The iFeel mouse from Logitech is designed to give a physical response as you move it over items on the desktop.

A built-in motor allows you to feel vibrations as it is passes over icons, buttons and web links.

It is pretty uninspiring most of the time. It does not give the user much of a buzz and it can be rather irritating.

But the device enters a new dimension when used for games which have been designed to recognise its "immersion" software and incorporate the force feedback into play.

I tried it with recent release Black and White and found it effective for quickly identifying characters scattered around my desktop which I could have missed while concentrating on what to do next in the game.

This type of physical feedback has been installed in joystick-powered games for sometime and it is good to see a bit of thought being given to games designed for the mouse.

In all other respects it is a standard USB mouse with a small footprint, scroll wheel and optical sensors.

Designed to fit comfortably in either hand, it will work on most surfaces and has no ball or rollers to be cleaned.

While the avid gadget fan will love this new toy, most people will find its added-value features too gimmicky for everyday use.

Price: £39.99.

Contact: www.logitech.com
Feel good factor: 6 out of 10.