Kailh introduced their newest lineup of mechanical keyboard switches at Computex 2018 in the form of the Sun switch. The aim of this lineup was to retain the Cherry MX keycap compatibility with the same stem design, but allow for centralized lighting akin to what Omron did with their light pillars in the Logitech Romer-G and Creative PRES switches. This meant designing new molds for the various switch parts, and also finding a wider spring that together all still work into providing a tactile and clicky switch with a 1.8 mm actuation depth, total travel distance of 3.5 mm, an actuation force of 50 gf and tactile force of 60 gf.

It found little interest, however, with only Hexgears choosing to adopt it to date in their GK760 keyboard. In a move to drum up more business, Kailh have already updated the Sun switch to allow for a clear stem with walls surrounding the stem to help add some dust and spill resistance, with the clear housing now allowing more light to pass through. The rest of the switch is identical, as seen below in samples we received recently (old switch at the left/top of the new switch), although now there is little scope left for a more diffused backlighting experience. Time will tell how the changes work out, and yours truly would have rather seen the older design in use.More pictures follow.

Winner of over 800 awards, including 250 Game of the Year awards, The Witcher 3: Wild Huntis an RPG set in a fantastic open world full of adventure, danger, and mystery. As professional monster slayer Geralt of Rivia, gamers must set out to find the Child of Prophecy - a powerful entity that may send the world spiraling toward destruction. Along the way, the witcher will find himself facing not only mighty foes, but also difficult choices, the consequences of which will ripple throughout the game's epic narrative.

Set to launch this year both digitally and in retail, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Editionfor Nintendo Switch comes with the base game, as well as every piece of additional content ever released. This includes both story expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, as well as all 16 free DLCs. In total, the Complete Edition offers over 150 hours of gameplay, for the first time playable truly on the go. The game is being ported to Nintendo Switch by Saber Interactive in close cooperation with CD PROJEKT RED.

Today, Ubisoft announced Gods & MonstersTM, an all-new action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Quebec, the team behind Assassin's Creed Odyssey, will launch worldwide on February 25th, 2020. This open world fantasy adventure features a beautiful art style, and engages players in a fantastical world as they use godlike abilities to defeat famed mythological beasts and save the Greek gods in a heroic journey for the ages.

In Gods & Monsters players embody Fenyx, a forgotten hero on a quest to restore power to the Greek gods after it was stolen by Typhon, the deadliest creature in Greek mythology. Players will explore the Isle of the Blessed and prove their heroism as they face dangerous mythological creatures, including fearsome Gorgons, Harpies and mighty Cyclopes. Gifted with special powers from the gods of Olympus, players must overcome treacherous dungeons, challenging trials and perform heroic feats on their journey to save the gods.

At this year's Computex, SteelSeries, a well-known manufacturer of gaming-oriented peripherals, had much to show off, especially for enthusiasts of mechanical keyboards. For starters, SteelSeries has introduced a new type of key switch, called OmniPoint. It is designed to be a compromise of two worlds - gaming and writing. The switch itself has some pretty impressive features like adjustable actuation point, ranging from 0.4 mm to 3.6 mm. When comparing the very bottom of such range, the switch is then looking like one of the most responsive switches in the entire industry, while, when it is adjusted to 3.6 mm, it becomes very hard to type.

Such adaptation would result in a keyboard that very easily adjusts to use cases, whatever it is gaming of writing. Additionally, SteelSeries showed off new models of mechanical keyboards that use the new OmniPoint switch. The Apex Pro, as it is called, is a real RGB masterpiece. It uses an OLED display that can be used to show off GIFs or put static pictures of your choice, all using SteelSeries Engine software. There is also a scroll wheel that acts as the main device setting the actuation point of the OmniPoint key switch. The Apex Pro will be shipping in a few weeks with the price of $199.99.

The Input Club Keystone Mechanical Keyboard is an unparalleled leap forward in typing and gaming technology. The Keystone combines two new keyboard features - High Definition Analog Control and per-key fast Hall Effect (magnetic) sensing - for supreme performance. Our magnetic switch technology enables near-infinite customization, billion-press durability (20x the industry standard), and analog control benefits for everyone. Full firmware programmability and RGB lighting round out its features. This project is the future of mechanical keyboards; join our waitlist to have the future of keyboards at your fingertips.

