If the Apple Magic Mouse doesn’t live up to your ninja-like requirements, check out the Manhattan Stealth Mouse. It’s a 2.4GHz wireless mouse that is completely touch driven. It has no buttons at all. All actions are done with touch/gestures on the top surface of the mouse. It can even double as a controller for Powerpoint presentation. The Manhattan Stealth Mouse is currently available for pre-order at $69.00.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Mouse

Manhattan Stealth Mouse Looks Like a Sneakier Magic Mouse originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 19, 2012 at 12:00 pm.

You know you want to and now you can. Just slip on one of these USB Wireless Air Mice gloves from Brando, and you’ll be the envy of all your geek buddies. You’ll not only look like a tool borg, but you’ll be able to move your mouse cursor just by waving your omnipotent finger. It’s compatible with Windows and OS X. All this power can be yours for $42.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Mouse, Wireless

One Step Closer to Becoming a Borg originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 22, 2012 at 8:00 am.

Not sure that I’ve ever had this issue, but if your mouse isn’t sliding properly, maybe you need a set of Fliders: slippers for your mouse. Fliders are made in the USA and designed to fix to the bottom of your optical mouse to reduce the friction felt when moving it.  The material is made to glide over smooth surfaces with more ease and less noise and works with any optical mouse regardless of brand or model.

Worth a visit for the “amusing” videos.

Priced at $9.95 from the Fliders Store.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, News

Tagged: Mouse, USB optical mouse

Fliders – Slippers for your Mouse originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 15, 2012 at 10:00 am.

Logitech has just announced the Cube.  It’s a powerful mouse  that connects with your computer (PC and Mac) via the included Unifying Receiver, which features Logitech Advanced 2.4 GHz connectivity with the “reliability of a cord with the convenience of wireless, along with the option to connect up to six compatible devices.”  The Cube mouse is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand or in a pocket.  It has a rechargeable battery and an off switch so you don’t waste battery when you don’t need it.  Using Logitech’s Flow Scroll software, stroke your finger along the top panel and you’ll experience smooth, continuous scrolling that’s similar to scrolling on a touchscreen smartphone.  It also functions as a presenter.  Just lift it into the air and wait a moment while it switches modes, then you can advance slides by simply “clicking” the top of the mouse.  When you need to go back, turn the Cube over, then click again.  It’s available online only for $69.99 at Logitech.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Mouse

The Logitech Cube – A New Type of Mouse originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 6, 2012 at 8:21 am.

I have been a mouse guy my whole life. I have had a contentious lifelong relationship with the touchpad on my laptops and have always gravitated to the mouse. I tried several trackball devices over the years thinking that perhaps I was missing something.  But the mouse always tugged at my heartstrings and pulled me back. My current mouse that I have used for over a year, and which I love, is the Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse.  This is the mouse that all others will be judged by in my opinion, so when I was sent the Wireless Touchpad from Logitech to review I looked at it much like an old man looks at kids who are playing in his yard. Was I going to be won over?  Let’s go see.

I don’t know what I was expecting but the box looked awfully small to me when it showed up. When I took it out of the box I was taken aback. Wow, this thing looks really nice.  It’s got curves, and honestly, it looks like an Apple product.  Now, the plastic construction will tell you that it’s not an Apple product, but it isn’t poorly built. Quite the opposite. It is nicely put together and the plastic makes it light and easy to transport.  And the small rubberized feet on the bottom keep it steady on my desk as I swipe my fingers hither, thither and yon.

On the back is the on-off switch, as well as the battery compartment, which I discovered already contained 2 batteries. Nice touch, Logitech.

On the top of the device is the 5-inch touchpad area surrounded by about a 3/4 inch frame all the way around it. There are slightly viewable lines on the surface of the touchpad that designate the corners of that 5 inch touch area, but you can’t really feel them when you are using the Touchpad because the active surface is smooth all the way across.

At the bottom on the front are 2 mouse buttons that cover the entire width of the device, with an indicator light in the middle.

The USB dongle that comes with it is Logitech’s “Unifying receiver” which is a pretty cool little trick if you use all Logitech products. That little dongle will allow you to connect up to 6 Logitech wireless devices and only use 1 USB port. Nice. You can see in the picture that the dongle is about the same size as a dime, which means you better watch it or you’ll lose it!

Now let’s look at one more picture of the device before I yell at it to get off my lawn.

