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No More Sweaty Mouse Hands

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the to-much-spare-time dept.

linugen writes "How do you avoid those sweaty mouse hands after playing a game of Quake for a couple of hours? Sure, you could use the keyboard, but this site has a 'cool' alternative. It's in Finnish (I think), so the fish won't be able to help you. The pictures speak for themselves."

141 of 226 comments (clear)

  1. How about a wireless? by 80's+Greg · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Make me a wireless one, and I'll pay you $50 for it.

    --
    I gotta have more cowbell.
    1. Re:How about a wireless? by Negadecimal · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Make me a wireless one, and I'll pay you $50 for it.

      Yeah, and you'll be paying that every month for batteries.

    2. Re:How about a wireless? by Razzious · · Score: 4, Funny

      Not if you created on that used the heat emited from your skin as you were getting all heated up and converted it to usable electricity to power the fan inside. Then you could rig a generator up on the buttons to give more juice with each click.

      Now add to it the rolling action you make and we have ourselves a powergenerator on your mousepad.

      OK OK I am sorry don;t mod me down for this stupidity

      --
      Razzious Domini
      I could be a GREAT KARMA WHORE if I could just shed the few morals I have left.
    3. Re:How about a wireless? by dbCooper0 · · Score: 1

      Ya Well - I'd pay a hundred for one that's solar-powered, or otherwise somewhat batteryless.

      --
      db
      Cig:
      ôô
      /`
    4. Re:How about a wireless? by Rothron+the+Wise · · Score: 1

      actually, my wireless optical mouse works for like 4 months on two fresh double A batteries

      But it wouldn't last a week with an internal fan.

      --
      A witty .sig proves nothing
  2. Here's the english version. by Mike+the+Mac+Geek · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://hw.metku.net/rottaflekti/index_eng.html

    For those of us who don't speak Finnish.

    --
    -------------------------------------------------- ---- The man, the myth, the something or other.
  3. Noise... by BlueOtto · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Can I get a quieter hydrolic version?

    1. Re:Noise... by rebug · · Score: 1

      no

      hydraulic, maybe

      --

      there's more than one way to do me.
  4. Power Issues... by cliffy2000 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I can't imagine that it's a good idea to draw extra power off the bus. Without the proper regulations/driver information, this "cool" hack could quickly lead to a very "hot" fire.

    1. Re:Power Issues... by RadioheadKid · · Score: 4, Informative

      Well for USB, its not a problem, USB power is regulated and the host controller/USB driver will let you know if you are using too much power by not enabling the port. But with PS2, I have no idea what the max current rating is, but 100ma for the fan could be pushing it if you are also using a PS2 mouse and keyboard...

      --
      "Karma can only be portioned out by the cosmos." -Homer Simpson
    2. Re:Power Issues... by nEoN+nOoDlE · · Score: 4, Funny

      well, it's a good thing the fan will be there to put it out.

      --
      Don't trust a bull's horn, a doberman's tooth, a runaway horse or me.
    3. Re:Power Issues... by jjeffers · · Score: 5, Informative

      PS2 Spec says 300ma @ 5 volts. The fan in the picture draws 100ma. No problem that I can see.

      If you look at the schematic for a typical motherboard you will notice that the 5 volt line on the PS2 ports is usually directly connected to the 5 volt buss.

    4. Re:Power Issues... by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

      Maybe it's a good ol' fashioned serial mouse; you can get tons of power out of a serial port, and at 12V if I'm not mistaken.

    5. Re:Power Issues... by rew · · Score: 3, Informative

      But with PS2, I have no idea what the max current rating is, but 100ma for the fan could be pushing it if you are also using a PS2 mouse and keyboard...

      The 5V comes directly from the powersupply, except for a 500ma fuse.....

      An extra 0.5W of power from that 350W powersupply should be ok.

      Roger.

  5. When Cooling goes too far... by Bonker · · Score: 2, Interesting

    If I play Multiplayer-anything for more than just a few minutes, I plan ahead and pull out my trusty Logitech Trackman Marble FX Optical.

    While sucky for art, Trackballs are the bomb for quick precision rail-gun targeting in FPS'ers, group selection in RTS'ers, and action selection in MMORPG's. Using a combination of trackball and keyboard chording, my mild case of RSI has all but dissapeared.

    --
    The next Slashdot story will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and slashdot the links early!
    1. Re:When Cooling goes too far... by wysoft · · Score: 1

      Really? I have the same model Trackman and I've always had a really hard time playing games with it, even after "training" myself in Half-Life with it for a while. Is there some trick involved?

      --
      -- I'll cut you up so bad, you'll wish I'd never cut you up so bad!
    2. Re:When Cooling goes too far... by Rand+Race · · Score: 1
      I know some artists who swear by trackballs; maybe 5 of the 30 artists I support. I can't stand 'em for Photoshop or Illustrator work myself, but some make 'em work. Kensington Orbits seem to be their preffered devices. I use one on my work Mac for the RSI thing too. Does absolute wonders for wrists and fingers to switch pointing devices occasionaly.

      --
      Insanity is the last line of defence for the master diplomat. But you have to lay the groundwork early.
    3. Re:When Cooling goes too far... by rastachops · · Score: 1

      Not quite my version of things, I was an avid user of Trackballs for about 2 / 3 years for FPSers mainly due to the precision, but this year my thumb all but died & I unfortunately purchased a M$ optical trackball (its terrible, keeps clogging up & sticking even after being cleaned).

      I used to be real happy with my logitec trackball, what model do you use or recommend? (anyone) Id be happy to go back to one as long as its reliable under heavy usage.

