A very long, detailed account over at tom's hardware lists your stereotypical, horrifying buying experience. The money is sent; the package doesn't arrive; an email is sent; a bullshit email is sent back. The email cycle repeats with choice phrases from the company contact like "Get out of my f***ing life!" and "Make this world war III or handle this in a civil manner."

Of course, it's not just this one story, but the many since that have surfaced like it (tracked down by tom's hardware and in our own comments) that force us to pull our recommendation. Needless to say, companies often treat us more sweetly than they treat you, but those instances can be tough to predict. [Tom's Hardware]

Sure, it's not that attractive looking and it's probably awkward as all hell to use, but the prospect of programming all those buttons has me giddy. While the guy who designed the mouse thinks it'd be great for World of Warcraft or OpenOffice tasks, I know I won't be wasting a single button for either of those things. Anyone got better suggestions? [Open Office Mouse—Thanks, Joel!]

And you thought that the Magic Mouse was expensive. Seriously, who the hell spends $1200 in a mouse? [Intelligent Design via The Design Blog]

Major findings (and we use the word major so loosely we might as well not have bothered): The Magic Mouse uses the Broadcom BCM2042 Bluetooth chip, it's covered in capacitive sensors from the Apple logo on up, and it's hard to break into. Science fails to beat magic once again. [iFixit]

As we said in the hands-on, the mouse has one piece of clear white plastic on the top, curved, like a Dove bar. It has both right and left clicks, like the Mighty Mouse, but differentiates itself from other mice with its touch-sensitive scrolling and two-fingered gestures. That's the big selling feature (other than the fact that it is a beautiful looking mouse).

As a mouse

The Magic Mouse is a very, very pretty mouse—something you wouldn't feel like you had to hide when not in use—and looks different enough from other mice that people will ask who made it, before awkwardly mumbling a nevermind as they spot the grey Apple logo.

Compared to ergonomic mice, the Magic Mouse is really low and aerodynamic, which means it doesn't contour to your hand and doesn't give the sensation that the mouse is a part of your hand, like Logitech mice tend to. But it is Bluetooth, so you don't need an extra dongle, and it's powered by two AA batteries, which get up to four months of use per charge, according to Apple.

Physically moving the mouse and mousing is fine and smooth, since there are two plastic bars on the mouse's underside that minimize contact with whatever surface you're on.
Even though there's no clear delineation between right and left buttons on the mouse itself, the Magic Mouse knows to interpret a click on the left or right half appropriately (though right click needs to be activated from inside System Preferences before you can use it).

As for tracking, it's a pretty standard laser technology that tracks decently on most surfaces, including jeans and chairs. Still, the Magic Mouse doesn't have the crazy tracking ability that Logitech's MX mice just introduced—so it can't track on glass, and it can't track on glossy surfaces like the 13-inch MacBook.

The scrolling

The one thing Apple did completely right in the Magic Mouse was the touch scrolling. It's fluid, natural and works with any amount of fingers on over 75% of the mouse surface (all the way down to the Apple logo). Flicking up and down gets you up and down web pages fast, as long as you have "momentum" turned on in the settings. Turn it off and you get fine-grained 1:1 scrolling—good if you want to slowly navigate through a PDF doc.

You can also click with one finger and scroll with another, letting you highlight blocks of text like you would on a normal scrolling mouse. On the whole, there's no major piece of scrolling functionality (other than a middle click) that you lose transitioning from a standard scroll wheel to this touch-sensitive solution. You just get the ability to scroll in 360 degrees as a bonus.

The only flaw is that you sometimes activate the left (or right) click when you're scrolling too emphatically. I suspect this is just something you'll get used to over time, but it can be annoying when you're trying to scroll and you navigate somewhere else instead.

Using two finger swiping to navigate web pages, on the other hand, is a bit more awkward. You'll need to pinch the mouse on the sides with your thumb and fourth/pinkie finger while you're scrolling, forcing you to make a painful eagle claw all the time.

What it can't do

As good as the swiping gestures are, they're limited in what you can actually accomplish with them. You can't use more than three fingers at a time, because you won't have enough fingers left to hold the mouse. There's also no option for touch-sensitive clicking, like in trackpads, something that would have been cool to have just as a bonus. You also can't tell which side is up just from touch until you click down and feel nothing happen.

So far the Magic Mouse is only compatible with the iMacs that they ship with, but will get broad support soon.

It also can't manage to stay free from scratches, similar to white MacBooks that also get scratched very easily. But the blemishes don't interfere with the mouse's functionality—it's just painful to watch any new product lose its pristine finish so quickly.

Is this the best mouse Apple has ever made?

Yeah, it is. The Magic Mouse is much better than the Mighty Mouse, which people hated, and might actually be good enough that non-Mac users might want to pick it up as well, supposing that they don't really care about ergonomics. Since it fills the gap between a tiny travel mouse and a full sized desktop mouse, the Magic is in a good position to grab users on both ends.

