We have some exciting news for all iPhone® and Android® smartphone users. Today, we’re excited to announce that the Logitech Harmony® Ultimate Hub – an appcessory that turns your smartphone into a powerful, personal universal remote – will be available for purchase as a standalone product.

As you may know, the Harmony Hub is included with the Logitech Harmony Ultimate and Logitech Harmony Smart Control, our two newest universal remotes. However, with the standalone Harmony Ultimate Hub, everyone in the house will be able to download the free Harmony Smartphone App, and turn their smartphone into a personal universal remote. You’ll be able to customize activities and choose your own set of favorite channels icons for your very own experience.

Using only your smartphone, you can control up to eight home theater devices, and swipe or tap your thumb across its screen to adjust the volume, change the channel, fast-forward or rewind, pause, play, and skip forward or back. It lets you control video service like Netflix® on game consoles, including the Nintendo Wii®, Microsoft Xbox 360® and Sony PS3®, directly from your smartphone. Plus it even works through closed cabinets and walls, so you don’t have to worry about pointing to the devices.

The Harmony Ultimate Hub is also compatible with Harmony Touch, turning its RF signals into IR and Bluetooth® commands. This means, with the addition of the hub you can also access devices inside closed cabinets and control Bluetooth game consoles, in addition to turning your smartphone into a universal remote.

The Logitech Harmony Ultimate Hub is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe in August 2013, for a suggested retail price of $99.99

Quick quiz (and no cheating!)  - how many countries around the world celebrate Father’s Day? While you mull it over, let’s talk a little bit about dad’s favorite day. As a company that makes  products dads crave, we admit to feeling like certified Father’s Day experts. And we know making dad’s day extra special means extra special gadgets he can play with. To help figure out the proper gift for maximum fiddling, we’ve put together a list that’s sure to win him over:

Logitech UE Mobile Boombox is a nifty wireless speaker perfect for grilling out to tunes in the back yard. With a 10-hour rechargeable battery, your dad can set this baby up and let the good times roll all Sunday. 

Most dads love their iPad. They watch movies, read books, and send you pictures of the new tires on their car.  To better safeguard and prep for activities in the sun on Sunday, give your dad a Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for the iPad. This cover is liquid-resistant and comes in a range of colors so you can get him the folio that’s perfect for him.

What would Father’s Day be without a comfy couch, big TV, and, of course, a manly man remote like the Logitech Harmony Ultimate. With this remote dad has more control over his home theater than ever before – he can even adjust the lighting! With just one one-touch of the remote, dad can turn on the TV, start a Blu-ray, and dim the lights. And, with the optional Harmony Smartphone App, he can turn his smartphone into a personal universal remote, so there’s no more searching for the remote under the couch cushions. Bring on the lounging! 

Ok, and now the moment you’ve all been waiting for. The answer to our quiz question is…..8. In addition to the United States, Argentina, Canada, Chile, France, Japan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom all look for ways to celebrate dad. In that spirit, we wish you all a happy Father’s Day, and thanks to all the dads out there for all you do.

Many countries celebrate Father’s Day on the third Sunday of June, which is almost here for us in the U.S. If you’re still looking for a last-minute Father’s Day gift, you might want to check out the below Father’s Day gift guides, which featured some of our favorite products. Here’s a quick look at the gift guides, and other product news and reviews from the week:

ABC’s Tina Trinh featured the Logitech Harmony Ultimate in her Father’s Day gift guide, which appeared on ABC World News Now. Tina highlighted the remote as the perfect accessory for dad’s man cave, noting the remote’s ability to control up to 15 devices, touch-screen and favorite channel icons.

Also this week, the Logitech Washable Keyboard K310 was featured in NBC New York’s Father’s Day gift guide. Hayden Lynch from Thrillist.com discussed his unique picks for Father’s Day, recommending the keyboard for the work-from-home dad. He highlighted the keyboard’s water-proof qualities by fully submerging the keyboard in water. You can see the clip here.

