I had some pest issues a while back, and the whole thing created something of a dilemma for me. You see, I've owned several species of rodents in my day, mice included, and the available options--snapping its neck, poisoning it, or letting it slowly starve to death on a piece of adhesive paper--were none too appealing.

I invested in a capture and release trap. The damned thing set me back $15, courtesy of my local mom & pop hardware store, and didn't actually catch anything.

As Engadget points out, Rentokil's new RADAR (Rodent Activated Detection And Riddance) trap forgoes such bleeding heart sentiments, in favor of the latest in mouse destroying technology. Mice are lured into to device using infrared beams (I was using peanut butter). Once inside, a pressure sensor releases asphyxiates the mouse with "a measured dose" of carbon dioxide.

One the rodent is good and dead, RADAR sends you a text message and resets itself. If you've got an infestation, now might be the time to upgrade to an unlimited SMS plan.

The RADAR's price hasn't been announced, but I'm guessing that I got a relative bargain on mine.