NEW MOUSE HAS AN AIR ABOUT IT

Logitech makes some really great computer mice. Their recent models MX and VX Revolution both sport the balanced and weighted scroll wheel that took around three years to develop. I personally use the MX on my desktop computer and the VX on my notebook. Logitech just upgraded the VX to the VX Nano that adds the tiniest receiver dongle I've ever seen into the mix.

After inserting it into any USB port, you just barely see the slightly raised nub extending out from the side. No longer need you fear breaking off the fragile, extended receiver sticking out. But as great as these mice are, Logitech hasn't been sitting around. Their newest mouse introduction has really taken off. Off of your desk that is.

At first glance, the MX Air mouse looks like yet another sculpted work of art sitting on your desk. Logitech has enhanced its minimalist appearance by making its glowing, amber-colored indicators gently fade away into the MX Air's glossy jet black shell when they are not needed or the mouse is at rest. Move it and the indicators softly brighten to full visibility. It's weight is well balanced and its molded, organic shape makes it something wonderful for you hand to hold. It's subtle touches like these that impart a feeling of quality from the MX Air to its user.

Moving the MX Air on your desk as you would any laser tracking mouse produces the corresponding cursor movement on the screen. Instead of a physical scroll wheel, Logitech has chosen to incorporate an electronic sensing surface in the center portion where you would normally find a scroll wheel. But instead, just moving your finger up and down between the two glowing amber arrow indicators produces an electronically generated audible clicking sound as you scroll up and down. And while there is no physical wheel, Logitech has bestowed the MX Air with its Hyper-fast scrolling ability that was introduced with the Revolution series mouse. The MX Air also sports several other user-defined buttons.

But the big feature of this mouse is that you need not be a prisoner to your desk or some other handy flat surface to use this mouse. Incorporating Logitech's Freespace motion control technology, you can also pick the mouse up and use it in mid-air. Moving the mouse in any direction continues to produce corresponding cursor movement. The Freespace technology is responsible not only for the mid-air tracking but also for some additional refinements. For one thing, Freespace uses gravity to help determine direction instead of gyroscopic forces. So since it knows what is truly up and down, you get a more accurate interpretation of the movement you intend regardless of the mouse's orientation. So even if you hold the MX Air at an angle or tilted to one side which is a more natural way of holding something in your hand, the MX Air will still move the cursor in the intended direction. Freespace also gives the mouse better stabilization, faster response times and better accuracy to hand movements and object selection.

The MX Air will work right out of the box with no additional software or drivers however installing the special Windows XP and Vista drivers give the MX Air some additional features such as mid-air gestures. For example, you can control the level of volume by merely flicking the mouse left or right.

The MX Air uses a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery that takes only 30 minutes of charging for one full day of use. 2.5 hours in the included charging cradle gives it a full charge that lasts up to 5 days. $149.99.

www.logitech.com

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