Touch sensitive keyboards and mice

Mad Catz has announced several new products that will be released under its Eclipse brand label. The four peripherals include the Eclipse wireless 'litetouch' keyboard, the 'litetouch' keyboard, the 'touchmouse,' and the 'mobilemouse.' Both of the keyboards integrate a programmable touch-sensitive LCD in lieu of a standard numerical pad. Each of the products will be supported on both Windows and Mac platforms and are expected to become available later this month.

The Eclipse litetouch keyboard integrates a touchscreen LCD with a standard QWERTY keyboard. The litetouch pad includes three modes of operation including a numerical-pad mode, a media mode, and a MyEclipse mode. While the numerical-pad and media modes are static, the MyEclipse mode allows users to customize the icons to access favorite websites and applications. This mode displays 12 predefined icons that can be set to command specific actions, along with 5 numbered buttons that can be set to perform any action. In addition to the features of its wired companion, the Eclipse litetouch wireless keyboard also includes a trackball mouse and a built-in lithium-ion battery that enables up to 20 hours of usage.

The touchmouse features 1600dpi laser technology, Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, and a four-way touch pad. The touch pad can be used in the same way as a traditional scroll wheel, while also offering the ability to control several different gesture-based commands. By holding the button down and then moving the mouse in one of four directions, users can perform actions such as opening a web browser or navigating through pages. The final product in this line is the Eclipse mobilemouse, a portable wireless mouse featuring 1600dpi laser technology and a 360-degree scroll ball.

The Eclipse litetouch keyboard and wireless version will cost $100 and $120, respectively, while the touchmouse and mobilemouse will each cost $60.

By Electronista Staff