The modern mouse hasn’t exactly seen a ton of technological improvements in the last couple of decades. Sure, we’ve added buttons, made them a little more ergonomic and substituted that ball for an optical sensor. However, when you strip it all away, it’s still the same basic concept.
With all of the advancements in multitouch technologies, Microsoft is convinced that the next big breakthrough in mousing is along that path. Like any company with an idea of the future, they have been hard at work trying to develop the next big thing. In a rare move for the software giant, Microsoft has decided to show off some of their prototypes which are currently in development. I’d go into detail about each, however the above video seems to do them justice. If you’re itching for more info, you can find it on Microsoft’s website.
Bear in mind that these are nothing more than prototypes. They are simply using these to explore the possibilities that these technologies can lead to. Don’t expect to see anything from Microsoft using these ideas anytime soon. When you do finally see this stuff on store shelves, it won’t look anything like what they’re showing off now.
In case you weren’t aware, the Transformers franchise is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. To commemorate the anniversary, Toshiba is releasing a new line of mice and USB flash drives. As you would imagine, there is more than meets the eye with each one. All will be fully transformable, and will set you back $50 each. Kids and huge fans of the series might enjoy them, but $50 is a bit much methinks. They haven’t released a lot of details, such as the capacity of the USB drives, though we do know these will be out before the holiday season. Read the rest of this entry »
Last week Logitech announced two of their latest mice, equipped with Darkfield Technology. If you’ll recall, this feature allows mice to track on any smooth surface, regardless of whether or not it is reflective. While some people might not see the benefit in using a mouse on a reflective surface, those who want to use a mouse on their glass desk, or even something with a mirrored finish will be pleased. I’ve actually been testing out the Anywhere MX mouse for about a week now, and I thought I’d share my thoughts.
I’ve been a PC gamer for a long time, and while I find that having a few extra buttons on my mouse can be very helpful, more is not always better. After using a wide variety of gaming mice, I’ve discovered that 3-4 extra buttons is about perfect. Any more and it seems like you have to put extra effort into not accidentally hitting them, which makes it less comfortable to use. So needless to say, I’m not exactly getting excited about Razer’s latest mouse, dubbed the Naga.
The Razer Naga features a whopping 12-key grid on the side where your thumb should rest. This means that your thumb will almost always be pressing against these. I’m going to guess that they take a good little bit of pressure to register, but I’m still not comfortable resting my fingers on that many buttons. I also wonder how easy it will be to hit each of them as quickly as you need to. I suppose it’s one of those things that will just have to be tried out to really understand. If you need a dozen extra keys on your mouse, then the Naga will set you back about $80.
I’m sure that everyone remembers when optical mice first broke onto the scene. Finally the days of cleaning those stupid ball mice were over. Of course there is one place that those old mice can go that no optical or laser mouse can work. That would be reflective surfaces. Even the most high-tech laser mouse is defeated by the surface of a glass desk. At least that was the case until Logitech announced their new Darkfield technology.
You have to admit, Darkfield technology sounds like something really awesome, especially when you note that it works with lasers. Well this isn’t some strange weapon developed by a secret government group. Rather, it allows Logitech’s new mice to work properly on any reflective surface (minimum 4mm thick). Finally, those using a glass desk can ditch their mouse pad. The technology will first be seen in their Performance Mouse MX, and its smaller brother the Anywhere Mouse MX. Look for reviews of both in the very near future right here on OhGizmo.
I really like the multi-touch trackpad on my Macbook, in fact it’s almost enough to make me forget the horrendous glare I occasionally have to deal with on the display. And thanks to Filco, I can now add the same functionality to my desktop PC with their SmartTrack Neo trackpad. It allows you to perform those clever multi-touch tricks like pinch zooming and double-fingered scrolling, all for just $50.
For road warriors going on a business a trip, the second most important thing other than a notebook is a mobile mouse, which can greatly affect productivity. Having said that, Microsoft has had numerous laptop mice over the years that are both functional and portable, but none of them is more eye catching as the Arc Mouse. The aptly-named Arc sports a hinged semicircular shape that allows it to close to nearly half-size for travel, and to unfold to a full-sized mouse. The mini USB dongle is also hidden in a crevice on the underside of the folding wing, which becomes the mouse’s palm rest.
After Everything USB spent nearly two weeks with the Arc, surfing the web and checking emails, they found the mouse to be spot-on for most tasks while preventing fatigue. The rubberized sides also allow you to get a good grip since the surface of the Arc is in gloss paint with a glass-smooth finish. In the end, while there are certainly some minor flaws in usability and set-up, the Arc mobile mouse is praised as “an excellent travel companion” that is well worth the price.
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