    4. Re:When Cooling goes too far... by liquidsin · · Score: 1

      I use a Kensington Turbo Mouse Pro (model #64214) for work (graphics). I have a USB model (I don't know if there are others, and I'm too lazy to look it up) and it works on both Mac and PC. The ball is a little stiff at first, but it breaks in nicely. It's got 4 buttons, plus 6 programmable buttons (which I never use) and a scroll wheel. I've never thought to try it for gaming, but now that you mention it, I may have to take it home...
      (btw, I think it was about $110 USD from the Mac Zone catalogue)

      --
      do not read this line twice.
  6. And here's the linked version... by dhamsaic · · Score: 4, Informative

    for those of us who hate cutting and pasting :)

    http://hw.metku.net/rottaflekti/index_eng.html

    --
    Every once in a while I like to masturbate a new word into my vocabulary, even if I don't know what it means.
    1. Re:And here's the linked version... by Dave+Fiddes · · Score: 2, Informative

      Recent versions of Mozilla allow you to just select the URL text (that isn't a hyper link) and click the middle mouse button to go to it.

      All browsers should support this (if they don't already ;). It saves bucket loads of time!

      Dave

    2. Re:And here's the linked version... by dhamsaic · · Score: 1

      That is damn cool, fine sir. I didn't know that, but now I do, and I'm mightily impressed. :) Thanks for the tip

      --
      Every once in a while I like to masturbate a new word into my vocabulary, even if I don't know what it means.
    3. Re:And here's the linked version... by Phork · · Score: 1

      konqueror also supports this, though it seems to work less than well.

      --
      -- free as in swatantryam - not soujanyam.
    4. Re:And here's the linked version... by webwench_72 · · Score: 1

      OK, no offense to dhamsaic intended, but how does turning someone else's link text into an actual link garner a '4 - Informative' rating?

      --

    5. Re:And here's the linked version... by dhamsaic · · Score: 2

      I dunno, but I wish it hadn't - since I was at the cap and it got like 8 trillion "Overrated" mods, my karma deflated. I just hate copying and pasting links, so I made it for other people. It's really not "Informative" at all - more like "Helpful" or "Useful". Oh well.

      --
      Every once in a while I like to masturbate a new word into my vocabulary, even if I don't know what it means.
    6. Re:And here's the linked version... by webwench_72 · · Score: 1

      That's the only thing I don't like about slashdot -- the desire for karma stifles actual conversation. God forbid you offer up something that could be perceived as trollish or flamebait (liek this post, come to think of it)... a linked link is better than an unlinked link. Sorry you ended up being penalized for it :/

      --

    7. Re:And here's the linked version... by dhamsaic · · Score: 1

      The thing *I* hate is that if your views are unpopular, you become unheard. You need to keep a positive karma if you want your unpopular views to get out there. All new truths begin as heresy, she said. So at some point, they're unpopular. But moderators are constantly killing them. It's definitely a broken system - especially the karma cap, which is very poorly implemented. They're saying "Okay, no matter how well you post, you can only get this much." It takes away part of the incentive of posting intelligently once you get to the cap - you know you can only go down. And you will - like when you post something intelligent/useful, and it gets modded up too high, then down as "overrated".

      --
      Every once in a while I like to masturbate a new word into my vocabulary, even if I don't know what it means.
  7. more useful for gaming? or pr0n? by BlueJay465 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I kinda wonder if this idea will gain more of a foothold in the gaming industry, or the online pr0n industry...

    Oh wait, is that sweaty palms or hairy palms?

    1. Re:more useful for gaming? or pr0n? by slakdrgn · · Score: 1
      yea, but with holes on the mouse, I think "stickyness" would be a lil more annoying..

      thats not to say anything about the poor mouse when the user is drunk.. *shivers*

  8. Bad Airflow by mookoz · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How can you cool down the mouse with those vent holes when your hand is going to be blocking most of them most of the time?

    1. Re:Bad Airflow by servanya · · Score: 1

      umm....look at your hand while it is on the mouse. Mine has lots of space between the mousie and my hand.

    2. Re:Bad Airflow by ZxCv · · Score: 2

      If you read the page (gasp!), it specifically mentions that the guy put intake holes on the side. The pictures even make it fairly clear.

      --

      Perl - $Just @when->$you ${thought} s/yn/tax/ &couldn\'t %get $worse;
    3. Re:Bad Airflow by Wavicle · · Score: 2

      It probably has to do with how you hold the mouse. Many players will only have the pads of their fingers on the mouse because it gives a more accurate feel (you are fine adjusting your aim by moving your fingers instead of your wrist). Not everyone does it. Some are great shots even with their whole hand on the mouse. But for the "delicate touch" types this is a pretty cute hack. It is rather annoying when the sweat drips from your palms, down your fingers to your fingertips and starts making the mouse slippery.

      --
      Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army.
      Edward Everett (1794 - 1865)
  9. An other hole story... by denzo · · Score: 1
    First it was wireless mice, and now it's Holy Mice! (in time for the holiday season).

    Or...

    I don't think that's sweat he's got on his palms... <badum-ching!>

  10. Re:huh? by Bonker · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    No! That's *hairy* mouse hands...

    Any Slashdot readers who don't have them, hold up your hands...

    --
    The next Slashdot story will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and slashdot the links early!
  11. Some thoughts by jdc180 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Just from the pictures, I'm thinking a lot of crap could fall in those holes. Just the buildup of hair and potato chips could be enough to make cleaning it a daily chore. Oh, and I don't want my mouse vibrating and making noise like I'm sure that one does. I think a lower-tech solution is to remove your hand from the mouse once in a while, maybe wipe in on a t-shirt, or something.. jees...

    JC

    Just because you CAN, doesn't mean you SHOULD.

