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Logitech's Unifying-equipped Performance Mouse MX and Anywhere Mouse MX track on glass
Remember that USB Unifying receiver that Logitech outed earlier this month? Say hello to the newest duo to support the technology. Both the Performance Mouse MX and Anywhere Mouse MX can connect to a single USB Unifying nub, and both critters also boast the company's own Darkfield Laser Tracking, which literally enables 'em to mouse on glass that's at least four millimeters thick (and pretty much every other surface, ever). It's fairly easy to see that the former is designed for stay-at-home desktop users looking for comfort and precision, while the latter is small enough to sneak into most every laptop bag without causing a fuss. Also of note, the Performance Mouse MX sports force-sensitive side-to-side scrolling (software enabled), while the Anywhere Mouse MX gets dedicated back and forward buttons. Check the full release and specifications after the break, and catch these guys in US / European stores later this month for $99.99 and $79.99 in order of mention.
X-rays get boost from "dark field" technology
While it may not give you quite the graphic glimpse as some of the recent CT scanners we've seen, a group of researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark think their new and improved x-ray system still won't have any trouble catching on, and the results are certainly hard to argue with. The key to those sharper pics, it seems, is so-called "dark field microscopy," a technique that, as NewScientist points out, is normally used by biologists. As you might expect, however, there's some upsides and downsides to this particular technique. On the plus side, all that's needed is a simple set of four silicon filters in addition to some standard x-ray equipment. Unfortunately, those four filters mean you also have to take four separate images to get one clear image, giving the patient quite the extra dose of radiation. Even so, the researchers say there are some circumstances where that would be justified, including using the technology to give airport screeners a better peek at potential explosives.