The Logitech UE 6000 Headphones were featured in USA TODAY’s Father’s Day gift guide. Reporter Donna Freydkin highlighted the headphones as a gift for the “techy dad,” where she highlighted the “super-comfy” fit. She noted that the headphones not only let dad rock out, but also allow him to answer his phone, thanks to their on-cord controls.

Gadget Review posted a review of the UE BOOM, where Christen Costa highlighted the speaker’s long battery life, and water and stain resistant acoustic skin. You can read the full review here.

And, in case you missed it, Apple announced that iOS 7 will support game controllers. Read more about the news and Logitech’s plan to support the MFI framework with a game controller this fall in CNET’s article, here.

When was the last time you cleaned your keyboard? For something most of us use (and eat over) every single day, there’s very little thought put into keeping our tech products clean. Below are a few tips and tricks we’ve found to help keep your keyboard in tip top shape.

1. Compressed Air
   Consider this is your new favorite cleaning supply. Compressed air (also known as canned air) can be found at your local drugstore and will blow last night’s chip crumbs right out of your keyboard. Plus, it sounds pretty cool.
2. Microfiber Cloth
   A microfiber cloth is designed to pick up dirt and dust much better than a napkin or the corner of your t-shirt. Swipe it over the keys every once in a while. This can also be found at convenience stores, most likely in the eyeglasses section.
3. Post-Its
   Take that little yellow square of paper from your desk and slide the sticky part into the key crevices. You’ll be surprised what it picks up!
4. Just Don’t Eat
   The biggest piece of advice? Just don’t eat at your computer. No matter how careful you are, that cookie crumb or drop of beer will get into your keyboard, trust us. If you can’t resist snacking, try out the Logitech Washable Keyboard K310 – it’s easy to clean and easy to dry.

We’ve shared our best tips. Do you have any favorite pointers for keeping your keyboard and other tech products clean?

This week, we announced that Logitech acquired TT Design Labs, a two-person startup in the smartphone accessories space. They’ve designed two products that we will launch under the Logitech brand – the Logitech TidyTilt and Logitech JustMount – which are both available for pre-order on Logitech.com. The acquisition made headlines on a number of daily influential newspapers and tech-focused blogs. Here are some of our favorite articles from the week about the announcement and other Logitech highlights:

 Most notably, Tom Gara with The Wall Street Journal covered our acquisition of TT Design Labs. In the article, Tom noted, “It is a very small acquisition by the standards of the industry — Logitech did not provide financial details — but it shows how the accessory company plans on adapting to a new environment where hit products can go from sketchpad to success story without ever passing through an established businesses like its own.” You can read the article here.

Jamison Cush at TechnologyGuide posted a review of the Logitech Harmony Ultimate. Jamison called the device the “Cadillac of universal remotes” and concluded that, “Logitech has simplified complex remote operations probably as well as possible, and the Logitech Harmony Ultimate is the best universal remote available.”

Also this week, Lory Gilpatric of AppAdvice posted a review of the Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio. She highlighted the keyboard folio as a functional and fashionable device that “will turn heads.” Check out the review here.

The FabricSkin Keyboard Folio was also featured on Lesoir.be in Belgium. Journalist Alexandre Colleau highlighted the Folio’s quality and the flexibility of the keys. You can read the review here.

Several gaming bloggers recently visited our development and testing labs in Lausanne, Switzerland to learn about our testing procedures for the Logitech G line. Norman Chan with Tested.com posted a video interview, where he spends several minutes asking questions in the optical lab and tracking lab. Marcus Yam of Tom’s Hardware posted a piece specific to details about our mouse sensors.

Lastly, Stiinta Si Tehnica, a Romanian publication dedicated to science and technology, posted a review of the Logitech G19S Gaming Keyboard and Logitech G500S Laser Gaming Mouse. The review said, “the two peripherals establish a new philosophy in the PC gaming world,” and were recommended for gamers who want a serious upgrade to their gaming gear.

