The mouse is a bit of an unsung hero in the world of PC technology. While there's been certainly some advancement for it - with the dawn of sleeker, more ergonomic models, laser technology replacing the annoying mouse ball that's a magnet for grit and dust -  it hasn't had as much attention towards making it look better than the small lump of plastic and metal you use to manipulate that all-too-important pointer on your screen.

Thankfully, there's a hero in this very unfortunate tragedy, and it's none other than goomba-stomping, princess-saving Mario - in the form of two very retro and very cute-looking mice that you'll finally be able to swap with that boring old thing you keep sliding around with the palm of your hand.

They're not really that ergonomic in terms of being shaped to fit your hand just right - they're modeled after the 8-bit Mario and Starmen, which means hard edges and a lego-like feel - but it's certainly a nice thing, to have these icons of Nintendo's glorious past to serve as one of your tools to get you through the workday. And with either one going for the mere pittance of US$ 25 each, it's practically a steal.

Certainly good that more and more Nintendo-related merchandise are popping up. Updates as we get them!

 

With the Wiimote and Nunchuck proving to be very ergonomic yet also very sterile-looking controllers, it's no wonder that the Wii owner is inundated with peripherals to "spice" the look and feel of these motion-sensing wonders a bit. Ranging from the good, to the so-so, and to the definitely weird, there's certainly a lot of options to choose from. But now, here's one particular peripheral that may just prove to be a no-brainer.

Enter Camy Pro Gear's Hero Pack for the Nintendo Wii. Now, before you say that it's just another "shell" for the Wiimote and Nunchuck - we all know that already - it's probably one of the best-looking and most well thought-out ones to be introduced to the Wii peripheral market. Modeled after Link's legendary gear (as closely as they can be, without copyright infringement), the Hero Pack actually gives you a sense of wielding an actual sword and a shield during play, albeit miniaturized a bit.

Made out of sturdy plastic, both the sword and shield shellpieces snap onto your Wii controls easily and securely, and both are lightweight so as not to give you tired arms after a vigorous round of, say, Twilight Princess. What's great about the Hero Pack is its design, specifically on the Master Sword. The miniature foam blade is set so that it doesn't block the IR port of the Wiimote, ensuring unimpeded motion-sensing happy. And of course, being modeled after Link's tools of the trade certainly helps.

Gamers looking to get the Hero Pack may have to wait a bit, though, as it's not yet shipping - but what we do know is that they're working hard on bringing the whole shebang to the US, at the mere pittance of twenty greenbacks (US$ 20) each.

  

Freshome decided to survey one of the more interesting lines of iPod/MP3 player accessories out there: pillows. Seems like everyone's embedding speakers into the favored nighty-night companion. We've covered one of the seven devices they've surveyed, the Pillow Pod, but the other six turn out to be interesting in their own right.

There's the iPod Speaker Pillow set that comes in Rectangle and Neck - the Neck's gonna be useful for those long, long, long car trips. Options like the sports-themed iPod speaker pillows or the Cozy Tunes Speaker Pillow carry only the basic function of serving as a soft speaker. The Sound Pillow doubles as an MP3 player speaker and a tinnitus relaxer, actually designed by the UK Royal National Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

   

Most interesting perhaps are the iPod Pillow and the Music Cure Pillow (the two serve as this article's top images). The iPod pillow isn't just a speaker: it also has a built-in FM tuner and the buttons on the darn thing work! (For volume, switch-to-radio, scan for station, and power-off).

The Music Cure Pillow may be the priciest of the bunch, but it also ensures the best night's sleep. For it integrates speakers with ergonomic posture tech: "the pillow is made of viscoelastic foam... supports and relieves pressure on the heads and shoulders, thereby minimizing the risk of bedsores." That certainly sounds like a lullaby. Now, to find the bed that goes with this...

We know you like industry tidbits like this so here's another one: the other day, Sony's console designer Teiyu Goto has explained the reason why they stuck with the Spider-Man font on the PlayStation 3 (PS3). Goto also talked about the controller's design in the latest issue of the Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM).

