Heroically pointless products from Comdex

Putting different devices together to produce new product categories is what convergence is all about - but isn't embedding digital recording into your mouse mat and commercial radio in your mouse going too far? Not according to two Comdex exhibitors. The MemoMouse pad from Questech International is a 'super-charged' mouse mat with a built-in digital voice recorder which is capable of holding up to 80 seconds of recorded speech. The idea is that instead of writing down a telephone number or important appointment you simply press the record button on your mouse mat and save the information for later when your electronic diary is open on your computer. The MemoMouse mat also has a built-in calculator which is both solar and battery powered so, for example, you can calculate your expenses while talking to your editor on the telephone. The company hopes the MemoMouse will make an ideal promotional gimmick. The suggested retail price for this product is in the region of $40-$50. If you thought that mice and voice recorders are a strange match, what about the FM radio mouse from SonnenData? It comes in two formats - with USB or PS/2 connexions - and lets the PC user listen to his or her favourite radio station while working away merrily on the computer. The radio requires no batteries since it draws power via the interface port. The Radio mouse has an embedded speaker so you can hear the music - or follow the cricket test match - with no fuss. The alternative requires hooking up a an internal PC radio card to your computer's sound cards and speakers (Or you could just buy a normal radio - Ed). The mouse's left and right buttons allow you to scan the spectrum for your favourite station and the middle scroll button doubles as the radio's volume control. Sonnendata even claim the mouse is plug and play compatible so installation is fast and efficient. ®