Mouse doubles as Qwerty keyboard
If, as so many of us do, you spend much of your day in front of a PC, you likely move your hand from mouse to keyboard countless times during a given stint at the computer. The Combimouse aims to eliminate the need for that back-and-forth by merging mouse and keyboard into one device.
The product looks something like an odd-shaped split keyboard. The right unit functions as a mobile combination keyboard/optical mouse that can be moved around on a support surface just like a conventional mouse. Its grip is similar to that of a regular mouse and its keys are arranged just like the right-hand side of a conventional Qwerty keyboard. The stationary left unit, meanwhile, provides the function of the left-hand side of a conventional Qwerty keyboard.
Designed by Ari Zagnoev, the Combimouse has already netted some design awards. The creators recently completed their final prototype and are looking for a manufacturer. In the meantime, some Web denizens who follow the world of gadgets are lauding the product's unusual design, while others anticipate that it will lead to frustration for the typing-challenged.
To see the Combimouse in action, watch a video here.
Leslie Katz, senior editor of CNET's Crave, covers gadgets, games, and most other digital distractions. As a co-host of the CNET News Daily Podcast, she sometimes tries to channel Terry Gross. E-mail Leslie. 