    1. Re:Some thoughts by snake_dad · · Score: 3, Funny
      remove your hand from the mouse once in a while

      And get fragged??? I think not... :-)

      --
      karma capped .sig seeking available Slashdot poster for long-term relationship.
    2. Re:Some thoughts by standard · · Score: 1

      That's what the time you have between respawns is for.

      Although, that does slow the game down, and we don't want that.

      --
      Devin Naquin
    3. Re:Some thoughts by maaaaanis · · Score: 1

      Light mesh and some little plugs made out of that foam-filter stuff would probably stop crud from getting in there and still allow some air through...

    4. Re:Some thoughts by snake_dad · · Score: 2

      Respawns? You mean you spawn more then once per map? :-P

      Anyway, as someone else already mentioned, the worst part of this mouse-mod is stuff falling through the holes, and possibly smudging up the optical parts.

      --
      karma capped .sig seeking available Slashdot poster for long-term relationship.
    5. Re:Some thoughts by EvlPenguin · · Score: 2

      Map changes, my friend. Map changes (or as I call them, 10 seconds of eye/wrist relief).

      --

      --
      #nohup cat /dev/dsp > /dev/hda & killall -9 getty
    6. Re:Some thoughts by snake_dad · · Score: 2

      No dice. During that time the hand is off the mouse, but only for frantically typing stuff like '0wn3d!' ... 'you are the weakest link... GOODBYE!' and other insults :-)

      --
      karma capped .sig seeking available Slashdot poster for long-term relationship.
    7. Re:Some thoughts by EvlPenguin · · Score: 1

      Well, I just bound stuff like "gg" and "nice" to keys. It's faster.

      --

      --
      #nohup cat /dev/dsp > /dev/hda & killall -9 getty
    8. Re:Some thoughts by snake_dad · · Score: 1

      Hmm... got me there :-) Don't do it for gg, but I do have a nice q2txt-created bind for that weakest link thing :)

      --
      karma capped .sig seeking available Slashdot poster for long-term relationship.
  12. Ok... Ok... Hold on... by Peridriga · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is getting really crazy..

    When I actually need personal cooling devices b/c I am concentrating so hard on a video game... That is when I stand up and go walk outside... I mean comon.. Are the people using these also strapping Gatorade bottles to their heads and urine bags to their waists so they can remain hydrated and excrete waste with out getting up as well....

    Comon... nice hack, but, get up and walk outside for a while. :-)... Thats all...

    1. Re:Ok... Ok... Hold on... by tenman · · Score: 1

      Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated

    2. Re:Ok... Ok... Hold on... by 2Bits · · Score: 3, Funny


      Comon... nice hack, but, get up and walk outside for a while. :-)... Thats all...


      Ah, from this statement, we know you are not a real gamer. Dude, real gamers don't walk away from the game, this is about professionalism.

    3. Re:Ok... Ok... Hold on... by jred · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Comon... nice hack, but, get up and walk outside for a while. :-)... Thats all...


      The hack is the point, not cooling. The cooling is just the excuse. I bet if you checked out the rest of his system, his case is modded, his kb is, & he's water-cooling his overclocked processor.

      While I dig case mods, I'm kinda surprised to see it here. There's no politics involved. I guess the "gaming abuse" aspect covers it. Go figure...
      --

      jred
      I'm not a mechanic but I play one in my garage...
    4. Re:Ok... Ok... Hold on... by Snowbeam · · Score: 1

      Come onto a college campus sometime. Take a look at gamers in the dorms. Peeling them away from their systems just to get some sleep is near impossible.

      The urine pack and the toilet/recliner cross over where not created for Astronauts and Football fans, they were created by gamers to make gaming less.....disruptive :)

      - Snowbeam

      --
      I am Lord Snowbeam. Heed my call!
    5. Re:Ok... Ok... Hold on... by Dr.+Spork · · Score: 2
      ... strapping Gatorade bottles to their heads and urine bags to their waists ...

      Of course! Urine bags! Why didn't I think of that? But as for Gatorade, I might like something that will not only hyrdate me but also nourish. Really, something intervenous would be best, just as long as it doesn't get in the way of my gaming. Why don't they sell this stuff in game stores?

    6. Re:Ok... Ok... Hold on... by liquidsin · · Score: 1

      I think I know just what you need

      --
      do not read this line twice.
  13. Bingo.... by 2Bits · · Score: 5, Funny
    I know I need one of these as soon as I see it!

    The problem with my mouse is not me, but my boss. For some reasons that are too difficult to grasp for my techhead, she just loves to play on my computer. The problem is, she never washes her hand after toilet, according to a female colleague who was horrified to see the boss play with my computer.

    Now, only if I could get a mouse to wash and sanitize itself too....

    1. Re:Bingo.... by Rude+Turnip · · Score: 2, Funny

      OK, I'll bite...

      did you sniff your kbd and mouse?

      --
      Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
    2. Re:Bingo.... by heikkile · · Score: 3, Funny

      I'm sorry, but the 5 volts used in this project is far too low voltage to cure that sort of behaviour. Try with a bit of electronics, a little transformer, and most of all, two fine electrodes on the upper surface of the rodent... For timing the effect, trigger it with one of the buttons.

      --

      In Murphy We Turst

  14. Heh by TheGreenLantern · · Score: 1

    And you thought all those XBox hacks were cool (pun intended). I guarentee you some MS engineer is already drawing up the patent papers for that little do-hicky.

    Side note: anyone know when they'll come up with something similar for sticky hands? ;)

    --

    It hurts when I pee.
  15. Central Air by alacqua · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now if I could just get a beowulf cluster of these, I could get rid of the central air in my house.

