11/12/2007

Kensington LiquidFM™ Deluxe for iPod® Wins Best of Innovations

Kensington Computer Products Group, a worldwide leader in delivering Smart Made Simple™ computing accessories for the mobile consumer, today announced that six products from the Control it, Play it and Connect it lines were named by the Consumer Electronics Association as 2008 CES Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase Honorees in the Computer Accessories and Audio Accessory categories. This is the fourth year in a row that Kensington products have been recognized for excellence in design and engineering and a record win for the company.

Kensington’s product philosophy focuses on simplifying a consumer’s experience with computing technology and designing stylish accessories that look as good and function as well in the home or car as they do in the office. All of the award winning products feature a sleek and modern design that make the user experience easier while fitting easily into their lifestyle. Kensington has created simple and elegant solutions without compromise for mobile professionals.

The winning products include the following: Kensington Ci75m Wireless Notebook Mouse, Kensington SlimBlade™ Media Notebook Set, Kensington SlimB™ Trackball Mouse, Kensington SlimBlade™ Presenter Media Mouse and the Kensington sd200v Notebook Docking Station with Video. In addition, Kensington's LiquidFM™ Deluxe for iPod was named the recipient of the Best of Innovations 2008 award in the Audio Accessories category. Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the trade press to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting edge consumer electronics products.

Beginning as a widely renowned consumer technology awards program in 1989, the Innovations Design and Engineering Awards recognize achievements in product design and engineering. It is sponsored by CEA, the producer of the International CES, the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow, and endorsed by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), the voice of industrial design, committed to advancing the profession through education, information, community and advocacy.

"With so many new and innovative products to choose from each year, we are delighted that the panel of judges has acknowledged six Kensington products for these prestigious awards,” said Jason Stone, Design Manager for Kensington. “Our products are designed to meet our customer needs and lifestyle. We’ve created a positive user experience through unique design, thoughtful features and quality engineering, which drives the development of every new product at Kensington.”

All of the award winning Kensington products will be on special display in the prominent Innovations 2008 Showcase booth (#70621) during the 2008 International CES at the Sands Expo and Convention Center/The Venetian from January 7 through January 10. Products from the Innovation honorees are also featured on http://www.cesweb.org/attendees/awards/default.asp

The Kensington CES 2008 Innovations Honoree Award Winners:

• Kensington Ci75m Wireless Notebook Mouse (SKU 72288)
  

  The sleek, stylish Ci75m Wireless Notebook Mouse is more than just a pretty face. With a low profile design up to 30 percent thinner than a standard laptop mouse, the Ci75m Wireless Notebook Mouse saves space on your desk and easily fits into your travel bag. Its smooth design is ergonomic, providing comfort and mobility. Plus there’s the versatility of power back-up for use in wireless restricted areas and an automatic sleep state for power conservation. It uses a Performance Optical Sensor for optimum tracking performance on almost any surface. The Ci75m Wireless Notebook Mouse comes in orange or black, with a suggested retail price of $34.99. It is available online and at retail locations nationwide.

• Kensington SlimBlade™ Media Notebook Set (SKU 72279)
  

  By swapping the magnetically attached numeric keypad module on the left or right side of the keyboard, the Kensington SlimBlade™ Media Notebook Set can be instantly transformed into whatever combination you need. The result is total control of your media and home workspace. A media remote can be purchased separately from Kensington.com to control Windows® Media Center and Front Row from anywhere in the room. Hot keys on the universal wireless keyboard work for PC or Mac, giving you instant access to your favorite applications. The slim wireless mouse is suitable for either right- or left-handed users, with a timeless and sleek design. It saves on battery life by going into sleep mode when your laptop does. The SlimBlade Media Notebook Set has a suggested retail price of $129.99 and is available online and at retail locations nationwide.

• Kensington SlimBlade™ Trackball Mouse (SKU 72281)
  

  The Kensington SlimBlade™ Trackball Mouse works where other travel mice can't. The trackball provides easy and intuitive 360º scrolling; giving you control on any surface even when there's no room to move a mouse. The trackball switches back to mouse mode with the push of a button. Bluetooth® technology connectivity offers up to 30 feet of range, and leaves USB ports available for other devices. The battery life lasts for six months, with a handy fuel gauge to tell you when it's getting low. The SlimBlade™ Trackball Mouse has a suggested retail price of $99.99 and is available online and at retail locations nationwide.

• Kensington Slimblade™ Presenter Media Mouse (SKU 72280)

  The mouse, presenter and media controller all converge in one slim, sleek unit that slips in your pocket. The Kensington SlimBlade™ Presenter Media Mouse goes beyond your expectation of what a mouse can do. Turn it one way and it's a mouse; turn it the other and it's a presenter and media controller. The multifunction navigation pad lets you easily navigate through your presentation and digital media from anywhere in the room, and the built-in laser pointer enables you to highlight key points in your presentation. The mouse goes into sleep mode when your laptop does, and the battery indicator light changes from green to red when it's getting low. The SlimBlade™ Presenter Media Mouse has a suggested retail price of $79.99 and is available online and at retail locations nationwide.

• Kensington sd200v Notebook Docking Station with Video (SKU 33415)

  Turn your laptop into a desktop complete with two screens for a real productivity boost thanks to the dualview feature. Dualview Switch and Smart Connect/Disconnect technology manages the dual display settings for you, letting you expand your work area across your laptop screen and an external monitor. Stereo out & microphone in port lets you connect 2.1 stereo speakers or Internet chat headsets, plus connect all of your peripherals with a single front USB plug for ease of use. The sd200v Notebook Docking Station with Video has a suggested retail price of $139.99 and is available online and at retail locations nationwide.

• Kensington LiquidFM™ Deluxe for iPod (SKU 33424)

  If you're looking for the ultimate iPod FM transmitter, look no further. You'll enjoy our QuickSeek™ technology to find the clearest station in seconds, RDS to display song title and artist name on your car stereo, and our ClearFM™ technology for superior sound. The LiquidFM™ Deluxe for iPod is made for current iPod models with a dock connector, including most cases, and charges your iPod while it plays. Three station presets allow instant tuning to any FM station between 88.1 and 107.9. The LiquidFM™ for iPod has a suggested retail price of $99.99 and is available online and at retail locations nationwide.

Notes to editors

About Kensington

Kensington is a leading provider of desktop and mobile device accessories, trusted by IT, educators, business and home office professionals around the world for more than 35 years. Kensington products empower people to dynamically interact with content, creating a better working experience for productive performance. In both office and mobile environments, Kensington’s extensive portfolio of award-winning products provides trusted security, desktop productivity innovations, and ergonomic well-being. Our core competencies in engineering, industrial design, product quality and responsive customer support make Kensington The Professionals’ Choice^™.

Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Kensington operates as the technology division of ACCO Brands (NYSE: ACCO), one of the world’s largest designers, marketers and manufacturers of branded business, academic and consumer products, sold in more than 100 countries across the globe.

Kensington is the inventor and worldwide leader in laptop security locks, the acknowledged leader of Trackball innovation and offers a broad range of premium-branded desktop productivity solutions.