gadgets

Some say the mouse's days are numbered, but Microsoft proves the gadget is alive and well with the Arc Touch Mouse, the first mouse designed to flatten for portability and pop up for comfort.

The new mouse features Microsoft's first touch scroll strip for easy navigation - just move a finger slowly for controlled scrolling or flick for hyperfast scrolling. Windows-based PC users will be able to pack up their laptop bags without the added bump of a mouse, as the Arc Touch Mouse flattens with just the touch of a finger.

As the computing landscape evolves to offer new ways of interacting, such as touch screens and touch pads, the mouse is also evolving but holds true to its core purpose: providing comfort and precision to users when navigating the PC.

This is not the first time that the mouse has been threatened - 10 years ago people started buying laptops that had integrated pointers and touch pads. Still, the mouse category continued to grow and grow. The reasons people need external mice will not change: comfort and precision.

People today are using mobile computers more than ever, and they still want comfort and control when using them. In fact, one-third of mobile PC buyers also purchase a mouse with their new notebooks or netbooks. And, at less than 15 millimetres thick at its widest point, the Arc Touch Mouse was designed to deliver portability to easily slip into a bag, purse or pocket. It also goes from curved to flat with one simple movement, so working on the go is easier than ever - just collapse the Arc Touch Mouse to turn it off, and pop it up to turn on. It's also extremely durable, tested to ensure years of performance.

With the Arc Touch Mouse's touch strip, consumers can take control of their scrolling with a flick of a finger. Using a capacitive sensing technique and sensor pads, the strip corresponds to each position and velocity change to give users accurate, controlled scrolling no matter how fast or slow the movement. Move a finger slowly on the strip for controlled scrolling, or flick a finger for hyperfast scrolling that can be stopped with just a simple tap. The strip also has three tap "buttons" for added functionality: page up, page down and the middle click area, which is reprogrammable for whatever mouse function the user needs most. Switching from a scroll wheel to a touch strip is made easier with haptics, a vibration technology that simulates the bumps users would feel while using a traditional scroll wheel.

The Arc Touch Mouse is equipped with BlueTrack Technology, letting consumers track on virtually any surface, and a tiny magnetic snap-in Nano transceiver stores on the bottom of the mouse. Two AAA batteries give the Arc Touch Mouse more than six months of battery life, and the two-colour battery life indicators let people know when the power is running low.