We first became acquainted with Gyration's in-air mouse during our 2002 Comdex coverage . We were thrilled then, noting how the device could be used as a remote control to watch TV or as a mouse controlled by waving your hand in the air. We are even more thrilled now.

Since our first look at Gyration's in-house mouse, we had the opportunity to play around with the device and to subject it to abuse that no PC peripheral device should ever have to take. We also used it extensively for office as well as gaming applications (mouse control for action game play, however, disappointed).

In addition to Gyration's in air mouse, we had the opportunity to review a wireless device from Atek, based on a similar radio-frequency technology as Gyration's device designed to serve as a wireless cursor controller and pointing device for presentations. While representing a less ambitious effort than Gyration's in-air mouse, we found that Atek's device more than just did the job.

How Air Mice Can Improve The Quality Of Life

This is not a wireless mouse review. While wireless mice do serve their purpose of removing the desk clutter of wires and have improved immensely during the past few years, air mice represent a different form factor. In Minority Report, a sci-fi movie starring Tom Cruise in which the characters move and control large computer screens with the wave of a hand, air mice essentially serve the same function.

Instead of sliding the mice against a surface to control the cursor, both Gyration's and Atek's devices interface with a PC screen's cursor by waving the device in the air.

With the Gyration air mouse, which retails for about $80, your hand holds the device like a handshake and performs all functions as a traditional wired or wireless mouse by moving your hand in the air and clicking. This means, that instead of leaning hunched over a desk, the user can perform a mouse required task while leaning back in a chair, feet up on the desk or while standing up or walking 30 feet away. Watching a DVD from bed or a chair and don't want to manually push buttons on your PC? Need a remote control to watch TV on the PC? Surfing the Web while leaning back in the chair and don't want to have to sit back up? All tasks can be done with the wave of a hand.

Rewind DVDs and surf the Web with a wave of the hand.

Office application tasks, such as scrolling through a word processor task or checking emails, can thus be done without having to change from a sitting position or for real slackers while lying down.