November 10, 2009

WarMouse, in collaboration with the OpenOffice.org community, revealed  a new open-source mouse developed specifically for users of the OpenOffice suite.

The corded pointing device, memorably dubbed the OpenOfficeMouse, features an unconventional amount of inputs, and will no-doubt be more than welcome in the line-up of the worlds weirdest mice. It packs in a massive 18 programmable buttons, all of which can be double-clicked, in addition to a scroll-wheel, 512k of built-in flash memory and support for over 60 separate configurations. With that many buttons let’s just hope its target users are incredibly dexterous.

Adding to the devices overall appeal is the ability to not only make OpenOffice users lives easier, but equally cater to the gaming crowd. The OpenOfficeMouse can make light work of various gaming hits, including popular titles like World Of Warcraft and Call Of Duty. Mouse designer, Theodore Beale detailed that “you can do far more with this mouse than most people are likely to realize at first”.

Sadly, OpenOffice failed to detail when the confusing new point-and-click would be hitting stores, but we did learn that when the multi-button mouse does arrive it will set you back $74.99.

By Roman Loyola
November 3, 2009

People have strong opinions about computer mice-after all, a mouse (along with a keyboard) physically forms a personal connection between you and your Mac. Apple‘s new Magic Mouse has a creative new design that, upon first impression, you’ll either love or hate.

The Bluetooth Magic Mouse has no visible buttons. It is a two-button mouse, but there’s no visible separation between right and left. I’m right handed, and I use my middle finger for right click, and my index finger for left click, and in my five hours of use, I never accidentally clicked the wrong button.

The buttons actually click; when you press down, you can see and feel the button depress, and there’s an audible click that sounds authentic. You don’t have to take your finger off the mouse to double click. When I simply rested my hand on the mouse, however, I clicked it.

The Magic Mouse has only two buttons. There are no side buttons, like on the Mighty Mouse (now called the Apple Mouse), nor is there a scroll wheel or scroll ball button. In fact, the Exposé or Dashboard functions found in the Apple/Mighty Mouse are no longer in the Magic Mouse.

Perhaps the most innovative feature about the Magic Mouse is the Multi-Touch support, which effectively replaces a scroll wheel or scroll ball. To scroll a document up, down, left or right, you glide your finger on the mouse in the appropriate direction. Your fingers don’t even have to be at the top of the mouse; you can swipe the area just above the logo if you want, and the scrolling works.

The two-finger swiping, however, wasn’t so easy for me to perform. Two-finger swiping can be used in iPhoto, for example, to move between photos. I found it difficult to keep the Magic Mouse still as I swiped two fingers left or right.

The Magic Mouse has a plastic top, and aluminum bottom with two plastic rails. Moving the mouse on my desktop with and without a mouse pad wasn’t smooth at all-it was a grating sensation.

Below is a ten-second video of the Magic Mouse System Preference, which has built-in video tutorials on how to use Multi-Touch.

Following the Magic Mouse’s launch, Apple has also released software updates for Leopard and Snow Leopard to support its Multi-Touch features.

October 31, 2009

Tiny Wireless Keyboard For The Home Theater
By Luis Anthony G. Oliveros
Published in the November 2009 print edition of PC World Philippines

Logitech diNovo Mini
P9,599
www.logitech.com

The Logitech diNovo Mini is a pint-sized wireless keyboard designed specifically for pairing with home theaters PCs and the PlayStation 3. It’s for those who need an input device but wouldn’t want a full-sized keyboard parked in their home theaters or living rooms. It comes in a compact 152x90x27.5mm clamshell design at only 175g so handling feels very comfortable with the curved lower corners nestled comfortably within the palm of both hands. This easily makes handling it comparable to using a handheld gaming device or a landscape oriented mobile phone where you type with your thumbs.

Underneath the lid, the keyboard is made up of sensibly tactile keys that offer good feedback. These keys are mostly nicely sized although we would’ve preferred a larger CTRL key which had been minimized to make room for the Windows button on its right side. Also, adequate spacing between each key would’ve helped a lot to enhance usability as we’ve managed to commit several typos during our test period. A circular touchpad is positioned to its right, which doubles as a five-way direction pad to supplement navigation. This keyboard also has a backlight, making it easier for use in rooms with less than desirable lighting conditions.

The diNovo Mini connects via Bluetooth which means it’ll work at up to 10 meters away from the computer. This seems apt since a good parking space for it would be a home theater or a living room’s coffee table near the general couch vicinity. Indeed, quite a comfortable area for multimedia buffs and gamers alike to enjoy their videos and games. A USB dongle is also included in the box should your machine lack the wireless connectivity.

March 10, 2009

Buffalo MediaStation
By Carlo C. Gutierrez
Published in the December 2008-January 2009 print edition of PC World Philippines

P4,150
www.buffalotech.com

The Buffalo MediaStation features an ultra slim and compact form, measuring a meager 141x23x155mm and 360g. It makes use of USB 2.0 interface and is USB bus-powered to spare you from having to deal with another set of wires, but a power adapter is included for good measure.

The MediaStation supports a whole array of DVD/CD formats, including DVD-R, DVD-R Dual Layer, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+R Dual Layer, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM, CD-R, and CD-RW. It can burn DVDs at up to 8x speeds and CDs up to 24x speeds.

The MediaStation is compatible with Windows Vista, XP, and 2000. Bundled with the portable drive are Nero 8 Essentials, Secure LockWare, and Adobe Reader.