Product At-a-Glance

Let’s start with a brief explanation of the technology in the LES speakers. Every component was both designed and created by Audyssey and, take our word, they are good at what they do. The package comes with two speakers that measure about 9 inches tall with their included, non-removable stands, 5 inches wide, and 6 inches deep. While larger than other computer desktop satellite speakers, the Lower East Side Media Speakers don’t look out of place.

Each speaker has a .75” silk-dome tweeter, 3.5” woofer, and a 4” bass radiator on the back. The speakers connect using standard speaker wire (included), which has both positives and negatives. As far as drawbacks are concerned, no one likes speaker wire. It’s relatively difficult to connect, and occasionally the connections can become loose and have to be adjusted. However, if you plan on having the speakers far apart (longer than the ~6 foot included cable), speaker wire is incredibly easy to find at any RadioShack or Best Buy, making the speaker wire a somewhat good idea.

On the right-side speaker, you get a simple control knob for volume adjustment. Press the knob and the power-indicator LED goes from red to green, signifying the speaker is ready to play. After a period of inactivity (ie: no music playing), the speakers will automatically turn themselves off to save power. Also on the right speaker are inputs for power, optical audio, and 3.5 mm audio. The included power adapter closely resembles a laptop charger, which is not the most attractive piece of technology ever. On the front of the right speaker, to the right of the control knob is a 3.5 mm out for headphone listening.

If you have eyes, you can clearly see that the Lower East Side speakers are attractive. They’re simple, yet elegant. Two red stripes wrap around the speakers, with the metal stand seamlessly fitting between them. In nearly any environment they fit in well.

Believe us when we say that these speakers sound as good as they look. The notes produced are perfectly crisp, and have an incredibly wide frequency response. In our testing, we didn’t find any anomalies with ranges of frequencies. These speakers are absolutely perfect for everyday listening.

The bass which is dealt with by the bass radiators on the rear of the speakers is not going to shatter your windows while you’re listening to your favorite dubstep remix. It is, however, perfectly acceptable. It’s well balanced as well thanks to Audyssey’s “Smart Speaker audio technology” which seems to drive the 3 elements of each speaker perfectly.

The speakers, in general, produce fantastic audio quality. One drawback that becomes quickly apparent is that they aren’t as powerful as other speakers in this price range. This means that, if you want room-filling sound, you have to turn everything up close to full volume. I wouldn’t recommend using these as serious home theater speakers.

That being said, for desktop usage, these speakers are absolutely perfect if you don’t want a separate woofer. We really like the design, and the sound quality is spot on. If you’re in the market, definitely check them out. The Lower East Side Media Speakers retail for $249.99 but can be found for $199.99 at the time of writing on Amazon.com.

Spire bags have always been a fan of geeks and computer users for the past couple of years with their durable ballistic nylon and epic amounts of pockets, but the latest RPM series takes things in a different direction. Today we’re taking a look at one bag in the series, the Redline messenger bag.

The Redline is a medium-sized messenger bag that measures 13″ high x 18″ wide by 6″ deep and contains a padded laptop compartment large enough to fit a 15.4-inch notebook. The exterior of the bag contains eight pockets including two water bottle pockets, while the interior has five more pockets.

The entire RPM series is very eco-friendly, hand-created in Colorado with materials such as reclaimed truck inner tubes and five percent of profits going to environmental groups. The outside flap, bottom padding, and handle are made out of the aforementioned reclaimed inner tubes, making the bag waterproof, while the rest of the bag uses recycled PET fabric created from soda bottles.

Additionally, there is a 1-inch nylon waist strap and sternum strap included for added stability and comfort while jaunting across town on your bike.

I’ve used the Redline as my daily commute bag for the past month or two and it has more than enough room to store my MacBook, any notebooks, pens, books or magazines. More precisely, the Redline has a capacity of 1400 cubic inches. I was hesitant about the inner tube exterior, but it looks great and is different from every other Redline bag and more so every other messenger bag.