It looks very nice

Touch scrolling works well

Swiping is less comfortable

Not very ergonomic

The strange thing about the Magic Mouse is not how it works. It is that you have different gestures than on a standard Macbook Pro trackpad.

One obvious example: Since you move the cursor by moving the whole mouse with your hand, there's no point in also using one finger to move the cursor, like on the trackpad. Moving your finger on the surface of the Magic Mouse allows you to scroll in all directions, 360 degrees around.

You can also scroll with two or three fingers, if you move them up and down. But if you swipe them from side to side while using a web browser, your browsing history moves forward or back.

Physically, the mouse is beautiful, and feels nice. The top is made of white polycarbonate that matches the keys on Apple's keyboards. It is one seamless touch surface, and, logically, there is no Mighty Mouse scroll nipple.

The surface can also simulate the left and right buttons. Unlike in previous Apple's mice, the two buttons work perfectly. This time they also added physical feedback, so when you click the buttons, you actually get the entire surface to click—like the original clear Apple mouse.

The mouse runs on AA batteries, and Apple claims 4 months of use per set. You can get it with the new iMac or pay $69 separately.

There was a small thing I noticed, though: the mouse would sometimes move when I tried to scroll — I can maybe get used to this, but it was a thing that happened to me and my presenter who definitely had more time with the mouse. The other reason why Apple went with fewer fingers for swipe and scroll gestures, besides the issue of pointing already being taken care of by the mouse's table action, was because you need your ring finger to hold the mouse properly or the thing slides on your desk.

Also, the mouse will be software configurable for lefties.

Apple Introduces Magic Mouse — The World's First Multi-Touch Mouse

CUPERTINO, Calif., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple® today introduced the new wireless Magic Mouse, the first mouse to use Apple's revolutionary Multi-Touch™ technology. Pioneered on iPhone®, iPod touch® and Mac® notebook trackpads, Multi-Touch allows customers to navigate using intuitive finger gestures. Instead of mechanical buttons, scroll wheels or scroll balls, the entire top of the Magic Mouse is a seamless Multi-Touch surface. Magic Mouse comes standard with the new iMac® and will be available as a Mac accessory at just $69.

"Apple is the Multi-Touch leader, pioneering the use of this innovative technology in iPhone, iPod touch and Mac notebook trackpads," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "Apple's Multi-Touch technology allows us to offer an easy to use mouse in a simple and elegant design."

Magic Mouse features a seamless touch-sensitive enclosure that allows it to be a single or multi-button mouse with advanced gesture support. Using intuitive gestures, users can easily scroll through long documents, pan across large images or swipe to move forward or backward through a collection of web pages or photos. Magic Mouse works for left or right handed users and multi-button or gesture commands can be easily configured from within System Preferences.

The Magic Mouse laser tracking engine provides a smooth, consistent experience across more surfaces than a traditional optical tracking system. Magic Mouse uses Bluetooth wireless capabilities to create a clean, cable-free desk top and its secure wireless connection works from up to 10 meters away. To extend battery performance, Magic Mouse includes an advanced power management system that works with Mac OS® X to automatically switch to low power modes during periods of inactivity. The wireless Magic Mouse is powered by two AA batteries which are included.

Pricing & Availability
Magic Mouse comes standard with the new iMac and is available at the end of October through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), at Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $69 (US). Magic Mouse requires Mac OS X Leopard® version 10.5.8 or later.

Price(y)

Orochi is $80, which is steep for a Bluetooth mouse, even one that travels well. It's especially painful considering the sensor's finickiness means it doesn't live up to its raison d'tre, even if the mouse does feel great for a portable and you get gamery things like onboard storage of macros.

It feels good, mostly

Orochi pulls off that rare trick where it manages to feel almost ergonomic when you grip it, despite being a symmetric mouse, because the side grooves cradle both your thumb and your ring finger. The rubberized texture is classic Razer—smooth but sticky at the same time, designed for your hand to sweat on and still maintain a grip. In the end though, it is a small mouse—so while it works great in a pinch for a couple hours at a time, the squee size makes sure it's not exactly the comfy La-Z-Boy of gaming mice.

Track this

For a mouse that you're meant to take anywhere, it should have a less picky sensor. While it tracks perfectly on my wood desk and on regular mousepads, it was pretty damn spotty on the faux leathery surfaces covering the desks at the Gawker offices, though they've never been a problem for other mice I've used on them from Microsoft or Logitech (I always considered them to be nearly perfect mousing surfaces, actually). It's unfortunate, too, because the bottom of the mouse itself glides on top of anything like Brian Boitano.

