Apple, CBS sued over Mighty Mouse device

A computer peripheral maker filed suit against Apple and CBS on Tuesday, claiming the companies are infringing on its trademark for the "Mighty Mouse" device.

Maryland-based Man & Machine says it was selling its chemical-resistant and waterproof mouse to hospitals a year before Apple sold its single-button mouse of the same name.

CBS owns the rights to the Mighty Mouse cartoon and licensed the use of the name to Apple. The network was named in the lawsuit because Man & Machine says it doesn't have the right to license the name. Both Man & Machine and CBS have trademark applications for the name and are currently dueling for the US Patent and Trademark Office's approval.

Man & Machine is asking for monetary damages and for a court to issue an injunction to prevent Apple from selling any more of its Mighty Mouse devices.

Note: CBS has agreed to acquire CNET Networks, publisher of News.com. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter.

Via Crave CNET

Acer gets predatory over gamers

One look at the Acer Predator design, and we were sold. Seemingly inspired by the iconic masked aliens from the movies, the angular body kicks girlish, curvy designs in the rear and (almost) makes gamers feel like real men-at-arms.

Under the panel lies a Core 2 Extreme processor, three-way SLI graphics support, TV tuner and up to 8GB of system memory (for 64-bit operating systems). Though there is currently only a desktop on display, from the teaser site we gathered that a line of Predator notebooks seems likely. No news if this monster will hit Asian shores at this time, but if it does Dell will have serious competition to its XPS line.

125-inch plasma throws a curve

NEC made a splash when it showed off its 42-inch curved display at CES earlier this year, but there are others in the works that make it seem downright puny. Take Shinoda Plasma, for example. The Japanese manufacturer has trotted out a 125-inch prototype that's not only flexible but just 1mm thick and weighing only 8 pounds. It's reminiscent of that wraparound OLED screen we saw from Sony a year ago, though the plasma obviously uses different technology.

Shinoda's prototype falls a bit shy of a 142-inch promise it made last year, as Engadget notes, but the company says it will make up for that in the fall with a 150-inch version.

Our idea of the perfect use for it, if they can eventually improve on the 960 x 360 resolution: The Motion-Pro II Simulator.

Via Crave CNET

The Murphy bed of computer desks

There was a time not long ago that home designers seemed obsessed with finding ways to showcase LCD and plasma TVs in innovative stands and other furniture. Lately, however, many efforts appear to be focused on computer desks.

Styles have crossed the entire spectrum, from minimalist designs to full gold leaf. But a common thread runs through all these models: Space conservation and multiple uses for the desks. That's where the Sync Desktop comes in.

The desk features a hideaway display and keyboard, as well as built-in peripherals and storage compartments, according to BornRich. Just a concept at present, it exists only in the mind of UK designer Gareth Battensby so far. Which is a shame, because the closest thing we've seen in reality is a desk with trap doors.

Via Crave CNET

Dell has the first 320GB 7,200rpm laptop drive

Desktop types are always kicking their laptop counterparts around, stealing their lunch money, and making fun of their slow and undersized hard drives.

Most laptops have slower 5,400rpm or even 4,200rpm hard drives, usually between 120GB and 250GB in size. For high-end types, there are 320GB laptop hard drives, and also 7,200rpm laptop hard drives, but you couldn't get both of those specs in the same laptop drive [dramatic pause...] until now.

Fujitsu, Hitachi, and Seagate have all recently announced 320GB 7,200rpm laptop hard drives, but Dell is the first to stick them in a consumer laptop, using the Seagate drive in the massive 17-inch XPS M1730.

"Laptop users want every bit of capacity, performance, and durability that desktop PCs deliver," says Michael Wingert, Seagate's executive vice president and general manager, Personal Compute Business, in a press release.

We checked out the Dell Web site and the 320GB drives are available right now, for US$50 more than a standard 5,400rpm 320GB drive. Look for these to show up in Alienware laptops next, followed by desktop replacement systems from other manufacturers.

Via Crave CNET

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