Digital Innovations Accessories

Introduction

Digital Innovations got their start by filling a simple but important niche in the consumer electronics accessories market; the SkipDr was, and still is, one of the most widely used devices for removing scratches from CDs and DVDs. Looking to expand, they’ve branched out into several other computer related accessories, many targeted at the portable market. Today we’ll be looking at several items from them, covering a wide range of applications.

AllTerrain Wireless Travel Mouse

First up is the AllTerrain wireless travel mouse. Shaped and sized much like other travel mice, the main selling point of this one is in the sensor. Set at 1600DPI, this sensor will track on all sorts of surfaces, including glass, wood, and clothing.

The packaging does a decent job of showing off the mouse and pointing up the main feature. That said, I’m not a big fan of blister packaging; it’s needlessly difficult to get into and is impossible to repack neatly, but does a great job in preventing shoplifters from pocketing small items.

The mouse itself is tiny, measuring just over 3.5 inches at its longest point. There are no back/forward buttons, but with a mouse this small that’s just as well. The battery compartment, which takes a single AAA cell, also provides a space for the receiver while the mouse is not in use. Activation is handled via an ever-so-slightly recessed power switch, which can be flipped with a fingernail.

Pinched between thumb and ring finger, this mouse is surprisingly comfortable to use. The buttons provide good audible and tactile feedback, and the scroll wheel is notchy without being stiff. The sensitivity is fairly high for a non-gaming mouse, being locked in at 1600 DPI. Using it for ordinary web-surfing tasks, it took me some practice to avoid overshooting my targets. The AllTerrain mouse lives up to its name however, tracking smoothly and accurately on every surface I tried it on. A gaming mouse pad provided the best results, naturally, but it tracked just as well on bare desk, my pants leg, my sleeping cat, and the glass bottle sitting on my desk.

Overall, the AllTerrain Wireless Travel Mouse provides solid value for the money. The lack of browser back/forward buttons is a shame, but the superb tracking ability more than makes up for that minor lack.

–~~~~~~~~~~~~–

ScreenDr

Next up is the ScreenDr screen cleaning kit.

Starting with the basic concept of a cleaning spray/cloth combination, DI adds a new wrinkle by providing a way for the cloth to be stored inside the bottle.

The bottle itself is a fairly basic pump-spray affair, with enough space for about 9oz of fluid. The microfiber cloth, which spreads out to a 10.5″ circle in use, drapes over the top. The black lid goes over both bottle and cloth, with the vents at the top allowing the cloth to dry out while stored.

The spray itself works pretty much as advertised; it cleaned my screens and my glasses without leaving streaks or residue. The bottle itself is refillable, so you could use this one until the cloth or the pump mechanism gives out.

–~~~~~~~~~~~~–

CleanDr Antibacterial Keyboard Protector

Next up is a fairly unusual item, the CleanDr Antibacterial Keyboard Protector.

This is actually a thin, mostly transparent silicone sheet that lays flat over the keys of your laptop’s keyboard. Antimicrobial chemicals have been worked into the material, which can be a plus if you work in an especially germ-prone environment. No attempt is made to form-fit the CleanDr to any particular keyboard layout; in practice this meant it worked equally awkwardly with all of them. It held itself in place well enough, but it felt pretty much exactly like what you’d expect typing through a rubber sheet to feel like: mushy and slightly unpleasant. In practice, I’d rather shell out a bit more for a protective cover shaped to fit my laptop’s keyboard in particular.

DeviceDryer

Next on the list is a fairly straightforward product, the DeviceDryer.

This product is simple in both concept and execution. It consists of nothing more than an airtight, resealable bag with a quantity of desiccant beads in the bottom. The idea here is that if your smartphone or other expensive electronic device goes for a swim, you can try to recover by pulling it out of the drink, powering it off, then putting it in this bag and sealing it. One to two full days later, the desiccant beads will have done their work, drawing out the moisture from all the nooks and crannies of the device’s innards. This does not guarantee that your device will still be usable afterwards, but it offers you the best chance of avoiding the cost of a replacement.

I didn’t have any just-dunked smartphones handy to try this out on, so I did the next best thing: I took the remains of an old, dead MP3 player, stuffed the battery compartment with a damp piece of sponge, and tossed it into the bag. The same time next day, I took it out to check, and the area inside the battery compartment was completely dry. So, this one works pretty much as advertised; it makes wet gadgets dry again. Your mileage may vary as to whether it will save you another trip to the Apple store.

–~~~~~~~~~~~~–

LapGuard & LapGuard Portable

Last but not least, we have two variants on the same idea, the LapGuard and LapGuard Portable.

Both claim to block radiation from your laptop; this is only really true in the sense that heat is a form of electromagnetic radiation. What we typically think of as radiation, i.e. x-rays, gamma rays, &c., isn’t something you have to worry about coming from your laptop.

Strange marketing aside, both of these cooling pads provide an insulative barrier between the bottom of your laptop and your actual lap. The LapGuard Portable lies flat between legs and computer, while the LapGuard provides a wedge to elevate the back of your laptop by a couple of  inches.

The full-sized LapGuard manages its power cable with a clever combination of a recessed housing between the exhaust vents and a self-retracting cord. This, ironically, makes the full-sized LapGuard faster to pack up than the LapGuard Portable—though there isn’t much time spent in either case..

The cooling fans, which are powered by a concealable USB cable, run counter to the usual pattern by taking in air on the top, and expelling it out the back. While this is fine for laptops like the Macbook that run primarily on radiative cooling, it isn’t terribly helpful for the large number of laptops with bottom-facing intake vents. Since the fans are tuned to be quiet, rather than powerful, they don’t move much air; even at the highest speed they only produce a faint breeze. In practice I found myself leaving the fans unplugged, simply using the pads as a prop to keep my laptop’s intake fans away from my pants legs.

Conclusion

Today we’ve looked at a wide range of laptop and computer accessories. Some have worked out better in practice than others, but there were no gimmicky toys in the lot. It’s clear that plenty of thought went into what laptop users want and need to make their computing experience easier and more productive. We look forward to seeing what Digital Innovations will come up with in the future.