It can be recalled that the prototype controller was quite prominent when it was presented during 2005's E3. Comments on the boomerang-shaped controller were rather harsh, as people started saying that it looked like Batman's boomerang. Goto admitted that this shape was the result of then-President Ken Kutaragi wanting something that was different. He shared,

President Kutaragi wanted something different for the controller. Quite frankly, we had set aside the ergonomic aspect in favour of the image it conjured up. We wanted to present an avant-garde model for the show, running a risk of being criticized.

The new controller, which we now know as the SIXAXIS, ended up retaining the look of the PlayStation 2's (PS2) Dual Shock 2 controller. Teiyu Goto commented that the proposed "avant-garde" model was dropped because so many players were used to playing with the Playstation controller. In other words, the legacy of the Playstation brand was stronger compared to the desire for change. Goto explained,

The slightest change to the controller could annoy players and the risk wasn't worth taking. Also PS2 and PS3 provide backwards compatibility; the ergonomics should be the same when you play games from the previous generation but without having to bring out the 'wired' controllers.

Dassault Systemes will be attending this year's Game Developer Conference in San Francisco to showcase its now Wii-compatible software solutions.

Known as Virtools 4, the package has been used in a variety of applications like simulation of product usage, ergonomic testing, creating the shopping experience, training scenarios, right through to branding, advertising, and even web marketing applications.

"By delivering innovative solutions for the Wii, we are providing a powerful solution to developers, game designers and graphics artists, boosting all aspects of game development creativity," shared Virtools VP of Electronic Entertainment Virgile Delporte.

Back in December, we actually had a series of reports about Virtools for PSP. We even had a video clip showing the application's drag-and-drop interface that makes it a sure hit to developers. So now, how this would work exactly on Wii? Accordingly, Virtools will allow the access of Wii controllers on PC units, making it easier for developers to see changes on the fly.

Game Developers Conference (GDC) will begin on March 5 and end on March 9. It will be held at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco.

Back in October of 2006, console peripherals manufacturer Nyko Tech mentioned that they will be releasing next-gen controllers Zero both for Xbox 360 and the PS3. We were wondering how they would do it since the PS3 hasn't been launched back then. Well, true enough, no Zero controller came out.

Anyway, Nyko would like to send word that their controller will finally debut at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. We all know the reputation of the CES and the caliber of products unveiled there so this one better delivers. For those of you who are wondering, here are some of Zero's general features:

• 2.4 GHz wireless technology
• Heat-dissipating aluminum panels
• Backlit buttons
• Unique ergonomic design
• Powered by a rechargeable battery pack
• Comes with a USB charging cable

The Zero next-gen controllers will be available on various retail stores within the first quarter of 2007. It will be tagged at around US$ 50.

Curious about the process that goes into designing a video game console - but from a different perspective entirely - we decided to get an outside opinion. So QJ asked New Zealand-based industrial designer Stuart Thomas on his take on the form factors of the Sony PS3, Microsoft Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii. Quite a fortuitous find, actually: for his final year in college (2004) Stuart actually had come up with a console design idea of his own, called Tier Four, which you are looking at right now.

Although the inside of a console is all about performance - and thus not Stuart's cup of tea - on the outside, where console touches flesh and blood, ergonomics takes (or should take) precedence. As Stuart revealed his opinions of each console's design - as well as his experiences with designing the Tier Four concept - we begin to gain an insight into the importance of making a game platform really fit in your hand (not to mention wherever the TV is at), and perhaps, an insight into similar minds behind the design teams at Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo.

Here's a clue: he also thought of a controller with an accelerometer built inside - back in 2004. And actually looks pretty good in concept.

First thing's first I guess, could you please tell us a little bit about yourself? Things like where you went to school, what your major was, gaming history perhaps?

My name is Stuart Thomas, I'm 24 and I currently live in Wellington, New Zealand. I moved down here in 2001 to study at Massey University where I gained my Bachelor of Design, Majoring in Industrial design in 2004.

