A long time ago, in a boardroom far, far away… a designer (flanked by marketing execs) pitched an idea for a set of Star Wars: The Old Republic branded peripherals, and the CEO of Razer told his troopers to “make it so.” Or, at least that’s how we imagine it happened. In addition to mixing up his sci-fi references, whoever approved this gaming keyboard, mouse, and headset also abandoned any notion of subtlety. All three are slathered in interchangeable Sith or Jedi insignias, bright LEDs, and a texture not unlike the exterior of a Star Destroyer. The most ostentatious is easily the keyboard, which sports both a multitouch screen and two rows of adaptive buttons over an LCD (à la Switchblade). The keyboard will run you 0, while the mouse or headset will cost 0 when they launch alongside The Old Republic later this year. Check out the gallery below and the PR after the break.

Continue reading Star Wars: The Old Republic scores gaudy promotional peripherals from Razer

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Apple Mac mini MB464LL/A Desktop

• Elegant, energy-efficient, compact desktop Mac measures 6.5 inches square, 2 inches tall–just add keyboard, mouse, and monitor
• 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 320 GB hard drive, 2 GB RAM (4 GB max), 8x SuperDrive with dual-layer support
• Draft-N Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n); Gigabit Ethernet; Bluetooth 2.1; NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics with 256 MB of shared memory
• Five USB 2.0 ports; one FireWire 800 port; Mini-DVI and Mini DisplayPort video output
• Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard, iLife ’09, and Front Row software included

The Mac Mini features the powerful 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. It has two cores, so it’s like having two 2.0GHz processors in one! Another great feature is the suite of applications in iLife ’09. Full-featured collections of programs that are designed to let you easily take control of your creative projects. iPhoto organizes your Digital pics, and has a cool feature that groups them by event. iWeb makes it easy to create your own website. iMovie & iDVD lets you Edit your videos and make your own DVD movies. GarageBand gives you the tools to make your own music, and even start your own virtual band! All of this and more are made from sleek, anodized aluminum with refined, rounded corners and a pearly white cover that can fit anywhere! NVIDIA GeForce 9400M with 256MB DDR3 Shared Video Memory Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive (DVD+-RW DL/CD-RW) AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n) Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit) Ports – 5 x USB 2.0, FireWire 800, Optical Digital Aud

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List Price: $ 799.00

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Logitech Wireless Desktop MK700 Keyboard and Laser Mouse

• Logitech Incurve keys and cushioned palm rest invite your fingertips to glide from key to key, hour after hour
• Up to three-year keyboard battery life and 12-month mouse battery life
• LCD dashboard gives you at-a-glance icon status of your battery, Caps Lock, Scroll Lock and Num Lock, so you won¿t skip a beat while typing
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The Logitech Wireless Desktop MK700. Where comfort and productivity go hand-in-hand. Concave keys position your fingers properly, and their softly rounded edges invite your fingertips to glide from key to key, hour after hour.

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Let’s be honest there is nothing more exciting than finding a new gadget that can at the very least keep you entertained and at the very most revolutionise the way you do things. Okay I admit that these are not easy criteria against which you can judge a new gadget.

I guess on reflection the gadget might not have to revolutionise your life but nevertheless it should without doubt use new technology and make you raise a smile. Some of the best examples of new gadgets are the range of USB gadgets that have been released onto the market.

For those technophobes out there the USB or Universal Serial Bus is, put simply, a way of connecting an external device to your computer. A lot of people these days carry around small USB pens that hold information at play the same role that the floppy disc used to.

Nowadays a great deal of the equipment that is used alongside a computer such as a keyboard and the mouse can be connected this way. And in the gadget world many toys have been created that utilise this technology.

I was recently given a USB pole dancing woman that I have called Beatrice. Beatrice dances every time I type a word into my keyboard. She also keeps count of the number of words I write in a day – she’s not just a pretty face then! My colleagues and I find it hilarious although I don’t think my boss is too impressed when she stays quiet for half a day – a big giveaway if you’re not writing!

