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At the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA), Logitech announced its latest wireless keyboard, the Craft Advanced Keyboard ($200). It’s designed to increase your productivity, whether you’re a creative professional using Adobe Photoshop or a number cruncher working Microsoft Excel. The keyboard’s standout feature is its creative dial, which Logitech calls the “crown,” located in the top left corner, above the Escape button. This dial gives users quick access to certain functions in specific apps. For example, you can adjust image brightness, contrast and saturation in Photoshop with a simple scroll and click, or you can quickly create, adjust and scroll through charts in Excel.
The dial can be customized to work with a number of apps, including Adobe Illustrator, PremierePro and InDesign, as well as Microsoft PowerPoint and Word. (Note: If you own a Mac, the dial will only work with Adobe programs, not Microsoft’s.) It can be used for global controls as well, such as navigating between desktop apps, playing and pausing music and adjusting system volume. The idea is that you’ll never need to lift your fingers from the keyboard.
The keyboard also has smart backlighting; the keys light up when they detect your hands (neat!) and adjust depending on the brightness of the room. Additionally, the keyboard charges via USB-C and can be paired with three devices simultaneously, which users can easily flip through with an “easy switch” button. The keyboard will be available in October for $200.
Logitech also announced the MX Sound ($100), its new premium desktop speakers with Bluetooth connectivity. The compact, matte gray speakers feature motion-activated backlit controls; they push out 24 watts of power and sound bigger than they actually are. Like the Craft Advanced Keyboard, the MX Sound will be available in October.
