SteelSeries World of Warcraft Mouse equipped for hands-on impressions, +14 agility

We finally got our hands on SteelSeries' World of Warcraft MMO Gaming Mouse, and took the thing for a little spin across Azeroth. After hiring a rogue to open the complicated packaging and marveling at the mouse's incomprehensible runes, we hooked up the mouse over USB and were treated to the ambient light show. The "cracks" across the back of the mouse glow with subtle colors, though we wish they could light up a bit more dramatically and actually convey game status info -- but we're boring like that. Compared to most mice, the WoW mouse is rather large and "hand supporting," leaving behind the typical friction and frame of reference that a trailing hand and wrist usually supply. It's nice and comfortable, but there's a bit of a trade off, though overall we found the mouse to be incredibly "right" in responsiveness and accuracy. More impressions after the break.
The real draw here, of course, is the 15 individually programmable buttons, which can be assigned to up to 160 interchangeable macros with the downloadable Windows-only software. SteelSeries claims to be "working with Blizzard on the development strategy for a Mac solution" which sounds like they've got a whole lot of nothing ready for the Mac-inclined. Right now they recommend setting up the mouse with the third party ControllerMate software.
That's a shame, because the software is the real strength here. You can set up 10 different profiles for your various alts, play styles and situations, with buttons set to dismount, auto target, target self, toggle bags... you get the picture. Unfortunately, with all that complexity comes a bit of a learning curve. It took our WoW-addled intern two hours of running Heroic Nexus to get used to using all the buttons, and he found that even then he was mainly just using two of the macros, with the rest being forgotten more often than not. A heavy macro user could probably use the mouse all by its lonesome and rid their reliance on a keyboard, but that would take a certain amount of skill and determination. The real strength here is Battlegrounds and raids, but it's clear the mouse isn't really about making WoW more accessible or "easy," rather about enabling power users to kick even more ass. The mouse is available now for $99.

( Engadget )

Razer offers up Mamba wireless gaming mouse, Carcharias headset

It's been a few months now since we've heard anything from Razer, but the outfit's hitting us up with two new pieces here at CES that are definitely worth a look. Starting things off is yet another gaming mouse, this one coined the Mamba. It features 2.4GHz "gaming grade" wireless technology, an optional, detachable cord, first-in-class polling rates of 1-millisecond, a "world's fastest" 5,600DPI Precision 3.5G Laser sensor and a battery life / DPI stage indicator. Moving on, we've got the Carcharias circumaural audio headset, which rocks a fully adjustable headband, inline remote and a 3-meter braided cable. The devices are set to start shipping in February and January, respectively, at $129.99 / $79.99. The release is hosted up in full after the break.RAZER™ UNVEILS NEW PRODUCT SUITE FOR GAMERS
New products reveal renewed focus on product design and proprietary technologies
Las Vegas, NV – January 8, 2009 – Today, at the Consumer Electronics Show, Razer™
unveiled a cutting edge of gaming peripherals including the Razer Mamba™, a high precision
wireless laser gaming mouse, and the Razer Carcharias™, a circumaural audio headset. Product
demonstrations will be held at the South Hall, meeting room 35166.
This new suite of Razer products will give gamers the competitive edge and allow for enhanced
game play for longer periods of time. With an emphasis on product design and a focus on
proprietary Razer technologies, these latest products will help gamers amplify performance levels
with faster response times, increased precision and offer unique design features.
"The best entertainment experiences happen when you are fully immersed in your game, and
hardware shouldn't get in the way of that," said Razer president Robert "Razerguy" Krakoff.
"We've put every bit of advantage available in the hands of our gamers with the new Razer
Mamba, and the Razer Carcharias. These products are for gamers who understand how minimal
wireless lag time, high quality audio communications and increased precision can mean the
difference between winning and losing."
PRODUCT OVERVIEW:
The Razer Mamba™
Razer has unleashed the full potential of gaming mice by designing an ergonomic, lag free
gaming mouse with 2.4GHz gaming grade wireless technology, making it the fastest mouse both
on and off the cord. With dual mode wired/wireless functionality, the Razer Mamba lets users
immediately and seamlessly switch from wired to wireless play. With first in class polling rates at
1ms as compared to traditional wireless mice that poll at 8ms, players will have virtually lag free
game play.
The Razer Mamba also includes a host of features like Razer Synapse™ on-board memory that
lets gamers store and bring their mouse settings wherever they go. And the world's fastest
5600DPI Razer Precision™ 3.5G Laser sensor, the Razer Mamba wireless gaming mouse lets
gamers move with lightning speed and precision to easily escape from becoming prey.
Cost: US- $129.99; Europe- €129.99
Available: Razerzone.com Feb, 2009, Worldwide Q1 2009
Features:
• Detachable seven-foot, lightweight, braided cord
• Battery life & DPI stage indicator
• Ultra-large non-slip Hyperesponse™ buttons
• Ergonomic design
• Zero-acoustic Ultraslick™ Teflon feet
Specifications:
• Gaming Grade Wireless Technology
• Dual Mode Wired/Wireless Functionality
• Razer Synapse™ On-board Memory
• 5600DPI Razer Precision™ 3.5G Laser sensor
• 1000Hz Ultrapolling™ / 1ms response rate
• Up to 200 inches per second*/ 50g acceleration
• Approximate size: 128mm x 70mm x 42.5mm
• Battery Life: 14hrs (continuous gaming); 72hrs (normal gaming usage)
*Depends on surface used
The Razer Carcharias™
The Razer Carcharias is the essence of uncompromised comfort and audio clarity. The Razer
Carcharias contain certain key features focused on comfort, like a circumaural shape to allow full
over-ear coverage, interchangeable ear pads for a custom fit and a fully adjustable headband.
The Razer Carcharias headset boasts superior audio clarity, deep, thumping bass and a noise
filtering microphone. An inline remote lets users quickly and easily adjust volume and mute the
microphone.
Cost: US- $79.99; Europe- €79.99
Available: Razerzone.com Jan, 2009, Worldwide Q1 2009
Headphone:
• Frequency Response: 20 - 20,000 Hz
• Impedance: 32 _ at 1kHz
• Sensitivity (@1kHz, 1V/Pa): 102 ± 4dB at 1 kHzMax.
• Input Power: 200 mW
• Drivers: 40 mm, with neodymium Magnets
Microphone:
• Frequency Response: 50 – 16,000 Hz
• Sensitivity( @1kHz, 1V/Pa): -37 ± 4dB
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 50 dB
• Pick-up pattern: Unidirectional
• Cable: 3 meters, Braided Fiber Sheath
• Connector: 3.5 mm jack (headphone and mic)