    (ducking)

    --

    Move on. There's nothing to see here.
  16. Oldschool solution by babbage · · Score: 5, Funny
    ...of course, the traditional varieties of mice never had this problem, as the natural fur coating would wick away unwanted moisture. But now that we have them overclocked and pumped full of steroids, we resort to these fancy technological measures and have forgotten about the simple, elegant solutions that nature has provided for us.

    Bring back furry mice!

    --
    DO NOT LEAVE IT IS NOT REAL
    1. Re:Oldschool solution by Monte · · Score: 1

      ...of course, the traditional varieties of mice never had this problem, as the natural fur coating would wick away unwanted moisture.

      I was thinking along similar lines, albeit steering wheels instead of mice. You can get wool covers for steering wheels, I figure a nice patch (no, the physical kind) of same on the mouse would have a good effect.

      On a steering wheel it also keeps you from burning/freezing your hands in hot/cold weather, but until X-Treme Outdoors Quake Arena!!! takes hold, that shouldn't really be a problem.

    2. Re:Oldschool solution by Erris · · Score: 2
      Bring back furry mice!

      Yeah, at least they were quiet as they ate the crumbs off your desk. Big fan in box on floor? It's a vacuum cleaner! Wheeeeeeeeee, all day long!

      --
      DMCA, Hollings, Palladium. What might have sounded like paranoia is now common sense.
  17. no wheel by FigBugDeux · · Score: 1, Insightful

    who plays quake without a wheel mouse

  18. Sweating for traction. by Neon+Spiral+Injector · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I read in a Popular Science magizine a long time ago, that someone was theorizing that our feet and palms would sweat when we got nervose to improve our traction if we had to take flight.

    Maybe this responce was better suited to natural services like dirt, leaves, and grass, than todays PVCs.

    So maybe mouse makers could come up with some other materials that work hand in hand with our flight responce and stick better when wet.

    1. Re:Sweating for traction. by antek9 · · Score: 1

      Yah, clay mice would be perfect. Whenever you get real pissed while gaming or surfing, you could just throw it against your monitor, or the wall, and it would stick. I'd love to see that. - - - Wooden mice, OTOH, I'd be too scared of splinters to really let go while fragging...

      --
      A World in a Grain of Sand / Heaven in a Wild Flower,
      Infinity in the Palm of your Hand / And Eternity in an Hour.
  19. Finnish translator by Parafilmus · · Score: 4, Informative

    There's a translator at http://www.tranexp.com/intertran/ which handles Finnish and other non-babelfish-supported languages.

  20. Not sweaty by Dyolf+Knip · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Now my problem was never sweaty hands but cold ones. I spend a few hours on a computer and my hands get so cold I'd swear they were blocks of ice.

    Are there any electric hand warmers out there or should I go build my own?

    --
    Dyolf Knip
    1. Re:Not sweaty by ddillman · · Score: 1
      Now my problem was never sweaty hands but cold ones. I spend a few hours on a computer and my hands get so cold I'd swear they were blocks of ice.

      Hey, now you can make a neat hack of your own and solve that problem! Plus, you can double the processor power of your PC! Instead of that fan in the mouse, just install an Athlon 1900+ processor, and voila! No more frozen fingers!

      --
      Little girls, like butterflies, need no excuse. -- L. Long
    2. Re:Not sweaty by ddillman · · Score: 1
      It sounds to me as if you have some sort of a circulation issue in your hand/arm. How's the ergonomic setup of your workstation? Have you talked to a physician about it? Poor ergonomics might cause poor circulation, which would be a possible reason why your hand gts cold while using the mouse.

      Does that suit you better than my 'weak-ass attempt at humor'?

      --
      Little girls, like butterflies, need no excuse. -- L. Long
    3. Re:Not sweaty by wackybrit · · Score: 1

      I have the same problem, but not just my hands.. also my feet (in fact, especially my feet). Then again, sitting up for eight hours playing Return To Castle Wolfenstein online is hardly the way to keep your circulation healthy.

      The best way to improve circulation? Exercise often. But that sounds like too much hard work to me.

      --
      mogorific carpentry experiments
    4. Re:Not sweaty by alacqua · · Score: 1

      I guess old Scrooge still won't let you put more coal on the fire, huh, Mr. Cratchit.

      Sorry, couldn't resist.

      --

      Move on. There's nothing to see here.
    5. Re:Not sweaty by Mawbid · · Score: 1

      A friend of mine solved that problem. He got a desk lamp and placed it above his mouse mat.

      --
      Fuck the system? Nah, you might catch something.
    6. Re:Not sweaty by Eric+S+Raymond · · Score: 1

      find an exercise you enjoy. Try humping the area between your boxspring and mattress.

      But seriously, every hour take a five-minute break, walk around outside to ensure that your eyes do not wear out and your back and shoulders and neck can loosen up.

      --
      Bypass Compulsory Web Registration -- http://bugmenot.com/
  21. Kensington Trackball by Jordy · · Score: 2

    Honestly... silly mice aren't useful for playing games like Quake. I can't imagine having to constantly pick up and drop down a mouse when I wanted to do circle around someone and given that your hand doesn't cup the large ball of a Kensington (pointer and middle finger are all that's needed), no sweaty hands.

    Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

    --
    The world is neither black nor white nor good nor evil, only many shades of CowboyNeal.
    1. Re:Kensington Trackball by IronChef · · Score: 1

      With mouse tracking speed up high enough you almost never need to pick up the mouse. Certainly not during a circle strafe.

      It takes a fair bit of getting used to that kind of speed though.