Overall, the Redline is a great messenger bag for those looking to go “green” without sacrificing urban style. Find the Redline at Spire USA for $159.

Looking for the perfect iPad case that you can throw your Apple Wireless Keyboard and other accessories in when traveling? You’ve come to the right place as we take a look at the WaterField Designs iPad Travel Express, handmade in San Francisco. Find out more about this sleeve and shoulder bag after the break.

The iPad Travel Express can store your iPad or iPad 2 with all of its accessories in one sleek black ballistic nylon bag when on the go with pockets for your wireless keyboard, charger, dock connector cable, headphones and much more. You can either throw the Travel Express in your messenger bag or backpack or order it with a strap for $12-22 extra and sling it over your shoulder.

WaterField Designs gives you the option of six different colors for the stripe across the front of the bag which adds a nice modern touch to the already sleek bag. On the inside is an orange bordered sleeve for stowing your iPad or iPad 2.

The bag is great for those taking a quick weekend jaunt to the beach who want to stay connected or even catch up on the latest movie or TV show. It’s a perfect cross between a simple sleeve and a messenger bag.

Like the earlier WaterField Designs products we’ve reviewed, the iPad Travel Express is handmade in San Francisco and its construction certainly shows. The bag seems well worth the $69 price tag given the quality. With the shoulder strap and shipping however, the price could easily border $100, steering away budget-conscious shoppers but those looking for quality might be willing to pony up the extra cash.

The iPad Travel Express is available from SFBags.com starting at $69.

Like the Timbuk2 Kindle Plush Sleeve we reviewed in December, the Envelope Sleeve is a simple, yet protective sleeve for the iPad and iPad 2. It does have a few differences, and we have a further look at the product further after the break.

The Envelope Sleeve is made out of the same ballistic fabric and comes in four three-panel color combinations that may be familiar to those who already use Timbuk2 products. You have a choice of black/gunmetal/red (the one we received), gunmetal/white/robin (a light blue), black/gunmetal/limeaide, and village violet/barley. Like the Kindle Plush Sleeve, the Envelope Sleeve has a Velcro flap for securing your precious new iPad 2, but instead of the Plush Sleeve’s faux-fur lining, has a Tricot lining that is less…plush.

You don’t even have to take the Smart Cover off your iPad 2 as the Envelope Sleeve fits both the iPad (no Smart Cover, of course) and the iPad 2 with or without the cover. And you won’t even have to take out your iPad when you get to those pesky TSA agents at the airport since the sleeve is TSA approved. Take that Blogger Bob.

The Timbuk2 Envelope Sleeve for iPad or iPad 2 is available now at Timbuk2.com or Amazon.com for $30. Amazon even has a few other colors available if the ones we mentioned above aren’t good enough.

Admittedly, this is going to be a short review of a very simple product: the WaterField Designs Kindle Suede Jacket. As you can probably tell from the product name, the Kindle Suede Jacket is an ultra-slim, soft sleeve for your Kindle 3, Kindle 2, or Kindle DX and is great for protecting your device before tossing it into your messenger bag or backpack.

The Ultrasuede® fabric also doubles as a great cloth for keeping your Kindle clean. Like the grease marks from those potato chips you’ve been eating all day while reading Michael Pollan’s Food Rules. Yes, you. The addition of a small pull-tab at the bottom makes it very easy to take the Kindle 3 out of the sleeve for use.

If you shell out a couple extra bucks, you can get one with a pocket for storing the power adapter and USB cable neatly on the back of the sleeve.

Overall, the Kindle Suede Jacket is a great sleeve for protecting your Kindle without breaking the bank. The Kindle Sleeve Jacket starts at $14 and you have the option of having your sleeve sewn with or without the pocket. You can buy yours from SFBags.com.