Anyway here is an insight into some of the best USB offerings that I have found available in the market.

USB Boxer

I recently came across the USB boxer. This six inch tall guy stands on your desk and pounds away at a punch bag at the rate at which you punch. The device comes with unbelievable sound effects that sound on the impact of the gloves to the punch bag and makes authentic ringside noises.

The software package includes some games in which you can enact a boxing bout and the action on screen is relayed and played out by the man in front of you. Pitched as a great way to work out some aggression this USB gadget really packs a punch!

USB putting green

The USB putting green is a great way to play golf against your workmates without even leaving the office. You don’t need a silly dress code just a slightly silly sense of humour. It is a miniature version of the conventional ball returning putt returner.

The aim of the game is to putt into the centre of the device and the ball is subsequently spat back at you. It comes with two miniature putters and fortunately six tiny balls – there is no excuse for losing them then – especially considering you are unlikely to have a water hazard or bunker on your desk.

USB Dog

Okay this takes the prize for the funniest, yet at the same time, most tasteless of all the USB gadgets I have come across. The dog is attached to a USB device which, when connected to the computer, humps away like a dog on heat. The marketing men say that your computer has done a great deal for you and that it’s about time you gave something back. I’m not sure this is exactly what they meant but very funny nevertheless!

By Andrew Liszewski

From Shenzhen Feishu Technology comes yet another wireless keyboard + mouse combo designed to be used with HTPCs or any time you need to operate a PC without the benefit of a desk. You get a full QWERTY keyboard complete with directional keys and various multimedia-specific buttons, and instead of having to use a trackpad to control the on-screen cursor, the Fly Mouse has a built-in gyro essentially allowing you to use it like a Wiimote. A 2.4GHz RF signal provides a wireless range of up to about 32 feet, and you can order one from Taobao for about $50, english manual probably not included.

[ Fly Mouse ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

Gadgets cool toys are supposed to be designed for kids but I think I know a couple of men that would love to play with some of these toys. So much for swings, plain old Lego and building blocks! Technology has evolved in such a manner that it has even interfered with the production of regular old toys. Now, most of the gadgets cool toys are hi-tech equipment and kids will not accept anything less.

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When we were younger, most boys dreamed about getting for Christmas those helicopters which were simple but yet so much fun. Now, we have voice controlled helicopters, like the Voice-Heli. This toy is made by Nikko and it comes equipped with e sensor that will detect just how high the ceiling is as to not crash into it. In 2009, the Voice-Heli was nominated Toy of the Year. It has a dual stick remote which can be used to control the helicopter but it also comes with different voice command like LOWER, HIGHER, STOP or HOLD.  If only you could pilot one of these using voice command in the real life as well… wouldn’t that be a relief?

If you have never played any Wii games, it could be a bit hard for you to understand just what’s up with this WiiWaa. The WiiWaa is quite an ugly looking stuffed toy which I would have to see lying around my living room at midnight (I do watch a lot of horror movies, yes). The thing is, when you move the WiiWaa in a certain direction in real life, it will also move that way in the game. For example, if your child were to wiggle the little critter, in the game it would sneak up on someone. This really could be revolution in virtual gaming terms. Instead of using a keyboard, mouse, joystick and even Wii remote control, you use the WiiWaa in real life in order to operate the WiiWaa in the game. That sound really cool and I can assure you, it will provide hours of fun. Instead of just moving your finger around on a keyboard, you little child will get to jump, run and perform other activities together with his new small best friend. In fact, I think that adults will enjoy this game as well.



The Better Batter is an absolutely amazing gift if you have a son that is looking to learn how to play baseball but the office hours will now allow you to take him on the field very often. The Bitter Batter is another ingenious Fisher Price invention that consists of a mechanical arm that drops and picks up the baseball.  When you child is looking to activate the arm, all that he must do is to tap the place and then it will automatically load the ball. The Better Batter comes with a chatter and even some music to keep you child entertained. It costs only $50 and it runs on 3 C alkaline batteries.