[Razer]

The Elecom “Like a Spoon!” mouse wraps stainless steel around plastic like a little, electronic amuse-bouche. Of course, given its $US90 price and necessity to import (it’s Japan-only), the satisfaction had better last more than a moment.

[Elecom via Akihabara News via Engadget]

The drives are available in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB capacities for $US30, $US40 and $US60, respectively. The head comes off and you plug the body into any USB port. The downside is that the bodies are decently sized, so if you have two USB ports adjacent to each other, you won’t be able to use the other one.

Here’s a lone Storm Trooper before he suffers a fate unimaginable for all but Storm Troopers. Decapitation.

With his head gone, his body is free to be plugged into any USB port.

Here’s the view from behind.

Boba Fett and Vader are still in mint condition.

The set includes Yoda, but we only have the evil characters.

All three with their heads off.

Vader, engaged.

What would it look like if they switched helmets? This.

[Tyme Machines]

The Price

$US80 on pre-order now.

The Verdict

I like it both more and less than I expected to.

On one hand, AViiQ’s portable laptop stand matches my MacBook while angling my keyboard at a truly perfect 12 degrees. And it folds, with relative ease, down to an absurdly thin, near-weightless strip of aluminium that can squeeze into any bag, I’m certain.

On the other, the stand feels cheaper than I’d expect for its $US80 price. Sure, we’re talking about aluminium, but more like flimsy, soft drink–can aluminium than unibody Mac aluminium. And it folds through a plastic connective tissue that loosens over time but never feels 100 per cent in terms of general structural integrity.

For $US20, the investment would be a no-brainer. For $US80… well, it’s a bit more complicated. Do what you will depending on your particular socio-economic status.

Super light

Crazy-thin

Excellent ergonomics

I can’t help but worry about long-term durability

$US80

And a refresh this certainly is, as this is the same product, but with audio output. Specifically, audio output in 3.5mm analogue and embedded HDMI. The $US219 piece of kit is also compatible with both Windows Vista and Windows 7. [Engadget]

So yeah, if you’re been chomping at the bit to get HD quality resolutions delivered to your monitor via a USB connection, this may be the adaptor for you. Comes in a kind of periwinkle blue hue for $US99. [Sewell via Engadget]

Imation argues that, by providing a one-to-one connection over the air, the Pro WX Wireless USB hard drive “limits the possibility of signal interception”. That’s a pretty vague claim to me. They also argue that it works like any other USB drive, although it only transfers data at 15 megabytes per second. But even while you don’t have to connect with a cable, you have to plug in a USB key. So why not just leave a regular drive on the desk and plug the cable for a better rate? And if you want wireless, why not get a drive that is Wi-Fi enabled?

The only good argument is simplicity: You don’t need to connect to a server using the network, the drive just pops up in your desktop. But then again, connecting to a networked drive is not that difficult. Certainly, not difficult enough to pay the $US500 that this 1.5TB drive costs. [Press Release]

Sure, it’s not just a suction cup with an iPhone jack in it – this thing has its own GPS receiver, a built-in loudspeaker and microphone, and an auxilliary out for playing music through your car stereo.

But the truth is that you can pick up an (admittedly entry-level) dedicated satnav for that price. Plus, the cradle doesn’t actually come with the TomTom software, or even a code to download it. Which kind of makes this a rather expensive option.

[TomTom]