Products At-a-Glance

Looking for a sweet bundle to listen to your music and watch a few movies here and there? Take a peek at this latest set of products from Audioengine. If you aren’t familiar with the company, the team behind it consists of 36 years of experience in the audio industry for companies like Apple and Harmon/Kardon. Their goal is to build high quality studio monitors at an affordable price for the pro audio market, and their latest set of products deliver on that goal. Find out what you need to know about the N22 amplifier and P4 bookshelf speakers after the break.

Let’s start with the N22 amplifier. Audioengine bills the product as “the perfect compact amplifier for desktop audio or rear channel speakers”. On the front is a LED power light (one that is fairly dim), a simple volume control that also turns the amplifier on/off, so you won’t need to fiddle around with any other knobs, and a headphone jack. On the back is an RCA input, 3.5mm mini-jack input, variable preamp line out, power input, a USB port with power, and the speaker connectors. All connections are gold plated. The USB port can be used for using Audioengine’s companion product, the W1 wireless audio adapter. The amp also has a power saving feature that kicks in when the music stops.

Inside the box you’ll find the power supply and power cord for the unit, a 6.5ft 1/8″ audio cable, 3.25ft RCA audio cable, 16AWG speaker wire, and cloth bags to protect the amp and cables while traveling. The N22 is fairly easy to set up, provided you know the basics of audio wiring (gold to red, silver to black, etc.).

For our testing, we paired the N22 with Audioengine’s own P4 passive bookshelf speakers. They have a four-inch 2-way front-ported design that is built into hand-built and custom-finished cabinets available in three colors: white, black and bamboo. We received the black model which matches the amp nicely. The speakers can be placed on wall mounts, stands, or simply on a shelf or desk and are magnetically shielded.

From the small four-inch speakers, we were impressed with the sound quality they were pumping out, specifically the bass reproduction and lack of distortion at high levels of volume. As we mentioned at the beginning of the review, the P4 and N22 is a sweet bundle for listening to your favorite tunes or watching a movie. The sound is rich and warm. Of course, you’re free to use any old passive speakers you have lying in your attic with the N22, but this is a great combo to set up on your home office desk.

The Audioengine N22 amplifier sells for $199 while the P4 passive bookshelf speakers will run you $249 for the black and white versions, and $325 for the bamboo edition. A little pricey for the average consumer, but for the pro audio geek looking for a small home setup, it’s worth a look.

I, like some iPhone and iPod touch users, ditched the stock Apple earbuds the second I opened the box. The white buds, while a culture statement, do not have a great fit or stunning sound quality. I needed a good set of earbuds to use while riding the local public transportation system. I’ve been looking for the perfect iPhone-compatible headset for a while now, and I think I’ve found my favorite so far. Today we’re taking a look at the Etymotic Research hf3 noise-isolating headset and earphones. If you take a look at the webpage on this product, you’ll see the tagline, “The world’s most accurate noise-isolating headset + earphones under $200.” Is that the case?

The hf3 headset comes in three colors (cobalt, black, and red) and all with an assortment of ACCU-Fit eartips that you’ll have to play around with for a few minutes to find the best fit (and subsequently, noise isolation) for your ears. Ever since I’ve used my first pair of noise-isolating earbuds, I’ve taken a liking to the expanding foam tips. Etymotic also offers a custom-molded eartip option, where you’ll go to an audiologist near you and have ear impressions made with a special silicone material.

While this option may offer the best overall fit and sound isolation (they’re made for your ears, of course), it is an extra $100. Maybe I’ll stroll down that lane soon, but these will do for now. The glider tips, which I tried for the first time with the hf3, were somewhat uncomfortable despite their name and the largest 3-flange eartips are not as snug fitting as the foam tips were. Whatever the case may be, take a few minutes to try each of the different eartips and your mileage may vary from what we’re mentioning here.