Software and configuratorator

Orochi uses a pretty standard Razer configurator that lets you adjust DPI, program buttons, assign macros, switch the mouse's lighting on or off. There's even a Mac version now. The catch is that you can't configure the mouse when it's connected via Bluetooth, you have to plug it in via USB. But the Bluetooth pairing process itself is painless, and worked perfectly. I didn't get to fully test Razer's claim of 1-3 months of battery life under "normal usage" for obvious reasons, but I haven't managed to kill it with a couple days of what I'd call heavy usage. If the battery does drop, you can always plug it in via breakaway USB though.

If it was cheaper and the sensor could handle more roughage, it'd be a solid pick for fragging in a Starbucks, but it's a kinda risky buy for that much money, as is.

Ergonomics are solid

Yay Bluetooth

No configuring while using Bluetooth

The 4000dpi sensor is a little too picky about surfaces

$80!

Apparently it's difficult to control and study the neurons of a mouse when it's physically moving, and this method makes that easier. The ball is suspended on a jet of air, and the mouse is strapped in place with a collar on top of it (like a giant trackball, sort of). Given that I don't understand psychology at all, or even totally know what a neuron is, I'm going to go ahead and assume this is an elaborate ruse to get a mouse to play Quake 2. Well played, scientists. [Pop Sci]

The entire kit includes a 3-stage, pivoting laptop stand, a wireless keyboard and a wireless M505 laser mouse (along with the tiny, USB-based Unifying Receiver that communicates with the peripherals).

Purchased alone, the components would run you $130 ($50 for each peripheral and $30 for the stand). But combined in this Costco-like bundle, you'll get it all for $100. That's $30 savings, which equates to six McDonald's Value Meals or 30, count them, 30 Dollar Menu items. [Logitech]

A Brief History Lesson

The original MX500 is the sliced bread of mousing ergonomics: The form factor is so good Logitech won't fuck with it more than six years and countless iterations later. The perfectly balanced ergonomic arch and thumb groove precisely straddle the line between suggestive and aggressive, so it feels just right, like Zach Morris.

The MX500 evolved into gamier, glossiers variants with boosted tracking engines, the MX 510 and still available MX518. That, in turn, gave us the original laser-based G5, which saw the loss of a thumb button through leprosy, and had a janky scroll wheel. Logitech fixed it with another take on the G5, adding back the missing thumb button and giving us a scroll wheel that worked, making the mouse great again. That brings us to the G500.

Let's Start with the Good

Like I said, there's a reason Logitech has kept the basic MX500 silhouette around for so long, through at least six other mice: It just works. There are some minor tweaks with the G500, which actually feels slightly more symmetrical, with a wider but less pronounced thumb groove that flows more smoothly into the body of the mouse, but it's basically the same. It's a little more texturally vivid than I'd prefer, with sides that feel like rubberized sandpaper for gripping, but I got used to it fast enough.

The laser engine inside now pushes 5700dpi, or exactly 100dpi more than Razer's latest laser engine. Logitech peeing on the pissing match, in other words. It also polls at 1000Hz, the same speed as Razer's sytem. (FWIW, I couldn't discern any difference between Microsoft's 500Hz polling and Razer's 1000Hz in actual gaming sessions.) The G500's tracking and accuracy is excellent, both on cloth pads and my fake wood desk.

Crippling Flaws

The reason I dragged you through a brief tour of Logitech mouse history is because Logitech repeats it with the G500. The original G5 screwed up on the thumb buttons and scroll wheel, and the G500 manages to screw that up spectacularly too.

It's the first gaming mouse MX500 descendant Logitech has graced with the hyper-scroll tech that's been in its high-end consumer mice for a while—it's got a toggle button that lets you pick between regular clicky (but still speedy) scrolling or the hyper-infinite scroll, where one flick of your finger spins the scroll wheel almost forever, shooting you down a million lines in Excel in half a second. Which is great, if you spend a lot of time in Excel or zipping through web pages—not so great if you're flicking through a handful of weapons in Left 4 Dead. Even when it's not in hyper mode, the scroll wheel's still pretty fast and loose—though that's something that you can mitigate with careful scrolling.

What really murders the scroll wheel, though, is that middle-clicking is an act requiring damn near surgical skill. Half the time you attempt to middle click, and you think you have, you've actually just left- or right-scroll clicked. Which is not the same command. Meaning, if you've mapped middle click as a lightning fast shortcut to get back to your main gun after you've tossed out a proxy mine, you're gonna get shot in the face trying to pull out your gun.

The thumb buttons are almost as bad. Instead of two clearly distinguishable buttons, we've now got a nearly seamless button strip that actually contains three buttons for you to press. And, just like the scroll wheel, you'll go to click one button, and wind up hitting a different one, particularly the new "middle" thumb button. You don't know how many people got backstabbed by Spies in Team Fortress 2 after I tried to hit the forward button to yell at them via voice chat but tapped the wrong button.