( Engadget )

WeeP5 makes other Wiimote gun mods cry home to their mamas

If your Wiimote-gun hybrid lacks a little bit of that "I would shut down an airport having this in my carry-on luggage" panache, we suggest you check out WeeP5, a toy MP5 chock-full of motion control. To be honest, we're most enamored by the setup of the above picture, as the modded armament rests lovingly over the heads of a young couple, against a picture of men in togas, and just under a VHS copy of The Lost World in German -- it's just so beautiful. In case you're wondering: B button is the trigger, A button is under the foregrip, 1 and 2 are on opposite sides near the front, the D-pad and Wii remote are jutting out of the left side, and the +, -, and home buttons are on the top just above the ammo clip. Hit up the read link for full DIY instructions.

( Hack a Day )

• ASUS offers up branded keyboard / mouse combo, remote for Eee Box

NZXT Avatar Gaming Mouse Lightning Review [Lightning Review]

The Gadget Avatar is the first-ever gaming mouse from NZXT, who's better known for its Battlestar Galactica-worthy PC cases. It's got the usual gaming mice features—a ridiculous DPI count with on-the-fly-switching, a crapload of customizable buttons, and bright, shiny lights. The Price: $70. Verdict: I'm on record as being less than fond of ambidextrous mice since I don't use a "claw" grip for gaming. Avatar tries to let you have it both ways, with a deeply grooved thumb grip, and fails more spectacularly as a result. Its most glaring problem, and what ultimately renders it less than usable, is that it has a thumb button placed on either side—part of the whole ambidextrous thing—so it's far too easy to hit the one opposite your thumb with your ring finger whenever you pick the mouse up (something you do a lot, actually). You can try tucking your finger underneath it, but that requires you to recess your grip, so that clicking the button your thumb actually uses requires more effort, and therefore more time. Not to mention it cramps your hand, thanks to its extremely thin profile. They could partially solve this by making the ass of the mouse a bit fatter, giving the back of your palm more surface to grip so you could actually use it in a claw style. Even then, that errant side button would still be in the way. So, while the customization software and everything worked well enough, the ergonomics of the mouse really just make it less than usable. If you're looking for an ambidextrous gaming mouse, I'd recommend one of Razer's instead.
( Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog )

Silverstone Raven Gaming Mouse Has a Tumor on the Side, Can't Possibly Be Comfortable [Gaming]

Silverstone's Raven gaming mouse looks really interesting at first glance, what with the giant, glowing and strangely hypnotic tumor bolted to its side. It appears to be a secondary scroll wheel, which sits next to the usual thumb buttons. And you've got another pair of buttons next to your middle finger. But when you think about the ergonomics, it just don't work. How can it possibly be comfortable to hold with that massive wart bulging out? Check out this top down view to see what I mean.