Like the stock Apple earbuds, the hf3‘s have an inline remote on the right earbud cord for controlling playback, volume, answering calls, or using the Voice Control feature on your iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4. When I began my search for the best iPhone-compatible headset, it needed to have an iPhone-compatible remote, as I didn’t want to have to reach in my pocket to answer a call or adjust the volume of my music. Overall, the remote worked just as good as the Apple earbud remote, and the built-in microphone on the backside of the remote worked great for talking on the phone.

Beyond that, audio quality is exceptional. You’re not going to find overpowered bass here, my friends, but what you will find is second-to-none audio reproduction. The sound of these compared to the sound of your Apple earbuds is night and day. I’ve listened to a variety of music on the hf3′s. From alternative to jazz, it all sounds great.

The Etymotic Research hf3 noise-isolating headset is available at Etymotic’s website or at Amazon.com for around $150 bucks.

With the iPhone 4′s gorgeous Retina Display technology, you want to keep your screen free of scratches, nicks, and marks as much as possible without sacrificing the look of the high-resolution display. There are cheap screen protectors that have the “rainbow effect” and some that bubble up on the screen, but SGP is all trying to fix that issue with their Steinheil EX Ultra Crystal Protection Film for iPhone 4.

The $21.99 product comes in a simple envelope consisting of two front and two back films, as well as a microfiber cloth, alcohol cleaner, squeegee, dust removal stickers, and films for the protecting stainless steel band on the iPhone 4. Installation is fairly easy, if you’re used to installing screen protectors. The best way to do it is in a room without much dust, so start with the kitchen or bathroom.

We have to admit that we went through one of the front films within five minutes of trying the installation, but the second film we applied went on without a hitch. The installation of the back film was much easier since there’s really only one thing to align it to (the camera).

For those of you that have applied screen protectors before, unlike some which require a spray bottle of liquid to apply the films, the Steinheil EX films go on without any liquid needed. These films are crystal clear, hence the name, and are nearly unnoticeable when fully applied.

Personally, these films have been applied on my iPhone 4 for over a few months now, and I have never been more satisfied with any protection film or screen protector. As previously mentioned, the SGP Steinheil EX Ultra Crystal Protection Film for iPhone 4 is available for $21.99 from SGPStore.com and Cretouch.com.

If you’re looking for a simple padded sleeve to carry around your new Amazon Kindle 3, look no further than the Plush Sleeve for the 3rd Generation Kindle from Timbuk2. It’s a fairly simple product, so there isn’t much to say about it, so click-through to read more.

The Kindle Plush Sleeve is a simple sleeve that protects your Kindle 3 with high-density memory foam, an awesome faux fur lining that keeps your Kindle warm on cold days, and a Velcro flap that secures it into the sleeve. The case is also TSA approved, so don’t worry about taking it out of the case the next time you head to the airport. Just like the other Timbuk2 products, it’s made of fine weave ballistic nylon. Slide your Kindle 3 in, press the Velcro flap down and you’re good to go.

This is one of our favorite Kindle 3 cases out of the few we’ve been testing out. It’s not too bulky and doesn’t feel cheap. The Timbuk2 Kindle Plush Sleeve is available in three colors (black, barley, and gunmetal) and sells for $35.00.

Product At-a-Glance

If you’re stuck with a monitor without height or rotation adjustment, you’re probably not getting the most out of it or it’s just sitting on top of a phonebook to get it up to the ideal height. Ergotron is trying to solve that problem with their new Neo-Flex Widescreen Lift Stand.

The Neo-Flex stand attaches to your flat screen monitor using the VESA standard mount available on most (but not all) monitors for sale today. It’s best to check your monitor’s user guide for VESA compatibility. The stand allows for 5 inches of height adjustment, 30 degrees of up/down tilt, and 90 degrees of portrait/landscape rotation. Rollers integrated into the base of the stand allow for 360 degree rotation.