Don't Buy

Gaming gear, in theory, should be all about precision. That's why Logitech tells us the dots per inch the mouse's sensor can handle and how fast and how often the mouse gets data from the laser sensor. That's why I can adjust the dpi rating on the fly. That's why Logitech includes weights with the mouse, so you can even adjust how much it weighs, down to the gram. Yet two buttons that people use a lot are huge failures in precision. Whole buttons. That negates basically everything else that's good about the mouse, which is a lot, like the heavy braided cable, or built-in profile storage, so you don't have to redo your settings everytime you take it to a different computer.

So, my advice? If you're dedicated to Logitech, wait for the next G500, or the surely inevitable wireless variant. Logitech will probably fix the problems in the revision, just like they did before. Or, just stick with the actually good G5, which is $20 cheaper, at $50. You don't really need 5700dpi anyway. If you're open to other mousemakers, in the same price range, I'd suggest Razer's DeathAdder, which recently got beefed up with Razer's newer tracking engine and a less flimsy cable, Microsoft's wireless SideWinder X8, or SteelSeries' relatively frill-free Ikari.

Classic Logitech ergonomics still great

Crazy fast sensor tracks really well

Scroll wheel design is not great for games

Thumb buttons completely screwed up

So what exactly did those crazy scientists do? They bred mice with the "gene that produces the protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1)" disabled. The effects of this are a bit extreme:

The change mimicked the effect of keeping the mice on a calorie-restricted diet. Severely restricting the diets of yeast, bacteria, mice and primates have granted these animals unnaturally long lives. For humans, however, maintaining a diet of near starvation would be difficult at best

That last part's the bad news so far, but researchers are conducting further studies particularly targeting the S6K1 protein as it seems to have a direct link to longevity in mice. There are hopes that the benefits will one day be reproduced with drugs so that we don't have to starve ourselves for longer lives and prettier looks.

I do hope that the boys reading aren't too obsessed about anti-aging though, because the last bit of bad news is that "only the female mice benefited" in the study. Sorry, guys. [Discover]

I've never had much control of air mice when giving presentations, but maybe the Elite provides better precision with its bundled MotionTools application. It let's you configure certain actions and gestures for different Windows applications (i.e. Internet Explorer, PowerPoint, etc.). The mouse will also work on your desk and actually looks pretty comfortable. It just blows that Mac support is limited. You can catch the Air Mouse Elite for $100 or $150 with a wireless keyboard. [Gyration]

Turns out this is a design for a radio. Yes, a normal FM radio, except you control the volume and tuner by rolling the radio itself either forward and backward or side to side, like a mouse. It's only a design for now, and we're not sure how the sound would be, but I'm a sucker for blank white plastic gadgets. [Yanko]

The aluminum "feel" body is loaded with both jog and scroll wheels, meaning you can just as easily scroll through a spreadsheet as complete that Miley Cyrus/Styx mash-up sure to land you on the fast track to the Big Promotion. And yes, that big SCRATCH button actually allows you to scratch MP3s in real time (using bundled software).

The DJ Mouse is available now for $79. Of course, those of us who make sound effects with our mouths really frown upon this sort of thing. [DJ Mouse via Everything USB via OhGizmo!]

Not only can you program macros to Naga's 17 buttons however you want, but the mouse works with custom software extensions, called Add Ons, that actually add new interfaces to the game and allow you have to unlimited character profiles. Update: Oh boo, they're actually in-game, so you can't program 'em outside of WoW or Warhammer for now:

Otherwise, it uses Razer's now standard laser engine—5600dpi, 1ms response time—and goes for $80. Oh, and if you're in the market for a $50 glowing mousepad, they've got you covered there too with the Megasoma mat. [Razer, Razer]

The Price: $80 for the Anywhere Mouse, $100 for the Performance Mouse

The Technology: A new lasering scheme called "Darkfield Laser Tracking", which gives the mouse enough fidelity to illuminate even glass (as long as it's more than 4mm thick). The laser (or standard optical) illuminates the different terrains on a surface, which the mouse can then track to see which direction you're moving your hand in. The more differences the mouse can "see", the more fine-grained the movement. The Darkfield tech works by blocking out light from the central area, then allowing light to enter at an angle, which is more refined in seeing abnormalities. Both these mice use two lasers to help track dust, scratches and other identifying features.

The Verdict: It works! It works so well that it tracks just fine on a glass sliding door. And using it on regular mousepads, like the MacPadd aluminum mousepad, works even better than last-generation Logitech mice at providing a smooth, uninterrupted mousing experience.

The Big One: The Performance Mouse MX is similar to the MX Revolution and the MX 1100 in that it's fully loaded, meant for the hardcore mouse user and only really usable for right-handed people. But there are some slight differences. The Performance mouse has its forward and back thumb buttons have moved slightly higher to make room for a zoom button underneath. It's also slightly narrower and smaller, pushing your hand further back on the mouse instead of firmly in your palm area.

To us, that's a slight step backwards in design. We prefer the fatter mice that fits in your hand like a comfortable pebble, but this should probably be fine for people with smaller hands that complain about the size of the previous two MX devices. So, great for Chinese children forced to farm gold in World of Warcraft all day.