    2. Re:Kensington Trackball by gol64738 · · Score: 1

      I can't imagine having to constantly pick up and drop down a mouse when I wanted to do circle around someone

      what the hell are you talking about? if your circle strafe takes more mouse movement than pad before you score a kill, then you need to turn your mouse sensitivity up.

    3. Re:Kensington Trackball by BinaryC · · Score: 1

      "With mouse tracking speed up high enough..."

      good luck getting some decent rails in with such a high sensitivity. ever notice how all the top quake players (the ones making thousands of dollars in tourneyments) always have really low sensitivty?

      --
      Ne Quid Nimis - All things in moderation
    4. Re:Kensington Trackball by sheetsda · · Score: 2

      I can't comment on that tourney players but I know from experience you can get precision with high sensitivity (I use 15 sensitivity in Half-Life, and I know people that use 25). Use the mouse to put the crosshair very close to the target, and use strafe and movement keys to put the target under the crosshair, fire as necessary. It keeps you moving eradically and gives you easier aiming at the same time.

    5. Re:Kensington Trackball by IronChef · · Score: 1


      I don't know anything about tournaments, I just know what works for me.

  22. Site Slashdotted - mirror now available by Tairan · · Score: 2, Informative
    The great people over at adequacy.org put up a mirror of the pages and images. You can find it here on their site.

    --
    /. is a commercial entity. goto slashdot.com
  23. It's shaky... by Tha_Zanthrax · · Score: 3, Informative

    I like the idea but I think your hand will obscruct the airflow rendering it useless.
    It should draw in air on one side and blow it out on the other. The cool air would have to pass some holes on top.

    Anyway... I don't know how long she can take it capt'n. a mirror.

    1. Re:It's shaky... by Tha_Zanthrax · · Score: 1

      My mirror is down...
      Should have known, damn geocities

    2. Re:It's shaky... by Destoo · · Score: 1

      And then you put a dust bag over it, and you've go a vacuum cleaner for your desktop.

      no more dusty keyboards.

      --
      Nouvelles de jeux et technologies en français. TC
  24. Slashdotted by base2op · · Score: 3, Informative

    It seems to be gettin' slashdotted. I decided to mirror it:

    http://bunkergate.org/RottaFlekti-MouseFan.htm

    I hope this doesn't hurt too much. : P

  25. Interesting.... by wbav · · Score: 1

    I've been using an optical mouse for about a year, and this looks like a great idea. However, I have been thinking about going to a trackball, as it should work better with counterstrike which I run in linux (trackballs play better from what I understand.) I'm wondering how I put a fan in a trackball.

    --

    =================
    Unix is very user friendly, it's just picky about who its friends are.
  26. Self cleaning mouse. by T1girl · · Score: 2

    Clean it yourself. With soap (anti-bacterial?) and water. While you're at it, turn yr. keyboard upside down and give it a few thumps and watch all the crumbs and indescribable junk fall out. And blot the keys with a paper towel or Kleenex.

  27. Pick a better subject! by fritter · · Score: 5, Funny

    I thought this was about a sexual harassment suit at Disney!

  28. Another alternative: beta-blockers by ez76 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Beta-adrenergic blocking agents can limit the physiological effects of Quake-borne adrenalin rushes (i.e. sweating and tremors). As medications that lighten the load on the heart, they are most often prescribed for hypertension, chest pain, and related cardiovascular stress ailments, but they have also historically been prescribed "off-label" for stagefright and other situations where one needs to "be calm." They are so effective at steadying your play that many professional gaming leagues forbid them explicitly (when money is on the line).

    1. Re:Another alternative: beta-blockers by klmth · · Score: 1

      Overdosing on these also leads to an untimely death. Beta-blockers are the medicine of choice for many people commiting suicide.

  29. Simple problems, simple solutions.. by Michael+Lee+Martin · · Score: 1

    Whenever sweat becomes a problem when using a mouse for an extended period, I usally use a handkerchief - I either tie it around my hand or just place it on the mouse. Keeps the mouse nice and dry.

    --
    -- Michael Lee Martin
    1. Re:Simple problems, simple solutions.. by dbolger · · Score: 1

      ...and /thats/ why you'll never work for NASA ;)

      --
      Dave

  30. Determining a language by emkman · · Score: 3, Informative

    I came across this article about a month ago when it was Finnish only. While then fish can't translate Finnish, some other tools can, like InterTran. However, there was no way of knowing what language it was written in except for the .fi TLD of the author's email. This is obviously not a 100% accurate way to determine the language and many pages don't list any domains to guess from. So, I proceeded to post an Ask Slashdot: asking if there are any tools that will indentify the language of a URL or any translators that will autodetermine the input language you are translating from. Of course, my post got rejected, or I wouln't be talking about it now. I ask now once again ... Are there any tools online available to determine the language a page is written in?? If you know, share the wealth. Thanks.

    --
    Moderation Totals: Flamebait=2, Troll=1, Redundant=1, Insightful=6, Overrated=1, Underrated=1, Total=12. (not mine)
    1. Re:Determining a language by mmol_6453 · · Score: 1

      Your post might have been accepted if you'd included the link to the article in question, and gave a brief description.

      And someone would have replied with a post more useful than this. Since when was hindsight any use?

      --
      What's this Submit thingy do?
    2. Re:Determining a language by richie2000 · · Score: 2
      I don't know if there's anything online, but back in '97 or '98 we (I used to work for TenFour) licensed a translation engine that could auto-detect the language used in e-mail messages. I'm not sure how it did it, but I'd guess that it simply looked for common, tell-tale, words like "and" in the different languages.

      Our product was aptly named TFS Translator. The engine was called Barcelona, made by Globalink, until recently Lernout & Hauspie and currently ScanSoft. (Some people have too much money) Link to the current product based on that engine. They also have some tips on what to keep in mind if you are preparing a text for automatic translation. Ah, they finally added Japanese! Konnichi-wa, Anjin-San! :-)

      ...and a balrog in a pear tree!

