The new version is called the Ring Mouse 2 and Genius says it’s a cutting-edge ring style touch air mouse. The mouse is designed to be worn on the finger and can be used by business travelers, HTPC users and more. The ring section of the mouse is made from a flexible rubber material allowing it to attach securely to your finger during use.

The Ring Mouse 2 is also easy to remove and compact enough to fit in a pocket and have it ready to go whenever you need it. The mouse uses touch control technology on top allowing you to slide your finger on the touch panel allowing you to navigate web pages and documents. Cursor controls is done using the in-air mouse functionality.

The Ring Mouse 2 has left, middle, and right buttons and also supports the ability to drag and four-way scroll. Power for the mouse comes from an internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Connectivity between the mouse and the computer is supported via a small nano adapter using 2.4 GHz technology. Wireless range is up to 10 m. The mouse comes in silver or titanium colors. Pricing and availability are unknown at this time.

[via Genius]

This fully granted trademark listing includes items such as “oblong table and stools [that are] set below video screens flush mounted on the back wall.” That’s essentially describing the sections many Apple Stores had where people were invited to classes on what their Apple product was capable of and what they could do with it in the future. You won’t see that feature in too many Apple Stores these days as the back is mostly reserved for the Genius Bar or sales counters (where applicable.)

Another feature listed in the trademark is “a clear glass storefront surrounded by a panelled facade.” This joins several other patents and trademarks surrounding the stores interiors that’ve been granted in the past, one of which is a design patent for a floating glass staircase granted back in 2003. You can find the full trademark listing at the USPTO right this minute complete with registration granted date set for January 22nd, 2013.

The original drawing of the store (which you see above) includes a note about what the store is put in place to show: “retail store services featuring computers, computer software, computer peripherals.” This listing goes on to note “mobile phones, consumer electronics, and related accessories, and demonstration of products relating thereto.” This should ring a bell as the patent was first applied for in 2010 and lists mobile phones but not specifically tablet computers – they must simply be included in the overall computer listing in the first place.

Have a peek at the patent and let us know if you find anything else that rings your bells on what Apple now has the rights to. Were you planning on opening your own store soon with an Apple look? Let us know what you plan to do now!

[via Reuters]

The new version of the mouse features 2.4 GHz wireless technology and a 1200 dpi optical sensor. The mouse ships with a wireless pico receiver that is small enough to allow you to plug the receiver into the USB port of your computer and leave it. The mouse will work on just about any Windows computer and features three buttons.

The mouse supports hyperspeed scrolling, 4D scrolling, works in both hands, and has a touch scroll feature. Sensitivity of the mouse is also adjustable to both 400 and 800 dpi. The mouse sensor is designed to work on just about any surface. Genius says that the mouse will work on clothing, your hand, desktop, and just about anywhere else.

The mouse features a smart power saving function that automatically starts the sleep mode when the mouse isn’t in use. The user can press any key to wake the mouse up. The mouse is available in carbon gray or silver for $49.99.

[via Genius]

That’s in both software and hardware, somewhat unusually. Each of the twelve buttons can be set to the function of your choosing, or assigned to one of up to 72 macros; they’re stored in the mouse’s own, onboard storage, rather than on your PC, so that in-game macro blocks won’t be able to prevent them from running, and meaning no setup time if you change system.

Five levels of precision – from 200dpi to 8200dpi – are supported, and the setting can be changed mid-game. Meanwhile, unlike a regular mouse (either computer or live), you can open up a panel on the base of the Gila and slot in up to six of the supplied weights, each 4.5g, to adjust the heft of the peripheral to suit your preferences.

As for the lighting, that can be tweaked from ubiquitous-but-perhaps-a-bit-2000s-now blue to any of 16m different colors, complete with selectable brightness and pulsation. A double-braided cable and gold-plated jack round out the key specs.

The Genius GX Gaming Series Gila mouse is on sale now, priced at $99.99.

While that’s impressive enough, it gets even better: Project SHIELD won’t just play Android games, but is also capable of streaming games over Wi-Fi from a computer outfitted with a GeForce GPU. During our hands-on time with the device, we got to see it streaming Black Ops II to its 5-inch 720p screen, so there’s certainly plenty to look forward to with this new device. The streaming functionality makes a good segway to another major announcement from the company – NVIDIA GRID.

With NVIDIA GRID, we’re seeing NVIDIA enter the cloud gaming space, outfitting its server racks with enough GeForce GPUs to supposedly match the power of 700 Xbox 360s. A number of key players have failed or otherwise stalled out in the cloud gaming space, so it’ll be interesting to see if NVIDIA can excel. The company also gave us more details about GeForce Experience, which will do its best to optimize your graphics settings so that games run as good as they can on your rig.

