When it comes to pointers for the computer there are multiple solutions. Most of them come in the traditional flat on a mouse pad form, but occasionally a company comes up with an innovative way to control the pointer on our screen. Genius has developed a “ring mouse” and I have the pleasure of looking at their second version of this particular design in the Ring Mouse 2. I will look at the device’s versatility and functionality in this review and see how it stacks up not only as a pointer, but also as an alternative solution to our browsing needs.

When it comes to gaming mice, Logitech has been in the market for a very long time. Because of that they have had a long time to tweak and fine tune their design and frankly a lot of people are just used to the shape of their mice. Because of this they are still a major player today, we see a lot of people running everything from their G5, G500, and the MX518 floating around at LANs. What that means is when Logitech introduces a new mouse there are a lot of people whose interest in peaks. Including me, my original G5 still gets put to use at times and when I heard they introduced the G500s I was excited to see what all had changed.

In a market that is slowly filling up with mechanical keyboards, there have only been a few companies’ recently who have been making higher end rubber dome keyboards, Logitech being one with their G510. Logitech recently reintroduced their whole gaming lineup with the exception of the G710+ and we jumped all over the chance to take a look at what they are doing with their “bread and butter” keyboard.  Its Logitech, we have high expectations, hopefully they will be able to beat them.

When it comes to mouse pads there are a few things to consider, but for the most part people don’t really put much thought into them. As hardware enthusiasts we rarely see people who change out their mouse pads often like we sometimes see with PC hardware, mice, and keyboards. Because of that its easy to just ignore them, but a proper mouse pad can still play a good roll in your pc/gaming experience. That is why we still see companies innovating and trying new things like with the Power-RX mouse pad from Cooler Master Storm. Today I’m going to take a look at the Power-RX pad and put it to the test with a few different mice to see how it performs.

Those of you who read our reviews often or know me personally know I have had a big interest in mechanical keyboards for years now. Most reviews spend time focusing on the keyboards features. When I heard that Cooler Master introduced their Storm Trigger with Cherry Green switches I had to get my hands on one. Not because of the keyboard, I already took a look at one in the past. But I was excited because everyone else sticks with the blue, brown, black, and red key switches and this time around we have a chance to check out something completely different.

When it comes to gaming keyboards there really are only a few names that the average person will name off. The first one will most likely be Logitech, because not only have they been around forever, but also if you haven’t owned a G15 at some point then chances are one of your close friends has. They really did set the golden standard for a long time in gaming focused keyboards. The thing is recently a lot more people have been interested in mechanical keyboards and Logitech took their time bringing their first one out. Now that the G710+ is out, I’m excited to see how it performs. Was it worth the wait? There is only one way to find out.

Games that utilize a large roster of activatable skills, such as MMORPGs and MOBAs, are extremely popular and require serious time investments. Beyond providing comfort throughout gaming sessions, peripherals that lend themselves to quicker, more efficient casting and management have hit the industry, and we’ve scored the leading players such as the Razer Naga and the SteelSeries World of Warcraft lineup. We recently received the latest competitor to the scene, Logitech’s G600, just in time for a Pandas, Asuras, and a new season of Yordles. Let’s get in game!

Our pal’s over at Thrustmaster have once again sent us a review sample, the Thrustmaster HOTAS WARTHOG flight stick. While at CES 2012 I asked about this flight stick and what made it so special. After giving it a quick look over I knew I was in for something crazy. After reviewing the T500RS a couple of months ago I came to realize that Thrustmaster doesn’t make the cheapest products but they do make some of the best quality products. Read on for my impressions of the Thrustmaster HOTAS WARTHOG flight stick

When it comes to peripherals there are only a few companies that focus on people who are concerned with how their mice, keyboards, and even mouse pads perform over how they look or the lighting effects available. Zowie Gear is one of those companies. When we had the chance to see what all of the talk was about and check out one of their G-CM mouse pads, we jumped at the chance. For some people anything will work for a mousepad, but for those of you who need more you might want to see what we have to say about the Zowie Gear G-CM.

Genius has sent us a mouse from their new Gx-Gaming lineup, one that they call the Gila. The Gila is a new high end gaming mouse aimed at the MMO/RTS gamer. One curious thing I have wondered since getting the product is what the name meant. Upon a bit of research I was able to discover that most of GX-Gaming’s peripherals have names that make them seem like creatures or monsters, so I can only assume that it is named for the Gila monster, a lizard native to the southwestern United States. Seeing as how it’s poisoned, let’s hope it doesn’t bite.

Deciding on a mouse can be an overwhelming process with literally hundreds to choose from as far as gaming mice alone. Seeing as how the mouse and keyboard are the only two things you interact with while on the computer, having the right mouse is very important. Selecting the right mouse for you can be a daunting task, but knowing where to start is even harder. There are still quite a few entry level mice on the market, and Gigabyte has kindly send over their version, the Force M7 Thor. Let’s take a look at this affordable piece of hardware and see how it holds up.

