Hasta La Gadget!

I have nothing against touchpads on laptops, but they aren’t exactly the easiest things to use, especially when you’re editing or cropping images. Now portable mice do fine, but they’re not the most convenient things to use if you’re left to work without a surface. I’ve tried using my regular mouse on my leg while my laptop was propped on my lap when I was rushing to meet a deadline. Let me just say the mouse slipped a couple of times and the people around me weren’t very impressed with my random yelps, gasps, and occasional curses.

In situations like this when you have to use your laptop and your mouse on a curved surface, then the Arc Mouse would be perfect.

The mouse is curved in form, so you can use it on your leg or the padded armrest of an arm chair with ease. It doesn’t look like it would be very useful if you’re using it on a normal flat surface, so it’s probably best to use and take along when you’re working out of the office.

The Arc Mouse is a concept design by Seunghoon Shin and Chang Seok Kim, which also happens to be a 2012 IDEA Awards entry. And yes, I know that Microsoft already has a mouse with the same name, but that’s where the similarities end.

[via Yanko Design]

Using Microsoft’s Kinect to replace a mouse is often considered the Holy Grail of developers; there have been hacks and other tricks to get it working well before Kinect for Windows was even an option. A lead Technical Evangelist for Microsoft in France, David Catuhe, has just provided a less makeshift approach. The 1.2 update to his Kinect Toolbox side project introduces hooks to control the mouse outright, including ‘magnetic’ control to draw the mouse from its original position. To help keep the newly fashioned input (among other gestures) under control, Catuhe has also taken advantage of the SDK 1.5 release to check that the would-be hand-waver is sitting and staring at the Kinect before accepting any input. The open-source Windows software is available to grab for experimentation today, so if you think hands-free belongs as much on the PC desktop as in a car, you now have a ready-made way to make the dream a reality… at least, until you have to type.

Filed under: Peripherals, Software

Kinect Toolbox update turns hand gestures into mouse input, physical contact into distant memory originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 03:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft has released details on two new products, the Wedge Touch Mouse and the Wedge Touch Keyboard, which look perfect for when you’re on the go and you get tired of using the touch-based keyboard on your tablet.

The Wedge peripherals use Bluetooth. The keyboard’s cover doubles as a multi-angle stand for your tablet, which is a smart idea. There is a joint at the center which allows you to adjust the angle. The cover also powers the keyboard down automatically, once it’s placed inside. There are some hotkeys along the top to launch some functions. The Wedge Touch Mouse offers four-way touch scrolling using Bluetrack technology, which means it will work on any surface.

While Microsoft doesn’t specifically state which devices the Wedge series will work with, they mention Windows, Mac OS X, and “basic functionality on ARM-based devices,” but I’m guessing that any Bluetooth tablet should work with the keyboard. The mouse will only work with a computer though. The keyboard will sell for $79.95(USD) and the mouse will sell for $69.95. They will be released soon.

[via Wired]

As we’ve seen, there will be no shortage of tablet / laptop hybrids on offer when Windows 8 starts shipping this fall. But since those keyboard docks will typically be sold separately, that means you’re also about to see loads of third-party alternatives. Not to be left out, Microsoft just announced a Bluetooth mobile keyboard, along with its smallest-ever mouse — both of which can be used with any Windows tablet.

Starting with that Wedge Mobile Keyboard, it resembles Zaggmate’s iPad case from 2010, in that it has a hard case to make it more travel-resilient. Here, though, the casing is made of flexible rubber, allowing it to double as a tablet stand. Putting it over the keys also turns the keyboard off, allowing you to conserve battery life. On board, you’ll also find hotkeys specific to certain Windows 8 features, such as the Charms Bar. And, as the name suggests, the keyboard rises a bit in the back, thanks to the battery door on the other side (this takes two AAA cells, by the way.) One caveat: though you can use it with Windows 7, 8 and RT, and even Mac OS X, but it’s not compatible with Vista. Sorry, folks.

In a similar vein, the tiny Wedge Touch Mouse has a matching soft-touch surface and is also Bluetooth-enabled. Like other mice in Microsoft’s lineup, it has BlueTrack technology, allowing it to be used on a wide variety of surfaces. The mouse, which runs on a single AA battery, also shuts down whenever you power down whatever device it’s paired with. These products will ship “soon,” according to Microsoft, with the keyboard retailing for $79.95 and the mouse going for $69.95. For now, we’ve got a bunch of photos below for your viewing pleasure.

Filed under: Peripherals

Microsoft intros Wedge Mobile Keyboard, whose case doubles as a stand originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 03:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Launching alongside new iterations of its BlackWidow keyboard, Razer’s latest gaming mouse just went official. We spotted the ambidextrous Razer Ouroboros just a few months ago, courtesy of some federal filings, and now we have the official line on its specs and layout. The symmetrical body means it’ll even suit southpaws, while an adjustable palm rest and two interchangeable sides can contort the mouse into claw, palm or hybrid grip styles. If cables frustrate, the good news is that the Razer Ouroboros works in wireless mode too, while the 8,200 DPI sensor and a built-in clutch trigger button should keep you on the edge of accuracy. Razer reckon its new dual sensor system can detect surfaces ten times faster than its last generation sensors. The mouse is priced at $130, but you’ll have to hold out until Q4 before it arrives in stores.

Meanwhile, Razer’s gaming keyboards have appeared in several new guises — though they may not wow like the Ouroboros. The BlackWidow 2013 adds improved anti-ghosting feature will allow up to 10 simultaneous key presses, with an anti-fingerprint finish coating the whole thing. An Ultimate version adds backlit keys, while the Tournament edition is ten key-less, dropping the number pad to ensure a tinier footprint for gamers on the move. Prices start at $80 for the Tournament version, up to $140 for the Ultimate, with the whole familia BlackWidow set to launch next month.

Continue reading Razer Ouroboros gaming mouse gets official: fits both hands, changes shape

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Razer Ouroboros gaming mouse gets official: fits both hands, changes shape originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 10:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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