My memory isn't the greatest, but I do remember spending some time on the Atari 2600 back in the mid 80's. I wasn't allowed to have a console of my own (Parents won the 2600 from somewhere), but I had mates who had Mega Drives and SNES's, and I was able to get my gaming fix from them until I won a Mega Drive from Pizza Hut in 1995. During the generation after that time was spent at the arcades after school, or at a friends place who had one of these new fandangled machines. Mum sort of knew that I enjoyed gaming and let me get a Dreamcast, followed by a Cube a few years later. I played a few PC games along the way, but nothing serious until Wolfeinstein multiplayer in the Labs at Uni during the workshop lunch break.

Other than playing games, I enjoy having the casual roll on my skateboard, drawing on paper and now getting into digital painting. Got to have music playing while I'm doing something, and rad times drinking with my mates.

How did the idea for Tier Four come about? Hear that, and his opinions of the PS3, Wii, and 360, and more pictures of the Tier Four concept, after the jump! And we'd like to thank Stuart for the time he's taken to answer our questions! All pictures courtesy of his portfolio website.

This is the neanderthal of future robots. They will marvel at its primitive looks and near ergonomic design. It will be hung up on a museum wall someday and venerated like the dinosaurs and ancient man of yesterdays.

The MR-UBO1K, the Perfect Killing....I mean, Floor Cleaner Robot. It's designed to be more powerful than your average vacuum cleaner--watch it go through dirt like laser through a battlefield. It has more energy efficiency so it could  last longer than ever before: it'll have more time to suck in and destroy the little living beings in your carpet. The first-ever robot to operate both the vacuum and cartridge-type cleaner in the world; it can do multitasking. Can go "Silent Mode," so you can't hear it coming behind your back. Once the target is acquired, no obstacle will stand in its path, it will take the shortest route to its target and execute the operation.

So what do you think? It's the perfect household item, for now.

During the GC, Microsoft showed the Cross-Platform control for both the PC and Xbox 360. It looks like your run of the mill Xbox 360 controller--except no wires. Yaay!

So what does it do then? It's got a 2.4 Ghz high-performance wireless tech that'll allow you to control the game from 30 feet away (hope you have a binocular when you do this). It works for the Xbox 360 and Windows-XP-based PCs (You just need one controller for both machines, cool!). It's got a Vibration Feedback system as well (Good for massaging your tired hands). Ergonomic! Comfortable--ensures you play the game longer than on any other gaming platform. It's also integrated with a headset jack for Xbox Live play.

We've personally tried it and we even went as far as 15 feet and it still works! Sorry, the room wasn't that large enough to try 30 feet. The handling was easy, pretty light for a wireless controller. Vibrations are present, although it depends on the game. It's not that complicated to turn it on, just push on the X button in the middle of the controller and you're in!
 
Overall, the lesser wires in the game room, the better!

Electronics giant Microsoft and peripheral-maker Razer have just officially announced their team-up's newest product. Microsoft Habu is designed to make PC gaming experience even better.

You have to admit, whether you're playing an RTS, an FPS, an MMORPG, or even a simple flash game, a good mouse is always a fun thing to have. After all, sometimes, a good mouse is the only thing that keeps you from levelling down in an MMORPG, or from turning into Zerg-food in a good ol' game of Starcraft.

The oddly-named Habu is due to be released in October of this year and currently boasts of the following features:

• Interchangeable Side Button Panels provide gamers with two options for different hand sizes or preferences.
• 2,000 DPI Laser Engine, Powered by Razer Precision, delivers super-fast response time.
• On-the-fly DPI lets players adjust DPI for controlled sensitivity.
• Always-On(TM) Mode Pioneered by Razer gives gamers virtually no latency.
• High-speed motion detection lets gamers get their speed on with movement of up to 45 inches per second and 20G acceleration.
• Seven programmable buttons with Hyperesponse allow gamers to program their button functions; Razer's Hyperesponse technology reduces latency.
• On-board profile memory enables gamers to store up to five game control profiles on the mouse.
• Ultra-slick Teflon feet let gamers enjoy smooth and quiet gliding.
• Ergonomic design features GlowPipe(TM) side rails and large, rubber-coated buttons.
• Thin, flexible wire provides gamers with the speed of a wired mouse with the feel of a wireless device.

In the meantime, we would all still have to wait and see whether a matching keyboard will also be developed, as well as how this device fares (literally) under the hands of expert gamers.