheel it takes effort to avoid scrolling when trying to click

"check out the Logitech Couch Mouse M515"

'This product is no longer available. Continue shopping at Logitech.' http://reviews.logitech.com/70...

The Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX is a wireless mouse, so may not suit. It does nonetheless have a middle button distinct from the scroll wheel, and is not a weird 'ergonomic' shape.

I use it with the laptop, but at work I'm on the sadly long-discontinued Logitech Marble Mouse, with middle-button emulation. (I see that there is now the Trackman Marble, so perhaps I will still have somewhere to go if my venerable trackball ever dies!)

The Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX is a wireless mouse, so may not suit. It does nonetheless have a middle button distinct from the scroll wheel, and is not a weird 'ergonomic' shape.

I use it with the laptop, but at work I'm on the sadly long-discontinued Logitech Marble Mouse, with middle-button emulation. (I see that there is now the Trackman Marble, so perhaps I will still have somewhere to go if my venerable trackball ever dies!)

Serious question (in case it sounds like I'm being antagonistic):

Since AES is a block cipher, and an AES block is 16 bytes, and since keypresses appear to be transmitted "instantaneously", does that mean for each keypress, a 16-byte block is formed, and encrypted? And what about the encryption mode? (Otherwise doesn't it basically become ECB?)

Seems like a stream cipher would make more sense, although you'd need a protocol on top of that to stay synchronized, since packets can become lost/corrupted.

I could only find a very non-technical PDF on the topic. Interestingly, the wording seemed to imply something like a DH key exchange (one time, during pairing).

I like it, but I am used to it. For me what is much more important is using a trackball instead of a mouse. The only one however is the Logitech Wireless Trackball M570 as it is the only one (that I know of) that uses the thumb for the ball and that you can still buy.

Thanks, I'll check out the Unicomp next time I'm in the mood to change my typing setup. The Extended II I got has the cream alps keys, so they're dampened but seems to have no deterioration (not surprising since it's new).

I like the Logitech K760: https://support.logitech.com/e...

It's solar powered and always at 100% battery capacity for me. It also has 3 Bluetooth receivers, so I can switch between my laptop, desktop, and iPhone with a single key press.

I have one of these. Simple remote, plus iPhone/Android app if you ever want the extra stuff.
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/...

After using the Logitech M570, I find I get better control and speed with my Trackball. http://www.logitech.com/en-ca/... When sitting on the couch, I can easily position the M570 trackball to allow for comfortable gaming without a movement surface. The ability to spin 180 deg with a trackball is instant, for FPS it is awesome. However it does take a bit of getting used to, but it is better in my opinion than a mouse. I also have no pain when gaming for much longer than I should admit at times, lol.

Agreed. A rooted Android phone with a decent mod on it is as close as you can get to a Unix box in your pocket. The lack of a physical keyboard is a drag, but with a decent stock keyboard replacement like SwiftKey, it is not the end of the world.

I recently put Cyanogenmod on my droid razr and actually got geeked out on my phone again. Everything just works like it should. The ROMs that come from the phone companies are bloated and inefficient. Do not make the mistake of judging the Android ecosystem by what you see in the stores.

There are even some useful utilities for Android. (http://ultimatepeter.com/freakin-cool-hacking-apps-for-android/)

Bluetooth Keyboard. http://www.logitech.com/en-us/... is what I use
Or you could get something much cheaper like this: http://www.amazon.com/Bluetoot...
There are also cell phone cases with integrated Bluetooth keyboards to turn many phones into "sliders".

My keyboard has a switch for the gaming problem. When the switch is on common windows function keys are disabled including the windows key itself.
Logitech G15 Keyboard

Check this keyboard/cover out for iPad that's nearly identical to the Surface keyboard. Bonus is that it predates the surface.

Okay. What are you going to do with your large-format computer display that you can view from a comfortable position on the opposite side of the room with a bunch of other people?

