mouse

With the Art Pad, all you need is a beret

We feel as though you've gotten to know us pretty well here at Crave, so we'll let you in on a dirty little secret: We never learned Photoshop. Yes, it's true. But we've stumbled across something that may help us mess around with images in a way that even our tiny Luddite brain can handle.

Coolicam's "iCam Art Pad," Gearlog says, "turns your digital photos into art"--though, in our case, that may be a loose interpretation. Even if you're no Rembrandt, the Art Pad's clever design may well … Read more

Another useless combo product

When we made our many pleas for wireless entertainment systems, this isn't exactly what we had in mind. In fact, we have to agree with Gearfuse in its assessment of this wireless speaker mouse pad as utterly useless--or, as the aforementioned blog put it gently, "You really don't want crappy speakers at your fingertips." We won't even get into the solar-powered calculator. The broader point here, ladies and gentlemen, is that there should be a limit to the number of functions a device is allowed to have. For its own good, if nothing else.

A mouse that thinks it's a pen

Finally, a mouse design that makes some sense. And maybe that's because it's not really a mouse at all.

The "Wow-Pen" seen on Chip Chick combines three features for which we have an undying appreciation: It's germ-free, includes an untethered laser pointer and has an ergonomic design that isn't weird. (After all, we started using quills this way centuries ago.)

Make that four features: It also looks pretty nifty and actually comes in colors that don't look like they came from a cartoon.

Mouse puts security at your fingertips

As fellow Craver Erica Ogg once noted delicately, leaving one's laptop unsupervised even for a necessary minute or two can be an exercise in anxiety. Yet we all must do it--at least a few times a day, depending on the number of lattes--and in the occasional rush we sometimes leave the most sensitive material on our screens.

Iogear has figured this out and come up with a way to secure a computer easily with its "Personal Security Mouse." It comes equipped with a fingerprint authenticator that obviates the need for passwords, according to Gizmodiva.

There are plenty … Read more

MS Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 V2 Keyboard and Mouse for $49.27 after a $20 mail-in rebate

Page Computer has the MS Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 V2 Keyboard and Mouse for $49.27, after a $20 mail-in rebate >> Regular price is $69.27 >> Offer ends 3/31/2007 >> Click here for deal

Anorexic mouse needs to bulk up

We've seen our fair share of what appear to be unusable mouse designs, mostly because they seem just too flat to be practical. And MoGo's latest Bluetooth line, at least by appearance, is no exception.

Not only do they look too thin to hold comfortably, but we'd be afraid of breaking them in two. MoGo touts their ability to recharge themselves in minutes inside a PC's card slot, which is a great idea--but only if you actually want to use them. We appreciate the charging concept and sleek design, as we did with the "Mogo Dapter,&… Read more

If Picasso redesigned a mouse

As monitors and keyboards have slimmed down to anorexic proportions, it was only a matter of time before the mouse began to get an inferiority complex. (Society can be so cruel, even on the desktop.) So InferPoint put its product on a crash diet and came up with the "Slimouse"--shouldn't there be two M's?--which redesigned its basic form just so it could squeeze into a Size 2.

With Picasso-like inspiration, InferPoint took the standard left-right buttons and moved them to the front and rear of the mouse. And just for good measure, the scroll … Read more

Wireless buds could look a little Goofy

In one of our more recent rants (there are so many to keep track of), we have been campaigning for wireless stereo speakers in the home. But in a way, Kleer has taken the concept a step further by putting them directly in the ear.

The company has launched a line of wireless earbuds that Red Ferret says can provide CD-like quality and 10 times the battery life of comparable Bluetooth technologies. The Kleer system is housed completely in the earphones themselves, eliminating the need for a wire between the left and right sides.

Although we're fond of the … Read more

Laser mouse needs to cut the cord

Sometimes, we have to wonder what manufacturers are thinking when they sit down at the drawing table. Case in point: a corded mouse with a built-in laser pointer.

We understand the concept, that people presumably would find some value in having a pointer for presentations to impress their clients and bosses. And Fareastgizmos notes that the pointer in Kokuyo's wired USB optical mouse will never run out of batteries. But how sophisticated would it look when the mouse is pulled just a little too far and yanks your laptop clean off the desk?

It's the same issue we … Read more