Whether you’re using an Apple TV to stream iTunes, or catching up on your current Netflix obsession by connecting your laptop to your TV, there’s one thing you’ll need when browsing the Internet and apps on your TV: an easy way to navigate. That’s where we come in.

Did you know Logitech offers a number of keyboards that can help make navigating your Internet-connected TV easier than ever? For starters, there’s the Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400.This stylish keyboard is designed with convenience in mind. With a wireless range of up to 33 feet and a multi-touch touchpad built right into the keyboard, you have all you need right at your fingertips. Just lean back, relax and swipe.

Looking for something specifically for Apple TV? The Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch Keyboard has you covered. All the commands from the Apple Remote can be found on the Easy-Switch Keyboard: Menu, Media Control, Select, D-Pad, Play/Pause and Tab. Plus, you get the advantage of easy text entry thanks to the full-size keyboard. The keys are backlit and laid out in the traditional Mac-specific way, so you can easily find your commands even in the dark. This keyboard takes convenience a step farther thanks to Logitech Easy-Switch technology. It can be connected to any three Bluetooth devices at once and allows you to switch and type from your iPad to iPhone to Apple TV with the simple push of a button. Couple that with a real aluminum, low-profile design, and you’ll want one of these keyboards for the living room and the office.

Are you ready to upgrade to a keyboard in your living room? Tell us in the comments below.

It’s not every day that your start-up gets acquired, but today is that day for us — and it’s pretty exciting. I’m Derek Tarnow, one of the co-founders of TT Design Labs, and I’m so excited to be joining the Logitech team as a product designer.

Less than 2 years ago, my classmate, Zahra Tashakorinia, and I began developing our first product, TidyTilt, as part of a grad school project at The Institute of Design in Chicago. There, in a product design course, we were tasked with developing a solution to a common problem, and launching the resulting product on Kickstarter. We focused on solving the issue of tangled earbud cords that countless smartphone users regularly experience. By the end of the semester, we had launched TidyTilt on Kickstarter, where it went on to raise over 2000% of our funding goal.

This marked the start of our user-centered design firm, where we’ve since released a follow-up version of TidyTilt for iPhone 5 – a case, kickstand, magnetic mount, and earbud cord wrap – as well as a compatible wall mount, called JustMount.

When Logitech approached us, we were skeptical at first — our business plan didn’t include acquisition. But after speaking extensively with the Logitech team, it became clear that we share a vision for where the industry is headed and a passion for building great products. We realized that joining Logitech was an ideal situation – we get to engage the expert engineering, supply chain, distribution, and marketing minds at the company, while we get to focus more of our time on what we love most – designing great products with the user in mind.

We’re already hard at work improving and evolving the products we created at TT Design Labs. Today, you can pre-order the Logitech TidyTilt and Logitech JustMount. We’re tremendously excited for this next stage and the opportunity to help make great products here at Logitech.

Ctrl-Z has saved our lives too many times to count, but there are plenty of other maneuvers out there to maximize your efficiency (and impress your coworkers as a tech robot wizard). Tech or not, the proper keyboard is, well, key. Logitech Bluetooth® Easy-Switch Keyboard will make these tricks of the trade even easier with its one click switch over between your Mac, iPad or iPhone, and its bright illuminated keys for day or night typing.

Here’s a rundown of five keyboard shortcuts you should know:

1.    Win+Down Arrow (Minimize Window)

Don’t want to get caught (yet again) browsing 23 Puppies Stuck on the Work Week? Memorize this shortcut that instantly minimizes the adorable from your monitor.

2.    Space Bar (Page Down)

Yes, there’s a dedicated Page Down button on your keyboard, but it’s all the way over by the number keypad! Since your thumbs are already hovering above the space bar, this is a much more efficient way to scroll through that Twitter feed of yours.

3.    Ctrl-Tab (Next Tab)

Raise your hand if you’re guilty of having 20+ tabs open in your browser. If you’re clicking back and forth between tabs all day long, you’re doing it wrong. Swiftly navigate with Ctrl-Tab and call it a day.

