Lenovo's remotes put home theater PC controls into a one-hand-friendly, remote-style gadget, but the company's still ironing out the kinks of the product — controlling mouse and keyboard from your couch is tough to pull off. Its latest attempt, the Lenovo Enhanced Multimedia Remote with Backlit Keyboard N5902, makes some strides: It has a backlit keyboard so you can use the remote in the dark, a feature inexplicably absent from the last model, the N5901. It also swaps the trackball out for a BlackBerry-style optical pointer, and simplifies the setup process. There's a ridged bar down the middle of the handle that scrolls as you slide your finger up or down — and speaking of your fingers, the N5902's finish is much less fingerprint-prone than the N5901. The N5902 will set you back $51.99, and though it's definitely not as functional as a full keyboard / mouse setup, it's a much more couch-friendly solution.
Lenovo N5902 remote control adds backlit keys, simplifies use
is editor-at-large and Vergecast co-host with over a decade of experience covering consumer tech. Previously, at Protocol, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired.
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