The Performance MX takes one AA battery and comes with one rechargeable Eneloop, which is great. Other than that, it's basically the mouse you loved before but with increased tracking capability with the Darkfield laser.

The Small One: The Anywhere Mouse is like a travel mouse with benefits. It has the two forward and back thumb buttons, a separate middle click/app switcher button and the same Darkfield laser. It's also slightly larger than usual travel mice, but still small enough to fit easily in bags without bulging out too much.

It takes two AAs and actually has a slot inside the mouse for the Logitech Unifying adapter, preventing it from being lost in the bowels of your briefcase. It's definitely one of the best travel mice we've used, and the fact that it has better trackability with Darkfield means you won't need to bring a mousepad along with you—you can just mouse anywhere.

Final Thoughts: Although the Performance Mouse MX is slightly smaller than we'd like, it's still one of the best-tracking mice we've ever used. If you've got a glass table, or if you just like slightly better fidelity with your input devices, Logitech's new Darkfield is probably as big a step forward as the jump from optical to laser.

I suppose it could be used as an inexact Etch-A-Sketch, using three skateboards for linear movement, but it seems like an awful lot of effort (and space—it must take up an entire garage!) for that. So help me out: What could this thing be used for? Should I be scared or excited? [MAKE via Crunchgear]

Logitech promises that its new "Incurve" concave keys and wrist-rest properly cradle your fingers in a way we suppose flat keys can't. We haven't gotten a change to use it, but it sounds interesting to have a little gully for fingertips. The MK700 also has improved battery efficiency that yields some impressive results: The keyboard will last about three years, and the mouse about 12 months. Otherwise, it's a pretty standard set, clocking in at $100 when it ships later this month. [Logitech]

Launching just days behind the similarly-designed piggybacking headset for BlackBerry, the Mogo mouse for netbooks brings its own slot, in the form of a mountable charging holster. The 5mm-thick mouse connects via Bluetooth, and will do your hand's bidding for around 10 hours on a 30-minute charge.

Mogo for netbooks is available as part of a $100 kit, which includes one (1) tiny mouse, a docking connector and a charging cable. [Mogo via Slippery Brick]

Original 1967 mouse patent? Check. Crazy virtual reality input methods? Ditto. In addition to abandoned pyramid-shaped and Timex clock mice, highlights include a mouse that has a telephone built into it, and another that's built-into a telephone. [Technologizer]

Basically that little mouse, let's call him Jerry, lost a tooth and grew a a new one in its place with the help of some scientists:

To create the new tooth, the researchers [...] took epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells (about 50,000 each) from a mouse embryo and cultivated them together in a collagen-based medium to create a tiny tooth bud - a mass of tissue that has the potential to develop into a tooth.

This mass of tissues was implanted in the spot where Jerry's old tooth used to be and after fifty days that mouse could nibble on cheese properly again. The new tooth grew to the same height as the surrounding ones, is just as hard, and has all the same blood vessels and nerves.

Researchers are hoping that this bioengineering process will one day make dentures and false teeth obsolete, but I think that anyone watching Shark Week is secretly imagining growing a mouthful of chompers like that. [PinkTentacle]

Updates to the Comfort Curve design include a soft-touch palm rest and low-profile quiet touch keys. As for Windows 7, users can take advantage of a time-saving feature called Taskbar Favorites that allows easy access to open programs by mapping their location to a series of hotkeys and instantly adapting to changes. It also includes Device Stage support—giving users quick access to peripheral devices and a dedicated Windows Flip button for thumbnail previews on both the mouse and keyboard.

The Wireless Comfort Desktop is available now for pre-order on Amazon ($80) and is expected to ship later this month.

Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 Makes Everyday Tasks Easier with Smart Features for Windows 7

New desktop set offers ultimate comfort made easy.

REDMOND, Wash. ¾ Aug. 4, 2009 ¾ More than seven in 10 Americans have felt discomfort from computer use,1 so today Microsoft Corp. debuts the ergonomist-approved Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000, which utilizes a Comfort Curve layout that encourages natural wrist posture with a slight six-degree curve. This new desktop set combines the Microsoft Comfort Curve keyboard layout with a soft-touch palm rest to make the PC experience more comfortable. Since the Comfort Curve design launched five years ago, more than 10 million units have been sold,2 and the design's ease of use continues to draw praise, with 94 percent of users recommending the keyboards.3 To complement the comfort, the Microsoft Hardware Group also created smart one-touch features for Windows 7 to help consumers make the most of their new Windows 7-based PCs.

"People are spending more time on computers than ever before, so comfort is very important," said Dan Odell, lead ergonomist and user researcher at Microsoft Hardware. "A Comfort Curve keyboard, like the Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000, provides an easy way to improve your typing ergonomics while maintaining your productivity."

