Hasta La Gadget!

For plenty of folks in the tech community, this week was all about Windows 7, sure, but Apple has never be one to be outshone. Earlier this week the company launched refreshes to much of its hardware line, including new versions of the Macbook, iMac, and Mac Mini. The company also introduced the hyperbolically-named Magic Mouse.

Apple sent along a number of these products along for review in the PC Labs. Over at PCMag, you can check out the recent reviews of the Macbook and iMac. We’ve also got some exclusive hands-on video with those two devices and the brand new Magic Mouse after the jump.

Alongside refreshes to the its Macbook and Mac Mini lines, Apple today made yet another attempt to get the whole mouse thing right, with the Magic Mouse. The latest Mac mouse follows the not especially well received Mighty Mouse and its much-hated predecessor, the single button Round USB “hockey puck” mouse. According to Apple, the new Magic Mouse is “the world’s first multi-touch mouse.”

The mouse doesn’t feature physical buttons, instead relying on touch, taps, and swipes. As Apple puts it, “the mouse itself is the button.” Users can scroll and flip through Web pages and photos, and can click or double-click anywhere on the mouse’s surface. The mouse also utilizes laser-tracking for increased efficiency without the need of a mousepad.

The Magic Mouse is Bluetooth-enabled and is customizable via Apple System Preferences. Users must have Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later and the Wireless Mouse Software Update 1.0.

The new mouse ships with new versions of the iMac or can be purchased separately for $69 from the Apple Store. It’s available now.

You can ditch your mouse if you pick up the Adesso SlimTouch Bluetooth keyboard. That’s because this ultra-slim model includes a touchpad, helping you save desk space. It’s also a great choice for a living room keyboard, if you’ve got your TV and PC connected, since there’s no cord and since mice don’t work that well on couch cushions.

This model, also known as the WKB-4000BB, has Bluetooth 2.0 with a 100-foot range (you’d better have a big screen if you’re that far away). It offers quiet scissor switch keys, a touchpad with two buttons, and runs off two included AAA batteries. The upper-left corner includes an on/off button for saving energy. This keyboard works with Windows 7/Vista/XP and lists for $129.99.

Let’s face it, stealing office supplies is really a gateway to more serious crimes. It starts with pens and staplers; the next thing you know, you and your spouse are being arrested for stealing $23 million from your corporate employer.

A North Carolinian couple have been arrested over a scheme that defrauded Cisco’s SMARTnet to the tune of $23 million. According to the company, Mario and Jennifer Leigh Harmon Easevoli concocted a scheme to ship replacement parts to businesses in eight states.

Using fake names, the couple allegedly filed fake claims for the parts, later selling them to other businesses. Jennifer Leigh Harmon Easevoli then reportedly bragged about the claim via Classmates.com, writing:

For those of you who knew me and doubted me – I made it, and I made it big … I am bigger and better than you thought I could be. I am more successful than I could have dreamed and I have had a great time all the while.

Maybe it’s time to update that profile again.

If you remember back in early August (or just follow this link), Logitech introduced the Unifying Receiver, a super-small USB wireless receiver that let you pair your notebook with up to six compatible wireless products. The idea was that you could take your laptop to different work areas without having to reconnect your peripherals when you got there.

Today Logitech builds on that idea with the Notebook Kit MK605. This four-piece combo includes a notebook stand, wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, and the receiver. Use it in your home or office and you can simply set your laptop down and begin working, with no connections to make or wires to hook up.

If you prefer separates, Logitech already sells compatible Unifying keyboards and mice on their own. The Notebook Kit MK605 lists for $99.99 and is available for pre-order from the Logitech site (it ships in November).