Microsoft Intros New Wireless Desktop with 128-bit AES Encryption

Wireless input devices such as keyboards and mice provide a lot of convenience, but it comes at the cost of security. Anyone with proper equipment and skills can intercept the signals between keyboards and the PC, and log your keystrokes. That way, it's not extremely safe to input sensitive information like passwords. As wireless input devices evolved from using plain RF to 2.4 GHz band and eventually 5.8 GHz band, manufacturers began adding certain kinds of encryption mechanisms. Microsoft built on this, and packed its latest Wireless Desktop 2000 with 128-bit AES encryption, which is extremely tough for the unauthorized to decrypt.

The keyboard uses a standard layout with essential and media hotkeys. A row of buttons gives you easy access to pinned or opened items on the Windows 7 taskbar. The mouse, on the other hand, is a standard 3 button scroll mouse that uses Microsoft's Bluetrack technology that allows you to use it on virtually any surface. The new, secure Microsoft Wireless Desktop 2000 keyboard-mouse combo is priced at US $39.99.