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Apparently unhappy with falling behind in the input arms race, Logitech announced its response to Microsoft's BlueTrack mouse sensor technology this morning by way of two new mice bearing its new Darkfield laser. Unlike traditional laser sensors, or even BlueTrack, Darkfield will track on pretty much everything, up to and including nonmirrored glass.

Logitech's Performance Mouse MX

(Credit: Logitech)

The desktop-size Darkfield product is the Logitech Performance Mouse MX. Retailing for $99.99, the Performance Mouse MX replaces the MX 1100 Cordless as Logitech's new flagship desktop mouse. You get the usual array of high-end mouse features with the Performance Mouse MX, including rechargeable batteries, wireless operation, and Logitech's adjustable fast scroll wheel design. It also has the standard pair of forward and back buttons on the left side, as well as Logitech's extra-comfortable sculpt.

We haven't used the mouse long enough to write a full review, but our initial hands-on suggests that Darkfield is the real thing. We tried the mouse on a pane of glass and experienced no discernible jitter or precision loss, at least in our initial Web navigation test. We were also glad to see that Logitech extended its new Unifying USB microreceiver to the Performance Mouse MX. The Unifying receiver, which debuted last month, is not only small, but it also lets you link up with other Logitech wireless devices in its Unified product family.

Cut the cord! The Brother HL-2170W is a compact Wi-Fi laser printer.

(Credit: Brother)

Remember the other day when I said some deals require you to jump through a few hoops? Here's one that's definitely worth it: Staples has the refurbished Brother HL-2170W Wi-Fi laser printer for $49.99.

Now, before you post a comment telling me the product page says $69.99, let's address the hoops.

First, that $69.99 price is after a $30 mail-in rebate, which comes in the form of a $30 prepaid Visa debit card. It's more or less the same as cash, but it's still a rebate. (At least with Staples it's a pretty safe bet you'll get your money.)

Second, and here's where it gets a tad tricky, you have to add something else to your order so you can apply one of these $20-off coupon codes (provided courtesy of DealNews).

I recommend this box of 100 paper clips for 79 cents. (If you find a cheaper "filler" item, name it in the comments.)

So, to recap: You add the printer to your cart, then add a dirt-cheap item to bump your total over $100. Then you apply one of the aforementioned coupon codes, which subtracts $20 from the order. Finally, you get the $30 Visa card in 4-6 weeks.

What's that? The printer? Oh, right. I've written about the HL-2170W before, back when it was a deal at $70. So hit that link if you want the full details.

Short version: I own this printer, love this printer, and will never buy another non-Wi-Fi printer. How about you?

HP Photosmart C8180 All-in-One Printer

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Shopping for a budget printer doesn't have to be an exercise in anger-management and self-abasement. Contrary to the stigma, many printers can produce great quality photos and documents without breaking the bank or eating up expensive consumables. Now release your fingers from your hair, put down that club, and check out these tips for getting the best deal for your money.

Before you even start shopping, decide whether you want a laser printer or an inkjet printer. Laser printers use bulky toner cartridges and are typically reserved for home offices that print monochrome text documents and presentations. Businesses also steer toward lasers because of their quick output speeds and reliable text quality. Monochrome lasers like the Samsung ML-2851ND are a good choice for homes that print a large volume of documents, and can be purchased for less than $200.

Inkjet printers are the more versatile choice for color photo printing, Web prints, and creative projects like greeting cards and calendars. They come in a variety of form factors from small and simple personal devices all the way up to fully featured All-in-Ones with scanners, fax machines, and copiers built right into the machine. Of course, the more features you want, the more expensive the printer gets so be sure to make a thorough list beforehand and stick to it. Some of the pricier additions include:

• Auto-document feeder: commonly shortened to ADF, the horizontal input tray lets you scan/fax/copy a stack of papers at once.
• Auto-duplexer: a hardware addition that lets you print on two sides of a single-sheet of paper. Consider this option if you plan to print a lot of pages per month--it could potentially save you money on paper, and it's environmentally responsible!
• Wired/wireless networking: all modern printers use USB to connect to a computer, but many also offer wired and wireless networking at a higher cost.
• Full color/touch-screen LCD: a flashy 6-inch touch-panel LCD screen might look beautiful, but the functionality is extraneous and isn't worth the price jack. If you're on a tight budget, consider a single function inkjet like the HP Officejet 6000 that doesn't have a display and only costs $90.

