Ipad Arc

Ipad Arc

Three Funky Mice Made for Laptops

It isn't easy being a computer mouse these days. While laptop sales grow and desktop sales decline, more people rely solely on laptop touchpads, many of which offer more functionality than mice. And tablets like Apple's iPad and Samsung's Galaxy Tab shun the mouse altogether.

But before you toss your tethered friend, it's worth paying homage to the many things this gadget can do. From precisely cropping one of cousin Fred's fleeting girlfriends out of a family photo to selecting just the right number in a spreadsheet filled with thousands of digits, the mouse is just the right tool for such precision jobs. And sometimes it's just a lot more comfortable to use for long stretches of work on a laptop.  IBM laptop battery 

This week, I tested three computer mice that laptop users will actually want to bring along with them. Their designs make them simple to pack in a bag, use while sitting on the couch or recharge directly from the laptop. I tried Microsoft's $70 Arc Touch Mouse, Logitech's $50 Couch Mouse M515 and the $70 Swiftpoint Mouse.

At first glance, Microsoft's Arc Touch Mouse looks like nothing more than a flattened mouse. But it's cleverly designed to bend into an arc that serves as a comfortable rest for the hand. As soon as the Arc Touch Mouse is bent into this shape, its battery turns on. It holds this shape until you flatten it with your hand. When it's flattened, the mouse turns off to conserve battery. Microsoft claims this battery will last up to six months. The flattened Arc Touch is much easier to pack in a carry-on or to slip into a side pocket than its rotund relatives.

On a Mac, the Arc Touch is limited to basic functions, including use of its touch-sensitive scroll strip that scrolls super quickly when a finger flicks up or down on it. This strip makes a subtle sound like that of a roulette wheel as it scrolls, and a tap on the strip stops the scrolling at a specific location on the screen. I caught myself looking down at this mouse a few times to make sure I wasn't using a real scroll wheel because the sound effects and feel of the scroll strip are so wheel-like. sony laptop battery 

On a Windows PC, installing software will give the Arc Touch extra functions. Double tapping the middle of the scroll strip gives it the same function as a regular mouse's middle click. Or this button can be programmed to open a link in a new tab within Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser. This mouse's tiny USB receiver can be plugged into a laptop almost unnoticed or it will magnetically stick to the base when not in use.

Logitech's Couch Mouse M515 seems like it was made with me in mind. I often sit on my bed or couch using my laptop, and this mouse has a sealed underside so its sensor doesn't collect fuzz from fabrics after passing over them several times. I used it on carpets and on a blanket and liked its base, which is designed to glide easily over all types of surfaces. This mouse felt fast and responsive.

To conserve battery, the Couch Mouse is only on when a hand grips it. So if someone stops to watch TV for a while, then accidentally sits on the mouse or the mouse slips between couch cushions, its buttons won't continue clicking away. An underside switch turns it entirely on or off. The Couch Mouse also uses a USB receiver, and it can be stored inside the mouse for travel.

Like the Couch Mouse, the Swiftpoint Mouse from Swiftpoint Ltd. of New Zealand, is designed for use with laptops in less than ideal working environments. This tiny mouse was designed to operate directly on the laptop wrist rest area or on the laptop touchpad, itself. In fact, the mouse comes with a large, clear sticker labeled "Swiftpoint Parking Accessory" that goes on the laptop so the mouse doesn't slip off when the laptop's tilted. fujitsu laptop battery

The simple sticker worked well, creating a magnetic square in the center of the wrist rest area that kept the mouse from slipping off when I was leaning back and typing at an angle.

A scroll wheel on the right of the Swiftpoint Mouse works by rolling it with one finger or by turning the mouse on its side and moving it up or down, which made for faster scrolling. I found this feature awkward and unnatural at first, but after a lot of use, I grew accustomed to it. Touching the left click button while scrolling up or down zooms in or out, respectively, on any screen.

This mouse is so small that rather than its USB receiver fitting inside or on it for storage, the mouse magnetically attaches onto its USB receiver, resting on it while the receiver is plugged into the laptop. This allows for the Swiftpoint Mouse to recharge its battery; Swiftpoint says 30 seconds of charging will give the mouse an hour's worth of juice and a 90-minute charge will last two to four weeks, depending on how much you use it. The former proved to be true for me, but I didn't have enough time to test the latter claim.