4.    Print Screen (Screenshot)

How many of us have had trouble describing a problem to tech support? Taking a screenshot is an easy way to show someone the exact problem you’re experiencing. Once you hit Print Screen (also sometimes labeled as Prnt Scrn, prt sc, or some variation thereof), the image lives on your clipboard and a simple Ctrl+V will paste it into a document or e-mail.

5.    F11 (Full Screen)

Are your coworkers crowding around your computer trying to read this mind-blowing blog post? Help everyone out and maximize the window to full screen with one keystroke.

Bonus Prank Shortcut

Ctrl+Alt+Down Arrow (Flip Screen)

Have some fun the next time your coworker’s stuck in a meeting and flip his screen upside down! (Note: Take 30 seconds to check monitor rotation is enabled on the computer.)

Last weekend Fast & Furious 6 raced into theaters and sped away a gigantic box office success, earning a record $120 million dollars worldwide. The Hangover 3, opening the same weekend and slated to be a worthy competitor to Vin Diesel’s 6th installment, came up short with only $42 million – half of what it was expected to. Iron Man 3 and Star Trek: Into Darkness are showing promise and have taken the silver screen by storm so far.

At Logitech, we happen to know a thing about action-packed sequels. From mice to iPad cases, from Harmony remotes to keyboards, we’re constantly working to release new and improved versions. Some of our biggest hits so far this summer include the Logitech Harmony Ultimate, Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio and the ever-popular Logitech Eye Candy, all of which hit theaters stores recently.

With our sequel street cred established, here’s our power ranking of big cinematic summer sequels. How’d we do? Sound off in the comments and let us know which Logitech sequel you enjoyed most, or the one you’re looking forward to with the most anticipation!

Fast & Furious 6 (In theaters) – Truth in advertising, right? You know what you’re getting, and this increasingly ‘comic book’ feeling franchise has the smarts to stick to what it knows best – big and outrageous action.

The Hangover 3 (In theaters) – This third and final film following the adventures of the wolf pack has most reviewers weeping, but most fans cheering. With all the characters (and jokes) back for round three, it’ll be predictable but still a good time.

Iron Man 3 (In theaters) – Better than Iron Man 2, but not as epic as the first installment, it had enough high-tech cool factor to keep us interested and looking for more.

Star Trek: Into Darkness (In theaters) – Critics like it and fans are still heading to theaters, but we favor Star Trek by a nose. Since when did Spock turn into an action hero?

Man of Steel (June 14) – With each new trailer raising the bar even higher, this better be epic.

Despicable Me 2 (July 3) – We can appreciate a cartoon or two. The first one was left us wanting more and DM2 looks on track to keep us smiling and feeling like big kids.

The Wolverine (July 26) – Benefits from the lackluster series introduction, which lowers expectations a bit, but every whisper we hear has this version of The Wolverine looking razor sharp.

This week, some of our newest products, including the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard mini and UE BOOM, were featured in popular magazines, daily newspapers and blogs. Here are a few of our favorite placements from the week:

Complex Magazine’s editorial team posted their top picks for tech accessories this spring, including the UE BOOM. Complex writes that it “releases incredible sound quality” and that our speaker is “the top choice in its class and price range.” You can read the full review here.

In France, the UE BOOM was also included in GQ’s selection of the best tech accessories to bring to the beach to party with friends. The article noted that the speaker is the “perfect partner for summer.” Check out GQ’s article here.

Alice Truong of USA Today posted a roundup of best new accessories for iPad Mini, which included the “incredibly slick” and “reliable” Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard mini. Alice determined the keyboard is “easy to adapt to, and it’s certainly better than touch typing.” Check out her full roundup here.

In the UK, Gareth Harmer of ZAM posted a review of the Logitech G510s Gaming Keyboard. Gareth concluded that, “…it’s a massive upgrade on the original G15 and is worth getting on that basis alone. If your original red-glowing battle-axe should be heading towards retirement, the G510s is a very worthy successor.” Click here for the full review.