I’ve seen some awkward-looking mouse designs, but these Japanese guys won’t give it up that easy. Actbrise Electronics put together a series of three mouse concepts that are making quite a big impact on the Asian market.

First is the “Jupiter” mouse, made from wood and is named so for its resemblance with the largest planet of our Solar system. The wood grain swirls and the buttons imitate the gaseous and weather features of the giant planet. Apart from the non-conventional spherical design of this series, the devices function in a different way, too. Actually this design is more of a suspended joystick, the cursor moves in a particular direction and velocity according to the tilt of the ball.

Not impressed with wood and planets? Actbrise also recommend the heavily blinged Deco mouse and the stainless steel Escher flavor.

The Jupiter mouse from Actbrise is hand made in Japan’s rural Gunma prefecture. It costs $137. The Escher mouse costs $88 and is available for Macs as well. Finally, the Deco flavor is priced between $124 and $153. Hey, are those real diamonds?

Here you have an example of how it works.

How about a life-saver mouse? Actually it’s more of a job-saver kind. When working for some obscure company, it’s not that awkward to go ahead and search for your next career, especially if you can’t stand the boss or some freaky colleagues. Or you might consider that every now and then you deserve a break from all those pesky assignments and you figure a short clip or even something a little bit nastier would cheer you up. But things don’t always turn out to be that simple, as the boss could crash your party anytime. That’s when the USB Smart Privacy Mouse can come in handy.

OK, it’s sort of an average mouse, but it has an interesting feature: the “secret” button, which can be configured to hide the current displayed window, all displayed windows or all but the ones defined by user. This means that all those programs that are quite private for you, are instantly hidden and replaced with some some other “decent” programs that wouldn’t jeopardize you immaculate employee image. So your boss sees that big report that you’ve been working so eagerly on and walks away thinking you are doing a hell of a job, while you live to fight another day.

Want to buy this thing? Check this page out. The “smarty pants” mouse sells for only $19.99.

The Black & Decker MS600B Mouse is an intelligent tool that gives feedback while sanding. A three-position Zone Light Indicator communicates when the sander is working most efficiently for the best sanding results, eliminating inconsistencies and divots in your sanding projects.

By sensing motor speed, the Zone Light will illuminate as single green light to light sanding modes, a full green light indicates that you are applying proper amount of pressure for the best surface finish, and a red light illuminates when you apply to much pressure on the sander.

Black & Decker MS600B Mouse details:

# Auto Calibration feature calibrates the three position indicator based on the incoming voltage from the power outlet each time you turn on the Mouse
# A three-position Zone Light Indicator communicates when the sander is working most efficiently for the best sanding results
# A separate detail finger attachment sands deep into corners and other hard-to-reach areas

Black and Decker MS550GB Mouse 5 Amp Detail Sander /Polisher with 41 Piece Accessory Pack

The Japanese outfit that prides itself on creations ranging from USB aromatherapy devices to muscle-toning mice now it’s responsible for a “USB Vacuum Mouse” that’s pretty much self-explanatory.

The combo mouse gadget is an 800 dpi mouse that turns into a mini-vacuum cleaner with the flip of a small switch, according to Everything USB.

Logitech Trackman Wheel Optical presents a very interesting design. The innovative rounded sloping design places the buttons under your fingers - two on top and a handy side thumb button.

The scroll wheel provides easy scrolling and the added convenience of an extra mouse button, enabling you to jump easily to your favorite Web sites. The ball is ideally positioned for thumb operation, and the comfortable shape of the mouse allows for strain-free extended use.

Logitech Trackman Wheel Optical features:

# WebWheel provides convenient scrolling and fast, easy Internet access
# Patented optical marble technology delivers superior precision, reduced wear and smooth tracking, even if the trackball gets dirty.
# Precise thumb control
# Made with the quality of Logitech, the world’s largest manufacturer of mice and trackballs

Find this product here: Logitech Trackman Wheel Optical