We setup the Neo-Flex stand with an Acer P244w 24” widescreen monitor, and setup was a cinch. We removed the existing stand from the Acer monitor, and attached the included Ergotron mounting plate to the monitor’s VESA mount on the back. Once we got the adjustments just right, the monitor was now at an optimal height for use. Without the Neo-Flex stand, the P244w had no height or rotation adjustment; only tilt adjustment was available.

Plus, adjustment is easy since there are no knobs or levers to adjust, something Ergotron calls patented motion technology. We’re very satisfied with the Neo-Flex Widescreen Lift Stand and use it everyday in our home office space.

The stand has a very sturdy build quality to it, plus a nice cable management system around the back for a clean look at your workstation. As an added bonus, Ergotron bundles in a few cable ties to help with the cable management process.

You can find the Neo-Flex Widescreen Lift Stand from Ergotron for $149.99, which can be seen as quite costly, but it may be a small price to pay for a proper ergonomic workspace.

Product At-a-Glance

Full Review

If you want to use your favorite earbuds with your iPhone without losing the microphone and remote controls, you’re probably out of luck without an adapter. Today we’re taking a look at the latest iPod and iPhone compatible earbuds, the Remix Remote line from V-Moda, a brand we’ve become familiar with over the past few years.

The Remix Remotes feature the three-button remote and microphone that are reminiscent of the Apple designed earbuds included with an iPhone or iPod touch, 9mm neodymium dynamic drivers, and noise-isolating technology for reducing noise and increasing the amount of bass. The Remix Remote microphone and remote is compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, 2nd generation iPod touch, 3rd generation iPod shuffle, 4th generation iPod nano, 120GB iPod classic, in addition to the Macs with support for the three-ring headphone jack that the Remix Remote features.

They are lightweight at just 17g and come with four pairs of ear fittings for the best fit plus earpieces which loop around your ears for a secure fit when running or jogging. Though when running, the cable does create quite a bit of noise when rubbing against your clothing, a problem with pretty much any noise-cancelling earbuds. V-Moda put their efforts into the quality of the cable as well, which is 2.2mm Kevlar reinforced that is 3-10x stronger than a normal headphone cable. The company also offers a two-year warranty and lifetime replacement program.

When it came to testing, we were somewhat disappointed in the same way when we tested the Crossfade LP headphones just a few weeks ago. The high and mid level sound is decent, but the low-end is somewhat muddled and there is little to no separation between. V-Moda highlights a feature they call BEAT-PORT which is supposed to mimic a “high-definition sound stage”, but these unfortunately don’t deliver on that promise.

The in-line microphone was one of the positive aspects of the buds, showcasing great sound quality without noise. Then again, the in-line controls seemed mushy and we constantly paused the song when we wanted to forward to another track. These earbuds simply do not live up to their brand like the Vibe earbuds did.

If you’re still interested in getting the V-Moda Remix Remote earbuds, they are available from Amazon.com for $99.95 at press time in nero (black), chrome, and rouge (red).

Graphic tablets have always been a staple in the design industry, from creating the latest illustration for The New Yorker or creating the next digital masterpiece. We’re taking a look at one of the latest graphics tablets, the Wacom Intuos4. The Intuos line is one of the most popular tablets available and Wacom has made it even better with their latest iteration. We reviewed the previous model, the Intuos3, in 2006.

The new Intuos4 has a new Wacom Tip Sensor that essentially enhances the pen for finer brush strokes with accuracy. One of the key features is also one of our favorites that has come to the Intuos4. We’re talking about the new ExpressKeys.

Previously on the Intuos3, there were ExpressKeys on the left and right sides that were dedicated to certain shortcuts for an application such as Photoshop. However, it was somewhat difficult to figure out which button completed a certain task without looking at your System Preferences or Control Panel. On the Intuos4, Wacom integrated small OLED displays that signify which button does what and change according to the application you’re in. The ExpressKeys are now on the same side to create an ambidextrous design that can be used for left- and right-handed users. Note: the smaller Intuos4 Small tablet only has six ExpressKeys and does not have the matching OLED displays.

