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This week on gdgt: iPad Air, Sculpt Comfort Mouse and Everpix alternatives
Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their most recent picks and discussions. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt's newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox.
Microsoft unveils wrist-friendly Sculpt Ergonomic and Sculpt Comfort Desktops
Microsoft has pursued ever more exotic shapes in the name of comfort. Its new Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop might just take the cake, however. The all-wireless bundle's centerpiece, the Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard, centers around a U-shaped layout that keeps wrists in more natural positions; there's also a cushioned palm rest and a separate number pad. Its companion Sculpt Ergonomic Mouse, meanwhile, relies on a gently sloped design that allows for a Start screen shortcut and a tilting scroll wheel. Both the Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop and a stand-alone version of the mouse should ship this month at respective prices of $130 and $60, while the keyboard will fly solo this September for $81. If your forearms don't need quite so much coddling, Microsoft is also putting its Sculpt Comfort Keyboard and Sculpt Comfort Mouse together in one kit. The not-so-creatively titled Sculpt Comfort Desktop (shown after the break) drops the number pad and uses more conventional shapes across the board, with the exception of the mouse's swipe-driven touch tab. We suspect many who buy the Comfort Desktop this month will most like its $80 price -- it's a better deal than the Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop for those who only need the fundamentals.
Microsoft's Sculpt Mobile Mouse and Sculpt Comfort Mouse have built-in Start buttons, arrive in the coming weeks
File this under "things we could have sworn already existed." Microsoft just announced two mice, the Sculpt Mobile Mouse and Sculpt Comfort Mouse, and believe it or not, this marks the first time Redmond has made a pointing device with a hotkey for the Windows 8 Start screen. In addition to bringing up the Start Menu, you can use it return to the desktop, all without having to hit the keyboard. While the Mobile Mouse has just the Start key and a scroll wheel, though, the bigger Comfort Mouse takes things a step further: the button there doubles as a capacitive surface you can swipe to toggle through open programs in Windows 8. If you swipe that strip the other way, you can also bring up a list of open applications running along the left-hand side of the screen. Note: the Comfort Mouse's Start button is located on the left, meaning it was clearly designed for righties. Or, you know, someone with a strong left pinky. Some other differences: the Mobile Mouse requires a dongle, whereas the Comfort uses Bluetooth. Oh, and the Comfort has a more ergonomic shape, too, but you probably gathered that just by glancing at the name. Expect the Mobile version to go on sale first -- it'll hit shelves later this month for $30. The Comfort model will arrive in June, with a higher MSRP of $40. In the meantime, we've got some hands-on photos (heh) for you to check out.%Gallery-188349%