It still has plenty of uses even if you don't watch any conventional TV. I use it for watching movies with the family (either commercial ones or ones I've filmed myself). Same for photos/slideshows. I also have a computer hooked up to it and a wireless keyboard/mouse pad combo for controlling it across the room. Being able to watch TV is just a bonus.

So frustrated, that I have never bothered to even take the bluetooth keyboard I bought along with my iPad out of the box in the past two years.

I got the bluetooth keyboard from Apple when i got my iPad three years ago, it worked but it just turned out to be impractical.

The Logitech Ultrathin however is a whole different story. Convenient and practical and effective.

I still wouldn't use it to write a novel, but for email it's been fantastic.

Yeah but mechanical bluetooth keyboards are hard to find. At lest for now.

Plus I hate to think of dragging my RK-9000 with me to use with my GNote 10.1.

OTOH if I really needed to type a lot it would be worth it, and the Surface Pros don't come with real keyboards either. Just that rubberdome garbage.

Mechanical Bluetooth keyboards are hard to find for the iPad? Really? Really? Are you sure about that?

Not one of the keyboards you list is a mechanical, moron.

Yeah but mechanical bluetooth keyboards are hard to find. At lest for now.

Plus I hate to think of dragging my RK-9000 with me to use with my GNote 10.1.

OTOH if I really needed to type a lot it would be worth it, and the Surface Pros don't come with real keyboards either. Just that rubberdome garbage.

Mechanical Bluetooth keyboards are hard to find for the iPad? Really? Really? Are you sure about that?

Not one of the keyboards you list is a mechanical, moron.

Yeah but mechanical bluetooth keyboards are hard to find. At lest for now.

Plus I hate to think of dragging my RK-9000 with me to use with my GNote 10.1.

OTOH if I really needed to type a lot it would be worth it, and the Surface Pros don't come with real keyboards either. Just that rubberdome garbage.

Mechanical Bluetooth keyboards are hard to find for the iPad? Really? Really? Are you sure about that?

Yeah but mechanical bluetooth keyboards are hard to find. At lest for now.

Plus I hate to think of dragging my RK-9000 with me to use with my GNote 10.1.

OTOH if I really needed to type a lot it would be worth it, and the Surface Pros don't come with real keyboards either. Just that rubberdome garbage.

Mechanical Bluetooth keyboards are hard to find for the iPad? Really? Really? Are you sure about that?

Earlier this year I was involved in a collaborative writing project where all three authors were using iPads and the documents were hosted as goggle docs in a shared repository.

One author was using a 3rd party bluetooth keyboard, myself and the 3rd author were using the onscreen keyboard. For edits and proofing the workflow with the iPads and google docs worked really well.

I have subsequently purchased one of the Logictech keyboard for when I travel and want the capability to type longer documents. I frequently type shorter documents on the iPad onscreen keyboard directly.

Don't forget Steam offers a wealth of games at reasonable prices (1 cost for multi platform games, too); and that are many controllers that work fine most PC games, whether it be the Xbox controller, or logitech gamepags, just to name a few.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_pen http://www.logitech.com/en-us/support/digital-pen I used one of these in my undergrad when it was cheaper and easier for me than lugging a laptop and books around everywhere on my motorcycle. Just because you haven't seen the tech doesn't mean it isn't there. Read the wiki article for various implementations on how they work.

I never understood why people were content to drop ~$300 for a PMP every few years but then skimp on headphones which should, in theory, outlast any media player. Man up and get the real thing: http://www.jhaudio.com/ http://ultimateears.logitech.com/ http://www.westone.com/music/

Touch input does not need to be done from the screen. Both Microsoft and Logitech have mice that recognize touch gestures across their surface.

Logitech also makes a touch pad that supports multi-touch gestures.

These device should alleviate the problem of "gorilla arm", but in the case of touch sensitive mice, I'm not sure they're a good idea. I tried using the Microsoft Touch Mouse for a few weeks and found it very annoying. Perhaps it's just me, but I found it would frequently respond to some "gesture" I hadn't intended. Usually this resulted in a window being minimized accidentally, but I once lost a considerable amount of typing when the mouse though I made a "back" gesture while posting online. I've stopped using the touch mouse and have ordered the touch pad instead.

