It is not always possible to map items together in perfect harmony. For a start this is not a computer mouse but a sanding device. The second item is a small tabletop Tripod ideal for anything (not only cameras) that need to be kept steady. They do have one thing in common they both work extremely well, also both make ideal ways of spending Christmas money.
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Black&Decker Mouse Sander/Polisher
While this of course can sand wood it can also clean old paint and rust from metal. It also has the capability to be used as a polisher.
It is 18x8x10cm with a shoe like the base of an iron 17x9cm. The pointy nose is the secret of being able to get into places that a standard sander cannot. It seems to come with a kit that includes a range of sander discs and even a case to keep it in.
The reason that a fabric case ids required is that you virtually have to destroy the box to remove it. Quite why the larger end is glued rather than sellotaped is a question I would like to ask. The other end is how it needs to be extracted and this has a strange shape to allow display on the dealer’s shelf but once the Mouse has been extracted it is unlikely ever to be able to be reinserted.
In use it causes less dust as it has a built in filtration system to catch a good amount of the dust. As the overall size of the mouse (especially the height) is small you can get into spaces that a standard sander will not. The multifunctional ability of its uses together with it’s lack of size make it a very useful tool. It also works quickly as it oscillates rapidly.
I tried it alongside my own sander and while on large clear spaces it had no clear advantage (apart from less mess) over a standard oblong sander when you got close to corners and in restricted spaces the Mouse was a clear winner. Any recessed space such as cleaning paint or rust from a radiator is a job just not capable of being done by a standard sander. If you think about it sanders have been oblong for more than decade apart from the circular attachments made for attaching to a drill so this is a new dimension and the iron shape seems to work well.
Details from Black and Decker :
http://www.blackanddecker.co.uk/powertools/productdetails/catno/KA1000/
Jessops Extendible Pocket Tripod
I would call this a table tripod and while a digital camera is likely to be by far the biggest user anything with a tripod screw can use it.
Fully collapsed it is only 13cm tall and less than 4cm across. It weights only 100grams so can easily be slipped into a pocket or purse. In this minimum state it needs only a 7cm depth and 8cm width to sit.
The legs can extend by 9cm (two rods) and in that state it needs 14cm depth and 15cm width to sit. Within reason the three legs can be extended to different lengths and with the circular twist screw above the legs fully retracted the total height can be reduced to 8cm however this will require 18cm of depth and 14cm of width to sit. Above this is a twist screw that controls a ball and socket that gives around 20 degrees of movement in any direction but can go to 90 degrees to one side allowing something to be anchored only 5cm above whatever the tripod is sitting on. Finally the tripod screw has a nice rubber surface that holds the camera etc firmly without any risk of damage.
For the purchase price of well under a tenner this is an amazing small tripod and while there are I am sure lots of ‘cheap’ small tripods I doubt any have are these features at anything close to this price.
Jessops Digi Pod Extendible Tripod £6.99 should be available from their shops or from www.jessops.com
http://www.jessops.com/Products/ProductDetail.aspx?SkuId=585
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