unifying

Logitech's newest Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800 is a combination of last year's MK700 and its classic Illuminated Keyboard we loved so much. Released Wednesday for $100, the keyboard incorporates Logitech's PerfectStroke system that allows for uniform tactile feedback across the entire surface of the key, making for a cushy, comfortable typing experience.

Other notable features include convenient recharging via a micro USB port that doubles as a Unifying Receiver for use with all your other peripherals in the Unifying family, adjustable back light, laser etched keys sculpted with Logitech's Incurve design for extra comfort, and a generous three-year warranty.

The Logitech Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800 ships for $100. Check out another pic of the keyboard after the break.… Read more

Home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems are designed to take some of the hassle out of putting together a home theater, but Bose's new line of Lifestyle home theater systems argues they don't go far enough.

The new Lifestyle systems are built around Bose's Unify technology, which uses a variety of methods, such as clearly labeled packaging, guided setup, and straightforward commands, to make the systems easier to use. The video demonstrations on Bose's site look promising, with simple onscreen menus guiding setup and smooth integration with a Harmony-like universal remote.

Bose announced three new Lifestyle systems Monday, the T20 ($2,000), the V25 ($2,500), and the V35 ($3,300), which are all available immediately.

The feature breakdown on these systems is actually pretty simple.… Read more

Mobile workers today still face challenges in bouncing from wired to wireless to cellular workspaces. Cisco believes it may have a solution.

The networking giant on Tuesday announced a new initiative called Collaboration in Motion, designed to help workers on the go by integrating different services for the mobile market.

Collaboration in Motion will bring together a variety of products from Cisco's network portfolio. The mix includes Cisco's WebEx virtual meeting tool, its Unified Communications platform, the Cisco Unified Wireless Network, and Cisco Advanced Services for technical support. The company hopes the new project will bridge the gap … Read more

Demand has risen among businesses seeking better ways for its employees to communicate and work together, especially in this virtual world. To address that need, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft announced plans at Interop Las Vegas on Tuesday to expand their existing partnership to offer enhanced communication tools and services to customers.

Frontline Partnership, the collaboration between HP and Microsoft, was set up 20 years ago to ensure that products from both companies would work together. A new four-year expansion of that partnership will spend up to $180 million to develop new tools and technologies for Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC). UCC … Read more

Cisco has been on a software acquisition spree this past year, acquiring Jabber, PostPath, and now Tidal Software, among others. But as Cisco goes after the data center with its new Unified Computing push, one open-source company should be on Cisco's radar screen: Reductive Labs, creators of the Puppet project, a framework for automating system administration.

Tidal is a performance-monitoring solution for data centers. It's a nice start, and a definite upgrade over Cisco's baseline Unified Computing management tools. But as Forrester senior analyst Glenn O'Donnell suggests, "Cisco is the new kid in town in … Read more

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway is hoping that Microsoft's telephony software can help it replace its aging phone system. But it also hopes the software might help it replace another asset that's getting older: its workforce.

About 40 percent of the company's workers will become eligible for retirement in the next few years. BNSF is hoping that by adding tools like unified communications, it can help attract workers who have grown up with tools like instant messaging and video conferencing.

"We've got to attract and recruit that next generation of workers," said Gary Grissum, … Read more

Microsoft's RoundTable has found a white knight.

The software maker will stop selling the Microsoft Research-developed panoramic video camera. Instead, Microsoft said this week, it will license the Webcam technology to teleconference gear maker Polycom, which will take over sales of the device.

It's unclear whether Microsoft will get a lump sum payment or receive per-unit royalties. It's also unclear how it will be compensated for the technology.

"Microsoft and Polycom are not discussing the financial terms of the deal, but profit is not the focus for Microsoft in distributing the RoundTable device," the company … Read more

Cisco Systems' Unified Computing System announcement last week seemed to lift the whole industry out of its recession gloom.

All of a sudden, it seemed like massive virtual data centers and cloud computing were just around the corner. Cisco even talked about the fact that its new server platform supports massive amounts of memory so that large organizations can host hundreds of virtual machines on each physical server.

No one I know is more visionary about server virtualization than Mark Bowker, my colleague and Enterprise Strategy Group's virtualization guru, so I asked him what I should make of all … Read more

Cisco Systems doesn't seem to know how to color inside the lines.

The networking-equipment giant has been foraging in a diverse set of new markets lately, taking on Microsoft in the collaboration and unified-communications markets, but now sticking a finger in the eye of longtime server partners Hewlett-Packard and IBM by jumping into the server market, as The New York Times reports.

Is Cisco reckless, or simply smart?

Whichever the case may be, Cisco just took on a host of powerful competitors. All at once. Sun Microsystems' Zack Urlocker notes that Sun, among others, is jumping into Cisco's profitable network equipment market. … Read more