Oh! Gizmo

By Evan Ackerman

Computer mice come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and styles, but generally, they have one characteristic in common: a flat surface on the bottom to keep the mouse stable. I mean, you want your mouse to be stable, right?

Right?

Don’t you?

NO. NO YOU DON’T. IT’S BAD, STABLE IS BAD. Or at least, a stable object that you use repetitively has the potential to maybe cause you some mild discomfort or pain. The Tru:Motion mouse from Smartfish can help alleviate repetitive stress injuries by wiggling around to better conform to your natural hand and arm position. The mouse pivots on its base (a stable base) from side to side and front to back to allow you to keep your wrist more relaxed.

I’m hoping that the mouse in the picture above is just a prototype design, ’cause a mouse like this is targeted at hardcore computer users, most of whom probably expect more than two or three buttons. Personally, I need a minimum of five to be productive.

Smartfish also makes a wiggling keyboard and a wiggling game controller, and they’re somehow working on a PDA, a laptop, a touchscreen keyboard, and power tools that incorporate the same actively ergonomic technology.We’ll see the mouse out at the beginning of August for $60, and the keyboard will follow at the end of August for $150.

[ Smartfish ] VIA [ DVICE ]

By Shane McGlaun

The only time I like wireless mice are when they are for notebooks. When it comes to my desktop computer for gaming, I want a wired mouse. Wireless mice need to be charged too frequently for my tastes when used with desktop computers.

One of the biggest things that bugs me about wireless notebook mice are the big USB adapters that you have to plug into the notebook for connectivity. Those long adapters stick out so far from the side of the machine that it can be easy to break them off when it comes time to pack up your notebook and go.

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By Evan Ackerman

USB cables are the plastic tethers that keep our mice chained to our desks, and ourselves chained to our mice. You can free yourself with the convenience of a wireless mouse, but if you’re going to cut the cable, why not cut it totally and remove the mouse from the surface all together? The WeraMouse is a little handheld device with buttons and a trackball on it. With it, you’re able to mouse around and click from any position (up to 25 feet away) using only your fingers. Not a fan of trackballs? I hear ya, and WeraMouse is also working on a version with a touchpad instead. The mice are good for over 24 hours of nonstop operation between charges, and come with a 90 minute USB charging cradle.

I’ve never used anything like this before, but I do appreciate the freedom from the restrictions of a surface that my Logitech MX Air gives me. WeraMouse says that it’s much better for your posture to use a mouse like theirs, but it seems like it’s just another opportunity to slouch.

Additional slouching opportunities via the WeraMouse will cost $99, and the touchpad version isn’t quite out yet.

[ WeraMouse ] VIA [ Technabob ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While I don’t recommend them for everyday use, 3Dconnexion’s series of Space Navigator mice are the perfect tool if you spend your days in 3D applications like Maya, 3ds Max, Softimage, AutoCad etc. The SpacePilot Pro is the latest addition to the line, and it includes the 3Dconnexion Cap (the large knob) which can be pushed, pulled, twisted and tilted allowing you to navigate a 3D interface. It’s also got a set of ‘QuickView’ Navigation keys for quickly jumping to one of 32 pre-set views as well as duplicate ESC, CTRL, ALT and SHIFT keys so you don’t have to reach over to your keyboard as much.

The biggest addition though is the full-color LCD display which provides visual feedback on what the SpacePilot Pro’s function keys are currently programmed to do, or you can use it to keep an eye on your email with the included Mail applet. And since the display is powered by an open software architecture, you can even write your own custom applets as needed.

The 3Dconnexion SpacePilot Pro is available now for $499.

[ 3Dconnexion SpacePilot Pro ] VIA [ I4U News ]

By Shane McGlaun

Whatever you plan to do with your computer, there is usually a peripheral made just for the task. If you want to game there are a myriad of gaming mice on the market and if you just want to do boring old computer work, there are peripherals for that too.

Bella has announced a new wireless mouse called the HD Mouse that is aimed at professional and amateur video editors. The mouse is designed for multimedia users and includes software that allows the user to program mouse movements to act like gesture commands. The mouse has 1600dpi of sensitivity and a wireless range of up to 26 feet.

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By Andrew Liszewski

The first time I played with Contour Design’s RollerMouse Free was at CES earlier this year, and I’ll admit that I was initially drawn to the unusual looking device because I was spending my last day at the show specifically hunting down unusual items. But I was already familiar with Contour Design, having used one of their ShuttlePRO edit controllers for the past few years, so I knew the company produced some quality gear and I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

For those not familiar with the RollerMouse Free, or missed my CES post about it, it’s basically another alternative to a mouse/trackball/tablet/touchpad that helps reduce repetitive stress injuries with a unique ‘rolling bar’ design. And even though I was extremely skeptical that the RollerMouse could replace my traditional mouse, it only took a few minutes of use on the show floor to convince and impress me.

I was told by the Contour Design rep at CES that the RollerMouse Free was destined for a March release, and sure enough, last week the company sent me a final production unit to spend some quality time with. So hit the jump for my full review and some more photos.

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By Andrew Liszewski

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I miss having a trackball on my laptop. But it’s been many, many years since any notebook manufacturer has included a built-in trackball, and the external models you can still buy are usually too big to throw in a laptop bag. Thankfully Evergreen has heard my laments and complaining, and has created what is probably the smallest USB trackball accessory on the market.

The trackball itself looks to be about the same size as the ones used on the Blackberrys and it’s surrounded by three compact buttons that serve as left, right and middle/scrolling mouse buttons. It’s also got a retractable USB cable making it extra portable, and is available for about $20 on the Donya Japan website.

[ Evergreen USB Mini Trackball ] VIA [ DVICE ]

By Andrew Liszewski

In one of their ads, Elecom claims their new Scope Node Mouse is “like you’re holding a pen.” Now I’m pretty sure they’re not going to sway the Wacom crowd with that claim, but as you can see in the photo of the underside of the mouse, the 1600 DPI laser sensor has been placed off-center so that it sits closer to where the tip of a pen would land when held in your hand. Supposedly that results in a more precise mousing experience.

It’s also got a bizarre exposed scroll wheel, though I imagine that design reduces the amount of crap that ends up getting trapped inside the mouse. So I’ll upgrade that feature from bizarre to clever. At the moment the Scope Node M-SN1UL is only available in Japan, but you’ll probably be able to find one online eventually.

[ Akihabara News - Scope Node Mouse, as Precise as a Pen ]

By Evan Ackerman

This is exactly the desk accessory you need if you’re bored at work on a Thursday and want to waste a little bit of time pretending to pilot your own futuristic fighter jet, the FF-22 (that would be the “FRaptor,” I guess). Vrrrrmmmmm PEW PEW PEW! Why on earth this thing isn’t a wireless mouse, I’ll never know. It’s $17 in a bunch of different colors from who else but Brando.

[ Brando ] VIA [ Gizmodo ]