Logitech launches Wii Mote-like 'in-air' mouse

With a rather ostentatious claim that "the future of PC navigation starts now", mouse-maker Logitech today unveiled an input device that's as at home being waved around in the air as it is being pushed around a desk. Logitech MX Air wireless mouse Logitech's MX Air: you point, it clicks Called the MX Air, this mouse owes …

[Anonymous Coward]

Too expensive

£75?. You can pick up a Wiiremote in the US for $40 (£20) and use it with a PC or Mac using GlovePIE and Darwiin Remote respectively.

[Marvin the Martian]

Useful for the weirdly levered.

I tried to help a guy use his computer (you know, for mailing and browsing on the wild side, collecting worms), a few years back, and he never mastered the mouse.

The strange thing was that due to some eye/hand coordination thing, he could look at his hand and things would be fine, but when looking at the screen his arm inexorably lifted so that the mouseball pointlessly hung there. In the end there's tricks for everything, but this device would probably be the better solution.

Not sure his type form a large part of the population, his genes weren't spreading really anyhow.

[Anonymous Coward]

Nothing new under the sun

This is hardly a new thing. In my work I came across gyroscopic "presentation" mice four or five years ago, which can be used on the desk like a normal optical mouse or waved about in the air like a Wiimote. They came with a Bluetooth keyboard as well, and cost about £80.

[Dogbyte]

Not entirely new

Gyration were doing something like this a year or more ago - definitely pre-Wii

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Not entirely new

"Gyration were doing something like this a year or more ago - definitely pre-Wii"

Pre-PC, even - the old farts amongst us (myself included ;-) ) may be able to cast their minds back to the mid-80s when some company released a joystick which used mercury tilt-switches rather than the more usual microswitches or leaf-spring contacts (can't for the life of me remember the company though - can anyone remember?)

Needless to say, the product bombed and you sure as hell couldn't play 'Daley Thompson's Decathlon' with :-)

[Gary Littlemore]

PS3???

What about the PS3, are we likely to see one for the PS3?

[Anonymous Coward]

Uk screwed again

Expect to pay $150 (€109). Brits will pay £100

Not quite 1 for 1, but still not good value. Expect the eBay grey market to enjoy this one....

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh my..

First the news of O2's 'new' sim-only contracts, and now this! Either I'm a Time Traveller from the future, or we've had this before, I have something very similar in my hot little hand right now! Logitech's Surfman/Trackman Live, wireless, hand held presentation device/mouse. Bought mine (the first one anyway) in 1997 for about 40 quid. Cracking little thing, beautifully simple and yet configurable, and lovely to hold.

[Neil Anderson]

Problem solver

I helped an 80-year-old set up her first-ever computer — an iMac. The first time she held the mouse she waved it around and pointed it at the screen like a TV remote.

Neil Anderson

http://www.cyclelogicpress.com

[tom]

Does it require their software?

Logitech's hardware is unbeatable, but if it requires drivers or software from Logi, forget it. Until standard "gesture recognition" software is being shipped with Windows, I'll pass.

All (and I mean all) of my computer's peripherals are from Logi, because they make nice hardware. Their software? Bleah! I keep waiting for a release of the G15 keyboard software that will consistently load the correct game's macros. Etc. Since this product basically requires software support, I smell trouble. (And it'd be too tempting to throw the darn thing when it acts up.)

[Paul Gaunt]

Gyration Rule

Got 2 Gyration airmice (1 always on charge) would never use anything none gryo again. Software could be much better in the gesture area. Keyboard could be better. The kby/mouse combination is not compatable with KVMs that do usb kby via emulation when u want to switch PCs.

Still Gyration do rock

[john Durrant]

nothing new here

First year ravensbourne College Interaction Design students have been doing most of this with a Wii controller pretty much from the off. they cost gbp32.