      --
      Money for nothing, pix for free
    3. Re:Determining a language by rifter · · Score: 1

      Link to what article? The poster was asking a question about pages in general. To my knowlege there is not an article on this subject, which might indeed be why he is posting an Ask Slashdot.

      This is one of the major problems with Slashdot; it consists primarily of links to articles rather than any more than a pretense to original content.

    4. Re:Determining a language by Dahan · · Score: 3, Informative
      I don't know of any online automated tools, but I could have sworn that I saw a web page that had a list of heuristics you could use to try to guess some text's language.

      I basically use the same method... I'm not sure if I can write down exactly what I do though; some of it is probably just recognizing certain words and knowing which language that word is from. Anyways, a rough list of my heuristics:

      Latin scripts (you know, like English :)
      If there aren't any funny marks above or below any of the letters, it's probably English. But you should recognize English when you see it :)
      If you see ã and õ, probably Portuguese
      If you see ñ, but no ã or õ, probably Spanish.
      No tildes anywhere, but various accents on top of vowels, especially à, é, è, ê, î, ù, and also ç. Probably French.
      üs and ßs. Probably German.
      Dunno about Italian... I know it when I see it :) Not too many accents... only é, I think.
      Long words with lots of doubled letters, and doubled äs; "y" always used as a vowel (like right at the beginning of the mouse fan article: "nyt"): probably Finnish (and Estonian too? Not sure 'bout that).
      å and æ: some Scandinavian language... I can't tell the difference between 'em :) Probably one of Swedish, Norwegian, or Danish.
      and : Hungarian
      ð and : Icelandic
      , , , , : probably Czech.
      : probably Polish
      , , : probably Turkish.
      Letters with way too many diacritics for their own good (such as , "latin small letter e with circumflex and hook above", or "latin small leter a with breve and acute"): Vietnamese

      Non-Latin scripts:
      Just memorize how they look and you can at least get to a group of languages that use that script (Cyrillic and Arabic, for example), or maybe even to a single language (Thai, for example). If you see all Chinese characters, it's Chinese. If you see Chinese characters mixed with Japanese kana, it's Japanese. If you see mostly Korean characters with some Chinese, it's Korean :)

      Well that's all I can think of for now :)

    5. Re:Determining a language by emkman · · Score: 1

      As rifter said, I was not referring to any specific article. It was a general question. The reason I thought to ask however, was the cooled mouse article. When I saw it appear on slashdot I decided to inquire once again about my language question. This article is merely a specific and unnecessary example which reminded me of my general question.

      --
      Moderation Totals: Flamebait=2, Troll=1, Redundant=1, Insightful=6, Overrated=1, Underrated=1, Total=12. (not mine)
    6. Re:Determining a language by Dahan · · Score: 1

      Oh, I forgot about ø... Apparently, å, ä, and ö is Swedish. Whereas å, æ, and ø is either Norwegian or Danish.
      So that's how you can tell that Hatten är din is Swedish :)

    7. Re:Determining a language by mmol_6453 · · Score: 1

      I apologize. By "article" I meant the article that this /. story refers to.

      --
      What's this Submit thingy do?
    8. Re:Determining a language by mmol_6453 · · Score: 1

      The problem here was that Google can't translate Finnish in the first place.

      --
      What's this Submit thingy do?
    9. Re:Determining a language by kimihia · · Score: 1

      You're supposed to define this in the server's response, or in the markup at the top of the page.

      I have the language explicitly specified on some pages. (index.en.html) The server includes this header:

      Content-Language: en

      Then in the head of your document you should also specify it. I think the format is:

      <head lang="en" xml:lang="en">

  31. Old news.. by xtord · · Score: 1

    And I saw a couple of weeks ago.
    By the way.. If you have problems with sweating.. Is it a good idea to open the mouse??..

  32. Fish? We don' need no stinkin' fish... by talks_to_birds · · Score: 4, Interesting
    ...check out the English version:

    hw.metku.net/rottaflekti/index_eng.html

    Also take a step back up to root at hw.metku.net/ and look at the other cool stuff they've been doing...

    t_t_b

    --
    I'm on PJ's "enemies" list! Are you?
  33. What about Mouse Heater? by parp · · Score: 1


    In these cooler times, when I have to pay the heating bill, I tend to keep the temp colder. I can always put on a sweater, but it doesn't seem to help keep my mouse hand warm. Gloves are abviously out, so what are the options? I can't be the only one with this prob.

  34. Bowling by StaticLimit · · Score: 3, Funny

    First Person Shooters (FPS) aren't the first thing I think of when I see this. It looks like it'd be more useful in First Person Bowling (FPB) sims. The hand-dryer-blower-thing is just that subtle element of realism that FPBs are always missing ;)

    - StaticLimit

  35. I hope he patented it... by aralin · · Score: 2

    I think he should patent it. This is pretty cool and I am sure that after some health tests some companies might follow a suit and start produce such mices. :)

    --
    If programs would be read like poetry, most programmers would be Vogons.
    1. Re:I hope he patented it... by rew · · Score: 2

      I think he should patent it.

      Too late. The second he puts it on the web it becomes unpatentable.

      You simply cannot publish something you intend to patent untill you are some way along into the patenting paperwork....

      Roger.

    2. Re:I hope he patented it... by TheSync · · Score: 2

      You simply cannot publish something you intend to patent untill you are some way along into the patenting paperwork....

      This is not true, at least in the United States. US patent law allows the "first to invent" to patent an invention, period. There is no requirement not to disclose invention details to the public.