As I slowly moved my mouse over to the side to make room for the Touchpad, I felt a pang of guilt. ‘I’ll be back’ I silently told my mouse. And I hesitantly began to use the Touchpad. I don’t know why the experience is so strange for me because I have a touchscreen smartphone, and 2 tablets that all use 100% touch for their interface. So why is the thought of using touch so weird on my laptop? Perhaps it is the presence of the keyboard? You know, like peanut butter and jelly, a keyboard just goes better with a mouse. Mac users are publicly mocking me at this point while pinching and zooming on their Magic Trackpads, but I can take it. Mac users just can’t help themselves. But I digress.

Here is what I like:

I like that the Touchpad is so much bigger than my laptop touchpad. The 5 inch touch area is monstrous compared to my laptop touchpad, and the large buttons on the Touchpad are solid and responsive.  I love the shape and the angle of the Touchpad. It fits perfectly for my hand as I use it sitting on my desk. The gestures available on the Touchpad are responsive and easy to use. Once you learn them, it is second nature.  For everyday computer use… email, surfing, etc, the Touchpad is great. And the price ($49.99) is right for me.

Installation was crazy-easy. Plugged in the dongle and in about 20 seconds I was ready to go. Turn it on and I am in business. And it looks really, really nice. Dare I say it looks sexy? Well, maybe not Apple-sexy, but Windows-sexy. There you go.

Here is what I don’t like:

There aren’t enough gestures. What is the first gesture that comes to mind when you think of a touch device? That’s easy… pinch to zoom… spread to zoom. Well, that’s missing on the Touchpad. I suspect that has to do with the limitations of Windows 7 and I feel sure that Windows 8 will address that.  But for now, it aint’ there.  There are good gestures available, but I felt limited in what I could do. You can use the traditional 1-finger tap for things.  You can use two fingers up and down for scrolling. You can use 3 finger swipes left and right for advancing back and forth in the browser. And you can use 4 finger swipes left and right to tab between open apps, and up and down swipes to get to the desktop and back to your apps. But I want more. There’s also no turning your fingers to rotate things in the apps that would support it, like photo apps or graphics editing apps.

The only other thing I didn’t like was the fact that there is no tactile feedback when you have left the 5-inch touch area. Aside from the lines that appear on the surface that show you where the touch area is, there’s nothing that tells you have ‘left the area’. And of course, you aren’t looking at the device when using it so those lines on the surface are basically useless. Occasionally one of my fingers is outside the area and I don’t know it and my gesture isn’t what I want to accomplish because of that.

Bottom line

I have tried to become proficient with the Touchpad in Photoshop, which I use daily.  I can’t quite get comfortable with it because the detail work requires me many times to get down to the pixel level to manipulate images.  I jump back to the mouse to accomplish these types of tasks.  But for general computer use the Touchpad is great. Logitech says the batteries last 4 months, and if that holds up then that isn’t bad. The Magic Trackpad is probably the ruler by which other touchpads will be judged, and it does have more gestures, higher quality materials, and of course is Apple-sexy. But you must have a Mac to use it, and with the Logitech you must have a Windows computer to use it. So perhaps it isn’t fair to compare the two.

So if I had to give the product a rating of 1 to 10, I would give it a 7.  With this thing I won’t use my built-in touchpad on the laptop, and that’s a very good thing.  I don’t hate Touchpads quite as much now. Maybe I’ll let the kids play on the lawn after all… but just for a little bit.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Reviews, Wireless

Tagged: magic trackpad, Mouse, TouchPad, Wireless

Logitech Wireless Touchpad Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 19, 2011 at 3:00 pm.

LG has released their LSM-100 Mouse with built in scanner. Push the scan button and swipe the page in one go and save your image in a multitude of standard formats including OCR for editable Word documents.  It will scan up to an A3 page.

To see how it works check out the preview video from CES 2011  on YouTube.

Available from LG for around $150

Filed in categories: Gear, News

Tagged: Mouse, Scanner

LG LSM-100 Mouse Scanner – Save space on your desk originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 28, 2011 at 11:00 am.

This new Touch Mouse from Microsoft is designed to let Windows 7 users use multi-touch gestures to control their screens.  The buttonless mouse uses a nano-sized USB receiver that lets you mouse up to 10 feet away.  You’ll use one-finger gestures to scroll, flick, or pan within a page, two-finger gestures to snap two windows side by side or to minimize and maximize, and three-finger gestures to show all open windows or reveal the desktop.  The Microsoft Touch Mouse uses BlueTrack technology so it will track on most any surface.  Amazon has the Touch Mouse for $66.99, about 16% off suggested list price.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Mouse

Microsoft Touch Mouse for Windows 7 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 23, 2011 at 8:19 am.

