Perfect for flying through 3D apps like Google Earth  A mouse never feels quite right controlling 3D applications. Designers usually have to click many times—or enter elaborate multikey commands—to angle the perspective just right. The SpaceNavigator for Notebooks is a great 3D controller because it moves in all of the directions you might want to go in order to manipulate a digital object or scene. With this device, a quick twist or nudge feels more natural than using mouse-clicks and key commands.

Perfect for camping, hotel rooms, or anywhere you need a tiny speaker.  We’ve seen hundreds of iPod cases, scores of speakers, and even a few novelty products like bags and coolers that pack built-in speakers with iPod connections. But the iMainGo 2 combination case and speaker is one of the most useful and decent-sounding products we’ve tested—especially for its $40 price.

The Mini Surge is incredibly handy for recharging your USB devices while traveling.  Back when FireWire was first introduced, one of its coolest features was that it delivered power and was a fast data conduit. At the time, USB’s trickle of electrons wasn’t enough to power much of anything. As devices became more frugal with their electricity, USB slowly turned into a recharging standard for many small gadgets. But there’s one major difference in how Macs handle these ports while asleep: FireWire ports continue to receive power, whereas USB ports don’t. So you can recharge a FireWire device while your laptop is asleep, but not a USB device. You have to leave the whole system running just to charge your iPod.

Drawing Tablet Sharpens Graphics Apps