      Secrecy has to do with "trade secrets," not patents.

      BWT, I'm co-inventor on US patent 5,331,222.

  36. Hygenic Solution by spector30 · · Score: 5, Interesting


    Use a feminine napkin. Get the thinnest one you can find. Be sure to get the kind that DOES NOT have gel inside it. Slice it into 3 or 4 strips depending on how long it is. Peel the strip to expose the adhesive. Stick it on the mouse right under your palm. This should absorb any moisture from your sweaty game hand. This will also work on the wrist wrest for your keyboard.

    I got this idea from watching my buddy's father gardening while I was in High School. He used to use them for knee pads. What a sight he was, but his knees never ached.



    --
    If Darwin was right, you'd be dead by now.
    1. Re:Hygenic Solution by blowhole · · Score: 1

      Jack: (Standing in line with basket full of Maxi's) ... 2, 3, 4... that ought to be enough.
      Frank: (Gets in line behind Jack) ... Jack, is that you, you old dog?
      Jack: Frank! How's it going, friend?
      Frank: Great, great... (notices basket) Looks like the old lady has got you running errands again.
      Jack: No, no, these are for me. I've got a lot of work to do.
      Frank: ... I don't read.
      Jack: Well just last week I was hunched over whacking the weeds when I noticed a strange discharge seeping out of my Grace's prizewinning flytrap! There is much to be done if I'm to save that old beast.
      Frank: ...aaaaalrighty then....

      --
      "Ask me about Loom"
    2. Re:Hygenic Solution by Telal · · Score: 1

      With or without wings?

    3. Re:Hygenic Solution by spector30 · · Score: 1

      I'm thinking without wings for FPS and other "on the ground" games. With wings for flight sims and other flying-type games. Give a little extra lift.

      --
      If Darwin was right, you'd be dead by now.
  37. thats all we need by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    another damn fan for cooling.
    WHAT??? I CANT HEAR YOU!

  38. Hovermouse!!! by Lobsang · · Score: 1

    Even better...

    Just get the exact same setup but point the fan down. Drill the holes on the underside of the mouse and you got yourself a... Hovermouse!! :)

  39. Just use a sponge! by mmol_6453 · · Score: 1

    Why not just glue on a piece of formed sponge or a cloth? A lot cheaper, and a lot easier.

    (Not to mention I already did it to my mouse. :)

    --
    What's this Submit thingy do?
  40. I must be weird by dmccarty · · Score: 1

    Strange, but when I play Quake or other online games my palms don't get sweaty at all. Instead, they get ice cold, like my blood circulation has slowed or something. Am I just weird or does this happen to anyone else?

    --
    Have fun: Join D.N.A. (National Dyslexics Association)
    1. Re:I must be weird by kobaz · · Score: 1

      This Happens to me when I quake myself. But more often, it happens when i type at a keyboard for a while, my hands get ice cold.

      --

      The goal of computer science is to build something that will last at least until we've finished building it.
    2. Re:I must be weird by ellem · · Score: 1

      Just you

      but when I play UT this happens

      --
      This .sig is fake but accurate.
  41. hey guys by redhotchil · · Score: 1

    think you could drill out the "Microsoft" while your at it? :P

  42. What about clammy mouse hands? by illsorted · · Score: 2, Insightful

    My problem is that after a long gaming session, my mouse hand is cold and clammy (poor circulation, I suppose :).

    How about making a heated mouse garage?

    1. Re:What about clammy mouse hands? by mcdermr · · Score: 1

      The same problem happens to me. What about maybe putting in a heating coil as well as the fan, kind of like a furnace(having the hot air blown throught the holes)?

  43. Screw Dry Hands by trefoil · · Score: 1

    Over clock the bi*ch

  44. Wow! That's amazing! by Sarcastic+nerd · · Score: 1

    Finally, something suited to my needs. This mouse will make my late-night masterbation binges so much easier!

  45. The irony kills me by Baloo+Ursidae · · Score: 1

    A story about a handheld input device presented with an icon of a foot.

    --
    Help us build a better map!
  46. Now for the keyboard by torklugnutz · · Score: 1

    I bet there's enough room in the palmrest of the Microsoft Natural keyboards (and other similar ones) to get some sort of airflow going. Maybe I'll break out the dremel and go to work...

    --
    Often in Error, Never in Doubt.
  47. the horror by fifthcent · · Score: 1

    Just looking at the inside of those intellimice are giving me the chills... The final project for my CAD class was to design all the parts and assemblies for one of those things... -shudder- I still have nightmares from that evil thing.

    --
    my $.05
  48. Babelfish languages? by Penguinoflight · · Score: 1

    ... is that anything like romance languages?

    --
    "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the World"
    1 John 4:14
  49. Sure, you could use the keyboard... by DarklordJonnyDigital · · Score: 1
    Use the keyboard?

    For Quake 2?

    Are you MAD?

    1. Re:Sure, you could use the keyboard... by X-Dopple · · Score: 1

      I think that the author was referring to the fact that you could use the keyboard to wipe your sweaty mouse hands on.

      I was able to mow down anybody who opposed me in Descent I/II using nothing but the keyboard. So don't bash us keyboarders.

  50. This will work for that, too. by Scratch-O-Matic · · Score: 1

    The fan motor will keep your hand warm. The whole unit is like a thermos. How does it know?

    --


    Evil is the money of root.
  51. Fans, Pads, and Sponges. Why not use common sense by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    If i understand it right isnt this a problem with many sports? I mean, dont race drivers, baseball and football players, golfers etc. use an object that conforms to the hand and provides a barrier to moisture. I think they are called gloves. I have been procrastinating about getting a golf/driving glove to use. I guess now I'll have to get one just to provide proof of concept. I bet the guy who did this is a bowler.