It seems like Brando is always coming up with a product that makes you go “huh?”. Their latest offering is a USB optical mouse with a built in digital photo frame. It has 8MB memory which allows you to store up to 50 photos that will display on the the 1.5″ LCD located in the palm rest. Special Windows XP, Vista, 7 software is included to transfer the images to the mouse. It’s definitely a conversation starter. You can get one now for $32.00

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Digital Cameras and Gear, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Mouse, Photography

No Room for a Digital Photo Frame on your Desktop? Put One in your Mouse! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 13, 2011 at 9:00 am.

Wireless keyboards and mice can be a real boon to a lot of users. They can offer freedom of movement, supplement smaller keyboards on laptop, etc. You can find an amazing range of options now- ergonomic, enhanced, bare basics, and more. They are also considered a security no-no. The Microsoft Wireless Desktop 2000 addresses this with 128bit encryption, for under $40!

I know some readers are going to skip this as just another keyboard/mouse review, and to an extent, they will be right but the Wireless Desktop 2000 has a few tricks up its sleeve that may interest you.

128 bit encryption. This the strong point Microsoft is claiming for this system- high quality security between peripherals. Apparently, many keyboards broadcast their signals further than you would expect, and this signal can be picked up and decoded by anyone interested who happens to be in range with the right set-up. By encoding the signal, this set defeats this issue neatly.

Ergonomic elements. There is a subtle curve to the keyboard from left to right, and a gentle ‘wave’ from front to back. There is a ‘pillow-textured’ wrist rest (that as usual seems too low for my wrists to rest on), and the mouse has that nice high-backed curve that lets your hand rest on it naturally.

Extra features. As with so many other keyboards today, this one also features buttons and controls for music, zooming, a calculator, common Windows 7 keys, and more. The mouse has some interesting features as well such as ‘Blue Track Technology’ that works on a wide variety of surfaces and a 4-way scrolling wheel.

Pricing. This combination retails for under $40, which makes it a very affordable option… if it actually works and holds up. The earlier features interest me, but quite frankly- this is the feature that would most likely sell me on this device.

What comes in the box. (I apologize for the bad photos- I am using an unfamiliar camera right now.)

The packaging is pretty typical- keyboard, mouse, USB dongle, a pair each of AA and AAA name-brand batteries, the CD, a product guide (basically warnings) and an icon-based ‘Start Here’ booklet. According to the start booklet, you start by loading the CD, which whisks you down the Microsoft rabbit hole. You’ll be asked if you want to register the device. Foolishly, I tried this and got sucked into a whirlwind of re-doing my Microsoft Live ID and more. Yeesh. OK, then we put in the batteries, and plug in the USB dongle- this all goes smoothly.

After a couple minutes, the computer recognized the mouse, let me open an app, and recognized the keyboard. There is a period in which the computer seems to identify a burning need to load more keyboard and mouse drivers as you try different features, but it goes pretty smoothly. Once everyone is happy, everything  just plain works. No special training for the volume or zooming controls, etc. In fact, it works well enough that I am using it to write this review.

In use, although admittedly not the most likely use scenario!

There is a small program each for the mouse and keyboard that allows you tune the settings, set the hot keys, etc. Nothing fancy but it looks and feels familiar so I did not feel a need for additional instructions.

Some of the specialty keys- the blue keys are the 'Windows 7 Tasks'

Both the keyboard and the mouse are solid, responsive, and feel well-built. I cannot fault either one, especially at this price. The little flip-down legs on the back that are so chintzy in so many other keyboards are wide and feel solid. The mouse feels great in my hand, and the Blue Track technology seems pretty effective- no mouse pad or even really smooth surface and it tracked effortlessly. I really cannot test the security aspect of it, but a quick internet search reveals more about security leaks from wireless keyboards than I ever suspected.

OK, so there is no backlighting in the keyboard, and the dark blue ‘Windows 7 Task Keys’ are hard to see against the shiny black surface, but these are about the only two things I can find wrong with this set… other than the detail that I will never remember what all the icons mean. Overall- nice set for a nice price with the added insurance of encryption.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Keyboard, Mouse, Security, Wireless

Microsoft Wireless Desktop 2000 Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 19, 2011 at 11:00 am.