The Keystone brings novel features together to continue pushing keyboard invention further - with its SILO Hall Effect and High Definition Analog Switches. These are both keyboard switch technologies that have been produced in the past, separately, but this implementation takes them to the next level. With Hall Effect switches, instead of relying on a bending piece of metal for actuation, your keyboard tracks the movement of a magnet. This allows you to change when and where the keyboard receives the signal, while also providing a billion press switch lifespan that simply cannot be competed with.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today unveiled the latest high-performance gaming gear and accessories to be given the popular Quartz Pink treatment. Razer's Quartz Pink colorway was first launched in 2018 to the delight of gamers, streamers and influencers worldwide. With a humble lineup of 4 peripherals to choose from, it was the beginning of a 'pink phenomenon'.

Fans on the quest for Quartz began to refresh their setups with bold color themes - balancing power in pink. We've paid attention. With more than double the gear available this year, one can enjoy a new series that lets you stand out even further from the crowd…in style. "Our fans told us they could not get enough of our Quartz Pink editions," said Razer Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan. "We listened and we have given the stunning pink treatment to our latest gaming gear, giving you the unfair advantage in both performance and looks."

Cooler Master, a global leader in designing and manufacturing innovative gaming peripherals and computer components, announces it's the addition of its two new tenkeyless (TKL) mechanical keyboards, the MK730 and CK530. "As a mainstream company to pioneer one of the first tenkeyless form factor keyboards, it was a no brainer to offer our two best-selling keyboards in TKL form." says Bryant Nguyen, Peripheral General Manager.,"

The gift that is CES keeps on giving! We go over the NETGEAR suite, and it was more of an entire floor, in this article with the company showing off their involvement in every networking sector imaginable- the professional environment, consumer and retail networking solutions, and smart home devices. Indeed, stepping off the elevator itself led to a hallway lined with Meural canvasses, which are very well built frames that have an integrated display to show off images of your choosing. This public hallway had generation 2.0 canvasses, with the new-for-CES generation 3.0 series inside the show room that encompasses four different frame options in two different sizes- the currently available 27" version, and the newer 21.5" size for those wanting something smaller.

Meural canvasses can be used in landscape or portrait configurations, and supports a library of over 30,000 curated art images at an optional membership cost of $49.95/year. The new generation is available from August 2019, with the new screens having a wider color gamut and a truer-to-life display, that was impressive. These are definitely for a niche audience, however, but I can appreciate NETGEAR wanting to provide more use cases for their networking solutions. The current Gen 2.0 27" canvas starts at $595 (dimensions with the frame are larger than 27"), and an optional pivoting stand with more display I/O options is an additional $49.95 for when you want to have your own images connected to it. For the rest of the tour, be sure to read past the break!

Hexgears is, in their own words, "a global gaming brand with influences from the USA, Germany, and China". We briefly covered them before thanks to their first adoption of the new Kailh Sun switches, and at CES 2019 they had a booth on the showfloor for this very keyboard and other products. The GK760 from Hexgears is still the only keyboard announced to use those new Sun switches, which effectively allows for a central backlighting similar to Omron switches, while still retaining Cherry MX keycap compatibility. The GK760 is a full-size keyboard with 104 keys and ABS plastic keycaps, which also appear to be low in profile even though the actual switches are not necessarily so. There is an entire column of programmable G-keys (macro keys), as well as a dedicated volume scroll wheel and a thick plushy wrist rest. Read past the break to know more about the products they showed off at CES.

Dongguan City Kaihua Electronics Co., Ltd, more familiarly known for the Kailh brand, had their own booth at CES in the design and source section far away from the rest of the consumer-centric show floor. Indeed, this section was more for brands to get B2B relations onboard but that did not stop us from visiting the switch maker that is now responsible for providing switches to more brands than any other today. Kailh had not one, but four new switches under the so-called China style moniker. These are limited edition switches that presumably were made with certain specific customers in mind already, possibly to specific requests to be used with limited edition keyboards as well. The China style BOX switches include the linear Chinese Red switch rated at 45 gf actuation, the tactile and clicky Noble Yellow rated at 65 gf actuation, a lighter weight tactile and clicky Glazed Green switch at 50 gf, and a much heavier linear Ancient Gray switch at all of 95 gf actuation. All four switches have interesting names in common, along with a rated 1.8 mm actuation distance and 80 million keystroke lifetime.

CHERRY today introduced the MX Board 1.0, a mechanical keyboard at a more interesting price point. The combination of high-precision CHERRY MX switches in different variants and high-performance HighSpeed key recognition creates an uncompromising keyboard for avid writers. Furthermore, The MX Board 1.0 features abrasion-resistant keycaps, anti-ghosting, and full N-key rollover.

