Brian Eno is a genius and unparalleled figure of all time! Listening to Ambient 2, the Plateaux of Mirror, this is the good stuff, music for your body mind and soul.

“Do you know what I hate about computers? The problem with computers is that there is not enough Africa in them.”?- Brian Eno, May 1995

This quotation is from an article in Wired Magazine, I have never forgotten it.

“What’s pissing me off is that it uses so little of my body. You’re just sitting there, and it’s quite boring. You’ve got this stupid little mouse that requires one hand, and your eyes. That’s it. What about the rest of you? No African would stand for a computer like that. It’s imprisoning.” ?…still Brian Eno.

Yes. That’s May 1995. More than 10 years ago. And what has happened? The scroll wheel.

PowerMate – USB Multimedia Controller

The scroll wheel is an excellent invention and I can’t think of using a computer without one. Still it’s just you and that mouse. Maybe you keep your other hand at the keyboard.

The Griffin Powermate has a name, a look and a description that suggest that you should use it to adjust the volume on your computer.

It’s incredibly well built, good looking, solid and very useful knob. You can use it to scroll in my browser. To zoom in Photoshop. To shuttle in my video editing software. To scroll in my photo archive. Right hand on the mouse. Left hand switching between the keyboard and the Powermate.

It has completely removed quite a bit of straining your right hand.

There is a very reliable rule that says that a company that makes hardware can never make good software (look at the software that follows ATI’s graphics cards or Creative’s MP3 players etc…*) Griffin has done an exception with the Powermate. The latest version of the software for this device is actually quite useful. And if you don’t like it you always have Girder and the Girder Powermate Plugin.

The Powermate puts a tiny, tiny bit of Africa back into my computer.

* Yes, Apple is an exception