I love multipurpose products, so the Mouse Pad Travel Pouch from Smartfish caught my eye and I thought it might interest all of you as well. The Travel Pouch is a 9” diameter neoprene mouse pad that zips up to form a handy pouch. I typically don’t even use a mouse pad these days with my optical mice, but if you are a traveler that still prefers to use one, this product will give you that capability while also offering storage for small items while you’re commuting from location to location.

The Smartfish Mouse Pad Travel Pouch will be available in early July in blue and black for $14.95.

Filed in categories: Laptops and Gear, News, Travel Gear

Tagged: Mouse

Mouse Pad that Doubles as a Travel Pouch originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 27, 2011 at 3:32 pm.

The Swiftpoint Mouse is made for those of you that love your laptop, but don’t love using the touchpad while you’re working with the computer on your lap. The Swiftpoint is a very small wireless mouse that you can use directly on your laptop’s surface. I’ve been using my Macbook Air as my primary computer for the past couple of months and sometimes find it inconvenient to use the touchpad when I am working in Photoshop and other applications that require finer cursor movements. The Swiftpoint looks like an interesting alternative to the touchpad. Let’s see.

Note: You can click the images in this review to see a larger more detailed view.

Package Contents

Swiftpoint Mouse
USB receiver / charging dock
User Guide
Laptop sticker

As you can see, the Swiftpoint is very small. It’s made of shiny Black plastic, with Red and Black soft rubber finger grips.

There are 2 LEDs on the top of the mouse. One for charging status and one for the wireless status.

The Left and Right mouse buttons are located along the top front edge of the mouse. The one farthest away is the Left button, with the Right button directly behind it. The Left button is made of soft rubber so that your finger can rest on it without slipping off.

Back view.

Here you see the front view. You’ll notice the scroll wheel on the side.

If you flip the Swiftpoint over, you’ll see the docking port and optical LED. To use the mouse, you need to plug in the included USB receiver into an open USB port on your laptop. This receiver doubles as the docking / charging port.

The dock has been cleverly designed to be magnetic. Just rest the mouse over the dock and it will snap on and remain there even if you turn the laptop over.

Another great feature of the charger is that it will do a rapid recharge of the mouse when you dock it. Leave it on for 30 seconds and you’ll have about 1 hour of work time. On a full charge the mouse should work for up to 3 weeks.

The Swiftpoint has an interesting shape that requires you to hold it as you see above. Your Right thumb rests on the Red pad and the first knuckle of your middle finger rests on the opposite side.

Your index finger then rests over the Left mouse button, but can easily move over to use the scroll wheel. I found it a bit awkward to hold in the beginning, but after a short while, I got used to it. People with really large hands might have issues holding and using this mouse due to the size. It might feel too tiny.

The only thing I wish were different would be to put the scroll wheel along the top ridge and allow it to double as the Left mouse button. Then you would only need to move your indext finger when you would need to press the Right button. Even better would be to locate the Right button on the side where the tip of your middle finger rests. Then you wouldn’t need to move your fingers at all while using this mouse.

One of the main selling features to the Swiftpoint is that it is small enough that you use it directly on the surface of your laptop as you see here. So for a travel mouse it has the edge of being slightly more convenient than a typical mini mouse. This is true while working with your laptop at the airport while you’re waiting at the gate for your flight, or while using your laptop for couch surfing in your lap.

I tested this mouse with my Macbook Air and found that it worked great. I had no problems with it having to wake up after not using the laptop for several hours. It was ready to use as soon as I opened the lid on the Macbook.

I think the Swiftpoint is interesting alternative to the laptop touchpad and can see that it has its advantages. I may use it as a travel mouse since it is so small and won’t take up a lot of room in a gear bag. But for an everyday mouse, it feels easier for me to just use the touchpad 99% of the time. If they could move the scroll wheel to the top and also make it a Left mouse button, I might change my mind though…

What about you? Do you prefer to use a touchpad or a mouse with your laptop?

Filed in categories: Laptops and Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Mouse

Swiftpoint Mouse Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 26, 2011 at 11:00 am.

One of the things I disliked about the Apple Magic Mouse when I first tried it out was that the batteries could not be easily recharged like they can with most other wireless mice. Mobee Technology has solved that problem in a very elegant way. They are offering a special battery pack that works with their inductive charging base station. Just pop out your existing AA batteries, pop in this special battery pack, place the Magic Mouse on the base and you’re done. Simple! What’s even better is that the base doesn’t require a wall charger. It uses USB. The Mobee Magic Charger is priced at $49.90.

Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Charger, Mouse, Spotlight Gadgets

Make your Apple Magic Mouse more magical with the Mobee Magic Charger originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 20, 2010 at 9:00 am.

I used to never give much thought to the mouse I was using, until one of my co-workers bought one for one of our computers.  The thing just didn’t fit comfortably in my hand at all and I even avoided that computer if possible because of the uncomfortable mouse. On the other hand, the Smartfish ErgoMotion Laser Mouse is one I would seek out to use. Especially designed to help ease/prevent symptoms of carpal tunnel,  the mouse has a patented pivot motion design that allows forward and back pivoting as well as lateral pivoting for exceptional hand comfort.  Lefties rejoice- this mouse is ambidextrous.

Bottom of mouse- note bay to hold transceiver

I have used the mouse for two weeks now and have found it very accurate when moving the cursor.  The left and right-click buttons are easy to use as is the scroll wheel (4 way scrolling- up, down and left.right). Two AA batteries (included) power the mouse.  The company claims the batteries may last up to 10 months!  There is an on-off button on the bottom which when used will obviously extend battery life. The 800 dpi mouse uses a 2.4 GHZ wireless connection to a small transceiver that plugs into a usb port.  The transceiver snaps into the bottom of the mouse when not in use. I have experienced no interference using the mouse at all. I love not having a cord to get tangled as well.  All in all this is by far the best mouse I have used.  They also make a smaller version, the Ergomotion Travel Laser Mouse if you would like a smaller mouse.  This mouse measures in at 2.75″x1.5″x5.o” and weighs 8 oz.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Mouse

Smartfish ErgoMotion Laser Mouse Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 23, 2010 at 6:15 pm.

Contour Design is a company that specializes ergonomic alternative computer input devices. We’ve reviewed a couple of their products in the past (see related articles list at the bottom of this post) and their latest product is the RollerMouse Pro2. This device replaces your mouse with a keyboard wrist rest that has a built in cursor roller bar that spins both up and down and from side to side simultaneously to navigate the cursor over the entire screen. The RollerMouse Pro2 can also lift your keyboard to a desired angle for more comfortable typing. This product looks like an interesting alternative to a roller ball, but the price will probably scare away a lot of people at $199.95.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, News

Tagged: ergonomics, Keyboard, Mouse, Spotlight Gadgets

Ditch your Mouse – Contour Design RollerMouse Pro2 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 18, 2010 at 1:00 pm.

What the heck is going on here? First there was a guy freaking out over a double rainbow and now there’s a mouse that pivots. I have no words… Ok, I do. SmartFish has introduced a new spin on the ever present mouse. The ErgoMotion Wireless Laser Mouse that features a patented pivot base that allows the mouse to move with your natural hand and wrist positions, which helps prevent RSI (repetitive stress injuries). The ErgoMotion can rock forwards, backwards, left and right. Since it has been designed with a symmetrical shape, it’s also good for left handed users. It’s available now for $49.95. So, what do you think? Is this better than a trackball?

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Mouse, Spotlight Gadgets, Wireless

Mice that Pivot, What Does it Mean? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 16, 2010 at 5:47 pm.

Microsoft has announced a hardware update to their folding Arc Mouse. The new Arc Touch Mouse keeps the same basic arc shape, but adds two cool new features. One is a capacitive touch scroll strip that allows you to swiftly navigate with the flick of a finger. The other feature is the ability to flatten the mouse for ease of packing. Nifty huh? This is a 2.4GHz wireless mouse with a snap in USB nano transceiver and up to a 6 month battery life. The Arc Touch won’t be available until January 2011, but it is currently available for pre-order through Microsoft for $69.95

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Mouse, Spotlight Gadgets

Wack A Mouse – Microsoft’s new Arc Touch originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 2, 2010 at 5:04 pm.

Check out this ultra thin (8mm) mouse from Buffalo. It has a USB cable that retracts with a press of a button and a unique circular scroll wheel that you can spin to page up and down through documents, or press left/right for mouse clicks. This little mouse might be cute, but it comes with a big price tag of $69.99 from Dynamism.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Mouse, Spotlight Gadgets, USB

A mouse that looks like an iPod – Buffalo Mouse originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 23, 2010 at 8:00 am.