We first saw the new SUN switches from Kailh back at Computex this year, featuring centralized and bright lighting incorporated in mechanical switches that also offered a lower-than-average actuation and travel distance. At the 2018 Electronica tradefair in Munich, Kailh showed off the first retail keyboard to make use of these switches in the form of the Hexgears GK760.

Hexgears is a Chinese startup company in collaboration with Andrew Lekashman of Input Club fame, and already has an interesting keyboard in the form of the X-1 low profile wireless unit. The new GK760 is a full-size keyboard with 104 keys and ABS plastic keycaps, which also appear to be low in profile even though the actual switches are not necessarily so. This makes for a confusing choice, but we will hold judgement until we get our hands on one ourselves. There is an entire column of programmable G-keys (macro keys), as well as a dedicated volume scroll wheel and a thick plushy wrist rest to go along with a keyboard case with angles galore to provide an aesthetic different than the usual, while still looking clean and minimalist. We can also see what appear to be two USB passthrough ports, and secondary legends on the keycaps indicate lots of onboard control as well. No word yet on retail availability and pricing, and we look forward to seeing more of the keyboard and the new Kailh switches in action.

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash products, today announced the launch of two new gaming accessories, the XPG INFAREX K10 keyboard, and M20 mouse. Designed to enhance gaming experiences, the K10 keyboard sports nine LED lighting modes, anti-ghosting keys, and ergonomic keycaps, while the M20 mouse features durable OMRON switches, five-setting adjustable DPI, and RGB lighting.

The XPG K10 adds a new dimension to gaming with nine stunning LED lighting modes to choose from, allowing gamers to select the hue that best suits the games they are playing. The modes include - Flowing Light, Multicolor Breathing, Seven-Color Cycle Flickering, Switchable Static, Six-Color Cycle Breathing, Red and White Breathing Cycle, Red and White Cycle Flickering, White Static, and White Breathing. What's more, the K10 helps gamers up their game with some great features including 26 anti-ghosting keys to prevent missed or accidental keypresses, because in the heat of the moment a missed keypress could spell defeat. In combination with its ergonomically curved keycaps, the K10 improves accuracy, while also offering a comfortable keypress experience. Convenient Media Keys allow for quick adjustments of music, sound, or other effects in the middle of a battle without having to open other programs or app.

ASMedia is giving finishing touches to the ASM2824 PCI-Express gen 3.0 x24 switch. With half the fabric as the PLX PEX8747, the chip takes in PCI-Express 3.0 x8, and puts out four PCI-Express 3.0 x4 connections. In theory, this would let a motherboard designer create four M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 slots from 8 downstream PCIe lanes of the Intel Z390 chipset, saving the remaining PCIe lanes for onboard USB 3.1 controllers (preferably sourced from ASMedia itself), since Intel canned the older 14 nm version of the Z390, which was supposed to put out six 10 Gbps USB 3.1 gen 2 and ten 5 Gbps USB 3.1 gen 1 ports directly from the PCH.

With all four downstream slots populated, ASMedia promises NVMe RAID bandwidths of up to 6,500 MB/s, with some CDM numbers even crossing 6,700 MB/s. Then again, one has to take into account that the test platform probably had the ASM2824 wired to the CPU's PCIe root-complex, and not that of the chipset. Intel is yet to modernize the lousy DMI 3.0 chipset-bus between its latest processors and chipset, and is physically PCI-Express 3.0 x4, which is fundamentally outdated for the bandwidth-heavy interfaces of this generation, such as USB 3.1, M.2 NVMe, and even the upcoming SD Express. The ASM2824 is also a godsend for the AMD AM4 platform, which not only has the same PCI-Express 3.0 x4 chipset bus between the AM4 SoC and the X470 chipset, but also a poor downstream PCIe feature-set of the X470, with just 8 gen 2.0 lanes. Motherboard designers can wire out all of those lanes to an ASM2824 for up to 24 downstream lanes.

NETGEAR , Inc., the leading provider of networking devices for small businesses, the smart home and online game play, is launching new 16-port and 8-port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switches with the industry's first flexible Power over Ethernet (PoE) integrated technology. Businesses or even home offices needing affordable solutions with a reasonable PoE budget can now easily deploy denser PoE+ devices and high-power PoE+ devices connected to a single switch, for energy efficiency as well as space and cost savings.

For small businesses and in an increasing number of smart homes, it has become common for the network to be burdened with VoIP phones, IP security cameras, video-over-IP endpoints, sensors, LED lighting, secure access door locks, and other IoT devices. The dense proximity of these devices requires network switches capable of supporting PoE so you can add power-hungry devices to the network with the convenience of a single wire for power AND connectivity. Wave 2 802.11ac wireless access points and pan-tilt-zoom HD surveillance cameras with features such as night vision and built-in motion tracking also require PoE+ power, increasing the power demands on switches supplying PoE.

