Over the last few years, laptops have been outfitter with numerous new innovations to replace the standard mouse. Through all of these, a few have been fan favorites and have stood the test of time, while others have gone the way of the dinosaur. Now, new laptop purchasers are left with a choice of either a touchpad, trackball, or an old school mouse.

Very few laptops these days do not include a touchpad. Though they are extremely accurate is configured correctly, the main draw is the convenience. You just can’t beat the fact that it is always there, ready to work, and does not require any type of peripheral to operate. Most people that carry a laptop on a regular basis already have enough to keep track of with the inevitable extra battery pack, AC power cord, and the power brick. Adding one more extra is one more thing to keep track of in the long run.

The downside to the touchpad, however, is its location. Depending on your typing position, it can be ridiculously easy to accidentally move the cursor with the bottom of your hand. To make matter worse, if your touchpad is set to allow you to click or double click by touching, or even worse navigate forward and back with a swipe of your finger, you can find yourself typing in the wrong spot or lose the page you are on altogether. To put it bluntly, if you find yourself fat fingering keys, or if you are prone to potentially embarrassing angry tirades in an airport, another option may be the way to go for you.

Any mouse with a USB connection can be used with a laptop these days. In addition, a wireless mouse can be used if the laptop has either an infrared sensor, or more commonly, bluetooth capability. The mouses made specifically for laptops are generally smaller than your normal desktop mouse, and this is a welcome attribute to most users. The advantage of this is that it won’t take up much space in your laptop bag. This method does come with a couple of drawbacks, though. Most notably, the mouse is one more piece of equipment to be damaged or lost. The other is that if your issue is accidentally brushing up against the touchpad while typing, you also run the possibility of a laptop mouse being too small for your hands. If that is the case, than a trackball may be the best option.

The trackball is basically a mouse with the ball on the top. To move the cursor you manipulate the ball with either your thumb or index finger, dependent upon which is more comfortable for you. The left and right buttons are placed in different configurations on different models, and some have upwards of 4 additional buttons which can be configured. This peripheral takes up more space than a mouse, but requires little to no manipulation to use effectively.

Each of these options have their own pros and cons, and it is up to the individual user to determine which will best suit their needs.

James Bond Would Undoubtedly Drive The Aston Martin Rapide For 2011 If He Settled Down With A Family

What’s Better? Google Honeycomb Tablet or Apple IPAD Tablet OS

Is a BMW or Mercedes Better?

This is really a very subjective question that is best answered through careful research and introspective interpretation of one’s own perception. Every make and model is at least slightly different and every person will have their own luxurious requirements. An expensive car, though, is generally primarily sought for performance capabilities. However, the little odds and ends can make or break a vehicle for some people. Maybe its options like the “Split-View Front Seat Entertainment System” and “Media Interface Plus” that Mercedes offers, which will win buyers.

Android hacks are easy to find and can add great versatility to your phone, although you’re taking your phone and its warranty into your own hands if you proceed. Nonetheless, here our our four favorite Android hacks.

1. Overclock your Handset
You’re phone needs to be rooted before you do this but it is well worth it if you feel like your phone is a little slow at multi-tasking or running applications. Just like overclocking a PC, there is a risk. The processor inside your Android is designed to operate at a certain speed, and running the chip at a fast pace will add heat and use more power. However, this app allows you to combat these symptoms by underclocking the processor which saves battery power and lengthens the chip’s life.

2. Run Android On An Old iPhone
If you’d like to try out apps that Steve Jobs has decided are unacceptable on an iPhone, you’ll want to use this hack. First, you have to jailbreak your iPhone though. A whole range of devices can be hacked so that they run Google’s operating software, including old netbooks.

3. Change Your Look
Android OS allows for phones that are extremely customizable. Countless apps can replaces Android’s software, such ad Home++ and LauncherPro. However, basic mods like changing the wallpaper can be made animated, and new icons can be downloaded if you don’t like the standard onces included. Tools like Beautiful Widgets have created entire communities based on creating new skins for its software.

4. Play Classic Games
Android’s open approach makes it possible to use emulators. Its market is full of software emulators for classic games. A quick search on AppBrain shows software like GameBoid, Ataroid, and SNesoid available for the Android.

Although this software may not be completely legal, multiple developers continue to create apps to download ROMs (the software required to play classic games). Some developers have gone above and beyond, with one Dell Streak owner figuring out how to attach a NES controller to his device for a true retro gaming experience.

There are countless other Android hacks out there, but these are our top favorite. These four Android hacks will increase the versatility of your phone, making it more powerful, more aesthetically pleasing, and more fun. Most importantly, it will make other Android owners jealous of your phone.

