If you're having trouble choosing which gaming mouse to sink your teeth into next, here's a newbie to add to the ever growing pile: the Nova Slider X 600. Not surprisingly, it's tethered to a "recommended" mouse pad -- a cornerstone product for this French based company. As for the laser mouse it features "indestructible" super-glide ceramic feet for speed and precision, along with 8 programmable buttons, a gold-plated USB connector, five luminous color options, and a cable that is notably positioned to the side. The 16.5-inch x 11.5-inch "OVER Slide" mouse pad boasts a 12,000 dpi ceramic surface, and promises "zero lag and optimal conditions" for the laser -- you know, way better than that magazine you've been using. The mouse and pad can be had for $99.99 and $39.99 respectively this November.

[Via Everything USB]

Seriously, our hands are trembling at the mere thought of having to actually use any of these shameful peripherals. A camera that takes the good with the (mostly) bad? A star-shaped mouse guaranteed to accelerate the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome by 409%? A USB fan that blatantly lies about purifying the hot air coming from that clogged up tower of yours? All present and accounted for, sir, and that's not even the half of 'em. We have all ideas you too would want to keep your digits far, far away from any of the disasters linked below, but give the list a look and let us know which one you think is the most pitiful of all.

Read - Mouse pad / USB hub / mic
Read - USB Whack It
Read - Yang Ying Camera
Read - Star Mouse
Read - Key-shaped USB key
Read - Totally original touchscreen MP3 player
Read - USB fan with super-secret germ killing powers

What better to complement a wooden mouse (and wooden keyboard, for that matter) than a wooden mousepad? Nothing, that's what. This masterfully constructed jewel not only brings the tree to your workspace, but it's slightly angled for ergonomic pleasure and can likely be used upside-down in a pinch. Yeah, the $60.31 sticker makes this thing absurdly overpriced, but your wooden PC just wouldn't be complete without it.

[Via CrunchGear]

Besides the fact that mousepads are technically made obsolete by the existence of optical and laser mice, this is one particularly backwards example of a mousepad. The Microsoft Designer Series 4 Port USB Hub Mousepad is just that: a mousepad with 4 USB ports. About the only thing that it brings to your desk is a bunch of cable clutter, as the Hub itself is only USB 1.1 compatible, and as the image above shows, there's a fair degree of curling at the edge due to its roll-up packaging, and curling has to be the biggest no-no when it comes to mousepads. Move along, nothing to see here.

U.K. defense and security firm QinetiQ -- you may remember them from such fun-filled gadgets as exploding ink and the Millimeter Wave see-it-all-o-vision -- have turned their attention to slightly more mundane endeavors, developing what is effectively a mouse-less mousepad. Dubbed for patenting purposes the "non contact human-computer interface," the system consists of an array of infrared emitters and sensors that work in conjunction to detect the position of a hand moving above them (as artfully illustrated above). While it can be used to control simple cursor movement, the device one-ups the venerable mouse in at least one area, boasting the ability to recognize various gestures to perform more complex tasks -- for instance, moving your hand in a circle to shut down your computer, or flashing a gang sign to open up your favorite website (we're hoping). While there's no word when it might actually be available, QinetiQ says it should be fairly inexpensive, as it relies on the same infrared diodes commonly used in television remotes, and we all know there's no shortages of those.

[Via New Scientist Tech]

Just in case you're too manly to rock the oh-so-toasty G-Gloves, and the hand-warming mouse wasn't functional enough, Thanko's busting out yet another zany offering to get your fingers (and hand, and wrist) nice and warm during the sub-zero winters some of us must endure. The USB / AC-powered, um, blue whale sports an insulated compartment to stuff your plain ole mouse as well as your mousing hand. There's also a "high / low" switch to control the fiery depths within, and just in case you'd rather not use your insulating mammal while on the PC, you can optionally connect it to any AC power source and attempt to shove both hands in simultaneously. The warm whale mousepad is available now to heat up those long, freezing evenings spent perusing through Engadget archives for just ¥2,480 ($21).

[Via Akihabara News]

If you've been looking for a dedicated gaming mouse to give you the upper-hand during those endless hours you spend enveloped in virtual worlds, but aren't willing to lay down some serious cash for products like the $100 Heäd$h0t, custom keyboard manufacturer Ideazon may have just the rodent for your needs. You probably already know Ideazon from the configurable keyboards it makes (the ones with replaceable keysets covered in game-inspired graphics), and now the company has branched out in order to occupy your right hand along with your left, recently announcing the ominously-titled Reaper. The highlights here -- 1,600 DPI resolution, six programmable buttons, and rubberized left and right clicks -- make the Reaper sound like a good-but-not-great fragging accessory, although its $40 price tag should help you overlook the lack of adjustable weighting, in-depth macros, and multitude of LEDs found on pricier models. Also scheduled for a November release is the $15 FragMat, an oversized, slim profile mouse pad whose gliding surface apparently makes it far superior to the magazine or Garfield-themed pad you're currently using to wreak digital havoc.

Read- The Reaper
Read- FragMat
[Via CrunchGear]