mice

Three new Microsoft mice with Bluetrack laser sensor

Two years after it debuted its first Explorer Mouse with BlueTrack sensing technology, Microsoft is back with another update to its line of pointers. This time around we get three more devices: the Wireless Mouse 3500, the Wireless Mouse 2000, and the Comfort Mouse 4500, all available for presale on Amazon on Wednesday, February 24.

Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 ($29.95): Like the Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 that came before it, this update pairs your computer with a small USB plug called a "Nano Transceiver" and features a symmetrical shape with ambidextrous access to the rubber side grips. … Read more

AirMouse lets you wear it like a glove

Canadian firm Deanmark's wearable mouse comes almost close to aping the glove interface worn by Tom Cruise's character in "Minority Report." Though it's no power glove or highly calibrated gaming hand sock like the Peregrine gauntlet, the AirMouse does seem capable of addressing repetitive strain injuries. Even with the best of ergonomic mice at your fingertips, there's no avoiding wrist fatigue. Take it from yours truly.

Since a certain late entertainment icon has made the one-gloved look chic, you shouldn't feel weirded out donning the AirMouse around your palm. This rodent works on … Read more

Transformers memory sticks, mice--so corny they're cool

Of course, CES is full of oddball, goofball, and just plain cheesy products; but amid the sea of plastic this year a little tidbit caught my eye from a Toshiba booth, of all places. After eyeballing a variety of Satellite laptops, a Toshiba representative insisted I take a look at a corner of the table that I had ignored, because I thought the little plastic tchotchkes were party favors.

Official Transformers-brand USB memory sticks and mice, which on closer inspection completely mirrored the type of toys I used to obsessively collect in my childhood, are coming soon. If they're … Read more

A squeezable concept mouse called Suma

LAS VEGAS--The Cambridge Consultants booth at CES showcased several concept designs by the company. One that caught our attention was the Suma platform, a squeezable interface technology that promises to offer users a more interactive way to talk to computers.

As shown in the picture above, the Suma platform acts like a layer of skin that can detect different points of pressure in a 3D environment. This information is then translated into usable information by the computer software.

Cambridge Consultants believes the technology can be used in various industries, from medical and industrial to arts and music. The company demonstrated … Read more

Apple KB Updates: iPhoto Warnings, Keyboard viewers showing, more...

Apple has updated and released a few knowledgebase articles, covering issues with iPhoto videos not working in iMovie, the keyboard and character pallets displaying when the system prompts for authentication, image resolution requirements for iPhoto books, and troubleshooting tips for wireless keyboards and mice.… Read more

Best hardware and software add-ons for your PC

Each holiday season, millions of computers celebrate the holidays isolated and unappreciated for all the hard work they do throughout the year. Whether you just unwrapped a new PC or you're just looking to upgrade your old standby Windows XP or Mac G5 computer, we have the perfect accessories to complement your system.

From replacement keyboards and mice to reduce typing fatigue to aftermarket monitors that increase your workspace and external hard drives for more storage space, these peripherals are a simple and cost-effective way to show your PC the love it deserves.

Accessories Best Printers Best Storage Drives … Read more

ErgoMotion mouse swivels, pivots to save your arm

I switched from mice to trackpads and trackballs years ago after my wrist started getting all janky on me after a few hours a day of work. That's because seesaw mouses like SmartFish Technologies' ErgoMotion laser mouse didn't exist back then.

The mouse, which just launched officially, isn't static like most, but rather has a Y axis and X axis pivoting motion so it fits more naturally in your hand as it moves. When you push a mouse forward the geometry of your hand is different than when you pull it back. The mouse is designed to … Read more

Apple Magic Mouse now works on Windows PCs (unofficially)

Windows users still drooling over Apple's multitouch Magic Mouse might finally have an excuse to step into an Apple store, thanks to "a little hackery" by UneasySilence.

The hack exploits a vulnerability in Apple's latest Bluetooth Update, uncovering Magic Mouse drivers for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows from XP to 7. We've yet to put it to the test ourselves, but users online are reporting success with full use of the Magic Mouse's vertical touch-scrolling. Leave a comment and let us know if it works for you.

We should mention that since this is a … Read more

Grass-covered mouse: Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia

Japanese artist Hanaoka likes to cover objects in grass. Cars, business card holders, cufflinks, ashtrays, compact mirrors...you name it. He even blankets computer peripherals with the stuff.

To wit: the grass mouse pictured at right. Pair it with this grass cell phone and start the hose (or maybe that's not such a good idea).

Thanks to my ever-helpful co-worker/translator Takayuki Sakurai, I'm able to glean that Hanaoka has, in the past, made his verdant mouse available for purchase, though we're not seeing evidence that it's currently for sale. If you're liking the grass-on-all-things … Read more

OOMouse has more buttons than a shirt

First impression of the OOMouse? Wow! Never have we seen so many buttons on a pointing device (18 at last count). To top it off, it may even be the first mouse to sport an analog joystick on the side.

Private company WarMouse is primarily marketing the OOMousebeing as a peripheral for OpenOffice (a Microsoft Office alternative), but we feel it's targeted at the wrong audience. With the 18 programmable mouse buttons, clickable scroll wheel, three different button modes (key, keypress, and macro), and up to 16 macros on the joystick, the OOMouse can launch 52 different commands with … Read more