9/17/2009

Kensington Launches New Products Designed for Consumer Lifestyles

Kensington Computer Products Group, a worldwide leader in delivering computing accessories for the mobile consumer, today announced 20 new products that reflect the company’s unique Smart Made Simple™ design philosophy. The new additions feature the sleek and stylish SlimBlade™ mice, laptop set and media remote; FM transmitters with ClearFM™ technology for superior sound; two ergonomic laptop cases; a docking station and two stands for laptops; and four mobile power products.

Available for the upcoming holiday buying season, the products represent a continued emphasis at Kensington on providing today’s mobile consumers with easy-to-use, easy-to-live-with computing accessories. “Consumers want functional computing accessories that seamlessly integrate with their mobile lifestyles and reflect their individual personalities,” said Kensington’s President Boris Elisman. “Thorough market research allows us to gain insights that contribute to our making products as unique as the individuals that use them.”

Kensington’s consumer research shows that many consumers are overwhelmed by the technological complexity offered by current products; as a result, they do not use many of the available features. At the same time, as computers and computing accessories have become pervasive in their daily personal and professional lives, they want products that better fit with the décor of their homes, are easier to travel with and are easier to use. These findings are consistent with research conducted by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) which showed that 87 percent of the respondents said that ease of use is the most important factor when evaluating new technologies. Also supported by CEA research is that lifestyle fit is becoming more important to consumers as they want computer accessories that look great and perform flawlessly.

Fueling the growth of mobile consumer accessories is the growth of laptop PCs, iPods and other MP3 players. According to leading analysts, unit sales in May 2007 of laptop computers were up 40 percent compared to a year ago. Other analysts project unit growth for laptop PCs in 2007 at 30%, with sales reaching 106 million units worldwide. Apple has shipped over 110 million iPods since 2001, and the newly introduced iPod nano, iPod classic and iPod touch should continue the line’s growth.

Smart Made Simple: Kensington’s Style

The new Kensington products are the embodiment of a product development approach that focuses on simplifying the consumer experience and designing stylish accessories that look as good inside the home or in the car as they function in the office. Kensington’s use of non-traditional colors, finishes and shapes allows mobile consumers to personalize their computing devices to better fit their personal preferences and lifestyles. Kensington is also simplifying the consumer experience with easy-to-open and jargon-free retail packaging that simply communicates product benefits to consumers.

The SlimBlade Lifestyle Collection: Mice, Notebook Set for the Tech-Savvy Mobile Executive

Expanding its line of award-winning input devices, Kensington has unveiled the SlimBlade Lifestyle Collection, a line uniquely tailored to the needs and lifestyle of mobile professionals. With comprehensive features and distinctive styling, each SlimBlade product is designed to provide an assured level of functionality with unique looks that are equally at home in the boardroom or the living room. High-end finishes, sleek, modern designs and simply integrated, sophisticated technology set the collection apart. “SlimBlade is an elegant expression of Kensington’s ongoing commitment to designing products specifically for people and the places where they work and play,” Elisman explained.

The Kensington SlimBlade collection includes the SlimBlade Presenter Mouse (SKU K72283 and SKU K72285), SlimBlade Media Mouse (SKU K72282), SlimBlade Presenter Media Mouse (SKU K72280), SlimBlade Trackball Mouse (SKU K72283), SlimBlade Media Notebook Set (SKU K72279), and SlimBlade Media Remote (SKU K72320). The line features a range of color finishes, including graphite, pewter, ice blue, deep blue, deep wine and black.

LiquidFM Transmitters: For Music that Flows

Kensington’s new line of FM transmitters brings the highest-quality sound to driving music lovers, allowing them to play their music in high fidelity through their car stereos. LiquidFM™ transmitters are available for both iPods and other MP3 players, and they keep them charged to guarantee that the music lasts as long as the drive. Kensington’s ClearFM technology is built into each LiquidFM transmitter to deliver the best sound quality possible.

With innovative technologies like QuickSeek, which eliminates the time-consuming tuning often needed to find the clearest radio transmission, and RDS, which allows song and artist information to be displayed on compatible car stereos, LiquidFM transmitters are designed to make the most of your driving experience, minimizing complications so that you can spend more time enjoying your music. “The unique combination of QuickSeek™ with RDS is a perfect example of smart-made-simple design,” Elisman explained.

The Kensington LiquidFM line includes the LiquidFM Deluxe for iPod (SKU K33424US), LiquidFM for iPod (SKU K33411US), LiquidFM Plus for MP3 Players (SKU K33408US) and LiquidFM for MP3 Players (SKU K33383US).

Contour Active Cases: Style and Comfort in Tow

Kensington blends sophisticated looks with rugged design and intelligent features in the new Contour Active line of laptop cases. On the inside, the two new cases are equipped with Kensington’s award-winning Contour™ panel for ergonomic support and unprecedented comfort. On the outside, clean lines, high-quality fabrics and a slim profile make a fashion statement that belies a superior laptop case, rich in features and adjustability.

The Kensington Active line of laptop cases includes the Contour Active Notebook Messenger (K63201) and Contour Active Notebook Vertical Messenger (K63202). Both cases are available in graphite finishes.

‘Connect it’ Notebook Accessories: Productivity Made Simple

Kensington is also announcing additions to its “Connect It” line of laptop accessories, designed to create more room on the consumer’s desktop and enhance overall laptop usage. The sd200v Notebook Docking Station with Video lets consumers connect all their peripherals to any laptop with a single USB connection, and built-in DualView technology lets them use an external monitor to display or extend the laptop’s virtual desktop with the simple push of a button—doubling the amount of screen space and dramatically improving user productivity. The two laptop stands, which round out the new line, feature Kensington’s SmartFit adjustment system, allowing users to achieve an optimal monitor height in seconds. The Easy Riser Cooling Notebook Stand elevates laptops to dissipate heat, while the Notebook Stand with USB Hub attaches to any laptop to create a desktop workstation.

The additions to the Kensington “Connect It” line of laptop accessories include the sd200v Notebook Docking Station with Video (SKU K33415), Notebook Stand with USB Hub (SKU K60723) and Easy Riser Cooling Notebook Stand (SKU K60112).

Expanded ‘Power it’ Line: Thin and Light on the Go

The newest additions to Kensington’s industry-leading line of power products enable mobile professionals to get reliable power wherever they are. The new rechargeable power pack and two power adapters are thin and light, while an updated power inverter shares a compact design optimized for travel. All products feature USB connectivity to USB-powered devices like the RIM® Blackberry, Palm® Treo and Motorola® RAZR. The collection lets users select from solutions that work at home, in the car or on the plane—making it easy and convenient to power laptop PCs, mobile phones and USB devices on the go.

The Kensington “Power It” line additions include the Auto Power Inverter with USB Power Port (SKU K38022), Portable Power Pack for Mobile Devices (SKU K38021), Wall Ultra Portable Notebook Power Adapter (SKU K33336) and Wall/Auto/Air Ultra Portable Notebook Power Adapter (SKU K33197).

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.