Photo: Steel Series

We don’t often do mouse reviews because, well, come on, it’s a mouse, but the Steel Series WoW Cataclysm Mouse demanded a look. How so? Well, not only have tests confirmed to us it is one of the best – if not the very best – WoW mouse, it also looks the part for the most popular PC gaming franchise.

So, what’s in the box

The Steel Series WoW Cataclysm Mouse looks like something shipped straight out of Azeroth, with its burnt metallic interface and perfectly positioned ‘World of WarCraft’ logo – suggesting the company put up big money for the right to use it. While it can be used as a regular mouse, its 14 customizable buttons have been designed exclusively with WoW players in mind

What we like

The most immediately noticeable thing about the WoW mouse is its build quality. Not only is the design striking, it also fits snugly in your hand and feels like it is meant to stand the test of, umm, World of WarCraft Cataclysm and beyond.

Mouse customization is dead simple, meaning even the most inexperienced gamer – in terms of using unique peripherals – will make do quite comfortably. Furthermore, if you’ve been a PC gamer for any length of time, you know the difference macro keys on mouse and keyboard can make for your gaming experience, and the WoW mouse is no exception in this case.

What we did not like

All this swooning and cooing no doubt has you convinced that limb donation would be a requirement to buy this Steel Series WoW Cataclysm Mouse. At an average retail price of £75, it certainly isn’t cheap, but come on, if you are to rule over all of Azeroth, price shouldn’t be a factor, right?

Our final nitpick with the mouse is that it will look out of place on your desk, and all of Steel Series’ work to make the mouse come alive has actually made it stand out more than most would prefer.

Just buy it already

If you play World of WarCraft Cataclysm with any level of frequency, just buy this already. It is that good, and will certainly enhance your gaming experience.

Photo: Apple

Apple unveiled the Magic Trackpad recently with little fanfare – it just appeared on Apple’s online store after an update. We jumped through hoops to get a hold of a Magic Trackpad so that we could compare the experience of the Magic Mouse with that of a regular mouse. Here’s what we’ve found.

Preference factor

It must be said that I have a bias towards trackpads on laptops. Attaching a mouse to one is often to demanding a task considering the environments in which I usually use my Macbook Pro. On the flipside of that, I’ve found using a traditional mouse to be the best experience on the desktop. Having tried the Apple Magic Mouse for a brief period, it landed up sealed away in the drawer for future use (which is likely to never happen). So, in this respect, there is no bias to either a mouse or a trackpad, so to speak.

In use

With input devices, it all comes down to how you use it and how it feels to use. The allure of multitouch on portable computers has finally died down – simply put, it’s not as neat as it was when we first saw it. More specifically, many people consider multitouch on notebooks a necessity and not a nicety. Having said that, prolonged use splintered expectations with desktops, with very few people associating desktop computers with multi-touch functionality. This is a big deal and here’s the explanation why – as nice as multi-touch on the desktop is to have, it isn’t exactly something you knew you wanted because you’ve been making do without it. The Apple Magic Mouse confirmed this first and the Apple Magic Trackpad only further solidifies this.

So in use, we often forgot we had multi-touch functionality available to us – and we didn’t particularly care for it, either. To Apple’s credit, the trackpad is very intuitive if you’ve used any of their notebooks before. No surprises, just well engineered technology. But sooner – rather than later – you start aching for multiple buttons on your input device, classic drag-and-lift functionality, (old habits die hard) and a place to rest your hand comfortably. Using the trackpad hurt after heavy use, and while most users won’t be in front of their computers all day, it is likely those people who are remotely interested in the trackpad (early adopters) are heavy users.

Verdict

Photo: Apple

While the Magic Trackpad really is far more exciting than the admittedly antiquated mouse is, we kept finding ourselves gravitating back towards said mouse. The prolonged use really put strain on our joints – it just plain hurts having to hold your hands in that awkward position for that long. Interestingly, the Magic Mouse, which has less functionality than the trackpad but draws inspiration from the mouse, felt more comfortable than the trackpad.

Clearly Apple want to ditch buttons altogether and the magic trackpad is a massive leap in that direction. However, until Apple can figure out ergonomics and comfort concerns for power users, we’ll stick to the trusty mouse for desktops and built-in trackpads for notebooks.

Simply put, it’s early days for either the Apple Magic Mouse or the Apple Magic Trackpad to cement themselves as must-have input devices, in lieu of the timeless mouse.

Maybe later, but certainly not now.

The Logitech V220 laptop mouse is a notebook mouse that is used on laptops. Using a laptop with the track pad is perfectly fine but having the mouse attached makes things more convenient. The Logitech V220 laptop mouse is a speciality notebook mouse that is very inexpensive and helps in quick navigation. The device is a 1000 dpi optical sensor which houses ergonomic designs and lodges rubber grips that are extremely soft. The mini receiver gets inside the Logitech mouse for easy movement. The package in which the whole apparatus comes features the mouse, an AA battery, a USB receiver and an installation guide. The icing on the cake would be that the device itself has been priced very economically which allows the buyer to spend freely.

Some other striking features in the Logitech V220 laptop mouse include control, comfort, convenience and performance. The rubber grips take care of comfort and the ridged wheel helps in proper handling. The battery life of the Logitech V220 laptop mouse Easily goes up to 6 months and there is a power indicator for the battery which keeps reminding the user at regular intervals. Digital photos can be viewed easily and so can be spreadsheets through the zoom feature. The scroll wheel has been given multiple functions to perform.