Full Package: Comfort, Style and BlueTrack Technology

The design elements of the keyboard enhance its look and feel with an updated soft-touch palm rest; low-profile quiet touch keys; and a contoured, compact shape that looks great on any desk. The included Wireless Mouse 5000, with rubber side grips and an ambidextrous shape for comfort in either hand, features Microsoft BlueTrack Technology, which lets consumers go anywhere and work with confidence on more surfaces than when using optical and laser mice.4 Both the mouse and keyboard wirelessly connect to the computer via a reliable 2.4GHz mini-transceiver that works up to 30 feet away.

Smart Features for Windows 7

The Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 is the perfect companion for Windows 7 because it gives people smart ways to make everyday computing tasks easier. A new time-saving feature called Taskbar Favorites gives Microsoft keyboard users an easy way to access their open programs. Instead of the traditional My Favorites Keys with stored locations, Taskbar Favorites will map to the location of open applications on the improved Windows taskbar. The icons in the taskbar can be easily rearranged just by clicking and dragging; Taskbar Favorites will instantly adapt to the new icon locations. Other Windows 7 integration features include these:

o Device Stage. Microsoft Hardware mouse and keyboard products will support Device Stage, a Windows 7 feature that gives customers quick and easy access to common tasks, including product information, registration, settings and more for popular device categories such as cell phones, cameras, printers, portable media players and input devices.
o Windows Flip. Microsoft mouse and keyboard users can easily see a thumbnail preview of all open windows with the press of a button. A full-screen preview of the application will automatically display, enabling the user to better identify and select the desired application.

"Our goal is to have a strong ecosystem of compatible and innovative products," said Gary Schare, director of Hardware Ecosystem Product Management at Microsoft. "We're excited about the work Microsoft Hardware has done to light up the key features of Windows 7. For example, the Taskbar Favorites keys on the Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 complement our improved taskbar - helping to deliver a full end-to-end experience to make life on a Windows 7-based PC easier and more enjoyable."

Pricing and Availability

The Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 will be available later this month for an estimated retail price of $79.95 (U.S.).5 The product is available now for presale on Amazon.com and will ship when it is widely released. The Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 is backed by a worldwide three-year limited hardware warranty from Microsoft. More information about these and other Microsoft Hardware products is available at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware.

[Amazon]

SteelSeries rails against the current gaming industry pseudo-standard of DPI (dots per inch) as a measurement of tracking speed, instead preferring to tout CPI, or counts per inch, so the money spec for the laser-powered Xai reads like this: It processes 12,000 frames/second at 5,001 CPI at movement speeds of 150 inches/second. Which makes it high definition. Okay!

Xai shares its ambidextrous grip—which supposedly took three years of research with pro gaming teams to deduce—with the slightly smaller, cheaper Kinzu that's essentially an optical variant. And both of them have seven programmable buttons, with driverless install.

And of course, there is a special mat just for high definition mice, the 9HD, though no word on how much it, or the mice, will cost. I would bet you the amount that they cost that they're not cheap, because then I would make a lot of money.

Update: Fairly standard for gaming gear, with Xai going for $80 and the 9HD pad at $35. Kinzu is a relative bargain for $35, competitive with Logitech's classic MX518 optical.

STEELSERIES INTRODUCES NEW HIGH DEFINITION GAMING MOUSE AND GAMING SURFACE

After extensive research with the world's top gaming teams, SteelSeries' innovative gaming mouse provides gamers with new levels of precision, accuracy and stability to enhance performance

CHICAGO – July 24, 2009 –SteelSeries, the leading manufacturer of gaming peripherals and accessories, today introduced the SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse, SteelSeries Kinzu Optical Mouse and the SteelSeries 9HD hard plastic surface. The technology, shape, size, weight and feel of the SteelSeries Xai was designed with one purpose: to create an immediate advantage for gamers by enhancing a user's performance during game play.

"We spent three years methodically perfecting the SteelSeries Xai by researching mouse grips used by professional gaming teams such as Fnatic, SK Gaming and Evil Geniuses in order to create a level of performance that gamers have never experienced before," said Bruce Hawver, CEO of SteelSeries. "The SteelSeries Xai's High Definition sensor offers a huge improvement over the current highest-end gaming mice and it is designed with technical specifications that increase the level of performance results, especially during the most frantic and fast-paced games."

Research and development of the mouse was done in close cooperation with full-time professional gamers from the U.S., Europe and Asia to ensure that the SteelSeries Xai is a tool with a purpose – not just a gadget. The 10.8 megapixels/second sensor offers a huge improvement over the current generation of gaming mice by processing 12,000 frames/second at 5,001 CPI at movement speeds of 150 inches/second providing the user with High Definition tracking for unparalleled precision. Furthermore, the SteelSeries Xai offers unprecedented levels of personalization for the user, with unique SteelSeries sensor innovations like SteelSeries ExactAim, SteelSeries ExactRate, SteelSeries ExactSens, SteelSeries FreeMove and automatic lift distance calibration. SteelSeries Xai can be fully configured via a LCD menu system on the back of the mouse, where settings will be stored on the mouse thus eliminating the need for drivers and providing configuration capabilities on-the-go.

