NewsSteelSeries World of Warcraft Mouse Has More Buttons than You Have Fingers
Posted 10/10/08 at 01:25:21 PM by Paul Lilly
It would take three hands with all digits intact to match the number of buttons on SteelSeries' new World of Warcraft MMO mouse. That's right - 15 programmable buttons grace the rodent's funky cyborgish exterior, and each one of them was designed in conjunction with Blizzard specifically with WoW addicts in mind.
The new mouse level's up its macros skillset by affording macros up to 160 characters long, with over 130 predefined commands for drag-and-drop macro creation in place. But you might find yourself spending the majority of your time grinding away at the light scheme. The world's first WoW mouse boasts no less than 16 million illumination choices with 3 intensity and pulsation levels.
Dedicated MMO players can preorder the mouse now for $99.99, with shipping slated for November 13, 2008.
Update: Press release and another image after the jump!
NewsNova Gaming Jumps Into the Gaming Mouse Market with Slider X600
Posted 09/27/08 at 08:08:13 PM by Mark Edward Soper
Nova Gaming is best known as a long-time purveyor of a line of high-performance gaming mousepads in the Killer, Winner, Master and Raider series. And, now, to make sure its Nova B4L gamer's bag has more Nova gear inside than ever before, the French company is rolling out a gaming mouse, the Slider X600, at next week's E for All Expo in Los Angeles.
The gaming mouse market already has some formidable competition, such as the corded Logitech G9 (laser sensor, up to 3200 dpi, interchangeable grips, 5 buttons, adjustable mouse weights), corded Microsoft SideWinter (laser sensor, up to 2000 dpi sensor, 5 buttons, adjustable mouse weights and replaceable feet) and upcoming cordless Microsoft SideWinder X8 (Blue Track optical sensor, up to 4000 dpi, replaceable mouse feet, macro recording).
The X600 brings up to 3200 dpi resolution and ceramic mouse feet to the game, but it's the position of the cable that might be the biggest difference between Nova Gaming's newcomer and the established players. Hit the jump to learn more.
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
FeaturesEverything You Need to Know About Microsoft's BlueTrack Mouse Technology
Posted 09/09/08 at 01:00:00 PM by Norman Chan
The next-generation of Microsoft mice has arrived and – surprise! – this peripheral don’t feature any fancy lasers. The new Explorer mouse is the first that sports Microsoft’s new proprietary Bluetrack technology, something they’ve been hinting at on their website for the past few weeks. The big innovation is that a BlueTrack mouse will work on virtually any surface type, whether its granite, wood, or even carpet (glass and other reflective surfaces are this mouse’s kryptonite). We got some hands-on time with this handsome wireless mouse and were impressed by its tracking accuracy, stylish design, and mesmerizing blue glow. We also spoke with Mark Depue, the Platform Engineer Manager at Microsoft’s Hardware Group, to find out exactly how BlueTrack works.
Hit the jump for our in-depth technical interview and glamorous hands-on shots.
ReviewsMicrosoft Sidewinder X5
Posted 08/29/08 at 02:00:00 PM by Will Smith
Sporting an ever-so-slightly trimmed-down shape compared to the original Sidewinder gaming mouse, along with a stripped down featureset, the Sidewinder X5 delivers great performance at a very reasonable price. Like the original Sidewinder, the design works great for gamers who use either a claw or a standard grip (or who like to change between them), but it’s not particularly comfortable for people with small- to medium-size hands. After a couple of hours of play using a standard grip, our hands cramped.
Missing from this updated Sidewinder are the original mouse’s adjustable weighting system, the interchangeable foot pads, the sensitivity display, and the weighted cable anchor. While we especially miss the cable anchor, extra features (like the one that have been omitted) aren’t something we’d expect in a mouse that costs $60.
ReviewsSteelseries Ikari
Posted 08/29/08 at 11:00:00 AM by Will Smith
Steelseries delivers a one-two punch of awesome with its first mouse—the Ikari, a standard five-button, right-handed design suitable for gamers who use either the palm and claw-style grips. With its low-profile design, the Ikari doesn’t provide sufficient support for folks who like to rest their palm on the mouse; our palm-gripped tester had a stiff hand after a few hours of play. Nonetheless, the Ikari’s other features and kick-ass sensor make us almost willing to ignore the less-than-ergonomically perfect shape.
Those features, after the jump.
ReviewsRazer DeathAdder
Posted 08/28/08 at 05:24:38 PM by Will Smith
We love the shape of this mouse—it’s comfortable for even the longest session—and the DeathAdder just gets better from there. The sensor delivers pixel-perfect accuracy, and we love that the driver lets us adjust everything from X and Y sensitivity to the lights on the mouse. We’re still not sold on the idea of constantly updating firmware for a mere mouse, but Razer’s built a highly compelling rodent with the DeathAdder.
Hit the jump for the full review.
NewsRumor: Microsoft Plotting Blue Laser Mice?
Posted 08/27/08 at 01:50:59 PM by Paul Lilly
Come September 9, 2008, Microsoft says it will be time to "Say Goobye to Laser." The ad on Microsoft's Hardware website hints that this un-named successor will work better on a variety of surfaces, but the company is saying little about it and showing even less.
That's okay, because it looks like one attentive surfer may have uncovered what Microsoft has in store after stumbling upon the MS Explorer Mini Mouse with "Blue Track" technology. The discovery was made over on Amazon.de, but has since been taken down after Engadget snagged a couple of pics and posted a link to the product. The site says Blue Track is to be based on a blue LED combined with a wide-angle lens, giving the new mouse the ability to work on more surfaces than both laser and optical. With Microsoft remaining tight-lipped, we'll have to wait and see, but the good news is September 8th is less than two weeks away.
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