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The Ultra GT Full-Size keyboard and mouse falls into the
“I didn’t know I wanted it but now that I’ve seen it
I must have it” category. Gryation Inc. uses gyroscopes
in their products that actually sense human motion to move a graphic or
cursor on any type of display. Being an avid gamer for so many years as
well as compiling massive Excel spreadsheets the question that rings throughout
my mind is, Why didn’t somebody show me this sooner? A combination
of wireless technology, motion-sensing software and a sleek ergonomic
design makes the entire Keyboard/Mouse Suite a hard item to pass up. Who
would of thought you could use your mouse 30 feet away from your computer
with just simple hand movements in the air. That’s right, you can
use your mouse on the desk or in the air, with ease might I add.
 A very
often overlooked but vital component when making any electronic purchase
is how long it takes to set the device up. Both the mouse and keyboard
are controlled through a RF (Radio Frequency) receiver that plugs into
any USB port. The keyboard requires 4 “AA” batteries to operate
and the mouse has a NiMH metal hydride battery complete with a charging
station when not in use. By pressing the “learn” button on
the RF receiver followed by the “teach” buttons on both the
keyboard and mouse, you instantly synchronize all three. The keyboard
is whisper quiet while keying and the available hotkeys do not require
any software to set up. With the touch of a button you can open up your
browser, email client, or even play your favorite CD or mp3.
Before moving onto the Gyroscopic mouse I broke the rules
of engagement and followed the tutorial provided with the unit. By actually
watching a demonstration of how the mouse could be used both on a desk
and in the air, the concept finally hit me. It may sound very trivial
to think that one needs to be shown how to use a mouse but once you see
all the features available, it is worth an extra minute to get a foundation
of how to properly use the device. The mouse itself is designed to literally
fit the contour of your hand. While on the desk the mouse really doesn’t
even feel like it is there. I played several PC games, surfed the net,
and even did some home banking online using the mouse in the traditional
sense and my hand or wrist never got fatigued. That is something I couldn’t
say with my old optical mouse.
 The
MicroGyro 100 is the dual-axis Gyroscope manufactured by Gyration that
actually allows you to use your mouse while sitting in your chair 30 feet
away or while giving a presentation to a prospective client. The design
uses electromagnets to drive and sense a vibrating beam, and while in
use both on the desktop and in the air, I found it to be extremely precise.
As shown in the user guide provided, a trigger button is pressed on the
curved underside of the mouse in order to enable the unit to operate in
the air. While the trigger is depressed you can freely navigate around
your PC with ease and simple motions. To prove this point I went online
and visited Gyration.com while sitting 15 feet away from my computer and
using the mouse in the air. By simply resting my hand on the armrest of
my chair, and rotating my wrist I was able to look at Gyrations entire
product line.
The most innovative functions that come with the Ultra GT
suite are called Gyrotools. By using “swipes” of the mouse,
you can actually program the mouse to perform tasks such as opening programs,
capturing images, or minimizing a window. The best way I can think of
to describe this is to think of the cardinal directions on a map or North,
South, East and West. For example by holding down the right mouse button
and moving the mouse due North, you can preset that action to open up
your Internet browser. (see photo) I set up the Northwest direction to
open up Internet Explorer, the North direction to open up Outlook Express,
and the Northeast direction to open up Trillian. Thus with three simple
motions I can open up three programs and begin surfing the net and chatting
with friends in about 10 seconds. There are a total of eight “swipe”
functions that can be set up. The Gyrotools software even has icons that
you can drag and drop onto a template to create the shortcuts you need.
It is almost like creating Macros for your desktop by just moving your
hands. No more searching for programs in file folders or typing long shortcut
sequences!
One of my favorite quotes of all time is by Victor
Hugo and it states, “There is nothing more powerful than an idea
whose time has come.” The usefulness and simplicity of the Ultra
GT Suite by Gyration is going to make big waves in many arenas. The crossover
capability with wireless technology, ease of use, and aesthetic appeal
will make it very hard to pass up once you’ve tried it. On the lighter
side the mouse does look like an electric shaver, and if my electric shaver
performed as well and was as easy to use I’d shave every day. At
a MSRP of $99.95 for the mouse, receiver, charging cradle, keyboard and
Gyrotools software, I would highly recommend this bundle for your own
home or office. Should you need to accessorize, extra batteries for the
mouse, a compact version of the keyboard and even a complete media remote
are all available at www.Gyration.com.
Overall the name is cool, the product is incredible, and the practicality
is unbeatable.
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10 / 10 |
OVERALL SCORE
96%
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9 / 10 |
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9 / 10 |
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10 / 10 |
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10 / 10 |
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9.6 / 10 |
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