Of course, the show wasn’t only about NVIDIA. The company made a lot of major gaming announcements – that much is true – but it had quite a bit of competition for gamers’ attention. Razer had its Project Fiona tablet on hand at the show, only now it’s been renamed the Razer Edge. Making use of Intel’s third-gen Core line of processors (with one configuration even sporting a Core i7) and an NVIDIA GT640M LE GPU, this tablet definitely has some stellar hardware. It will also have a number of accessories available separately, including a detachable controller dock, keyboard dock, 360-esque gamepad, and docking station that has all the ports you need to turn your Edge into a mini gaming desktop.

As you might imagine, we found during our hands-on time that playing games on the Razer Edge is a blast, and seeing triple-A retail titles like Dishonored running on it at excellent frame rates certainly was exciting. It seems safe to say that if the Edge catches on with gamers, then we can look forward to a whole new era in mobile gaming.

Archos was at the show, and though it had a number of different devices on display, one of the more intriguing products was its GamePad. The Archos GamePad is another tablet made specifically for gamers, though it comes with a far less expensive price tag than the Razer Edge. As one of the only Android tablets to provide physical face buttons, this makes the tablet a prime choice for people who like enjoy games but hate touchscreen controls. In our hands-on, we said that though you’ll have to map the physical controls for a fair number of Android games, the process seems pretty easy, and should keep the downtime between downloading and gaming short.

Right before Pepcom kicked off, we heard that Xi3 and Valve would be showing off a new product. Xi3 was there in force at Pepcom, showing off its brand new 7 series modular computer, and while we made a few guesses at what Valve would be using it for, in the end it turned out that we were wrong. It would appear that Valve has invested heavily in Xi3′s modular computer to offer set-top “Steam boxes,” meant for gaming and streaming content, so we’ll be keeping and eye on that.

Switching gears completely to move from hardware to peripherals, there were two companies in particular that were showing off new gaming mice. One was Genius, which let us get a little hands-on time in with its relatively new Gila mouse. The Gila comes with a number of accessibility options, letting users program any of the twelve buttons and featuring highly adjustable dpi settings.

Mad Catz is not one to be outdone, however, giving us a look at its new R.A.T.M and M.O.U.S.9 mice. If you’re a serious PC gamer, these mice seem to be aimed directly at you. Both mice are quite similar, with the M.O.U.S.9 being just a bit bigger than its brother. Both have very unique designs as far as gaming mice go, with buttons everywhere on the pair. They each can supposedly boast one year of battery life as well, so that’s something to get stoked about if you’re always on your gaming PC.

In the end, this was actually a pretty big year for gaming at CES. All of the stuff we saw during the show will of course being popping up more and more as the year goes on, and we’re hoping that we’ll get the chance to spend much more time with Project SHIELD, the Razer Edge, and the Archos GamePad soon. Keep it here to SlashGear for more information on all of these cool devices, and in the meantime, be sure to check out our CES portal for our full show coverage.

To start off, the Gila certainly looks like a gaming mouse. The whole package isn’t as big as some other gaming mice on the market, but with plenty of lights and a total of 12 buttons, the Gila definitely fits the bill. There are three sets of lights in all, and each set can be programmed separately from the others, meaning that you’re not forced to have all of your lights be the same color.

Every single one of those 12 buttons is customizable – even the left and right mouse buttons. Players can set up to 72 different macros as well, and those are saved to the mouse’s onboard memory. This is especially important because, and our demonstrator points out, it means that games won’t be able to block your macros (we’re looking at you Diablo III).

For its size, the Gila is surprisingly heavy. I figured that there were weights in the bottom, but the mouse has that heft without any additional weight. Of course, if you want a heavier mouse, you’ll have the option of opening up a compartment on the underside of the device to add weights that come included with the product. There are a number of different dpi settings too, with the mouse going all the way down to 200 dpi and up to 8200 dpi.

Remember that FPS-centric feature I told you about earlier? Genius has dubbed it “sniper mode.” With sniper mode, players will hold down a button to decrease their dpi, which helps when you need to hold steady and aim. Once you’ve made your shots (or once you’ve missed and need to run) releasing the button returns the mouse to its original dpi setting, so one button press will adjust your dpi settings on the fly.