Some of the features of the SteelSeries Xai include:
Ambidextrous shape
7 Programmable macro buttons, 200 strokes per button
Driverless plug-and-play, with 5 profiles
Fully configurable via LCD menu system
100-5,001 counts/inch

The SteelSeries 9HD surface was designed to fully support the enhanced tracking capabilities of next-generation High Definition gaming mice. The finely textured surface consists of tens-of-thousands of light reflecting microscopic points, enabling the user to perform exceptionally precise mouse operations, including minimal movements as well as high velocity "slingshots."

In addition to the SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse, SteelSeries is also introducing the SteelSeries Kinzu Optical Mouse. Based on the same shape as the SteelSeries Xai, but 7% smaller in size, the SteelSeries Kinzu processes 9,375 frames/second at 3,200 CPI and is compact, lightweight, and is in a league of its own when it comes to reliability and stability.

SteelSeries Xai, SteelSeries Kinzu and SteelSeries 9HD will be available August 2009.

About SteelSeries
SteelSeries is a leading manufacturer of gaming peripherals and accessories, including headsets, keyboards, mice, software and gaming surfaces, selling in more than 75 countries. SteelSeries has been on the forefront of professional gaming gear since its inception in 2001, thanks to continued innovation and product development in cooperation with leading professional gamers. All SteelSeries products are developed in co-operation with professional gamers to ensure optimum performance and durability. SteelSeries supports the growth of competitive gaming and electronic sports through professional team sponsorships and community support all over the world. For more information, please visit www.SteelSeries.com.

[SteelSeries]

If you still don't trust wireless or your batteries die, it has a breakaway USB cable—though Razer claims 1-3 months of juice under "normal usage." What exactly is normal usage, you ask? I don't know. [Razer]

Yes, the Ped Mouse does just what it claims to do: lets you control your cursor while scraping away at your heel. Practical? No? Gross? Yes. But hey, if the goal was just to prove they could do it while also making something completely ludicrous, mission accomplished. [Stupid Inventions via Craziest Gadgets]

There are three flavors, one wireless, one Bluetooth and one with a retractable cable. The wireless is $30, Bluetooth is $50 and Retractable is $20. We're big fans of mice, but would rather go with a trackpad than give ourselves permanent damage with usual travel mice. Hopefully Belkin's bridges the gap between usability and portability. [Belkin]

All in all, it provides some basic conveniences that you might not find in a standard notebook mouse. Cordless is always nice and zipping through huge documents and web pages with a single flip of the scroll wheel could definitely be helpful while working on the road. If you agree, the M555b will be available later this month for $50. [Logitech]

We can only hope that the VGP-BMS10 is as trustworthy as it looks.

Otherwise, the mouse is just another premium mouse. Featuring an 800dpi sensor, 30-foot range and PC-only compatibility (which seems odd), Sony's optical knight is available now in Japan for $70. And in other news, I must be Jonesing for my first trip to Medieval Times. [Sony via Newlaunches]

Price: $15

The Verdict: Somewhat slippery compared to cloth, your mouse movements are going to feel a little too fast until you get used to it (which is the case with all plastic pads). It's in a "widescreen" format, and a little smaller overall than most mousepads. But overall, surprisingly good, and worth $15 if you need to take a mousepad everywhere 'cause you don't want swine flu on the bottom of your mouse.

Crazy thin

Good mousepad

Wide format might take some getting used to

[Razer]

Is it a matter of preference and practice? Yes, but no.

Think about it. The distance it takes to move your hand from the QWERTY to the trackpad, usually below the spacebar, is much closer than the distance it takes to drop your hand on a mouse, reorientate your arm/wrist and fingers into place. And a trackpad's control scheme uses a finger, which has a lot more dexterity than an arm/wrist you use when handling a mouse. Also, the future is multitouch trackpads. No other control scheme can match the potential of pinching/scrolling with multiple fingers, zooming, etc.

The touchpad is also a really natural movement, practiced by everyone since childhood days of drawing in the sand on the beach, or fingerpainting. The only more natural movement is to trace movement on an actual screen, but any screen we use in a non mobile environment is too big and vertical to do this easily on, for extended periods of time. Besides, the touchpad itself would work great with a secondary LCD display under it, making it essentially, a touchpad.

So, here's to a future where the trackpad is everywhere. I look forward to it.

[SanwaNexus404, AdessoNexus404, Adesso2Nexus404, DinovoGiz, KeysonicKustomPC, SandbergTechhook, Adesso3Pcrush, MCEallproducts, McsaiteGeekalaert, TruFormProKeyboardco, ToshibaOverclockers, iKeyGadgetadvisor, iKey2Geekwithlaptop, FentexMiniGeekwithlaptop, EeeKeyboardDeviceDaily, LogitechHomeTheaterDialectical, special thanks to Quinton Ma for researching the models in this gallery.]

