Posted 05/22/09 at 07:55:17 AM by Paul Lilly

The Tripticon laser mouse isn't nearly as awesome as the Ravage USB flash drive, nor does it look particularly ergonomic. And at only 800 dpi, there's not much more here than meets the eye. But it is another Decepticon peripheral for your PC, which makes us wonder where the Autobots have been hiding (here's one!)

At last count, BigBadToyStore.com was offering almost half a dozen Transformer peripherals, the coolest of which just might be the Blaster USB hub (hey, another Autobot!).

Catch the full lineup here, then hit the jump and tell us which one is your favorite.

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mouse, Peripherals, hardware, consumer electronics, transformers, trypticon

Posted 04/23/09 at 01:33:38 PM by Paul Lilly

Ever found yourself wondering what the "planet's best browser mouse" might be? Neither have we, but apparently it's the WeraMouse V2, a funky little device with "tried and tested trackball technology." The company describes its namesake device as the first alternative mouse to recognize that PCs have more today than that of the "keyboard eccentric uses of the past."

The WeraMouse V2 comes with a rechargeable Li-ion battery that provides up to 28 hours of use on a single charge, giving you wireless control from up to 25 feet away. And you'll do that by waving around the ambidextrous pistol-grip peripheral in either hand and spinning the top-mounted trackball with your thumb.

We're not sure this would qualify as the "perfect browser and gaming mouse!," but we could see it being used to give PowerPoint presentations and with HTPC setups. However, if the trackball isn't a deal killer (we hear a touchpad version is in the works), the $99 price tag just might be.

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mouse, Peripherals, hardware, weramouse, trackball

Posted 04/21/09 at 11:00:00 AM by David Murphy

You've tweaked everything else on your PC, so how about your mouse?  That's right.  The trusty input device that sits to the side of your keyboard needs some love too, but how many of you have thought to install applications that benefit the common features you use your mouse for?  Eh?  I must admit, I never considered much to tweak about the mouse's functionality.  You scroll the cursor to what you want to check out and give it a click.  It's a two-step process.  Rinse, wash, repeat.  What else could you possibly do with a mouse?

Spoiler: a lot.

I've found five amazing freeware and open-source applications that help you turbo-charge your ability to interact with your PC.  Give these a whirl, and you'll increase your productivity, reduce your stress, and be just that much cooler than your peers who are stuck in the Stone Age of mouse operations.  Take your final act as a generic mouse user: scroll the cursor over to "Read More," click the link, and prepare yourself for greatness.

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mouse, open source, freeware, performance, application, productivity, apps, strokeit, noclose, magic formation, kid-key-lock, gestures, wizmouse

Posted 04/17/09 at 01:54:37 PM by Paul Lilly

In what's being billed as "Design Excellence for Engineers," 3DConnexion, maker of 3D input peripherals, launched the SpacePilot Pro this week. It's one of the grooviest looking mice we've ever seen and comes with a ton of goodies for CAD professionals, including an integrated color LCD display.

"The SpacePilot Pro's LCD Worldflow Assistant gives at-a-glance visibility, whether it's email, calendar events, or RSS feeds," said Deiter Neujahr, 3DConnexions president. "It's push technology but the user can easily customize what they do and don't want to see. The intention is to focus you on your design work, with fewer interruptions to your workflow and less clutter on your main display."

Other features include keyboard modifiers (ESC, CTRL, ALT, SHIFT), 3D mouse keys, a SpaceNavigator knob capable of left/right, up/down, forward/backward, tilt, spin, and roll maneuvers, function keys, several applets, and a bunch more.

Gamers need not apply, but if you're into CAD, the svelte SpacePilot Pro might be just what you're looking for, provided you're willing to drop $500 on an input peripheral.

Full review of the mouse here.