Being the first to market is usually a good idea. For Apple, it’s the primary reason that they’re the most valued brand on the planet today. Their iPad and iPad 2 tablets created an entire industry sector in consumer electronics and were largely unchallenged by any worthy competitors for the better part of a year. With the recent release of the new Motorola Xoom tab, all of that’s about to change. It was only a matter of time before the Android ecosystem yielded a worthy rival to the iPad, and the Xoom is going to make a lot of people think twice before buying from Apple.

Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: the Xoom is seriously powerful, and versatile to boot. Featuring an Nvidia Tegra 2 processor clocked at 1.0 GHz backed up by 1 GB of RAM, the Xoom packs as much horsepower as any other tablet on the market. It’s got a 5 MP rear-facing camera, a 2 MP front-facing camera, on-board storage space ranging from 32 GB up to 64 GB via the microSD slot, and HDMI output, giving users the total package when it comes to extensibility for peripherals. The 10.1-inch multi-touch HD display offers a crystal-clear visual experience that matches the iPad in terms of picture quality and responsiveness.

Superb hardware aside, what makes the Motorola stand out is the superb operating system provided by Android in the form of their tablet-specific platform, Honeycomb. Originally released earlier this year with the 3.0 version, Verizon wasted no time in upgrading to 3.1 almost immediately after it came out. It supports Flash impeccably without murdering your battery (yes, Mr. Jobs, that’s possible), and allows users to resize widgets and import photos directly from their phones and cameras. It comes equipped with Google’s Movies application by default, allowing users to stream movies directly from the Android market. And it also features a quicker, more responsive browser that more closely emulates the desktop web browsing experience.

Bottom line: the Xoom will ultimately be the story of the year when it comes to tablet PCs. Much like the original Motorola Droid, the Xoom has “Instant Classic” written all over it due to its competent hardware, user-friendly and intuitive software, and its attractive pricing. The iPad is great, no question about that. But if you don’t particularly care for vendor lock-in and want more power for roughly the same amount of money, the Xoom is the tablet for you. Both the WiFi version and the two-year contract variant with 3G from Verizon make a great addition to your digital arsenal. When it comes to must-have gadgets for work and for play, the Xoom is a no-brainer.

Reader’s Digest has been reporting on life management trends since before most of us were born, so it’s all the more satisfying that the “next big things” roundup in their May issue is not only relevant, but also includes gadgets that we haven’t seen discussed in too many other places. Among them is Intel’s Home Dashboard, a device that communicates with your home appliances and also permits you to control said appliances while away from home via your smart phone or laptop.

It’s worth taking a moment to scan some of the dashboard’s nifty features but there are some particularly cool things worth noting here. For starters, the dash does more than “talk” to your appliances – it manages them. A smart thermostat can adjust the overall heating and cooling in your house (whether you’re there or not) and, according to Intel, adapt “its settings based on the weather conditions, the current energy price and your evolving usage patterns, helping you avoid spikes in cost.” If it actually manages to do that, the other management functions —  including the dash’s ability to anticipate appliance performance problems – are gravy.

The “fun” functions include the aforementioned remote management of the dash, enabling you to toggle on your home security system from the office, say, or toggle off your coffee pot from Aruba. The possible ways to creatively control appliances while away from home are endless.

Reader’s Digest says the dash resembles an oversized iPhone, though a more accurate description might be stately iPad. Interestingly, Intel powers the dash with an Atom processor-based platform, cousin to the better-performing processors found in some netbooks.

A prototype for the dashboard premiered in January 2010, Reader’s Digest notes, and Intel will conduct some pilot programs in selected homes this year.

Image source: Intel

Maybe you didn’t take our advice about not buying an iPad, and you’re running one of its gaming apps right now. Or perhaps you’re nursing a bitter cup of coffee-house coffee as you watch “Fringe” on your laptop. Or maybe you’re just trying to find a song you can still stand on your MP3. No matter what you happen to be doing, we’re almost certain of one thing: at some point today, you probably spent some time trying to untangle your earbuds in an attempt to plug them into the device of your choice.

The solution: Retractable ear buds.

If you’ve ever used a bad tape measure whose tape refuses to retract into its casing gracefully, then you have reason to be skeptical of any retractable gadget. So here’s a strategy: try the Retrak Stereo Earbuds, as sturdy as models that sell for twice that — even models sold by Retrak — and at $9.99, won’t break the bank.

You’ll have about a yard of cord to play with on this thing, as well as clip if you ever use one. And if you manage to  lose these buds, sit on them, or break them, your outlay’s still less than the bitter coffee and sandwich you probably just bought at the coffee shop.

On the bright side: While these things are working, the next time you’re walking down the street, riding the bus, or about to brave the treadmill, think about all the hours of your life you’re getting back by not having to untangle before plugging in.

Image source: ReTrak