Another mouse to help keep you employed

(Credit: USB Fever)

Even after seeing all the crazy functions that have been incorporated into the once-lowly mouse, we never anticipated that privacy would be one of them. Yet that was the stated goal of a combo Skype phone-mouse we saw recently, and now it's been cited for another one as well.

There are many different types of privacy, however, and the purpose of the "USB Smart Privacy Mouse" isn't to protect confidential conversations and such--instead, it's intended to keep prying eyes from snooping on your computer monitor. That makes it quite similar to the "Phantom Mouse" that debuted in Japan last month: Both can instantly "conceal any and all programs in windows" with the touch of a button, as described by GeekAlerts.

And as we noted with its predecessor, it can be a lot quicker than searching around under the desk for a "StealthSwitch."