The Intuos4 also has a new Touch Ring for controlling zoom, scroll, brush sizes, and canvas rotation all within the reach of your finger. This is especially great for adjusting brush size or opacity in Photoshop while keeping your other hand on the tablet. Also included is a five-button mouse that comes in handy when you don’t have room on your desk for one.

Setting up the Intuos4 was seamless and we were up and running in no time. We tested the Intuos4 with a variety of drawing programs from Adobe Photoshop CS4 to Autodesk SketchBook Pro. I think that users don’t find the advantage of a graphics tablet until they actually use one and build it into their day-to-day workflow. It’s even great for those who can’t draw because of how accurate it can be with photo editing. Dodging and burning a photo in Photoshop felt a lot more ergonomic and precise with the help of the Intuos4 and the pressure-sensitive pen.

The only downside we saw with the new tablet line besides the hefty price tag was the overly excessive amount of dust and lint that the glossy black finish attracts.

The Intuos4 from Wacom is available in small, medium, large, and extra-large sizes as well as a wireless version that is close in active tablet area to the medium version. The small edition costs $229 while the extra-large costs a whopping $789. Consumers looking for a small, beginner tablet may want to look at the Wacom Bamboo series.

Pros

• New tip sensor adds finer precision.
• New OLED displays ease use of ExpressKeys.
• Touch Ring allows for fast adjustments.

Cons

• May be expensive for some.
• Dust and lint magnet.

Not too long ago we took a look at the Altec Lansing Expressionist Bass speakers. We found them to be pretty good for the price. Now we got our hands on the Expressionist Ultra speakers also by Altec Lansing. Do they live up to their predecessors?

The Expressionist Ultra series is a step in a different direction for the line. Instead of integrating the subwoofer into the speakers, it is separated as a dedicated floor unit. To be honest, it’s a massive subwoofer. It’s arguably larger than my desktop tower. However, it does create a greater bass response than that produced by the Expressionist Bass speakers. Listening to music ranging from club to classical, the bass seems crisp and deep.

Included are two satellite speakers as well, each with both a tweeter for high treble notes and a main speaker for mid-range tones. Both perform well and seem to be responsive for most all audible frequencies. For controls, there’s a unique knob attachment that controls treble, bass, and overall volume on your desktop. Jacks for headphones and an extra input to the speakers are present, making life just a bit easier when switching between headphones and speakers. Also, there’s a nice set of LEDs that light up in patterns. Who doesn’t like that?

Ultimately, the Expressionist Ultra speakers provide for a great listening experience. However, they do have a few drawbacks. The subwoofer unit is massive. If you don’t have much room on your floor to place a new tower, these are not the speakers for you. Also, in our testing, we noticed a static buzz regardless of the volume of the speakers. I’m not sure if this problem is universal, but it was definitely unwanted in our testing. It seems the sound emanates from the tweeters on the satellite speakers.

Overall, we give them a thumbs up for great audio quality when music is playing, but keep in mind that there may be some unwanted static when listening to quiet music, or no music at all. You can find the Altec Lansing MX6021 Expressionist Ultra speakers at Amazon.com for around $170.00 (at press time).

Pros

• Crisp and clear bass
• Treble speakers with a tweeter for higher frequencies
• Good control device

Cons

• Unwanted static noise
• Excessively large subwoofer
• Somewhat expensive ($199.95 on Altec’s website)

If you’re looking to hook your PC up to your home theater, you’re going to need a nice portable mini keyboard that you can set in your lap for keyboard and mouse functionality. We’re taking a look today at one of many mini keyboards, the Adesso WKB-3100UB.

