A surprise listing on the Microsoft hardware website reveals the return of a classic rodent-- the IntelliMouse, in the shape of a modern version inspired by the IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0.

Launched in 2002, the IntelliMouse 3.0 was the last version of the IntelliMouse, a mouse line Microsoft started way back in 1996. The first version featured a curvy ergonomic design and introduced the scroll wheel to the world. Actual mouse functionality came through a ball before a 1999 update brought optical tracking technology.

The 2017 Classic IntelliMouse is very similar to the original, if updated with a DPI range reaching up to 3200. It also has 3 customisable buttons, BlueTrack tracking for glass use and a 1000 reports per second mouse report rate. Connectivity remains wired, if via USB. In actual changes, the distinctive red tail light is now a "clean, modern white."

OWC launches a smaller USB-C dock option-- the USB-C Travel Dock, a device offering portable connectivity for laptops such as the latest MacBooks through a selection of 5 ports.

The dock connects to PCs or Macs via single USB-C cable. It features x2 USB 3.1 ports, x1 USB-C port (for power), x1 HDMI 2.0 port and x1 SD card reader. The USB-C port provides up to 60W of passthrough charging, and the HDMI 2.0 can handle a 4K display at 30 Hz.

Peripheral maker SteelSeries joins forces with Targus, "the original creator of the laptop bag," to create the SteelSeries x Targus Sniper-- a backpack able to hold a laptop up to 17.3-inch in size.

According to the two companies the Sniper is designed for gamer customers. It has a durable exterior, a padded laptop compartment and a "SafePort Sling Protection" system protecting the laptop from knocks and drops. An integrated rain cover protects everything from, well, the rain, while the main compartment holds a large mousemat, mouse, keyboard and controller.

Wireless charging is set to truly hit the mainstream with the iPhone 8, but a startup named Pi wants to further extend the reach of the technology-- specifically by 30cm, through the imaginatively named Pi Charger.

As debuted at the TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield event, the Pi Charger is a conical device able to charge multiple devices within around 30cm in any direction. It is not a full-room wireless charging offering, the the maker promises it actually works, and does so without need to put devices on a charging pad.

The technology behind the Pi Charger is resonant induction, the same used by the Qi standard found in the new iPhones. It is paired with a special beam forming algorithm allowing Pi to shape and direct the magnetic fields around the device. This allows users to charge a smartphone by putting it next to the charger, as opposed to directly on it.