If you do go for an inkjet, shop around and look for one with separate ink tanks for each color so that you don't need to replace everything when only one color runs dry. This technology used to be relegated to photo printers more than $300, but the prices have fallen and now it's common to see sub-$150 printers like the HP Photosmart C6380 All-in-One and the Canon Pixma CMX860 multifunction that feature multiple cartridges. Also, be sure to do a little research to find out if your brand offers high-capacity cartridges. These inks are more expensive but they last longer and will save you money if you're printing a lot of photos.

One final word of advice: don't just think about the sticker price, consider the total cost of ownership. That includes the page yields of the manufacturer's ink and toner, cost of paper including photo and plain, how many pages you'll print per month versus stated duty cycle, and of course, the optional features you might want to add later. Stick to the list you make and buy a machine suitable for your printing needs and you'll be just fine.

Look ma, no wires! The Brother HL-2170W prints wirelessly across your Wi-Fi network.

(Credit: CNET)

Happiness is a wireless printer. Seriously. I just beamed a document to the Wi-Fi laser in my closet, and I've never been happier. (Says a lot about my psyche, huh?)

Anyway, Staples has the recertified Brother HL-2170W laser printer for $69.98 shipped. That's pretty fantastic, given the printer's $149.99 list price.

Two catches. First, it's a refurb. But according to the Staples product page, you get a full one-year warranty from Brother, so that's hardly a catch at all. Second, that price is after a $30 mail-in rebate, which actually comes in the form of a Visa debit card.

Me, I have no problem with that. But I know some buyers detest rebates, so I'll understand if you want to give this a pass. Before you click away, however, I gotta profess my love for this printer: the Brother HL-2170W is the very model sitting in my aforementioned closet.

Yep, I own one. (Paid way more than $70, too. Dangit!) And, as I've said here many times before, Wi-Fi printers kick butt. You can stick 'em anywhere there's an electrical outlet and a decent signal from your router.

The impressively compact HL-2170W fits nearly any nook or cranny, yet it sports a 250-sheet paper tray and churns out nearly 18 pages per minute. That's according to CNET's review of the HL-2170W, which includes about a dozen user ratings: 4 stars out of 5 on average.

Consumables? I paid about $39 for my last toner cartridge, though I've since seen them selling for as little as $30. That's about as good as it gets for any laser printer.

Maybe I'm overselling this a bit, but the HL-2170W has been a great little printer for my home office, and I'm loving it at this price (yes, even with the rebate). If you're in the market, this is hard to pass up!

Mitsubishi's new DLP sets include a 60-incher for $1499.

(Credit: Mitsubishi)

Rear-projection HDTVs have been waning in popularity with the waxing of flat-panel plasmas and LCDs, but Mitsubishi's new lineup of DLP models proves that the technology will be available in stores for at least another year.

In 2008, Samsung and Mitsubishi were the only two companies selling rear-projection behemoths and, due to lack of demand, we only reviewed one model from each company: the Samsung HL61A750 and the Mitsubishi WD-65735.

The LED-powered Samsung was clearly better, but that company has not announced any new DLP models for 2009, although it will continue to sell its 2008 models. I asked Samsung's reps last week about the company's DLP plans but they refused to provide any information, and I have a hunch they won't announce any new models this year, or ever.

That leaves the market for gigantic-screen HDTVs wide open for Mitsubishi. DLP-based models are generally less expensive and more efficient than LCDs or plasmas of a similar screen size, and despite sagging sales, rear-projection may still have legs, especially in a down economy. Mitsubishi's betting it does, and the price is right. It's least expensive 2009 model, the 60-inch WD-60737, lists at $1,500--the same as the 61-inch Samsung commands at Best Buy today and a lot less than any plasma or LCD in that size range.

Mitsubishi announced two new series of big screens, starting at 60 inches and going up to a new size peak: a colossal 82 inches.... Read more

You're so funny, Japan. When I said someone should come up with a mouse that addresses the worldwide hyperhidrosis epidemic, I was joking. I didn't mean you should actually make one with a built-in fan.

There's always room for LEDs.

(Credit: eSupply)

Aside from the weird fan inside that keeps your hand cool, this Japan-only mouse, sold by the folks at eSupply for approximately $21, also comes with a remote to type in messages that blink to life underneath the vents while you're not using it. Because that's exactly what Japan needs: more blinking lights.

The mouse is pretty small, so it can only support up to 12 characters. Therefore, brevity is key in getting your message across to co-workers. Message recommendations:

• "2MCHMNY"
• "WTFROFL"
• "EYBABAY"
• "BEGNTLE"
• "DNTDOIT"

You know, for all the "innovation" built into this mouse, they couldn't have sprung for a Bluetooth receiver or at least a wireless dongle? And what about adding a few extra customizable buttons? You gotta think these things through, Japan, don't you want people to take your combination-input-device-and-neon-sign-and-hand-dryer seriously?