Thrustmaster has sent us another one of their items for review. The GPX LightBack is aiming right at the Xbox/PC crowd. I have taken a look at some of their other controllers and wasn’t impressed. With this new controller its Xbox/Windows certified, Light Feedback that can interact with games and 2 Speed Gauges. Will it be enough to take down the de facto standard PC controller better known as the Xbox controller? We are going to find out.

When it comes to mice designed for MMO use, options have been coming from all of the manufactures recently. One of the first, if not the first to enter the MMO mouse market, would be SteelSeries, with their original WoW mouse. Much like the game it’s based on, the SteelSeries WoW mouse has seen a couple versions, the latest being the new, wireless version. The last time we took a look at the WoW Mouse Legendary Edition we came out happy, I was excited to see what SteelSeries would do for their first wireless mouse. Let’s dive in and see what’s changed and what has stayed the same.

A little over a year ago at GeforceLAN I got my hands on my first Cooler Master Storm Quickfire Rapid with cherry black key switches and loved it. I later got an official review sample with cherry blue key switches as well as the cherry black version wasn’t available in the US at the time. For the past year we have been using both of these Quickfire Rapids on our test benches because they are amazing keyboards that take up little space. The two issues I had with them was their lack of backlighting and the adjustment time needed to get used to not having a number pad. Cooler Master recently introduced a new keyboard in the Quickfire product line, their Quickfire TK. The TK addresses both of the issues I had with the rapid. Let’s see how this unique design performs.

Every time that I think they have done everything to a mouse, someone surprises me with something completely different or off the wall. Last year when we took a tour of Thermaltake’s US offices, they hinted that we would see a new exciting mouse that was a collaboration with BMW DesignworksUSA, much like the Level 10 case. A little over a year later, here I am finally getting a chance to take a look at that mouse, the Thermaltake Level 10 M. Being nothing like other mice that we have taken a look at, I’m not sure what to expect from the Level 10 M or its Avago ADNS-9800 sensor.

At this point, nearly every manufacture makes and sells a mechanical keyboard in some shape or form. Everyone has done something different trying to stand out in what is now a very packed market. On facebook recently I came across a new company offering up something completely new to me, full custom mechanical keyboards. This isn’t just your choice of what switch you would like to go with, you can mix and match switch types as well as LED backlighting. We put together a keyboard unique to us and then put it to the test.

One of the latest introductions to the Genius Traveler series is the Traveler 9010LS Wireless Laser Mouse. The 9010LS is a small, mobile sized, mouse that is that is ready to travel with you and your notebook.

The mouse is features a lightweight design, a visually aesthetic grip, adjustable DPI, a powerful 'Darkeye' laser for operation on glass, cloth, or other surfaces. This is one of my first interactions with Genius brand products, so I am interested to see how this product will perform. Let's go ahead and take a look at the Traveler 9010LS.

It’s that time of year again, the latest Call of Duty offering was just released and I (and most of the LanOC staff) has been gaming it up. Knowing that we were planning on playing, when SteelSeries introduced their Black Ops 2 peripherals, I quickly hit them up to get a set to use while we played Black Ops 2 at launch. Our coverage on the game itself should be up next week after a weekend packed full of gaming, but for now you can see what SteelSeries has to offer while you wait.

It’s difficult to write about items themed around Diablo III and resist the urge to write about the success (or lack thereof) of the game itself. There are plenty of opinions about the game, but one thing we can agree on is that they stem from high expectations created from such successful franchise. Love it or hate it, you most likely remain a fan of the series.  SteelSeries has a line of peripherals inspired by Sanctuary to help scratch your Diablo itch.

Mad Catz Cyborg R.A.T series of gaming mice have made a splash on the pc peripheral market for two years now. Cyborg has released several versions of their R.A.T  design, with a little redundancy. The R.A.T 3, 5, 7,  7  Albino, 7 Contagion, 7 Infection,  7 M.M.O, and the wireless R.A.T 9 all have subtle differences. The original  flagship model for Mad Catz is the Cyborg R.A.T 7. The Mad Catz Cyborg R.A.T 7 was released in summer 2010,  so you might be wondering why someone would review this  product a full two years after its release date. The R.A.T 7 unusual design has begun to appear on other mice in its price range. The “precision aim” button, a  key feature of the R.A.T 7, is now available on the Corsair M60. The extendable palm rest plus  exchangeable thumb/pinky rest will be on the unreleased Razer Ourobroos. With this trend in mind, let’s take a  look back at  the Cyborg R.A.T 7, an innovative gaming mouse that still has much to offer the current hardware enthusiast.