  52. That just doesn't sound right... by nologin · · Score: 1

    How do you avoid those sweaty mouse hands after playing a game of Quake for a couple of hours?

    Personally, I avoid the problem altogether by using a trackball...

    And that is no joke. Not only do I find it much better to play quake, but now I only have to worry about a sweaty thumb, because its a thumbwheel trackball...

  53. Re:Fans, Pads, and Sponges. Why not use common sen by spector30 · · Score: 1

    This is an excellent suggestion. Back in the days of the Atari 2600 I remember seeing ads for "gaming gloves". They had the tips of the fingers cut off so you could still get the feel of the controller. I never actually saw these in action, but they sure sounded like a good idea.

    --
    If Darwin was right, you'd be dead by now.
  54. I'll bet it's great... by breon.halling · · Score: 1

    ...for cruising porn. ;)

    --
    "Yeah, well, Dracula called and he's coming over tonight for you and I said okay."
  55. disadvantage by altan · · Score: 1

    hey, what if your hand gets really sweaty and the sweat drips in and covers the circuits with dripping salty water? baaaaaddd..... stick to cloth.

  56. English version of the page also available by Logica · · Score: 1

    At the url http://hw.metku.net/rottaflekti/index_eng.html

  57. Re: Patent time limits by qubezz · · Score: 1

    Too late. The second he puts it on the web it becomes unpatentable.

    Quite incorrect. The US Patent office gives one year from the date of public disclosure (usually the date it was publicly announced or offered for sale) to file a patent.

    The only issue you might have is if someone files a patent for the same thing before you do - you might need to produce a postmarked letter you mailed to yourself with proof inside of the idea - this dated proof shows that you invented it first. However he'd better file soon...these days the USPTO would probably allow you to patent corn flakes for how little prior art research it seems they do.

  58. Re: Patent time limits by rew · · Score: 1

    The US Patent office gives one year from the date of public disclosure (usually the date it was publicly announced or offered for sale) to file a patent.

    Oh. Ok.

    Things are different here in Europe: As far as I know: No more patenting if published. (on the other hand, I might have been told that because others might rush in and patent your idea once they read about it in your "publication")

    The guy lives in Finland.

    Roger.

  59. Nice to see you all. by japala · · Score: 4, Informative

    Feels great to get /.'ed. Thank you all for visiting my site http://hw.metku.net. Thanks to those who made mirrors to my site. hmm... this is getting similar to Oscar Gala, maybe I should thank my wife too... ;) Hope you all understand that this mod was made just for fun. I just wanted to see that could this be done. It was also intended to be a joke to everybody who place n+1 fans to their computers. Too bad that it really worked ;)

  60. Wh ytranslate? Linus is all around us.... by evilviper · · Score: 2

    IF you've seen the results of a recent slashdot poll you would realize that several thousand slashdot readers ARE LINUS.

    --
    Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
  61. Re:Determining a language (Scandinavian) by KjetilK · · Score: 3, Informative

    doubled äs;

    Yep, that's a pretty sure sign of Finnish, and indeed this article is Finnish.

    probably Finnish (and Estonian too? Not sure 'bout that).

    Both Finnish and Estonian (and Hungarian) belong AFAIK to the same group of languages. Finns and Hungarians can't understand too much of each other's languages though.

    å and æ: some Scandinavian language... I can't tell the difference between 'em :) Probably one of Swedish, Norwegian, or Danish.

    Hehe, telling the difference between Swedish and the two other are easy enough: Swedes use ö whereas we (I'm Norwegian) use ø. Also, "and" is "och" in Swedish but "og" in Norwegian and Danish.

    Generally, spoken Swedish is closer to Norwegian than Danish, but written Danish is closer to Norwegian than Swedish. I have actually been acting as translator between Stockholmers and Danes at times...

    Telling the difference between Norwegian (no) and Danish (da) is harder. It's easy enough to a native, but Danish was the official language in Norway for a very long time and dominated up to a big reform in 1917, where it was norwegianified. If that isn't bad enough, we have two official languages here, no is in fact nb and nn, so if you think it's hard to tell the difference between da and no, it's even harder to tell the difference between nn and nb. Besides, if I write informally, I'd like to write something in between of nn and nb. :-) I think no makes more extensive use of double consonants, but I'm not sure about that. You can see it on quite a few words, typically one letter is different, like "language" which is "språg" in da but "språk" in no, "of" which is "af" in da but "av" in no. And so on... :-)

    --
    Employee of Inrupt, Project Release Manager and Community Manager for Solid
  62. Cold hands? by BrainBarker · · Score: 1

    Are there any electric hand warmers out there or should I go build my own?

    Try your local motorcycle shop. Companies like Widder and others make a wide range of 12 VDC electrically heated clothing, including gloves and socks. If you could find a pair of fingerless heated gloves (or some you could lop the fingers off of), you'd be in business.

    --
    "Dance like it hurts. Love like you need money. Work when people are watching." - Dogbert.
  63. Does anyone else wonder by mjoconnor81 · · Score: 1

    if this would act like a gyroscope. I'm imagining a force feedback effect being rather annoying while trying to game.

    --
    Pseudocode is code to demonstrate a concept, not designed to be run. Like certain M$ software.
  64. Re:new idea by damien_kane · · Score: 1

    and how about something that regulates seratonin/dopamine levels? New device for gamers: It's better than force feedack... Plus everyone would all of a sudden get better at the games.... i mean if you feel suicidally depressed every time someone hits you with a stray railgun slug.... you'r gonna make it so u dont get hit by the next railgun shot...