Click the slideshow below to see more pictures of this mouse.

Hand dryer/neon sign/mouse

If there's a more disturbing image than a naked Wilson Tang eating a stuffed pepper and doing his taxes, it's got to be a naked Tim Geisenheimer's sockless foot stuffed into a suede moccasin. We invite Tim into the studio anyway and he surprises us with some bad news: turns out the economy ain't doing so well.

World famous weather-forecasting leg predicts spring is finally here.

(Credit: Tim Geisenheimer/CNET)

Do not attempt to adjust the white balance on your monitor: Tim Geisenheimer's legs are actually that pale. I guess he and Michael Jackson share more in common than their tastes in footwear. Anyway, for some reason Wilson felt the need to stay at home today to do his taxes, which means being a good Chinese boy and writing off everything he possibly can. Why he decided to get nakee and do said taxes is another issue entirely, and one that teases my upchuck reflex anyway, so let's move on.

If you haven't figured it out yet, 'tis I, Justin Yu--on the poop deck, handling the blogging for the day. The first half of today's show is pretty random, since it's just Jeff and I riffing on a few stories, including one about Japanese space underwear.

I feel compelled to break out Space Beer guy, but mixing beer and underwear just doesn't feel right. Leave it up to the Japanese to reinvent the last thing you should worry about in space--forget the zero gravity, space debris, and Klingon warlords. Nah, nah, let's make a pair of underwear that you never have to take off.

Next story is about a Jewish Facebook group whose name suddenly changed from "I Heart Jews" to "Hitler: Great Modern Man of History." While we disagree with that statement, Jeff Bakalar (devoutly Jewish, FYI) gives the rest of us a free pass to laugh at the prank. Hey, at the end of the day, if Mel Brooks can laugh at Hitler, I think we're all safe.

After long calls from the public, we finally decide on a date for The 404 Meetup: APRIL 16. Everyone living in the Tri-State area should definitely clear their evening hour for a night of fun with The 404. We decided that two weeks is enough time for everyone to plan ahead, and it gives Jeff, Wilson, and I ample time to exercise our wrists and buy as many sharpies as possible. Riiight. Finally, check out some of the submissions below for our running contest. Can you write a funny caption for this photo of your humble 404 host? Here are some of our current favorites:

• "Do these glasses make my eyes look less asian?" - Will Chan
• "The 404's Justin Yu was taken into custody shortly after molesting a lumberjack, a 90-year old woman, and robbing a Radio Shack in China Town last evening. Luckily there was no evidence of dicktopping at any of the crime scenes." - Andrew Teachout
• "What? I swear that printer was d**kto**ed before I got it!" - Jeff from Calgary

Send us your funniest caption to the404{at}cnet[dot]com and you could win a copy of Wheelman for XBox 360!

Small businesses and work-at-homies shopping for a new printer should definitely consider the OKI C3600n color laser. A laser printer is a good fit if you print out a larger-than-average amount of documents per day, and this one extends its versatility by offering color prints as well.

Although the C3600n can't exactly brag about its paltry feature list (it's also lacking wireless and isn't very easy on the eyes), it accomplishes its core competency and produces pleasing output results in both color and black and white. And, at about 2.9 cents for a black-only page and 5.3 cents per color page, OKI manages to keep cost per page down, which adds to its appeal and secures the C3600n our CNET badge of approval.

Read our in-depth review of the OKI C3600n and check out our photo slideshow below.

OKI C3600n color laser printer

(Credit: ariadna)

With news of a new kind of dengue emerging in Singapore, this sounds like a job for...a mosquito laser zapper! Punnily dubbed a "weapon of mosquito destruction" (WMD), scientists are finally declaring a Cold War against malaria and all mosquito-related ailments.

This particular one appears to take a Death Star leaf out of the "Star War" book, with the laser designed to detect the audio frequency of beating wings, zero in on the culprit, and burn it on the spot. The good news is the WMD will be capable of sweeping an entire area or village and "toast(ing) millions of mosquitoes in a few minutes", physicist and project lead scientist Dr. Jordin Kare told CNN.

Intellectual Ventures, a company founded by former Microsoft executive Nathan Myhrvold, commissioned the research.

Now all we need is a home version that we can set up to fry those miniscule terrorists before they can infect any loved ones around.

(Via Crave Asia)