ShareThisBy MIKE BERMAN
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
What fun would it be if we all had computers and no one was making any cool stuff to use with them?
Well, thanks to gadget-makers such as Logitech we computer geeks don't have to lead a boring existence and can continue to play with new and innovative products designed to make our hours spent using the one-eyed monsters a bit more tolerable.
I've been playing with two new Logitech mice, noise-canceling headphones, notebook speakers and a new notebook Webcam and all them have found permanent homes either on my desk or in my notebook bag.
The new MX Revolution cordless mouse ($99.99) does a lot more than just move a cursor around on your desktop. With five buttons and two scroll wheels, it can be programmed to perform many functions including Internet searches, quickly "flipping" from one document to another or accessing e-mail. There are also two modes for the scroll wheel allowing you to quickly move through documents or move down click-by-click.
Other key features include:
_ Smart-shift technology that detects your current application and automatically applies the scrolling mode that's best for the task at hand.
_ One-touch search, which will use your favorite search engine to display results for any word you highlight in a document. Just highlight and click.
_ A rechargeable Li-Ion battery.
_ It uses cordless laser technology, communicating with a receiver plugged into the USB port of your computer.
The VX Revolution cordless mouse for notebooks ($79.99) is a smaller version of the MX Revolution boasting many of the same features in a much smaller package. Although it's primarily designed for those of us who would rather use a mouse with our notebook computers, it can still be used with a desktop if you believe smaller is better.
Major differences, other than size, include:
_ It's powered by a AA battery.
_ There's a slot to store the USB laser receiving unit in the bottom of the mouse, so you can't lose it.
_ You can program it to zoom in or out of photos, applications and documents.
Logitech's V-20 Notebook Speakers ($69.99) come in a handy, high-impact case, which can fit easily into your notebook bag, and deliver much better sound than those built into your computer. Just plug them into your notebook's USB port and you're ready to listen to music, watch a movie or play games with full, rich high-quality sound. Also buttons on top of the right speaker give you access to all of your multimedia controls, including play, stop, forward/back, mute and volume. There are even flip-out stands built into the backs of the speakers.
The new Logitech Noise Canceling Headphones ($149.99) deliver great sound without annoying the person sitting next to you. You can listen to music, play games or watch movies using anything from an iPod to a full-blown PC. There's even an adapter so you can connect them to airplane audio systems. It effectively cancels out about 90 percent of ambient noise produced by what Logitech refers to as "outside distractions."
The headphones also come with a handy high-impact case, making it convenient to carry them around with you. The package also features: a detachable audio cable, in case you just want to block out distractions and not play music, etc.
Logitech's new QuickCam for Notebooks ($99.99) gives you 1.3 megapixel images (which can be enhanced up to 4 megapixels using software included with the unit) and delivers fast and clear video for Web conferencing or video chatting. This small device (about the size of a house key) just clips to the top of your notebook's screen and uses your computer's USB port for power. It also comes with a built-in microphone, a small detachable headset and a small, high-impact carrying case. Audio is synchronized with the video, even in full-screen mode and adjusts the images to the light in the room.