The Flying Mouse from Brando, is a USB 2.4GHz Wireless controller with a built in accelerometer. It has buttons for multimedia functions like Play/Pause, Prev, Next, and volume. There is also a scroll wheel and left / right mouse buttons. The size and shape of this device looks like a TV remote control and I can see how it would come in handy for presentations or controlling a home theater. Too bad it’s only compatible with Windows computers… I could use something like this for my iMac, which is still functioning as my only TV while my basement remodel is finishing up. The Flying Mouse is available now for $48 from Brando.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Mouse, Spotlight Gadgets

Control your Windows PC with a Flying Mouse originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 20, 2010 at 10:10 am.

Microsoft has announced their partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure to create the Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 Special Edition pink mouse, just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. 10% of the selling price will be donated ($4 per mouse) to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s largest and most progressive grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to end breast cancer forever. The mouse will be available on September 16 and sells for $39.95

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Mouse, Spotlight Gadgets

Help support breast cancer research with the new pink mouse from Microsoft originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 19, 2010 at 8:00 am.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like using my laptop without a mouse.  I have used a small ASP plug in mouse for about 3 years now.  The “mouse” section of the electronics store is not the first place I go there, but news of a new mouse coming out called the Swiftpoint Mouse caught my attention.

The company is now taking pre-orders for the mouse, with the following features:

-Natural pen-like grip with padded thumb and finger grips.

- Lasts 2-4 weeks between charges

-Scroll wheel with SlideScroll for rapidly scrolling, zooming and paging

Looks like someone may have finally invented a better mousetra…er…mouse!

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear

Tagged: Mouse

Build A Better Mouse…..? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 4, 2010 at 11:59 am.

Protecting my mouse from scratches hasn’t been something that has ever occupied my mind, but the folks at Moshi think different… Their new MouseGuard product has been decided especially for Apple’s Magic Mouse, to protect its sleek surface from scuffs and scratches. In addition to protecting the surface of the Magic Mouse, it has also been designed to enhance the glossy touch surface so that your fingers don’t drag. The EZ-Glide protective film is easily installed and is available in either White or Silver for $15. The Silver does look pretty cool.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Mouse, Spotlight Gadgets

Does your mouse need protection? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 24, 2010 at 8:34 am.

I’m always on the hunt for spacing-saving, lighter-weight gadgets for my gear bag.    I’d been trying out a few different travel mice when a colleague at work showed me a “little dinky Bluetooth mouse” he had just bought, which turned out to be the IOGEAR Bluetooth Optical Mini Mouse.  It was even smaller than the travel mouse I’d been using, so I thought I’d give the IOGEAR Mini Mouse a whirl.  Here’s what I found after using it for a while.

Inside the Box

• Wireless Bluetooth Mini Mouse
• Carrying case
• USB battery charger cable
• User manual
• 2x AAA rechargeable batteries
• Warranty registration card

package contents - click to enlarge

Features

This mouse has a fairly standard setup.  Topside, it includes left- and right-click buttons and a scroll wheel in the center that has a nice rubberized feel with discreet scrolling points.  Underneath is the optical eye, a rubbery button to activate the pairing mode, an on-off slider switch, a battery hatch release and four plastic contact, non-scratch pads.

top and bottom views - click to enlarge

The “front” of the mouse is where the mini-USB port is located, while the reverse end is the battery compartment hatch.

front and rear views - click to enlarge

While many mice have a contoured shape, this mouse has even more of an egg shape than most.

right and left views - click to enlarge

Form Factor and Size

Being a “mini” mouse, it is quite small, which makes it great for conserving space in your bag, but perhaps not so great for holding if you have large hands.  Regarding the images below, for perspective my hands are average- to a bit small-sized adult male homo sapien hands.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

Installation

Installation was easy.  I was able to Bluetooth pair it with my work LenovoT60p with ease.  However, one thing I noticed was that it seemed to drop the Bluetooth connection periodically, but in a rather strange way.  The first time it did this, I tried to re-pair it, but when I checked on the laptop, it showed that it was actually still paired.  I switched the mouse off and on, but nothing.  I switched it off and let it charge for the night, and that did the trick.  It seemed to do this about once a month or so.  Weird, and frustrating.

I should add that I really like that as long as I use this mouse with a Bluetooth-enabled computer, I don’t need a Bluetooth adapter.  So that’s one less item to mess around with and drag around with me.

