3-axis
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Cyber Sport's Orbita Mouse is a revolution
We've seen the Cyber Sport Orbita Mouse bouncing around the Internets for about a year in search of a manufacturer. Now they've got it, with a corresponding January 2009 retail delivery date to match. The big selling point on this 800 DPI mouse is the use of a spinning scroll-wheel that replaces the typical left and right mouse buttons (push down for left-click, squeeze for right) -- it's like a Griffin PowerMate riding optical wheels. That gives you 3-axis control over objects in 3D be they wireframe models, the world according to Google Earth, or a BFG 9000. It also makes for quick scrolling through documents or a low-cost jog dial for frame-by-frame video manipulation. Orbita communicates wirelessly over 2.4GHz "zero lag" RF to the USB charging base and includes PC and Mac compatible software to map the mouse to your different applications. $98.50, that's how much -- render of the Orbita docked after the break along with a video of an early prototype. We want.[Via The Gadget Site, thanks K.C. K.]
Freescale unveils uber-thin 3-axis accelerometer
Make no mistake about it, accelerometers have certainly been all the rage of late, and Freescale Semiconductor isn't missing its chance to cash in on the bonanza. The firm has recently announced what it calls the "world's thinnest 3-axis digital-output accelerometer" for use in motion-based user interfaces, and it checks in at around "77-percent smaller" than existing offerings. The MMA7450L is available in a 0.8-millimeter thin plastic land grid array, eliminates the need for a dedicated analog-to-digital converter, includes three g-select sensitivities, and is almost ready to rock in tomorrow's most diminutive controllers, handhelds, and mobile handsets. Currently, only major manufacturers are getting their hands around samples, but general availability of the $2.66 device (when you order 10,000, that is) is expected by Q3 of this year.[Via TGDaily]
