I've been enamored with the Das Keyboard since it launched in 2005. These supremely clicky, IBM-style keyboards are some of the most rugged mechanical input devices you can buy. Their Pro model -- an all-black monolith with black keys and no key markings -- is the gold standard for Gibson-esque console jockeys who believe that the best keyboard can be used as a weapon and shouldn't be touched by mere mortals.The company just launched a new "quiet" version of its Das Keyboard, Model S Professional Quiet, and I thought it would be fun to talk with Daniel Guermeur, founder of the company who went... Read similar

The Nintendo 3DS XL improved on the original in a wide variety of ways, including better ergonomics and playability. The chunkier body and bigger screen was key in helping to coax the console out of the shadow of its predecessor, and we were full of praise when we reviewed it. But the experience of living with a device is so different from reviewing it, that we'd like to ask you what, if Nintendo was asking, would you have changed?Filed under: GamingCommentsRead similar

Sprint managed to lose a million customers and over a billion dollars last quarter. This time it's not quite as bad, with a net loss of $643 million on revenue that was broadly equivalent to the same quarter of last year (around $8.8 billion). Those following the carrier's big iPhone gamble will note that sales of Apple smartphones fell by around a third relative to last quarter, from 2.2 million down to 1.5 million. Total smartphone sales reached 5 million, which Sprint describes as "strong" and which helped it to slightly increase the amount of profit it makes from each postpaid customer. ... Read similar

If the bright lights, cheery attendants and hipsters are all too much, trips to the Apple Store aren't high on your list of priorities. Thankfully, Cupertino appreciates those who want the world to come to them, and has updated the iOS Apple Store app to match. The software bump now includes notifications that let you know the moment you're eligible for upgrade pricing on a new iPhone. When you've placed your order, the app will offer up delivery notifications, letting you chart your new gadget's journey every step of its way to your front door.Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile, AppleC... Read similar

Dear rig builder, before you go shopping for your next PSU, Digital Storm would like a word. The company's new line of Vanquish PCs is aimed at gamers who want the price of a self-build, but without the worry that they've mistakenly jammed a 12V ATX cable into a Blu-Ray drive. The base unit offers up an AMD FX-4300 with 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, a Radeon HD 7750 and Windows 7 for $699 -- just $38 more than the company claims you could snag those unassembled parts on NewEgg. Alongside the professional build, Digital Storm will provide lifetime in-house tech support and a three-year warranty, so if y... Read similar

Huawei VP Eric Xu has been quoted as saying that the company isn't "interested in the US market anymore," but that doesn't mean he's packing his bags. Huawei will continue to push its infrastructure and handset businesses in the States, despite being branded as a security risk by Congress -- but won't rely upon it as a key business area. Instead, it'll turn its attentions to Europe and winning tween hearts and minds with a little help from the Jonas Brothers.Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, MobileCommentsVia: PhoneArenaSource: BJ News (Translated)Read similar

Even with $145 billion in its back pocket, Apple isn't above a little cost-saving. Following rumors that its new campus was $2 billion over budget, the company has revised its plans for the facility. While the UFO-style HQ is untouched, a secondary complex that was to be built along North Tantau Ave. has been pushed back to phase two -- which means it'll begin construction in 2016, just after people start working in the spaceship.Filed under: AppleCommentsVia: MacRumorsSource: Apple (.PDF)Read similar

While Philips did eventually bring its Ambilight technology to PC monitors, it wasn't before others had decided to roll their own. Now you can add ambient backlighting to any computer display without any of the attendant soldering and Arduino-wrangling, thanks to the folks at Woodenshark. The team has built Lightpack, an Ambilight-esque system that'll connect to a Windows, OS X or Linux PC and project the display's colors onto the area surrounding the screen. Plug the hockey puck-sized device into your computer, attach 10 LED modules to the back of your display and install the open-source so... Read similar

You've had a day to renew your membership, book plane tickets and beg, borrow or steal $1,600 from your neighbors. Now it's time to sit on the WWDC homepage and find out if you'll actually be able to attend Apple's annual software shindig. The tickets go on sale in just an hour, so here's a friendly heads-up that you should get a cup of coffee, charge that battery pack and practice hitting F5, just in case. Update: We've just seen a new definition of fast. As developers have noticed, Apple sold out of WWDC tickets in about two minutes -- and possibly sooner than that.Filed under: Software, ... Read similar

ZTE has managed to break a run of two straight quarterly losses by posting a net profit of $33 million in its first 2013 financials. Unfortunately, the extra cash has come from selling a $133 million stake in surveillance firm Shenzhen ZNV, rather than any surge in handset popularity. A three percent fall in sales, project holdups, and squeezed margins have all helped to heap woes onto ZTE's plate -- not to mention the ongoing hostility from the folks in Congress.Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, MobileCommentsSource: BloombergRead similar