Reports of the mouse's death have been greatly exaggerated. Despite encroachment from newfangled touchpads and laptops, the brick-like computer mouse is alive and kicking among tech reviewers.

There's a running joke in Spike Jonze's film Being John Malkovich about the validity and relevance of puppetry as an art form. ''Nobody's looking for a puppeteer in today's wintry economic climate,'' ...