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NewsHands-on with Microsoft's SideWinder X8 Mouse (w/ BlueTrack)

Posted 09/10/08 at 12:00:00 PM by Norman Chan

We knew Microsoft wouldn’t forget about us gamers. Yesterday, they debuted a new mouse-tracking technology in the Explorer mouse, which is targeted toward “productivity” users. We were a little skeptical of Bluetrack’s application for gaming, since the Explorer only has a 1000Dpi sensor. Well, Microsoft has assuaged all fears with the announcement of the Sidewinder X8, a BlueTrack mouse which has a sweet 4000 dpi sensor. This high-end gaming mouse is a step up from the original Sidewinder (which will remain in production), and retains features we like from the series: a Dpi adjustor with LCD indicator, vertical thumb buttons, and customizable weights (features which were omitted from the lower-end X5 model). We got some hands-on time with the X8, and was able to put it side-by-side with its non-BlueTrack siblings.

Hit the jump to check out the entire Sidewinder family.

Comments: 7
TAGS: gaming, microsoft, Peripherals, hardware, sidewinder, hands-on, bluetrack

NewsHands-on with Microsoft's Fashionable and Futuristic Arc Mouse

Posted 09/09/08 at 01:35:52 PM by Norman Chan

Really, that’s a mouse?

That’s the first thing we thought when we saw the new Arc Mouse, which Microsoft claims with “raise the style stakes” in peripheral design. We have to admit, it certainly looks different from any mouse we’ve handled before. The foldable design makes it extremely compact when snapped shut for travel purposes. Yet when expanded, the arch is spacious enough to fill out our manly palms. The Arc felt very comfortable in our hands as we moved it around a table, but was noticably lighter and not as solid as the gaming mice we're accustomed to. A micro transceiver snaps into the bottom of the mouse using a magnet, and only sticks out a single centimeter when plugged into a USB port (it uses the same 2.4GHz wireless tech as Microsoft’s other mice).

And if you’re worried about sturdiness, the Arc’s hinge has been tested to withstand 25lb’s of downward force, though we didn’t exert that much force in our test (we didn’t want to break it!). Surprisingly, it doesn’t use Microsoft’s new BlueTrack sensor, instead opting for a traditional laser tracker (no word on DPI). Look for the Arc to go on sale later this month (launching with black or red options) for $59.95.

Hit the jump for more bendy-mouse photos

Comments: 8
TAGS: microsoft, mouse, mice, Peripherals, hardware, sidewinder, arc, hands-on

FeaturesHands-on with Deep Viewer, Intel's Potential Killer-App for Nehalem

Posted 08/21/08 at 04:30:00 PM by Norman Chan

During a private briefing with Intel at IDF yesterday to talk about Nehalem, we were given a demo of some cool software in development that makes good use of the multi-threaded cores of the new CPU. Francois Piednoel, the Senior Performance Analyst (ie. benchmarking guru) at Intel describes Deep Viewer as a "science project" of sorts. It's an image sorting application that they acquired from an independent software developer that reminds us of Microsoft Live Labs' Seadragon technology (which is used in the recently released Photosynth online app). We're talking about near-infinite scaling of visual data (in this case photos and videos) being processed in real-time on your display.

See Deep Viewer in action after the jump.

Comments: 3
TAGS: intel, Software, nehalem, multi-core, IDF, hands-on, Intel Developer Forum, core-i7, deep viewer, technology demo, image sorting, IDF 2008

FeaturesHands-On with Lenovo's Shiny (and Tiny) IdeaPad S10

Posted 08/05/08 at 11:40:27 PM by Norman Chan

We met with Lenovo this afternoon to talk about some of their upcoming products (to be revealed in the coming weeks and months), and they brought along a pre-production sample of their recently announced IdeaPad S10 netbook. We couldn’t help but resist getting some hands-on time with this tiny portable, including snapping up a dozen photos for you to enjoy. The S10 we saw was a red 9” version that will ship in international markets, while the US edition will offer a 10.2” glossy screen and come in 3 color options (red, white, or black). All variations of the S10 will run Intel’s 1.6GHz Atom processor (45nm, 533MHz FSB, 512k L2 Cache), though the best thing about the IdeaPad has to be its $399 price point.

Click through for all the high-res shots and more detailed specs.

Comments: 4
TAGS: mobile, notebook, laptop, photos, lenovo, Intel Atom, IdeaPad, netbook, hands-on, s10

FeaturesTake That, Jessica Chobot and Olivia Munn! Maximum PC Scores Voodoo Envy Hands-On and First Licking (Size Comparisons Too)

Posted 07/17/08 at 11:00:59 AM by Norman Chan

Just call us licky. We mean, lucky. You've seen the official super-hot photos of the Voodoo PC's Envy laptop, but we got our hands on one and were able to take tons of close-up photos of the as well as try out the highly touted instant-on feature. Our initial impressions: the laptop is really light. HP claims the laptop (it was the SSD version) weighs three and a half pounds, and even though we didn’t have a scale in our messenger bags, it sure felt about the same weight as the Macbook air, power supply notwithstanding. Stacking the Envy against a Macbook Pro and Thinkpad X300, Voodoo’s pricey portable was both smaller and slimmer, though it sports a 13” screen.