Also, NZXT's Avatar pulled some similar side button trickery as the Silverstone, which resulted in you accidentally mashing the side button every time you picked up the mouse. The Raven's side buttons don't look quite as haphazardly placed, so it might not be the case. When we get one in our hands maybe our doubts will be blown by away by this 3200dpi monster, but hold on to that $85 in the meantime.
( Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog )

SteelSeries WoW MMO Gaming Mouse makes wasting your life that much easier

With Wrath of the Lich King just around the corner, it's time to up your game and finally make it out of the low double digits with that Blood Elf mage you keep telling us about. Maybe SteelSeries can help. The high-end gaming peripherals builder recently snapped up Ideazon, and together they've built the official World of Warcraft MMO Gaming Mouse in close cooperation with Ideazon's BFF Blizzard. There are 15 programmable buttons scattered across the mouse, and a new in-game configuration utility to graphically assign the buttons just where they're needed. You can save different profiles for different purposes, and choose one of 16 million colors for those LEDs down the back. Just don't expect any fancy auto-levelling macros or even a recommended control scheme -- Blizzard still expects you to do the hard work of lining up your favorite actions and buying your gold on eBay. The laser mouse hits on November 13th to coincide with the Lich King launch, and should retail "under $100."

( Engadget )

Nintendo getting into the pedometer game? This will all end in tears

Bad / good news, folks: Nintendo is / isn't working on a pedometer peripheral that will / won't integrate with its Wii / DS console. The company has famously stated that it doesn't plan to release "a whole lot more" accessories for the Wii, which means we've got at least one or two to look forward to, and this could be one of 'em. The images surfaced on a European trademark registry site with very little supplemental info, but we do know it's a pedometer of sorts. If we're lucky, this is something that'll integrate into the existing Wii Fit setup, perhaps alongside a software update to manage more info about our unhealthiness than just how far we can jump on a pair of imaginary skis, but it's probably just as likely that we're looking at a Wii Fit sequel, or perhaps a DS version (a handy companion to that new DS?) designed to lure us out of the house. No telling, really, but the peripheral does appear to be wireless... and wholly evil.

( Joystiq )

Nova explodes your brain with the Slider X 600 gaming mouse and OVER Slide pad

If you're having trouble choosing which gaming mouse to sink your teeth into next, here's a newbie to add to the ever growing pile: the Nova Slider X 600. Not surprisingly, it's tethered to a "recommended" mouse pad -- a cornerstone product for this French based company. As for the laser mouse it features "indestructible" super-glide ceramic feet for speed and precision, along with 8 programmable buttons, a gold-plated USB connector, five luminous color options, and a cable that is notably positioned to the side. The 16.5-inch x 11.5-inch "OVER Slide" mouse pad boasts a 12,000 dpi ceramic surface, and promises "zero lag and optimal conditions" for the laser -- you know, way better than that magazine you've been using. The mouse and pad can be had for $99.99 and $39.99 respectively this November.

( Everything USB )

Lightning Review: Razer DeathAdder Gaming Mouse for PC and Mac [Lightning Review]

The Gadget: Razer's DeathAdder, an 1800dpi right-handed gaming mouse for PC or Mac.The Price: $59.99The Verdict: You'll remember in my gaming gear Battlemodo that I slighted Razer's Lachesis mouse for its ergonomics and build quality. Thinking I might get along with a right-handed mouse better, Razer sent me the DeathAdder, which just dropped for Macs ('cause Mac gaming is so robust.)And I did, greatly preferring it to the ambi Lachesis. It's comfortable, and if you like the ergonomics of Microsoft mice, you'll probably dig DeathAdder, which has a similar form factor. The most clever thing about the design is that the two buttons are clickable deep into the mouse's body, so you can grip it shallow or really palm it—also useful if you have tiny hands. Tracking's accurate enough, though I'd have liked more than three settings for DPI.I would've also liked a thicker, braided cord, like on Logitech's G5 or SteelSeries' Ikari, but overall the build quality seems good enough. Is it worth $60? As much as any other gaming mouse is worth the extra bones. [Razer]

( Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog )

ASUS Eee Stick motion controller brings Wii to the Eee

ASUS seems to be bringing a lot of new toys out to play at Computex, but we're suddenly most intrigued by the Eee Stick, a pair of motion-sensing game controllers that looks like nothing more than a pair of Wii nunchuks. We're hearing that the left nunchuck can also work as a 3D mouse, but it'll be interesting to see if ASUS plans to actually pitch the $70 set to game developers, or if it's just another gimmicky controller that'll inevitably get dumped for the comforts of WASD. Gameplay video after the break.

( Engadget Chinese )