The Adesso WKB-3100UB is a compact mini laptop-style keyboard measuring 11.75″ x 6″ and less than one inch thick that is perfect for home theater PC use. It also has a built-in optical trackball with an 800dpi resolution that eliminates the need for a large trackpad or separate mouse (which isn’t ideal for a HTPC anyway). It connects to your PC via a mini USB receiver using the 2.4GHz wireless RF frequency. The mini receiver can be stowed on the bottom of the keyboard for traveling.

If you’re familiar with a laptop or notebook keyboard, the WKB-3100UB uses the same membrane-type key switches that are both low-profile and quiet.

When it came to set up, all we had to do was plug-in the USB receiver, turn on the keyboard and hit the connect button. It wasn’t always smooth sailing when we used it for a longer period however. Trackball performance was erratic and most of the time the keyboard couldn’t even be detected by our Windows 7 test bed machine. On the other hand, the keyboard was very responsive and did not flex while typing, unlike other notebook keyboards. This may have been due to wireless interference from our 802.11b/g network operating on the same frequency, but you may experience different results.

There aren’t many shortcut keys available besides the standard Windows key on the WKB-3100UB but with a third-party utility you may be able to assign them to different tasks.

The Adesso WKB-3100UB Wireless Mini Trackball keyboard is available (as of press time) for around $57 from Amazon.com. Get more information at Adesso’s website on the WKB-3100UB.

Pros

• Compact design.
• Mini USB receiver.
• Easy setup.

Cons

• Performance can be erratic.

Multi-touch first came to the iPhone and iPod touch, then the MacBook Pro, and now Apple is putting multi-touch into it’s latest mouse, the wireless Magic Mouse. The mouse has no moving scroll wheel, only a single button, which depending on how many fingers are on the mouse, accomplishes different tasks. How does the Magic Mouse compare to more traditional mice on the market? We’ve got the full rundown after the break.

As most Apple packaging, the Magic Mouse comes in a plastic shell that is slightly larger than the mouse, displaying the product front and center. Inside, all you get is the mouse itself, instruction and compliance information, and a printed warranty card. No free Apple stickers here, folks. I wondered where the batteries were, but they come pre-installed for your convenience.

The Magic Mouse has a very slender profile compared to other mice, even the Mighty Mouse before it, at only 0.75 inches tall. It’s a surprising change, but my hand became accustomed to it fairly quick. It is also designed for both left- and right-handed users, and the can be switched using System Preferences.

On the bottom of the Magic Mouse uses laser tracking over the older optical technology, however, it doesn’t work on glass surfaces like newer mice from Microsoft and Logitech.  Also on the bottom surface are two plastic bars which minimize contact with the mousing surface and an on/off switch. Slide down a small plastic tab to access the battery compartment.

I tested the mouse with my late 2007 iMac, the first aluminum models, running OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.1 and it paired over Bluetooth perfectly. In System Preferences, under the Mouse pane, you can disable gestures such as two-finger swiping and right-click functionality. You’ll need to install the Wireless Mouse Software Update 1.0 as well, if you haven’t already. The Magic Mouse also works with OS X Leopard 10.5.8, no Windows support yet.

The multi-touch functionality spans the entire top surface of the Magic Mouse. The gestures work wonderfully in all applications, especially with the momentum functionality enabled for scrolling. Flick down the mouse and you’re whisked down the page, just like an iPhone. Swiping two fingers left or right moves through pages in Safari or even Firefox, and navigates through album art in iTunes.

However, swiping can interrupt some applications. While watching a recorded TV episode in EyeTV, an accidental brush over the multi-touch surface began fast-forwarding through the video.

While I was hesitant at first, I was easily surprised by how natural it feels to grasp the mouse, and gestures become natural within a few hours of use. I urge you to go to an Apple Store, or Best Buy (where I bought mine) and test one out before purchasing. The Magic Mouse is available for $69 from the Apple Store online and at Apple resellers.

Pros

• World’s first multi-touch mouse.
• Ambidextrous design.
• Gestures work just like an iPhone.

Cons

• Doesn’t work with PCs.
• Slender design may not work for everyone.