D-Link today launched the DIS-200G Series Layer 2 Gigabit Industrial Smart Managed Ethernet Switches and DIS-100G Series Industrial Unmanaged Ethernet Switches. The DIS-200G and DIS-100G are ideal product portfolios that provide an affordable, reliable, and powerful Ethernet solution. With a wide range of operating temperatures, a fanless design, and an IP30-rated metal enclosure, the switches are designed to be robust and withstand harsh environments. Dual power input ensures consistent power and operation, and alarm relay support allows for constant power supply monitoring and diagnostics. Their reliability and compliance with various industrial standards make these switches ideal for applications in city surveillance, ITS, and factory automation.

The DIS-200G Series Layer 2 Gigabit Industrial Smart Managed Ethernet Switches integrate advanced management and security functions to provide a complete solution. Models are available with and without Power over Ethernet support. Each switch offers ten 10/100/1000BASE-T ports and two 100/1000 SFP ports. The switches support Ethernet Ring Protection Switching (ERPS), which provides a redundant network for faster recovery. Built-in 6 kV surge protection provides even more network reliability by protecting the device from sudden electrical surges. In addition to DIN rail and wall mounting options, the DIS-200G Series Switches can also be installed into a standard 19" rack.

Computex 2018 was a busy event for everyone in the industry, and this included switch maker Kailhua Electronics Co., LTD who had a booth under their brand Kailh at the trade show. Shown here were their new SUN switches that feature centralized lighting to allow keyboard makers to not have to worry about keycap legends being stuck to the top for good backlighting and illumination. The SUN switches currently are a single version with a tactile bump and an operation force of 50 gf at an actuation distance of 1.8 mm and a total travel distance of 3.5 mm.More on the offerings at the Kailh booth after the break.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced that its multi-award winning Razer Mechanical Switches will be coming to third-party keyboard makers later this year. Created from the ground up for gaming, Razer Mechanical Switches are renowned for their speed and accuracy. They are designed to last 60 percent longer than standard mechanical switches and are today trusted by millions of gamers and esports athletes worldwide. Previously available exclusively on the best-selling Razer BlackWidow series of keyboards, the switches will make their debut later this year on keyboards manufactured by select partners. More partners are expected to join the program by the end of the year.

"Many keyboards on the market today claim to be made for gamers, but all of them use switches design for anything but gaming," said Razer Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan. "Our switches, on the other hand, are designed specifically for gaming. We're pumped that more partners are validating the advantage they offer and look forward to extending these benefits to even more gamers."

ROCCAT presents the Titan Switch Tactile, the first mechanical switch designed in-house in cooperation with TTC, a leading manufacturer in its field. The Titan Switch Tactile is the perfect synthesis of competitive speed, first-class typing feel and striking aesthetics.

ROCCAT's challenge was to make a more responsive and swift switch. The first step was to reduce the actuation point from 2 to 1.8 mm, keeping in focus the quality feel of the key stroke. In addition, the switch bouncing time was reduced by 20%, this was achieved by optimizing the ROCCAT firmware working in conjunction with high-quality components, therefore securing the stability of the switch.

NETGEAR , Inc., a leading provider of networking equipment for homes and small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) has delivered four new Gigabit switches with Power-over-Ethernet (PoE+) and SFP ports for fiber uplinks. These switches expand the second-generation family of Smart Managed Pro Switches purposely designed for converged networks where voice, video, data, and IoT are all carried on a single network platform, with maximum security.

Within small and medium-sized organizations - such as: hospitality, catering, education, and retail industries - there is growing deployment of VoIP phones, IP security cameras, video-over-IP endpoints, proximity sensors, LED lighting, secure access door locks, and other IoT devices. The dense proximity of these devices requires network switches capable of supporting PoE so a network manager can add power-hungry devices to the network with a single wire for power AND connectivity. Increasing the power demands on PoE switches are 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless access points as well as pan-tilt-zoom HD surveillance cameras with features such as night vision and built-in motion tracking, which require PoE+ power (802.3at ).

D-Link today announced the DMS-1100 Series 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Smart Managed Switches, a new family of cost effective Multi-Gigabit switches capable of servicing a range of network needs in any type of business. Featuring eight multi-speed 2.5 Gigabit access ports and two 10 Gigabit SFP+ uplink ports, the DMS-1100 Series switches are ideal for deploying multiple high-performance 802.11ac Wave 2 access points using 2.5 Gigabit connections, while providing 10 Gigabit wire-speed uplinks for optimal bandwidth when accessing the larger local area network (LAN).