At any rate, whereas the gunblade looks tough and menacing, this mouse looks as though it would snap apart with a single click from a fat finger frantically firing in a FPS. [Project Page via Gizmowatch via Coolest Gadgets via Newlaunches]

Just announced at the Computex show in Taiwan, the clicking action of the Clickpad happens by pressing downward on the trackpad, eliminating the need for buttons on the bottom of the pad. Swipes, pinchzooms, rotations and scrolling are all enabled on the ClickPad, providing the same functionality as their previous multitouch trackpads.

Synaptics doesn't mention how a the ClickPad would mimic the two button mouse on Windows-based machines, but all Synaptics drivers, for the ClickPad, and the rest of their trackpad line, will be fully compliant with Windows 7.

The OEM solution will be available in the third quarter of this year (basically now), so you'll probably start to see this popping up in new laptops in late 2009/early 2010.

Synaptics Demonstrates New TouchPad™ Products and Gesture Technology at COMPUTEX

Innovative ClickPad™ Solution Delivers Improved User Experience, Incorporates Clever Three-Finger Press Gesture

Taipei, Taiwan – June 2, 2009 – Synaptics Inc. (NASDAQ: SYNA), a leading developer of human interface solutions for mobile computing, communications, and entertainment devices, is demonstrating new products and technology enhancements at COMPUTEX 2009. Synaptics will unveil its new ClickPad™ solution, an innovative touchpad for consumer and business users that want larger multi-finger gesture enabled TouchPads in smaller notebook designs, particularly netbooks, which have been the fastest growing product segment in the portable computing market over the past year. ClickPad complements the rich minimalist design trend in the notebook space by eliminating the need for traditional physical buttons and enabling the entire ClickPad to act as the button that can be "clicked" to initiate a user action.

All Synaptics ClickPads and Touchpads incorporate the latest gestures previously announced in the Synaptics Gesture Suite™ (SGS) 9.1: two-finger scrolling, two-finger PinchZoom, two-finger pivot rotate, three-finger flick, and three-finger press. For example, users can start-up their PCs using the three-finger press gesture by placing three fingers on a TouchPad and then releasing them to automatically launch from one to six user-selected applications. Synaptics ClickPads are optimized for all laptops and ideal for space constrained netbooks where real estate is at a premium in the palmrest. ClickPad is available with an innovative mechanical assembly that will provide optimized performance for notebook PC designs, ranging from sleek netbooks to large desktop replacement portables.

Synaptics is also announcing that its entire SGS 9.1-enabled TouchPad family is Microsoft Windows 7 ready. This signifies that Synaptics' highly regarded software driver, which offers the best pointing performance and gesture functionality in the PC industry, has passed Microsoft's rigorous Win 7 Logo testing and will be available on time for the release of Windows 7 on leading OEM designs later in the year.

In addition, Synaptics DualMode™ TouchPad is now available to support "under plastic" designs and provides OEMs with excellent consumer appeal and differentiation, enabling OEMs to add custom 0D buttons and 1D scrolling support directly on the TouchPad surface, thereby enhancing TouchPad functionality to enable new features like multimedia controls. Synaptics DualMode TouchPad transforms a traditional Synaptics TouchPad from a navigation device to a launch and control center with the touch of a button. When users tap on the mode switch button in the top right corner of the TouchPad, LEDs illuminate icons on the surface of the TouchPad. Now available under a plastic coating for the most vibrant image, DualMode allows OEMs to customize the feature functionality of the icons to highlight key notebook features.
"
Since first introducing the revolutionary TouchPad in a notebook computer 14 years ago, Synaptics has continued to enhance its innovative technology to expand its solution portfolio and bring a more engaging, productive, and entertaining user experience to notebook PC designs," said Mark Vena, vice president of Synaptics' PC Business Unit. "With more than 350 million TouchPads shipped since 1995, Synaptics has demonstrated that it knows the notebook PC space like no other technology provider. ClickPad, DualMode and Synaptics' growing gesture portfolio underscore our on-going commitment to providing easier and more meaningful ways for people to interact with their notebooks."

These solutions will available to OEMs for integration into notebook PC platforms beginning in 3Q09. Synaptics will be showing these new products during COMPUTEX at the Grand Hyatt Taipei, Suite #1010, by appointment only. To arrange for a demonstration, contact Niamh Conlon at nconlon@synaptics.com.

The screen's uses are limited to adjusting the mouse resolution and displaying a logo of your choice, and sadly, the model shown here is a development version, so the full battery of lighting tricks isn't on display. But even as is, this tacky, decked-out mouse holds a certain appeal for anyone with a soft spot for gaudy, LED-adorned back-of-the-PC-magazine computer accessories—something I'll glady admit to. Price and availability are TBA. [Tweaktown]