Touch input does not need to be done from the screen. Both Microsoft and Logitech have mice that recognize touch gestures across their surface.

Logitech also makes a touch pad that supports multi-touch gestures.

These device should alleviate the problem of "gorilla arm", but in the case of touch sensitive mice, I'm not sure they're a good idea. I tried using the Microsoft Touch Mouse for a few weeks and found it very annoying. Perhaps it's just me, but I found it would frequently respond to some "gesture" I hadn't intended. Usually this resulted in a window being minimized accidentally, but I once lost a considerable amount of typing when the mouse though I made a "back" gesture while posting online. I've stopped using the touch mouse and have ordered the touch pad instead.

Oh *that* explains it!

A familiar situation. Let me introduce you to this little thing called a Logitech Harmony Remote. I use the Harmony One remote. They aren't perfect, but this allows even my non-technically-minded spousal unit to press one touchscreen button to "Watch TV" or "Watch a DVD" or "Listen to Radio" or "Play a CD", and manage to only occasionally press a wrong button and get the system horribly confused. Once I explained that in the worst case she could hit the power button to turn everything off and then press the same simple touchscreen buttons to get back to what she wanted, the chaos was tamed. If I could somehow lock out all other buttons but the main ones, maybe I could make it completely immune to her magical ability to get lost in the system, but it's pretty close already, and sometimes I want to use those other buttons.

On the down side, these units aren't cheap (but watch for when they are on special -- I got mine for $100 off) and the software is clunky and only some models are supported by open-source software alternatives, but it's still the best investment in home entertainment equipment I've ever made. Admittedly, I haven't tried to set up access to YouTube or any other "smart" features with it yet, but for the main functions, it's fine.

It's to the point that when I recently got an HD TV box and was showing her the new features with the standard remote that came with the box, her first question was "Oh no, do I have to use another remote?" To which I said "No, I just haven't set it up yet." It took 5 minutes to do so, and now she's happy again. The default button layout for the HD box was fine as-is -- nice. Most painless addition of a new piece of equipment I've ever experienced.

I used to love the old fashioned keyboards. My favorite was some PS/2 IBM model that I still have in the attic somewhere. When PS/2 ports started disappearing, instead of reaching for the soldering iron, I looked for a USB keyboard.

After much trial and error I discovered the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard. It is the best keyboard ever made. Less fatigue, awesome key action, silent and it's backlit. It's not cheap, but you get what you pay for.

Just bite the bullet and get a Harmony One or (if you need to control devices outside line-of-site) the Harmony 900.

I have two (for different media centers) and bought my dad one as well. Haven't had to reprogram any of them since the initial installation more than a year ago.

You don't appreciate physical buttons on your remote until you lose them all.

I loved the Harmony One, and I've got a Harmony Touch now - but they did not work at all with the Nintendo Wii. To work with the PS3, you need an extra device for converting IR to bluetooth.

The Harmony is great at setting up the other devices that are part of the activity, though - typically a TV and a receiver.

Just bite the bullet and get a Harmony One or (if you need to control devices outside line-of-site) the Harmony 900.

I have two (for different media centers) and bought my dad one as well. Haven't had to reprogram any of them since the initial installation more than a year ago.

You don't appreciate physical buttons on your remote until you lose them all.

I loved the Harmony One, and I've got a Harmony Touch now - but they did not work at all with the Nintendo Wii. To work with the PS3, you need an extra device for converting IR to bluetooth.

The Harmony is great at setting up the other devices that are part of the activity, though - typically a TV and a receiver.

Lefty gamer here, and I have switched to Logitech. I'm using the G300 now, and am quite happy with it. The setup software is a bit wonky, and has to be twiddled with every time I come back from sleep or reboot for some reason (?), but otherwise it Just Works. My last 3 Razer mice all got unreliable on one axis after about 6 months or so. I'd expect that from a $20 beater mouse, but not a supposed "gaming" mouse. I won't put up with a peice of hardware I can't rely on.