EXCLUSIVES

By Louise Masurat

Certainly, a major factor in the popularity of Griffin Technology's PowerMate is its appearance: it's a brushed aluminum control knob on a customizably pulsating blue base. In fact, I'm sure there are those who have happily shelled out $45 for it just on the basis of its looks and its "What's that thing?" power.

But the PowerMate is more than just a pretty face or another cute gadget; I found it to be a surprisingly useful tool. And as a USB device, it's very easy to set up and configure.

Its most obvious function is as an audio controller. Its software presets allow it to control volume and toggle the mute function in iTunes. Actually, there are 5 actions that can be customized to suit any application‹Click (by pressing down on the knob), Rotate Right, Rotate Left, Click & Rotate Right, and Click & Rotate Left. So, for example, in Word, Click toggles sound muting, Rotate Right scrolls down, Rotate Left scrolls up, and Click & Rotate Right functions like the Enter key. In addition, the PowerMate's LED can be controlled via AppleScripts.

For anyone who still uses an Apple one-button mouse, the PowerMate's scrolling capability is an enormous boon. Even with a scrolling mouse or trackball, however, the PowerMate still shines. Quickly scrolling through Web pages or a long word processing document becomes a snap. And for iMovie or video editing, this device excels. According to Griffin, you can "edit movies just like the pros with PowerMate functioning as your very own Jog/Shuttle wheel. Spin PowerMate to scroll through footage and push the integrated button to edit points or cut out unwanted pieces. PowerMate makes editing home movies a breeze and it comes preset to work with iMovie and FinalCut Pro right out of the box."

Another clever product from Griffin is the iCurve, an "invisible laptop stand" designed specifically for the PowerBook and iBook, to address the ergonomic issues faced by people who use their Mac laptop full time in a desktop situation.

The iCurve's main purpose is to better position the iBook or PowerBook in your permanent desktop environment. It does this in several ways:

According to Griffin, the iCurve is specifically designed to position the top edge of the Apple PowerBook G4 at 16" high. This is exactly the same height as Apple's 17" LCD monitor. It's also about the same height of Apple's 22" Cinema Display. This makes iCurve perfect for tiling the PowerBook with Apple's LCD monitors. With Apple's 23" HD Cinema Display, you get almost 3.4 million pixels of side-by-side screen real estate. And the iCurve's rounded clear plastic exactly matches Apple's LCD form and appearance.

The iCurve elevates an iBook off the desk, freeing up space for a full-size keyboard and mouse. I found it much more comfortable to work with my iBook this way. I normally use an optical mouse or small trackball, but elevating the computer and using a wireless keyboard greatly helps if I'm doing more than just surfing the Web.

Additionally, the iCurve increases airflow around a laptop, significantly reducing the running temperature. And a PowerBook's back access door is fully exposed, becoming easily reached. www.griffintechnology.com $39.99.