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mouse, Peripherals, hardware, input device, spacepilot pro, 3dconnecsion, cad

Posted 04/14/09 at 10:09:28 AM by Paul Lilly

Keeping the likes of Razer and OCZ on their respective toes, Microsoft today added to its gaming mouse lineup with the addition of the Sidewinder X3, an entry-level rodent that won't chew through your wallet. Sporting an ambidextrous design, Microsoft's latest Sidewinder looks to sway budget gamers with a respectable feature-set, including a 2,000 DPI laser with on-the-fly sensitivity switching.

"Our research shows that in-game comfort continues to be the main consideration for PC gamers," said Bill Jukes, product marketing manager for Microsoft Hardware. "We designed this mouse to be ambidextrous and small in size, providing comfort to a wider variety of people and making it ideal for gaming as well as everyday use."

The Sidewinder X3 also comes with five programmable buttons (eight buttons in all), a wide, detented scroll wheel, and wide-glide feet "for smooth handling and a light, balanced feel."

Microsoft says the Sidewinder X3 will ship in May for about $40.

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microsoft, mouse, hardware, peripheral, sidewinder x3

Posted 04/09/09 at 06:04:37 PM by Andy Salisbury

When the iPod first boomed in popularity there were companies lining up around the block to sell accessories designed for the digital music player, and now it’s the netbook’s turn. The first generation of netbook-oriented accessories officially launched this week, and there’s little doubt that they’ll be the last to jump aboard this gravy train.

Kensington announced five products aimed at users of the tiny portables this week, and while the tiny wired and wireless mice ($14.99 and $24.99 respectively) won’t turn any heads, other items such as the power adapter (with a built in USB port for some extra charging power) do show off some solid insight ($49.99). And, if you’re concerned about your netbook’s safety or looks, you can snag the security lock ($24.99) or the sleeve ($14.99).

You can get all of these starting today off of Kensington’s website, or you can wait around until they end up on store shelves within a couple weeks.

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Security, mouse, consumer electronics, netbook, accessories, lock, Kensington, AC Adapter, Sleeve

Posted 04/09/09 at 05:00:00 PM by Paul Lilly

We've already posted one of the coolest case mods you'll ever see (check it out here), and moving to the complete opposite end of the spectrum (who are we kidding, this one's not even on the spectrum), is the tackiest mouse you'll never own. Or at least we hope you never do.

The Gold Bullion Wireless Mouse has so much wrong with it, it's tough knowing where to start. Should we point out that it's not real gold? How about we start by talking about the horrific rectangular design which, while meant to resemble a gold bullion, screams in the face of ergonomics and usability? Maybe we should point out the lack of additional buttons beyond the standard right and left click. Or we could go for the obvious and discuss how absurdly tacky it is, right down to its description as a "great big bling thing!" Screw it, you're on your own in deciding where to start faulting this peripheral.

Of absolutely no interest to anyone, anywhere, the Gold Bullion Wireless Mouse is available for pre-order through www.iwantoneofthose.com (how's that for irony?) for around $35.

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mouse, hardware, peripheral, build a pc, input device, gold

Posted 03/27/09 at 03:00:50 PM by Paul Lilly

Does the placement of the mouse laser matter? Japan-based Elecom seems to think so and has come up with a new mouse the company claims is "like you're holding a pen."

Dubbed the Scope Node Mouse, the new rodent places the 1600 DPI laser off-center so that it sits to left, just like the tip of a pen would sit. The beneift of doing so, says Elecom, is greater accuracy.

"The Scope Node is also characterized by its laser sensor position aligned to that of the pen tip, so that the sensor's high-resolution performance (1,600 dpi) can be accurately represented on the screen," Elecom wrote in a press release. "In short, you can use 'a PC monitor and a mouse' just like 'a piece of paper and a pen' because you can use the mouse just 'like you're holding a pen!' for writing or drawing.

Other than the off-center laser, the Scope Node retains the same general shape of a conventional mouse, albeit a bit futuristic looking. It comes with three buttons, "optimal weight balance," and a higher recognition rate than that of a conventional LED optical mouse, the company claims.

The Scope Node is available in Japan for ¥6,300, or about $64 USD.

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technology, mouse, sensor, hardware, peripheral, build a pc, elecom