Batteries

This mouse is powered by two rechargeable AAA batteries which are included in the package.  Pulling the release slider on the bottom of the mouse releases the battery compartment hatch, which allows access to the batteries.  Plugging in the included cable’s mini-USB end to the mouse the USB end to a computer will charge the batteries, which is a useful feature that I’ve not seen on many “travel” mice that I’ve seen.

click to enlarge

Case

Let me just say it.  I like this case.  It’s EVA rubber molded into a clamshell shape with a wrap-around zipper.  Perfectly fits the mouse and the USB cable.  Soft shell, yet quite rigid.  It takes a beating but protects the contents, which is what you want when you toss it into the bottom of your gear bag, lug it to work and back, through airports and wherever your gadgetravels take you.

click to enlarge

Conclusion

I like this mouse.  It is quite compact and lightweight, even in the case (and I like the case too).  It even fits nicely in the hand.  The functionality is no-frills, but it has the basics.  I also like that it is rechargeable and uses Bluetooth, so I don’t have to lug a separate adapter.  The only downside I found was the sporadic, unexplainable loss of the Bluetooth connection,  but this phenomena may have only been present in my device.

Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, Laptops and Gear, Reviews, Travel Gear

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Mouse

IOGEAR Bluetooth Optical Mini Mouse Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 6, 2010 at 4:00 pm.

You’re probably saying “do we really need another mouse?”.  These were my sentiments before I received the Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 (it is a mouthful).  The device does have a hook that makes it a reasonable investment.

I spend a lot of time at the airport and get to see hundreds of business flyers every week passing through security.  It’s not unusual to observe several of those flyers retrieve their laptops to put back in the bag and have them bemoan the fact that their mouse dongle was broken off during the process.  The Mobile Mouse 3500 attempts to address this problem.

On the left is my previous version of the Microsoft mouse with the 3500 on the right.  Notice the different in the receivers.

This photo and the next illustrate the contrast between the two devices as they are plugged into my laptops right side usb port..  You can see where the larger receiver would be prone to snagging on the laptop bag.

The 3500 receiver extends a modest amount, limiting the possibility of getting snagged.

On the underside of the 3500 is a slot to insert the receiver if you need to take it out of your computer.  I have personal experience of the need for this slot.  While testing the mouse and while taking photos, I misplaced the receiver.  If it’s not in the usb slot you may want to put it in the mouse.  Sticking it in the slot turns the mouse power off. ( I got my mice confused). Also there is an on/off switch, so when you don’t use it for a while you can turn it off.

I had no problem using the mouse on my laptop.  I plugged it in and it was recognized immediately by Windows 7.  For greater control, I downloaded the Intellipoint software which allowed me to adjust several parameters including scroll speed, tracking speed and button configuration.

If you’re in the market for a new mouse, the Mobile Mouse 3500 is a reasonable choice.  It comes with 1 AA battery which should last 8 months.  It’s small enough to stuff in the laptop bag, but big enough to feel comfortable in my large size hands.  Its laser tracking is precise and works on most surfaces ( not glass or mirrors).  The 3 year warranty and modest price convinced me that this is a good buy.

Filed in categories: Laptops and Gear, Reviews, Wireless

Tagged: Laptop, Mouse, USB

Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 29, 2010 at 2:05 pm.

The Fit-U mouse from Rainbow is the first mouse I’ve seen that has the ability to change from large to medium size by replacing the top cover. The covers are available in different colors and the mouse is switchable from 800, 1600 DPI. The Fit-U is offered in wired and wireless versions and is currently available through Amazon in the UK. It will soon be available here in the US and I’ll have a review posted shortly.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Mouse, Spotlight Gadgets

A Mouse for Large and Not So Large Hands originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 19, 2010 at 8:00 am.

The Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 (hereafter referred to as “Natural Mouse”) would make any elephant nervous!!  Like any good computer professional, over the years I have gone through a boatload of mouse products, from touchpads to trackballs, wireless mice, corded mice, travel mice, Bluetooth mice, laser mice, and even a few pointing sticks.  And I have discovered that all mice are not created equal.  And when it comes to this honking beast of a mouse, it packs a huge list of features!

I have had the unfortunate experience of getting carpal tunnel syndrome because of the way that I used my keyboard and mouse.  So I know from experience how important it is to have a mouse and keyboard that works with your body instead of against it.  And I believe I have finally found the perfect mouse for me when it comes to daily use.  I won’t be taking this beast on the road with me because I’d have to take another suitcase, but for my daily use in the office I can’t see me going back to any of the other mice I have.  I keep referring to how big this thing is, so let’s start off by looking at it compared to some of my other favorite mice so you can see what I am talking about.