All in all, the Gila seems like a pretty solid gaming mouse. It’s got a good feel overall, and I really like the look of it. Group those with a bunch of customizable settings and you’ve got a gaming mouse that’s worth a look. The Gila comes in at $99, so it isn’t too terribly expensive, but still might cost a bit too much for some. Keep it here at SlashGear for much more from CES 2013!

The camera has a 128° viewing angle allowing drivers to capture the entire road and the lens allows rotation through 180°. The 180° rotation of the lens allows drivers to record traffic on either side of the vehicle. The camera uses a low light enhancement sensor for recording in the dark.

The camera also features a 2.4-inch LCD screen for viewing video in real time or playing back later. That screen rotates 270° allowing drivers to see the video from almost any angle. The camera mounts to the windshield with an included adjustable mounting unit and the camera can be removed from the windshield mount.

When removed from the windshield mount, the digital video recorder section can be used as a typical camcorder. The camera stores video to SD or SDHC cards of 32 GB in capacity and it has an HDMI output. An internal rechargeable battery allows the camera to record with no power available and the camera ships with a DC adapter to power the car. The camera is available right now for $149.

The scanner pairs with a Podpad app on the smartphone. The app allows recently scanned documents to be sent directly to the phone in PDF format via Bluetooth. Once those documents are on the mobile phone, the mobile data connection can be used to send the PDF document anywhere it needs to go.

The scanner can scan six documents per minute at sizes up to 8.5-inches by 14-inches. The scanner also tracks the date, time, location, customer, document ID, and employee for each document scanned and sent. The tracking feature is particularly important for businesses with multiple workers who each scanned documents.

The scanner comes with a DC power adapter for use in the car and a USB adapter for use in the home. The scanner can also be connected to your computer using the USB cable. The Podpad Wireless Document Scanner is available right now for $219.

Genius says that this new mouse will work on just about any surface, including glass. Glass is one surfaced that typically will not work for a laser mouse. The mouse has a 1600 dpi laser engine and features a double injection grip for extra comfort.

Lefties will be glad to hear that this is an ambidextrous design suitable for use with either hand. The mouse is also designed to be able to get power from either an AA or AAA battery. The mouse uses the Genius DarkEye technology to allow tracking on clear and shiny surfaces accurately and easily.

The mouse ships with a wireless dongle promising a wireless range of up to 10 m from the computer. The mouse has adjustable sensitivity between three settings of 800/1200/1600 dpi. The little USB receiver can be stored inside the mouse for portability and is small enough to be inserted into a computer’s USB port and just left there. The little mouse is available right now for $39.99.

Thirty-one percent of the set of surveyed Apple product owners responded that they had a much more positive view of Apple after they had an experience with the company’s tech service. Out of those surveyed, 40 percent of Apple product owners noted that they had been to the Apple Stores’ Genius Bar. Of those that visited the Genius Bar, nearly 90 percent said they were either extremely satisfied or very satisfied – in other words, it’s difficult to have a bad experience with an Apple Genius.

One of the big reasons that the Genius Bar is so satisfying, it would seem, is the large amount of users that get service there without having to pay any cash for a visit. Comparing users who accessed general tech support with Apple to those who visited the Genius Bar, 78 percent got free service from the former while 88 percent got free service from the latter. NPD Group notes that the correlation between free service from Apple and the consumer’s satisfaction was “major”.

Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD, spoke up about the study, saying that Apple’s tech service appears to be a notably positive experience where traditionally accessing such service has not been pleasing for the average customer.

“Tech support is a great service for the consumer, but more importantly it’s a brand-building element for the retailer and manufacturer. People tend to associate any type of tech support as a negative experience, but Apple has demonstrated that those ‘negatives’ can be turned into positive brand experiences and result in a trip back to the store.” – Baker

Also according to the study, 53% of Apple consumers were “extremely satisfied” with their in-store experience, this percentage higher than any other type of service interaction. The study also found that “younger consumers” were surprisingly more likely to want to use Apple’s in-store service than any other group at 45% of respondents in that category – this is surprising, of course, because this youth market has otherwise been found to prefer more virtual interactions. Baker continues by noting that Apple’s model here is one that’s being recognized by retailers across the market.

“Retailers are rediscovering the value that services can offer the consumer. Store foot traffic has declined over the years leaving fewer and fewer in-person interactions. Having a strong tech support in-store model helps fill the transaction void and builds brand awareness and satisfaction.” – Baker

There were 2,000 respondents in this study, notes the NPD Group, with the sample comprised of USA citizens of 18 years of age or older. This study was completed with an online survey through NPD’s online panel in May of 2012, and as NPD notes: “Some of the participants were pre-identified as consumers who had returned or needed tech support on consumer electronic devices in the past 12 months.”

