Can anyone recommend a good wireless keyboard and mouse with a range up to eight feet?
If price is not an issue I recommend the Gyration mouse and keyboard from MicroCenter (staples and office depot have it too). Its $99 for the set. The mouse is optical but can also work in mid-air (has a gyroscope in it?). The keyboard is very compact, but still comfortable. And they both operate as RF, rather than IR, so no lost keystrokes. I think they range is 20 or 30 feet, for the low end model (100 feet for the $300 model).
I'm using it with my Home Theatre PC and arcade controls, and am very pleased.