When I set this mouse onto the USB receiver for charging, it flashed a rapid green charging indicator light, which slowed after about a minute. Using a rechargeable mobile mouse means not worrying about getting stuck somewhere with dead batteries.

For those looking to have more control in the Windows 7 environment, Microsoft is bringing out in May an $80 model called the Touch Mouse. It will work specifically with Windows 7, using a touch surface that responds to gestures so as to perform tasks like docking, minimizing or maximizing and displaying the desktop.

It's an awful lot like Apple's $69 Magic Trackpad, a square surface that came out last summer and enables gestures within the Mac operating system for desktops.

Though these three mice are easy to port around and work well in a variety of work environments, they can't replace many of the clever gestures built into so many laptops nowadays, especially Macs. But if you're looking for comfort and function on the go, they do the trick.

About the Author

Battery company is an operated online retailer of high-quality electronics accessories, specialising in laptop batteries and laptop adapter, battery chargers, camera batteries, camcorder batteries, dewalt power tool batteries and mobile phone batteries. Battery company has quickly grown to one of the top online Australian retailers of electronics accessories, offering generic product brands that provide the same quality as the big brand names but at half the price.

Arc...At This $10.49 Arc...At This

Arc $14.49 Arc

The Arc $29.99 The Arc - Wall Decal

iPad Application Development For Dummies $34.99 The fun and easy guide to creating iPad apps, updated for iOS 5! iPad app development is hot, with more than 140,000 apps available specifically for the device and that number growing every day. The introduction of iOS 5 and iCloud gives developers even more options to create incredible iPad apps. This fast and friendly guide to iPad app development is fully updated for the most recent upgrades and covers everything you need to know, starting with how to download the SDK and become an Apple developer all the way to finishing up your app and submitting it to the App Store. Zeroes in on essential concepts and tools including storyboard, segues, the ARC memory manager, what makes a great iPad app, and more Explains how the iPad offers development opportunities that go beyond the capabilities of the iPhone or iPod touch by focusing exclusively on developing apps for the iPad Looks at how iOS 5 and iCloud brought many changes to the device and a wealth of new features for app developers to utilize in their apps Covers how to become a registered Apple developer, how to download and set up the SDK, and the details of how an iPad app runs Popular developer Neal Goldstein examines what goes into a great user experience and takes you step by step through the actual development of two apps, illustrating everything you need to know Whether you're looking for a new hobby or you want to build a business in app development, iPad Application Development For Dummies, 3rd Edition is the book you'll want in your developer's toolkit!

Arc Light $9.49 Arc Light

Arc Of The Dawn $9.49 Arc Of The Dawn

Arc Of A Diver $6.49 Arc Of A Diver

Learning iPad Programming $35.99 This is the eBook version of the printed book. Learning iPad Programming walks you through the process of building PhotoWheel (free on the App Store), a photo management and sharing app that leverages every aspect of iOS 5. With PhotoWheel, you can organize your favorite photos into albums, share photos with family and friends, view them on your TV using AirPlay and an Apple TV, and most importantly, gain hands-on experience with building an iPad app. As you build PhotoWheel, you’ll learn how to take advantage of the latest features in iOS 5 and Xcode, including Storyboarding, Automatic Reference Counting (ARC), and iCloud. Best of all, you’ll learn how to extend the boundaries of your app by communicating with web services. If you want to build apps for the iPad, Learning iPad Programming is the one book to get.   As you build PhotoWheel, you’ll learn how to   Install and configure Xcode 4.2 on your Mac Master the basics of Objective-C, and learn about memory management with ARC Build a fully functional app that uses Core Data and iCloud for photo sharing and synchronization Use Xcode’s new Storyboard feature to quickly prototype a functional UI, and then extend that UI with code Create multitouch gestures and integrate Core Animation for a unique UI experience Build custom views, and use view controllers to perform custom view transitions Add AirPrint, email, and AirPlay capabilities to your app Apply image filters and effects using Core Image Diagnose and fix bugs with Instruments Prepare your app for submission to the app store   Download the free version of PhotoWheel from the App Store today! Share your photos with friends and upload to iCloud, all while learning how to build the app.

Joan of Arc $39.99 Joan of Arc - Giclee Print

Triumphal Arc $59.99 Triumphal Arc - Wall Decal

Noah's Arc $49.99 Noah's Arc - Giclee Print

Arc Welding $24.99 Arc Welding - Photographic Print

New Arc $14.99 David Dauncey New Arc - Art Print