Road mouse ready to rev search engines or cruise information superhighway
I have a brand-new black Ford Mustang I use for cruising my favorite hot spots. It drives just as the manufacturer intends, and I'm happy with the way it handles and navigates.
It's not parked in my driveway or garage but instead it rests on my desk and only moves a couple of inches at a time. This Mustang is a souped-up, wireless computer mouse from Road Mice (www.roadmice.com), complete with left- and right-click buttons on either side of a hood-mounted scroll wheel.
The cordless mouse runs on a pair of AAA batteries and includes working headlights and rubber tires. A small receiver about the size of a portable thumb drive slides into an open universal serial bus port on your computer. On first use, the mouse must be synchronized to the computer in a couple of simple steps. The optical mouse (no roller ball) works well, but the traction from the tires did take some getting used to.
The device has an energy-saving feature that puts it to sleep after an extended period of inactivity. This extends the battery life to three months. My mouse is humming along fine after more than a month of use.
If the Mustang version isn't your style, you can choose from several Dodge, Chrysler and Chevrolet models, including some police cruisers. All the models come in a variety of colors, with or without racing stripes. The Road Mice work with either PC or Macintosh computers with an open USB port. Pricing starts at $44.95 plus shipping and handling and is available on the Road Mice site.
Customers can register their mouse's 17-digit vehicle identification number at the site for warranty coverage with an optional $19.95 insurance policy for replacement once the warranty expires.
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• Earbud Yo-Yo
The tangled wires of earbuds are a thing of the past thanks to a very simple device. Use it once and you'll understand its name, as the motion used to control your earbuds is reminiscent of the one used to wind a yo-yo string. The 11/4-inch square plastic unit weighs next to nothing and holds the rolled-up cord tightly in place.
Julie Johnson Barkley invented the lightweight cord reel after having enough of twisted and tangled cords on her MP3 music player and other devices that use earbuds. She came up with a design that keeps the organizer attached to the cord, meaning no more lost cord reels. Users can customize the length of their earbud cord by unwinding only the length they desire.
The unit twists apart to accept the cord, and can be configured for either left-or right-handed use. Earbud Yo-Yo comes in a variety of patterns and colors and sells for $15.99 plus shipping.
You can see a video of the device at (http://tinyurl.com/ae9ccr)).
Share your Internet story with me at agibes@reviewjournal.com.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Vintage Valentines
(http://tinyurl.com/ b9opjs)
Take your sweetheart back in time with this collection of Valentines cards and illustrations from the early 1900s through the 1950s. The site owner encourages downloads of the images for use in Valentines creations of your own. You gotta love it!