[via NPD Group]

The manual brings on just as much psychological training as it does technical info, with the phrase “Everyone in the Apple Store is in the business of selling” right at the core. There’s a section by the name of “Selling Gadget Joy” which uses the letters A.P.P.L.E. to make the concept simple for whoever’s aiming to become Genius material. (A)pproach, (P)robe, (P)resent, (L)isten, (E)nd. That’s the Apple way for a Genius.

One of the main abilities that every Genius is taught – or that they need, rather – is the ability to empathize with whoever they’re conversing with. Apple makes it clear that a Genius should often be using the “Three Fs: Feel, Felt, and Found. This works especially well when the customer is mistaken or has bad information.” This “Fs” situation works best when a Genius (or any other Apple Store employee, for that matter,) is speaking with a customer about a product that they feel has a feature that’s out of place – or if a product is too expensive.

“Customer: This Mac is just too expensive.
Genius: I can see how you’d feel this way. I felt the price was a little high, but I found it’s a real value because of all the built-in software and capabilities.”

There are a list of words not to use in the manual which all lead the Genius to agreeing with and helping the customer. For example instead of saying “freeze” or “frozen” or “crash”, a Genius should try to use “unexpectedly quits”, “does not respond”, or “stops responding”. Another example is “bug” or “problem” – a Genius is taught to say “condition”, “issue”, or “situation” instead.

In the end, the most controversial part of the training was the supposed set of Apple employees (or former employees) who found the training itself to be robotic. See if a Genius tells you the same next time you’re getting help from them in an Apple Store – was your training intense? They may very well tell you that they certainly felt that it was just fabulous.

[via Gizmodo]

The big feature is that the keyboard has six programmable macro keys on the left side that can be assigned up to 18 different macros. Macro keys combine multiple keystrokes into a single button allowing the gamer to perform complicated actions with a single press. The keyboard also supports gaming mode to prevent gamers from accidentally exiting the game by hitting the Windows key.

The keyboard supports three different game profiles and has integrated onboard memory for storing profiles macros. Other features include six different media keys for controlling media when you’re not gaming. Imperator has a 1000 Hz report rate and a 1 ms response time. That high report rate and quick response time means no lag between key presses and actions taking place on the screen.

The keyboard connects to a computer using a 1.8 m long USB cable. The keyboard supports Windows 7, Vista, and XP. It requires at least 100 MB of space and naturally, an available USB port. The keyboard has some nice features when you consider the MSRP of only $49. Many gaming keyboards cost more than twice that amount.

Genius has a new folding gaming headset that might be ideal for mobile gamers using notebooks. The headset is called the HS-G550 Foldable Gaming Headset. The headset has an interesting feature that allows the user to adjust the volume for each ear cup. The idea for that feature is that you can turn one ear cup all the way down and leave the other one turned up to allow you to hear people sitting next to you.

The headphones have 50 mm drivers and an in-line control box for controlling the master volume and muting the microphone. The headband is adjustable for a comfortable fit, and the headset connects to your computer using a 3.5 mm headphone jack rather than a USB port. The cord is 2.5 m long, and the headphones have a frequency response of 20Hz~20KHz. Pricing and availability are unannounced.

The included stylus, meanwhile, is pressure sensitive for up to 1024 levels, and it doubles as a mouse: pressing down on the stylus activates a left click, with dedicated buttons for right-click and scrolling near the tip. The tablet itself can be switched between 4:3 and widescreen modes, and comes with four quick buttons for specific functions, including Undo, Eraser, Zoom In, and Zoom Out.

On top of that, Genius is throwing in a nice software bundle to get you started. Packages include Adobe Photoshop Elements 9, Corel Painter Essentials 4, PenDrawer, PenSign, and Pen Toolbar. Those should be compatible with both PC and Mac, although PenDrawer is restricted to Windows only. The EasyPen MX610XA is available today in the United States and Canada, and costs $169.99.

The tablet has 15 learning games included along with creative activities and programs for three different difficulty levels covering a range of subjects. The subjects include colors, shapes, logic, geography, math, memory, responsiveness, and drawing. This device isn’t a traditional tablet with its own LCD screen, rather it connects to a computer via USB and allows the kids to draw on the handheld tablet with artwork and images showing on the computer screen.

The device connects to a PC via a USB port and is compatible with Windows 7, Vista, and XP. The device can be used as a mouse for other programs and is aimed at children 3 to 8 years old. The device is available in the US and Canada right now for US$64.99.