The mouse will be a good asset to your laptop and will help in fast and quick navigation. Volume adjustment and zooming into the screen will become very easy. Go and get your piece right away and make things easy for yourself.

Sitting down to work is an even bigger challenge when a chilling breeze surrounds you in the winter. Taking your hands out from your warm pockets is very inconvenient when you have a job to do on your PC or laptop. Apart from this, PC peripherals get chilled as well and feel uncomfortable in your hands. In response to such issues, Thanko, one of the leading manufacturers of PC peripherals, has launched three new innovative products which will keep your hands warm while working on your PC during winters. These products are the Attaka Risutobando (the heated USB wristband), Attaka Mausupaddo (the heated mousepad) and Attaka Mausu (the heated mouse).

The heated USB wristband is meant to be worn on the wrist and is powered via USB. It can reach a maximum temperature of 43.6°C. The heated mouse pad is another innovative breakthrough. It can reach up to a maximum temperature of 41.2°C. Like many other mouspads nowadays, such as the Port Mousepad with USB hub, the Attaka Mausupaddo also doubles as a 4 port USB hub. On the front side four smart USB ports are integrated with the mouse pad. And last but not least, the USB heater mouse is a mouse which gets heated when powered via USB and can give your hands warmth up to 45°C. Together, these three gadgets are enough to protect your hands from cold. The presence of four USB ports on the heated mousepad makes it convenient to connect the wristband and the mouse. You don’t have to wrestle with stretching wires as this keeps all three gadgets close to each other with enough room for motion. All of them are tested and are free from any kind of inflammation or other electrical hazards. So you can use them without any worries.

Targus, the name known for its line of laptop carry bags, has recently come up with sophisticated laptop accessories. The company has just launches six new mobile accessories specially designed to work with the Apple MacBook.

To start the lineup off, there are two travel mice, which offer both unique performance and features. One of them is priced at around £30, it is wireless and uses a USB micro receiver that can be ticked into the USB port for its operations. Another mouse costs around £40, but it will keep your USB port free since it uses Bluetooth. Ideal for gaming, this comes with the utmost precision and uses laser technology to move the cursor. Both mice are extremely good looking and are fitted with a 4 way touch scroll that lets you scroll vertically and horizontally. Besides this, there are two additional buttons that can be programmed for custom operations.

Next comes the Bluetooth Presenter for Mac, which lets users control their PowerPoint presentations easily. It is similar to the Targus Wireless Multimedia Presenter, except optimised for use with the MacBook. It contains a laser pointer and primary presentation controls which let you to switch over to the next slide, previous slide etc. Volume controls are included as well, along with two additional programmable buttons which can be customised to access your favourite applications instantly.

Another accessory is the Chill Mat, which can be placed under the laptop to keep it cool. Powered via two USB fans, the Chill Mat assures that your MacBook stays away from the thermal damages. Other accessories include a four port USB hub, a USB file share cable and privacy screen that are available in three sizes up to 17 inches.

Microsoft has just come up with a new revolutionary mouse called the Arc Mouse, which is not only a great performer but is also foldable. It has a unique design and ergonomics, making it one of the most comfortable mice to use, at least according to Microsoft.

Of course, with its stylish contours and unique design, it is undoubtedly one of the most captivating mice currently available on the market. It’s even more unusual looking than the Samsung SM30 Slim Wireless Mouse. The Arc Mouse has two different parts joined together that can be folded when not in use. This manages to eliminate half the storage space needed to carry your mouse with you.

This mouse can be easily used with any laptop or desktop. It supports wireless Bluetooth connectivity and comes with a mini USB Bluetooth dongle. All you have to do is connect the dongle to the USB port of your PC, and the mouse is ready to transmit its signals. The dongle is so small and lightweight that you will never even notice removing it from your laptop.

Microsoft claims that the Arc will be the finest mouse available in the market up until now. It has got a highly sensitive optical sensor, which receives, as well as transmits, the signals with the utmost speed and precision. This will surely make the Arc the most preferred mouse for gaming in near future. However, this state of the art computer peripheral has not yet been released, so will have to wait a little while longer before finding out if Microsoft’s claims are actually true.

Belkin is still the extra mile in the world of mobile computing. The company has released more accessories than ever to make work on your laptop even more enjoyable. Some of these latest and happening accessories include the Network USB Hub, Pocket Top & Sleeve Top, Washable Mouse and Mouse Trap.

The Network USB Hub is designed to extend the USB connectivity power of the laptop. It can let you to access a large number of high speed USB 2.0 devices such as printers, fax machines, scanners, external hard drives, other types of external storage devices, wireless networks, all in one printing machines and much more.

Another awesome product is the Pocket Top & Sleeve Top, which acts as a protective cover, storage bag and carry bag for your laptop, its power supply and mouse. The accessory’s main advantage is that you can operate your laptop without taking it out of the Sleeve Top. This way your lap also remains protected from the heat emitted by the laptop.

The most sensational laptop accessories are undoubtedly the Washable Mouse and the Mouse Trap. The Washable Mouse is made from a 100 percent water resistant material. Thus, it does not get affected by spills and can be cleaned easily. The other one, the Belkin Mouse Trap, is a zippered mouse pad which can also be used as the carry pouch for mouse and other small items.