World of Warcraft: Cataclysm MMO Gaming Mouse SteelSeries Review and Tips

I recently acquired a WoW: Cataclysm Mouse, the 14 button monster of a human interface device. My impressions of it have been hugely positive for World of Warcraft, and it's a must have for end-game type playing (which requires the use of upwards of 30 abilities to play effectively).


Not Booting Up

I had an initial issue with the mouse out of the box, where Windows 7 was not recognizing the mouse on boot (although a subsequent cycle of the USB would fix this issue). This was due to the fact that the mouse was operating on an older firmware. There is no option later within the driver settings to install new firmware. When you install the drivers you have to make sure that the mouse is plugged in at that point, otherwise it won't detect and update the firmware. Once I uninstalled and reinstalled the drivers and the firmware was updated, the mouse was recognised on bootup without any issues after that.

There are 10 profiles to store on the mouse, but I think it's best to use the WoW in-game native configuration.

Best Method Of Mousebinding

There are a lot of options for mousebinding with the mouse. Personally, I do not recommend using SteelSeries' driver software to do your mousebindings. Working within the WoW interface is much faster for setting up and testing bindings.

Review: DAVE From Ikea, An In-Depth Look At The Best Couch Desk / Laptop Table

As a response to my previous article (How To: Do PC Gaming On Your Couch Or Sofa) I've been asked to give a more in-depth look at the Ikea DAVE.

The Ikea DAVE is marketed as a "laptop table", but really for the rest of us it is the ultimate adjustable couch desk for the keyboard and mouse. It allows the keyboard to be stable at exactly the right height and to give plenty of level space to use the mouse. This single purchase has is the single most important part of the PC couch gaming setup and has completely changed the way I use my PC. It is more comfortable than using craning over on a coffee table to use a keyboard, or having the keyboard on your lap. And the mouse is much more accurate on a hard and firm surface instead of on a couch arm.

The cost of most "laptop tables" are priced ridiculously. This one is £75.12, and this one is £51.08. DAVE is available from any Ikea internationally for the price of £14.99 and $17.99.

Also makes a great laptop table (this is a tiny 8.9" laptop).

Review: Kensington Ultra Portable Battery Pack (aka The Most Useful Accessory You Will Ever Own)

The Kensington Ultra Portable Battery Pack is a battery pack that can be used to charge anything that can be charged via USB. The small pack itself is a 1800mAh battery that can be charged from a computer or mains socket with the included via a mini USB jack, and can accept any USB cable to output charge to any other device. Coming in cheapest at £14.99 from Amazon.co.uk, it's the best value and most versatile of battery packs when compared to batteries like the £63.55 Mophie JuicePack Air, and it deserves a permanent space in your bag for emergencies.

Losing power in your phone is extremely frustrating. With modern gadgets like the iPhone barely lasting 8 hours of charge with frequent use, it's very likely that most of us will be caught out with low battery whilst we are out after work and without a power plug or USB socket in sight. With so many processor intensive distractions like media and games, smartphones will probably run out of power right when you need it most - when want to make a phone call at the end of the day. In this respect, the Kensington Ultra Portable Battery Pack does a great job of charging devices like the iPhone 3GS for 90-110% of its battery.

The fastest rising cause of heart problems in smartphone users.

The Kensington Ultra Portable Battery Pack is also extremely versatile, since it can be used to charge a whole host of devices. It's saved my life once when my TomTom would not charge from the car's power socket, since it accepts the mini USB jack from the battery. It can charge any proprietary power socket as long as it can be charged via USB, including devices such as my Archos 605 or my Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable (of which universal integrated charge cables for these devices are invaluable).

I have way too much stuff.

Review: Toastabags

You may have seen Toastabags as one of the businesses pitched to Dragons Den UK back in 2008. After watching the episode, I was impressed and intrigued by the product so I decided to add one onto my next Tesco online delivery for a pair of these for a mere £1.69.

The Toastabag is a bag made of a heat resistant material that covers your sandwich so that the whole thing can be heated in your toaster. Covering the sandwich in a bag allow it to be placed in the toaster without everything falling out. The Toastabag makes the process of making a toastie much cleaner and easier than using the oven. And at £1.69 for two of these bags, it is also a lot cheaper and more space efficient than a toastie machine or a panini press. However, the proof is in the pudding. Are Toastabags any good at toasting sandwiches? The results are in after the cut.

Slightly hilarious JML advertising.

I love how the sandwich is moving so fast.