Microsoft has managed to cram a lot of extra functionality into this Bluetooth mouse, including the ability to control a PowerPoint presentation or a home theater PC, a laser pointer for being ‘that guy’ in the meeting and a usable wireless range of about 30 feet. But I can’t help but feel that after just a few weeks of regular mousing the labels on those buttons on the underside of the mouse are going to get rubbed off, making it a crapshoot when it comes to figuring out which one does what. I mean for $79.95 the least they could have done is etched them into the plastic or something, but maybe I’m putting too much thought into this…

[ Microsoft Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 ] VIA [ GadgetGrid ]

By Chris Scott Barr

PC gamers such as myself are always big on customizing our keyboards and mice. Generally that means mapping keys to specific functions and adjusting the sensitivity of the mouse. However, when given the ability, we love to take the customization to a higher level. In the past we’ve seen mice that have adjustable weights, which can make a difference.  However, Mad Catz has raised the bar when it comes to mouse customization with their new line of Cyborg R.A.T. mice.

The Cyborg R.A.T mouse is one of the craziest looking peripherals that I’ve seen. At first glance, it does not look like something that would be comfortable at all. However, after placing my hand on it, I found it to be exactly the opposite. In fact, thanks to the unique features it can become one of the most comfortable mice on the market.

When I say that this mouse is fully customizable, I don’t mean that you can just reprogram the functions of each button (though this is also possible). Rather, you can control the exact weight, length, width and even texture of the mouse. With a few twists of an Allen wrench (which is carefully stored within the mouse itself) you can change the very dimensions of the device so that it perfectly fits your hand.

Other notable features include a customizable DPI switch. Like most gaming mice, you easily switch between several different DPI with the click of a button. Unfortunately those resolutions are generally predetermined, with perhaps only one of them actually being of use to you. With the R.A.T. you can actually program what each of those settings are, allowing each of them to be useful. You’ll also find a precision button on the side. This is for those times where you have your mouse set to a high DPI, but need to be extremely accurate. As long as you’re holding down the button, your DPI is dropped way down, allowing you to focus on only a small area. Once you release the button, it goes back to normal.

The R.A.T. series currently four different models. The R.A.T. 9 includes all of the features and is wireless, while each of the lower models lose one or two along the way. Prices start at $129 and work their way down to $49, so there is a model for all budgets.

[ Mad Catz ]

By Chris Scott Barr

I’ve never been able to understand trackball mice. No matter how much I use one, I still find it to be uncomfortable and less accurate than a traditional mouse. Nevertheless, some people swear by them. Well if you happen to be one of those people and in need of a number pad for your keyboard, then you’ll love this gadget.

The Track Ball Mouse Numerical Keypad Hub has got just about everything you’d want in a crazy hybrid gadget. You’ve got your mouse, number pad and even a pair of USB ports. Seriously, how many of you can say that your mouse is also a USB hub? That’s what I thought. For just under $60 you can blow the minds of each and every one of your coworkers.

[ GeekStuff4U ] VIA [ RedFerret ]

By Chris Scott Barr

When you hear of a mouse with more than 5 or 6 buttons, you tend to assume that it will be used for gaming. Of course gamers aren’t the only ones that like to assign macros and functions to their extra mouse buttons. Boring office tasks can also be made quicker with these same tools. That’s why the OpenOffice Mouse was born.

This thing honestly looks like some ugly mouse straight out of the mid-90’s. Function over form, as they say. The mouse features 18 programmable keys and one joystick. Apparently 18 buttons was the maximum number to have and still be able to find the right one by touch. Sure, it’s ugly, but if you like cramming as many functions as possible onto your mouse keys, then this $75 gadget is going to be right up your alley. It even has 512k of on-board memory so you can take your key bindings with you wherever you go.

[ WarMouse ] VIA [ EverythingUSB ]

By Chris Scott Barr

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.

[ Microsoft ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Chris Scott Barr

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.

VIA [ Gearlog ]

By Chris Scott Barr

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.

Features

The Logitech Anywhere MX packs a lot of features into one tiny package. Obviously the Darkfield Technology is a big selling point, as you never know where you’ll be using your laptop next. The mouse also utilizes the new Unifying receiver, which is small enough to stay plugged into your laptop all the time (and not risk getting broken off like larger ones) and allows you to use a compatible keyboard without needing a separate receiver. Hyper-fast scrolling, extra buttons and 2.4GHz wireless round out the feature list.

First Look

The mouse itself is rather small, as any good travel mouse should be. The shape is comfortable enough for extended use, even for someone with large hands such as myself. You’ve got two thumb buttons for forward/backward which are a must-have feature for someone who spends as much time on the web as I do. There’s also another button below the scroll wheel for switching between programs, if you’re into that sort of thing. The on/off switch underneath is actually a sliding cover for the laser, which seems convenient enough. Lastly, I love the the tiny Unifying receiver, as I haven’t bothered to unplug it from my MacBook since I got it.

Comfort

If you’re using your laptop enough to need a mouse, then you’re going to want something comfortable. It’s this logic that  has kept me from replacing the desktop mouse that I always carry in my laptop bag. The Anywhere MX is one of the first laptop mice I’ve found to be comfortable enough to use for more than an hour or so at a time. It is still small, so I wouldn’t replace my regular mouse at my desktop with it. That’s what the Performance MX is for (which we’ll get to another day).

Performance

As a regular mouse, the Anywhere MX performs about as well as any other. The only thing that really stands out is the Hyper-fast scrolling. I really thought the use of the word “hyper” was more  marketing hype than anything else, however, that’s really not the case. If I flick the scroll wheel with my finger, it can spin for a good 6 or 7 seconds. If you really want to fly through a huge document, you can flick it harder and get more like 17 seconds of spin (my personal best is 17.5 seconds). To give you a better idea, I can scroll through about 35 pages in OpenOffice Writer with one flick, whereas on my old mouse I can’t even get past the first page.

This awesome scroll wheel does have one small drawback. Since it is “hyper-fast” it is also easily triggered. You’ll need to keep your fingers away from it when mousing, lest you find yourself halfway down the page you were reading. It was a fairly rare occurrence, but still worth mentioning.

Darkfield Technology

I actually used to own a glass desk, which my optical mouse did not work on, which is why I’m pretty excited about Darkfield. Knowing a friend with the same desk, I packed up my MacBook and the Anywhere MX and promptly headed there for testing. The desk is made from rather thick tempered glass (not the frosted stuff, just clear), and the mouse had no trouble whatsoever tracking on it. Being the geeks that we are, we proceeded to find other reflective surfaces to test it on. A drinking glass, a 2mm-thick piece of acrylic (Plexiglass to some of you), my iPhone and even the screen of my MacBook all worked flawlessly with the mouse. The only thing that we found that didn’t work was a CD, which we honestly didn’t expect to work in the first place.

Verdict

The Logitech Anywhere MX is a solid travel mouse. It’s comfortable, the Unifying receiver is small enough that you don’t have to worry about  removing it and the Darkfield technology works like a charm. My only complaint is that the scroll wheel could potentially get annoying if one were to bump it very often, though it only happened a couple of times to me. The Logitech Anywhere MX can be found for $79, which is a tad pricey for a notebook mouse, but well worth it in my mind.

[ Logitech ]

By Chris Scott Barr

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.

[ Razer ] VIA [ Gearlog ]

By Chris Scott Barr

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.

[ BLogitech ]

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.

[ Akihabara News - External Multi Gesture trackpad for your PC ]