Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/02/20/sony_preps_squeakerphone/
Squeakerphone™ Sony UK has introduced an optical mouse that doubles up as a VoIP handset. The VN-CX1 is kitted out in Vaio styling and colours - black, blue and silver - though its angular edges suggest it's not the most comfortable controller around. There's an LED on top, next to the scrollwheel, that flashes when someone's trying to get in touch. It rings too.
And - at the press of a button - mouse becomes clamshell handset. Inside, it's a fairly basic affair: earpiece at the top, microphone at the bottom. Clearly, Sony expects you to do all your dialling using you favourite VoIP app. That said, the scrollwheel works as a volume control when the mouse is in handset mode.
The mouse weighs 67g and measures 8.9 x 4.6 x 2.4cm. It's got a 1.1m tail. Sony said it will go on sale in the UK next month for £55. ®

Buffalo bullish over skinny scrollwheel mouse (6 December 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/12/06/buffalo_slim_mouse/
Animatronic Skype phones get lippy (1 September 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/09/01/evesham_unveils_verballs/
Logitech spins 'revolutionary' free-wheeling mouse (24 August 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/08/24/logitech_unveils_free-wheeling_mouse/
Kowon readies anti-glance LCD glasses (10 May 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/05/10/kowon_antiglance_lcd_specs/
Sony directs pros to portal (24 April 2006)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/04/24/sony_direct_portal/
Zspire touts stealth-like mouse (19 April 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/04/19/zspire_stealth_mouse/
Wurtlizer hip to the iPod beat (19 April 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/04/19/wurlitzer_ipod_edition/
Elecom readies wireless pack-a-mouse (28 March 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/28/elecom_mouse-in-a-box/
Vonage cries foul over Canada VoIP 'tax' (10 March 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/10/vonage_voip_tax_protest/
US Robotics flies in Skype-branded speakerphone (3 March 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/03/usr_9610_skype_speaker/
Asono touts designer MP3 player (28 February 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/02/28/asono_play/
Boffins tout world's first single-chip digital microphone (27 February 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/02/27/akustica_single-chip_mems_microphone/
iPod Shuffle becomes t-shirt icon (20 February 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/02/20/ipod_shuffle_shirt/
Firm launches 'world's smallest' external HDD (14 February 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/02/14/elecom_world_smallest_hdd/
Kiwis craft first iPod-integrating bed (6 February 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/02/06/design_mobel_ibed/
OLED keyboard maker touts mini keypad (2 February 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/02/02/lebedev_oled_keypad/
Imation wraps 256MB Flash round wrist (31 January 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/01/31/imation_flash_wriststrap/
Timepiece tells time in binary (26 January 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/01/26/kerala_trance_watch/
PhoneDrive combines VoIP, Flash in USB key (19 January 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/01/19/iocell_phone_drive/
Clock chimes for Pong's finest hour (19 January 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/01/19/dutch_pong_clock/