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The Smart Techie was renamed Siliconindia India Edition starting Feb 2012 to continue the nearly two decade track record of excellence of our US edition.

January - 2009 - issue > Tech Tracker

40 Year Old Mouse to go Extinct

Eureka Bharali
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Eureka Bharali
The mouse, invented by Doug Engelbart and his team at the Stanford Research Institute in California, will be replaced by gestural computer mechanisms like touch screens and facial recognition devices; predicts Gartner analyst Steve Prentice.

The ubiquitous mouse entered the arena of common use when it was launched by Apple Macintosh in 1984, and the keyboard-mouse duo soon gained great popularity. Yet, the little hand-held electronic device does not get adequate attention, with users mostly confining themselves to the issue of color - whether you want the black one or the beige one. In fact, in the current scene where many people have developed an inclination towards short-hand keys for time saving, the mouse’s existence sometimes appears redundant.

However, with fascinating mice on the block the extinction may be delayed further if users tend to take notice of it. The USB Warmer Mouse priced at $23 heats up to 45 degree centigrade to prevent the users’ hand from being chilled. There are also the gold plated and Diamante Mouse, studded with faux diamonds that enhance the aura of the device. Unveiling more choice for gizmo freaks, there are Zalman FPS Gun Mouse (the game mouse), Sony Vaio Mouse Talk (a mouse doubled into an Internet phone) and Belkin washable mouse. Thus, a luxurious hand may prevent the electronic gadget from completely vanishing from the scene.

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