CES 2008

Among the many issues slowing down wider adoption of home theater PCs, the clunky input devices have been particularly troublesome. No more. Logitech's diNovo Mini, announced this afternoon, solves the problem with elegance and simplicity.

Logitech's well-designed diNovo Mini keyboard

(Credit: CNET)

The BlackBerry-style keyboard is easy to type on and has all the keys you'll need, the touch pad works well in both analog (for mousing) and digital (for navigating menus) modes, and it even works with your PS3--although not your Mac or, more strangely, your Xbox 360. Fold down the clamshell top, and the diNovo Mini becomes somehow both stylish and unobtrusive, making it at home in any living room.

We were able to play with a diNovo Mini in the month leading up to CES, and we liked it so much that we awarded it an Editors' Choice. You can read our full review here. The $150 price tag is a bit prohibitive (and Logitech's recommended prices generally come way down at retail), but if you're serious about seamlessly integrating a computer in your living room, we think you'll want a diNovo Mini when it hits stores at the end of February.

Logitech Squeezebox Duet: Music streaming meets superior ergonomics.

(Credit: Logitech)

Digital audio is great--especially if you've got a multigigabyte music collection sitting on your computer or you subscribe to an "all you can eat" music service like Rhapsody. The problem, for a lot of people, is that they're stuck listening to all that great music on the tinny speakers of their computer--or perhaps patching the laptop into their living room stereo system. Dedicated audio streamers have helped somewhat, but they have tiny little screens, which--like docked iPods--aren't very useful if you're sitting on a sofa across the room. And the best solution to date--the excellent Sonos Digital Music System--costs a prohibitive $1,000. Enter Logitech's new Squeezebox Duet: the $400 network digital audio streamer employs a winning handheld remote with a brilliant color screen (not unlike an iPod) that lets you navigate your entire music collection--including some online services and the majority of free Internet radio stations--from the palm of your hand, even while you hear the music from the big speakers of your home stereo.

The latest Logitech Harmony: "One" remote to rule them all.

(Credit: Logitech)

If you read CNET at all, you know we're big fans of Logitech's Harmony line of universal remotes--and judging from the sales numbers, so is the rest of America. But if you're in the market for a universal remote, you'll want to hold off until the end of the month: that's when the Logitech Harmony One is scheduled to hit store shelves. (Yes, yes, add Logitech's name under Dell and Gateway to the list of manufacturers using the "One" moniker.) In addition to packing the same basic features that have distinguished its predecessors (task-based activity control, straightforward PC/Mac programmability, a huge online database of more than 225,000 devices), the latest Harmony combines a full-color touch screen on top with a more traditional "wand" design for those of us who prefer plenty of hard buttons (all of which are backlit, naturally). The One includes a rechargeable battery with a magnetic charging cradle--and that latter feature should address the seating problems that some have had with earlier Harmony rechargeable models.

We got the chance to have a brief grope session with the Harmony One a few weeks ago. While it might be too big for some, we like the overall ergonomics and feel of the device. Our only real complaint is the lack of RF wireless. The One is infrared only, so you're still limited to line-of-sight--though we wouldn't be surprised to see a more expensive RF-capable version popping up a few months down the road. Still, this supercharged Harmony can replace up to 15 other remotes cluttering your coffee table--that, along with its superior software, relatively easy setup, and promising design is likely makes the $250 remote a welcome addition to the Logitech stable.