Posted 09/16/09 at 04:12:02 PM by Paul Lilly

A major defect in Research in Motion's (RIM's) new BlackBerry Tour could turn into a financial SNAFU for the smartphone maker, cautions Gerard Hallaren, director of research at TownHall Investment Research.

According to Hallaren, RIM is "having a big trackball problem," one which puts BlackBerry Tour owners in the unenviable position of having to frequently apply a blast of compressed air to avoid letting the trackball get all gunked up. We suppose it could be worse, as anyone who is 'old' enough to remember using mechanical mice can attest, but Tour owners are understandably displeased.

The research firm says that return rates on the Tour at Sprint are approaching 50 percent, while Verizon is also "experiencing serious problems."  And according to Hallaren, Sprint has determined that a needed increase in quality control could add 2 to 3 percent to production costs, which would be offset by a lower return rate.

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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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