Compliant with the new IEEE 802.3bz 2.5GBASE-T standard, the DMS-1100 Series switches provide 2.5 Gbps connections over conventional CAT-5e LAN cabling up to 100 meters. This allows IT professionals in SMB/SME environments to upgrade their network speeds without having to replace existing cabling, ultimately saving total cost of ownership (TCO) of upgrading 802.11ac Wave 2 APs and 2.5 Gigabit workstations. Each of the eight switch access ports automatically detect the speed needed by the attached device and set the rates accordingly. Available speeds for each DMS-1100 access port include 2.5 Gbps, 1000 Mbps and 100 Mbps.

NETGEAR, Inc., the leading provider of networking devices that power today's smart home and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), has begun shipping two new 28-port Smart Cloud Switches introduced last month during CES 2018. Offering even more capacity for growing businesses, the switches fall under the umbrella of the award-winning NETGEAR Insight management solution. With its unified, single pane-of-glass view, Insight provides the convenience of setup, monitoring and management features from anywhere, at anytime, via the Insight mobile app or new Insight cloud web portal. With the addition of these latest switches the Insight ecosystem is now made up of six managed switches, the entire line up of ReadyNAS storage and the WAC500 series of wireless access points providing a complete managed network solution.

D-Link today launched the DIS-100G Series Industrial Unmanaged Ethernet Switches and DIS-200G Series Layer 2 Gigabit Industrial Smart Managed Ethernet Switches. The DIS-100G and DIS-200G are ideal product portfolios that provide an affordable, reliable, and powerful Ethernet solution. With a wide range of operating temperatures, a fanless design, and an IP30-rated metal enclosure, the switches were designed to be robust and withstand harsh environments. Dual power input ensures consistent power and operation, and alarm relay support allows for constant power supply monitoring and diagnostics. Their reliability and compliance with various industrial standards make the switches ideal for applications in city surveillance, ITS, and factory automation.

The compact DIS-100G Series Unmanaged Ethernet Switches include the DIS-100G-5W, DIS-100G-5SW, and PoE-ready DIS-100G-5PSW. The DIS-100G interfaces are equipped with 10/100/1000BASE-T ports, SFP port, and PoE to provide a wide selection of port densities and bandwidths. Installation is flexible, as the switches can be mounted on a DIN rail or on a wall using a wall plate. Plug-and-Play without setup and easy installation lower operation expenses.

CHERRY, the market leader and expert in mechanical switches in keyboards, is announcing the MX Low Profile RGB. This shallow switch features a brand-new design and combines the well-known characteristics of the MX switch with a low profile. This allows the implementation of mechanical keys in a much more compact format, making the CHERRY MX Low Profile RGB suitable not only for use in notebooks but also for building unusually thin high-end keyboards.

The CHERRY MX Low Profile RGB is the first truly new development in mechanical switches in more than 30 years. The company's R&D department has invested a lot of time and effort in achieving a total height of only 11.9 millimeters without compromising on characteristics and quality. The MX Low Profile RGB is about 35 percent shallower than the standard MX switches, and thanks to its unique design it can be used just as easily for mechanical keyboards in high-end notebooks as for unusually thin mechanical desktop keyboards. The new CHERRY switch was fully developed and built in Germany, its the "Made in Germany" seal representing the best product quality and the highest manufacturing precision.

NETGEAR, Inc., the leading provider of networking devices that power today's smart home and small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), is expanding its family of industry-first 5-speed Multi-Gigabit switching products first introduced last quarter.

The new NETGEAR 5-Speed switches operate at 100Mbps, 1Gbps, 2.5Gbps, 5Gbps, or 10Gbps. Through an intuitive interface, the Multi-Gigabit switches provide easy, reliable and affordable connectivity with granular per-port bandwidth control and traffic monitoring without needing to install expensive new cabling to alleviate speed barriers. The five speeds per Ethernet port make them the most flexible and affordable 10-Gigabit/Multi-Gigabit switches in the market.

• XS512EM 12-Port XS512EM 12-Port 10-Gigabit/Multi-Gigabit Ethernet Smart Managed Plus Switch with 2 SFP+ Ports, Desktop and Rackmount- $899.99
• XS724EM 24-Port XS724EM 24-Port 10-Gigabit/Multi-Gigabit Ethernet Smart Managed Plus Switch with 2 SFP+ Ports, Rackmount- $1,699.99