Looking for a way to improve the reach of your home network? Two new options could solve the problem: Hawking Technologies' Wireless-G Range Extender, a wireless network signal repeater; and IOGear's Powerline Networking Kit, which uses power lines to connect networks.

Also this month: A blank keyboard for touch typists, a high-tech health aide, cases to protect Apple IPods, and a couple of new Logitech mice.

Das Keyboard

The labels on keys distracted übergeek Daniel Guermeur so much that he created Das Keyboard, a keyboard with unlabeled keys. Using his blank keyboard, Guermeur not only typed faster but also made fewer typing errors. Now he's taken his blank keyboard to the world at large--or rather, to touch typists who don't need labels to know which key they're hitting.

This is definitely "not your typical keyboard," says Guermeur, chief executive officer of Metadot. Generic QWERTY keyboards need the same 55 grams of finger weight to recognize any keystroke; Das Keyboard's keys require any of five different levels of force, depending on which finger is likely to touch a given key. Q, A, and Z can register a keystroke when pressed lightly by a pinky finger, while a thumb can hit the space bar like a hammer, he says. "The result is more comfort for your hands," he says.

The Das Keyboard costs $80 and can be bought at the Das Keyboard Web site.

BodyMedia Bodybugg

Those looking to stay in shape will want to consider using the Bodybugg, from Apex Fitness Group and BodyMedia. This gadget wraps around the upper arm and continuously collects information on how many calories are being consumed and burned.

BodyMedia spokesperson Joshua Silverman says the Bodybugg is better at collecting and analyzing data than pedometers and heart-rate monitors because it uses more sensors to determine how many calories a body burns. Four sensors measure calories burned by combining data about body movement, skin temperature, skin conductivity, and heat generation. The sensors can also use that collected data to calculate a body's glucose levels, weight, and blood pressure, he says.

BodyMedia, which makes the algorithms that analyze the data, claims a 92 percent data accuracy rate for the results of its calculations.

Data from the Bodybugg can be transmitted to a database on a computer using wireless radio technology, or through a USB port, according to Astro Teller, chief executive officer at BodyMedia. The database, called Dashboard, displays how many calories a user consumes and burns. Additional features, including customized meal plans, exercise calculators, and nutrition information, assist in creating plans for controlling calorie consumption and weight loss. Dashboard helps users to meet their goals for losing weight and maintaining a healthy body, and can also help fitness trainers track their clients' progress and develop new workout regimes for them, he says.

"We want people to take charge of their own weight," Teller says. The $300 Bodybugg is sold primarily through health clubs, which determine pricing for additional packages that may include fitness training.

A $500 package typically includes the Bodybugg, eight weeks of training with a fitness trainer, some online and phone coaching, and a one-year license to the database, says Silverman.

Wireless G Extender

A good way to boost a wireless network's reach is through Hawking Technologies' Wireless-G Range Extender (model HWUR54G), an 802.11b/g wireless access point and signal repeater. The product receives a wireless signal from a conventional 802.11b/g Wi-Fi access point and retransmits it, doubling the range of the original signal. In an open environment with no walls or interference it can extend a wireless signal by up to 1000 feet, says Hawking spokesperson Jason Owen.

The Wireless-G Range Extender is compatible with products based on all 802.11g chip sets, Owen says. The $99 repeater is available at Hawking's Web site.

Network via Power Lines

You can extend a home network through power lines using IOGear's Powerline Networking Kit. The kit comes with two adapters that plug into conventional electrical power outlets to communicate over the electrical wiring in your home or small office.

The adapters come with cables that connect them to Ethernet ports. Typically you connect one adapter to a free Ethernet port on your broadband router and the other adapter to the Ethernet port of a computer you wish to connect to the network. Because you cannot dispense completely with cables, this kit isn't great for notebook users seeking mobility, but it is very well suited for desktop PCs that have problems catching a wireless signal.

The adapters, which are compliant with the HomePlug 1.0 power line specification, offer up to 14 megabits per second in bandwidth and a range of up to 990 feet. However, the adapters may not work on the power strips with noise filters usually used by audiophiles. IOGear sells the kit on its Web site for $99.

Save the IPod

Clumsy folks who risk damaging their Apple IPod media player by dropping it should take a look at two new Targus cases that the company says can spare an IPod from wear and tear and thereby increase its useful life.

Targus's Slide Case is well-equipped with safety features, including a screen protector that keeps the display from scratching.

While the Flip Case doesn't come with a screen protector, it provides better access to IPod controllers, which makes it easier to use on the road than the Slide Case.

Both cases are lightweight, made of leather, and clip onto a belt. They're well worth $30 for those looking to safeguard their IPod. These cases accommodate all IPod models except the Shuffle.

As part of its new line of IPod accessories, Targus has also introduced the $50 RemoteTunes remote control. It comes with an RF receiver that plugs into the top of the IPod and receives commands from the tiny remote control. RemoteTunes is handy for users who travel with their IPods and wish to increase or decrease volume and/or fast forward or pause a song without having to remove the player from a bag, says Michael Greco, director of marketing at Targus.

The cases and remote control will start shipping in July and will be available at retailers across the U.S.

Need a Mini Mouse?

Battery life and management are the focus of Logitech's new V200 Cordless and Cordless Mini Optical mice.

The $30 Cordless Mini Optical has an indicator on top of the mouse that blinks or turns red if its battery runs low. It can operate for a year on a single AA battery, says Kate Brinks, a Logitech spokesperson. The mouse communicates with a receiver plugged into a computer's USB port; when not in use, the receiver can be slipped into the bottom of the mouse. The mouse lives up to its name--it's small--and is a low-cost way for notebook users to upgrade from a touchpad, Brinks says.

While the Mini is targeted at style-conscious folks, the V200 Cordless mouse is for people who need a better grip and more precision while tracking, Brinks says. The $40 V200 Cordless doesn't offer all the cool features of its upscale sibling, the $70 V500 mouse (the V500 is less bulky, for example), but the V200 handles batteries better: You can replace them by sliding off the top panel. The V200 Cordless can accommodate two AA batteries, but can function with only one should the second lose its charge.

Both mice come with batteries and are compatible with both Windows and the Mac OS.

Agam Shah is an editor with the IDG News Service, based in San Francisco. Questions or comments? Write to Agam Shah.