Microsoft launch a whole host of peripheral loveliness

I'm a massive fan of peripherals. In fact, nothing makes me happier than meeting up with Microsoft on a Thursday morning, to drink champagne Bucks Fizz to discuss their latest range of peripherals. So, what have they got in store?

Microsoft Memory Mouse 8000 is mmmmmmmmmmarvellous. It comes equipped with 1GB of (non-removable) memory, which baffled me when I first heard about it. But actually, being able to use your mouse instead of a memory stick makes perfect sense. It's also got the ability to recharge the mouse whilst you're working, via a lead connection to your computer. 4-way scrolling and a magnifying button makes working easier, and one click of the scroll wheel will take you into the Vista screen flip view. It'll be £75 from mid-October.

There's also two new webcams - the Lifecam NX3000, designed for notebooks, and the VX7000 for high definition video. The latter features a dedicated Live Messenger button and a built-in microphone. The former, a 2 megapixel video camera and an 8 megapixel still camera (although whether you'd ever actually need that size for photos of you sticking your tongue out at your video chatting buddy is up for discussion).

Enough peripheral love for you? No? Me neither. So, how about this Sidewinder mouse, specially for PC gaming. It's got an LCD screen which will show your macros, a switch for instantly switching between different DPI levels and even adjustable weights. Yes, that's right. It comes with little weights, which you can load from the side to vary the feel of your mouse. Now that, my friends, is attention to detail.