What I really like about technology is the fact that it is constantly improving and innovating itself, especially over the last decades. Nanotechnology seems to be the technology of the future. What is this? Well, nanotechnology deals with technology at very small sizes. The dream of every researcher and scientist is to build robots the size of a human cell and introduce them in the human body or something like that. It sounds like a sci-fi movie, but I am not really convinced that this is only talk. People now live in big cities and stay in little houses because in cities and metropolies real estates are really expansive. Every person's dream is to have as much space as possible due to the exact reason: cities are overcrowded and you have less and less personal or private space where to feel comfortable.

Well, all technological devices that were invented in time  had big sizes initially and , as time passed by and technology improved, they became less and less in order to make the people comfortable when using them and also to ensure as little space as possible. For example the first computer in the world, the famous ENIAC, was the size of a room , while nowadays we can use really tiny computersin the form of alternative computing devices such as: Palm, PDA, notebook, laptop, Blackberry and other combinations of hardware and software meant to be used by people everywhere and anywhere without much trouble.



Exactly the same thing happened to the computer mouse. It decreased in size and you can find really small computer mice nowadays.

However there is a real battle now, as more companies claimed to produce "the world's smallest computer mouse".  There are at least three major candidates to this title: Rotino Sigma, Z-Nano and Lingo Wireless mouse.  All four products were manufactured for the purpose of travelling. Usually when you have to travel somewhere and you don't necessarily have to drive, you take your laptop with you in order to use it for information, work or even entertainment when the trip is too long. Of course, this implies wireless internet access or a lot of games already installed on your computer.



Well, every time you travel , you try to take as few luggage as possible with you, because it is awful to go to a day's trip and have three suitcases with you. You try to save space and take the minimum , I mean the really important things with you. And, of course, you usually end up forgetting about the computer mouse and try to make it fit in a very tiny pocket that is the only one available.

That is exactly the reason why these tiny sweet computer mice have been invented and released on the market.



The first model mentioned, Rotino Sigma, is a Japanese optical laser mouse that is very small and at the same time very efficient in its work. It has a retractable USB cable and a very light coloured body. It is available in three colours: black, blue and red, all three very intense and nice looking.  Even if it is really small, weighing only 40 grams, it still respects all the traditional features of a computer mouse: two buttons for left clcik and right click and a scroll wheel in between them. Its dimensions are measured in milimetres: 30x70x20, but still has a very powerful sensitivity that you can adjust from 1000 dpi to 2000 dpi. It is a marvelous thing even for a regular size mouse, not to mention a tiny one. The price is very good, too, as it is offered for a reasonable $25, with a bonus of attractivity because, as you know, tiny things are cute and draw attention. It is a laser mouse and so it is very accurate and sensitive. Besides, its minute dimension allows you to use it in small placessuch as a train table or something similar. They advertise the rate frame as being 9.600 fps, quite a lot if you ask me. It plugs in the USB port and when you are using it, just pull and the cord comes out. When you are done and don't need the cord any more, release it and it will prove why it is retractable. It fits the palm of your hand comfortably, but that is not the right position for mousing. You can do that with two fingers used for right and left click, while the finger between them is usually operating the scroll. In my opinion this little guy has proved more than enough that size really matters, but in reverse,: small size matters.

The second little candidate is called Z-Nano optical mouse. It is the perfect match for the smaller and smaller laptops that have invaded the market. When I remember that the first portable computer could actually hurt your back as it was really heavy, today's laptops are really diminished in size, so they need matching computer mice to operate them.Z-Nano can be transported in every tiny little corner of your purse or pocket and has all necessary features of a regular computer mouse. You can easily mistake it for a USB memory stick as it is barely the size of your thumb. There are the usual click buttons and a manual and automatic scrolling allowing you to surf the internet pages like the wind. You can adjust the sensitivity up to 1600 dpi, which is a nice figure, even for a little fellow like this one. The mouse is held steady by a small magnet incorporated in the USB plug in order to avoid any damage that may appear. You can add a personal touch to this mouse by sticking a tiny photo on the inside of this mouse, as it is covered with transparent plastic. You may even use a little LED to light inside it.



Last, but not least we have the candidate number three: : Lingo wireless mouse. You might think that computer mice cannot be operated if they are too small, but apparently some computer peripherals designers want to see exactly how far they can go. So they designed Lingo wireless mouse, with an impressive small size: 27,5x60x19. It is almost the size of a battery with 23 grams weight and can be deposited anywhere. You can operate it with one finger, but sometimes this can be uncomfortable, especially for people with bigger hands. It is available in black and white versions and is wireless, communicating with a tiny receiver Its sensitivity is not as high as the first two, but it does have 800dpi sensitivity. Besidea, this mouse battery can be recharged in only 50 minutes and after that it can operate for more than 16 hours of continuous use. However you can find this computer mouse only on the Japanese market for a relatively high price: $50.

I presented the details to you and now it is your turn to decide the winner: which one is indeed the smallest computer mouse in the world?