(from L to R) the Natural Mouse, Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 2.0, and Microsoft Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000

When I took this mouse out of the box I said to myself, “Holy smokes Batman, this thing is huge.  You’ve got to be kidding me.”  And for those of you wondering, yes, I did actually invoke Batman’s name.  It is over 2.5 inches tall and towers above other mice, especially my Microsoft Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 (which is fantastic by the way).  When I used the Natural Mouse for the first time I had a terrible time getting it to do what I wanted.  I read this on other reviews and wondered what everyone’s problem was… I mean… how hard can it be to use a mouse, right?  Then I found out.  Look at this picture showing how it sits on the desk and the angle that the top of the mouse is compared to the desk surface:

Because the round surface area on the bottom of the mouse isn’t directly beneath the top area of the mouse which is offset just a little bit, when I tried moving the mouse in a simple left to right motion on my screen, the cursor moved at an angle.  My ‘natural’ motion that I have used for years didn’t quite work with this ‘natural’ mouse.  I was frustrated.  But I stuck with it to see if I would get used to it.  And I must confess that it took me several days to get used to it.  I think perhaps the average person wouldn’t give it as much time as I did… they would pack it back up in the box.  But because I stuck with it, I must now confess that I won’t be going back to any other mice.  It is THAT comfortable.  Here are some more pictures from different angles:

Let me mention the features of this device which brings large trunked mammals to their knees.  (Again with an analogy to its size, but trust me, it’s huge.)

The mouse wheel allows 4-way scrolling by allowing you to push the wheel to the left and right in additional to the traditional roll up and down.  You can also push the roller wheel down for a mouse click (customizable).  The 2 buttons on the left side of the mouse are customizable as well and can be accessed using your thumb.  For example, one of those buttons comes programmed as the ‘back’ button in your browser.  I can’t express how wonderful this is for my browsing experience!  The indentation below those 2 buttons is where your thumb will naturally relax.  Of course it has the 2 standard programmable mouse buttons on either side of the scroll wheel.  Located behind the scroll wheel is the wonderful feature of a lighted battery status indicator that lets you know when your batteries need to be replaced.

Why the heck hasn’t someone does this before?  Genius.  And while I am on the subject of battery, let me say that Microsoft pitches this mouse as having “advanced Microsoft technologies” that prolong battery life.  I have no idea what those technologies might be, but they work.  I have been using this mouse on a set of rechargeable batteries for over a month and have yet to change them.  I have never gone that long before on one set of batteries, so I am tickled.  You insert the batteries by opening a small door on the b0ttom:

Let me mention a few more of the outstanding features.  First of all, there is a magnifier feature that you can assign to any of the programmable buttons on the mouse.  When you press the assigned button, a magnifier pops up on your screen that enables you to magnify anything from 200% up to 1,600%.  I love this feature because I am a web designer so I am constantly zooming in on parts of my Photoshop documents.  This ease at which this feature works is wonderful.  You can even customize how you want to use the magnifier.  I have taken a few screenshots to show you what I mean.  You can use it in ‘lens’ mode which pops up a rectangle shaped box that moves with your mouse.  You can use it ‘full screen’ which zooms the entire screen.  And you can use what is called ‘docked’ mode which pops up a rectangle area across the top of your screen that is the magnifier for any place your mouse goes:

Above is the ‘lens’ mode.

Above is the ‘docked’ mode.

The best feature of this mouse is that the only part of my hand that touches the desk when using it is that part of the outside of my hand that is below my pinky.  My hand just sits naturally (again, the name) at an angle off to the side and my wrist never touches the desk.  Your hand might get hurt though when it falls from that height off the top of the mouse. (sorry, couldn’t help myself.)

It isn’t all peaches and cream though.  Because of the way that the top of the mouse sits, left-handers are out of luck.  I am actually a left-hander myself when I write, so I know how lefties have to live in a ‘righty-centric world’.  Sorry guys.  Also, the programmable buttons that are next to the thumb are a bit too far back on the mouse, so using them is awkward.  And it will take you some time to get used to moving the cursor on the screen.

If you can overlook those things, this mouse is for you.  It is the most comfortable mouse I have ever used and I think Microsoft knocked one out of the park with this one.  But before I go, did I mention it’s big??

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Desktop, Mouse

Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 29, 2010 at 11:40 am.