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Gyroscopic Wireless Mouse
An anonymous reader writes "This is a must for any game player. Gyration has introduced a working wireless gyroscopic mouse. The $119.95 price tag is a little steep but it works with Linux and it doubles for an optical mouse if placed on the desktop. There is an article about it at Linux Journal." We mentioned an earlier version a year or two ago.
LOL !!!!???
a galapagos tortoise wearing a scarf just SuCkeD My CoCK OMG!!!
??? PROFIT
ps big ups to gnaa omg
seriously, if it moves based on tilting, that would suck for games.
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
iXMicro had a wireless gyroscopic mouse, what, about seven or eight years ago? It was called the Gyropoint and was absolutely perfect for presentations on my Powerbook. Unfortunately it ran about $200 as I recall, but was well worth it if you presented often allowing one to stand away from the laptop. It also had the additional benefit of working out well for RSI issues, but ate batteries too quick to use it routinely. However, this version doubling as an optical mouse is pretty cool. So, why has it taken so long to get these out to a wider audience?
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I tought this is an old product. Friend of mine has it. Fry's electronics carries it.
If typing on keyboards doesn't cause enough carpal tunnel syndrome, this surely will!
So if I tip my TV tray/laptop stand, my mouse position would stay in place? Sweet!
Great for airplanes!
This space for rent.
Is it just me, or is this unastounding. This mouse has been around (with a ball) for over 4 years. Now they've replaced the ball with an optical mechanism. Wow. Never would have seen that one coming.
people use it for presentations. Steady and accurate it is not. I can't think of a gamer who would use this.
My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle...
I thought one of the main complaints of hardcore gamers was the millisecond lag in wireless would get them killed.
Did I miss something that changes all this? Every rig from Alien, etc all use wired mice.
But he'll still have to put his feet down before he can type, unless of course he can type with his keyboard in his lap.
He's got pretty good eyes too because the monitor is far enough away that the text on the page could be difficult to read.
As a bonus, it looks like he'll get a good forearm workout using the mouse.
Now I can have a purpose for waving my hands in the air for no apparent reason!
And they said I was mad....
must for gamers? linux supoport? must be mutually exclusive :!
This has been done before. In fact its still being done for less. However, I wonder if these things are good for RSI.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
These have been around for a *long* time!
Here's the one I use...
Very handy because it is optical + wireless + gyro + recharges on its base. You can use it as a gyro mouse, or an optical mouse.
In my mind the best thing about it watching my partners try to navigate their hotmail inboxes during presentation with it.
I've tried gyroscopic mice and havn't been impressed, a handheld wireless trackball is just as good, but would it be possible to make an optical mouse that didn't need any surface. A sensor with a focus of more than 2mm that could make it work like a normal mouse, but in the air... Is this possible or would some sort of auto focus introduce to much lag to make it usable for normal circumstances (not gaming).
"Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
From the looks of the website the offical program does not support Linux, but does support Mac OS 8+, Windows and OS X. ... but the price kind of pulls me away. Im happy with my Logitech Optical Mouse (plain jane 3 button with wheel).
By support you do mean FULL support or some half assed support you get from a "normal" mouse driver.
I want to be able to flick my wrist and open up apps or somthing
The mouse does look cool tho for someone who likes to browse the internet while slanting like the guy in the picture. He seems to like it
Solosoft.org - Your Online Resource to Nothing
Next step: Actually implanting a device in your hand that controls the cursor, oh the possibilities........ when you point at the screen it actually does something, this would be great for teachers and those trying to train Novices how to use a computer... "No, no, no, I said click on this". This product may have its uses, but I do not think Gaming is one of them.
If firefighters fight fire and crime fighters fight crime, what do Freedom fighters fight?
...that guy on the Gyration website looks just like... John Kerry!
(insert political paranoid campaign conspiracy theories here)
FLR
I think I am takling about one of these things. You hold the mouse in your hand, and your hand movements determine where the mouse move.
;)
I saw this first appear in a Best Buy a few years ago, this is nothing revolutionary here
Hey... look at their website www.gyration.com
it shows someone reclining with the mouse, but his left hand looks like it's invovled in some pocket pool to me.
looks like they know their target audience.
You don't realize how much the edges of your palm resting on the desktop help you move your mouse where you want to move it - a little downward pressure and your hand stops immediately, a little anchored rotation and you can navigate pixel by pixel. The muscle memory is in many joints in your hand, wrist, and arm.
Holding the mouse in the air eliminates the benefits of resting your hand on the table.
~Berj
"This is a must for any game player."
Huh??? Every wireless input device I have ever used, both radio and infrared, have been horrible with respect to second to second reliability. That is the last thing I want in game input device, unless you're talking myst or mindsweeper.
Anm
What a coincidence: I just installed mine.
/etc/hotplug/blacklist and added the right lines to XF86Config.
It was about $60 though. They have a more expensive model (over $100) but I couldn't figure out the difference.
The radio works fine all over my house (better range than the wireless). The Linux USB detects the box as a keyboard, so I added a "keybdev" into
For Example:
Just about nothing I thinks. Just another toy, nothing to see here. One more disposable product.
I'm sticking with the Logitech cordless trackman. I've owned 4 trackman like devices, corded and otherwise, and I find that I really enjoy the stable platform and moving my thumb about as needed. I did prefer to some degree the layout on the Microsoft Optical Trackball, they don't make it anymore.
There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
I've had mine for well over a year. In fact, I've even had time to break it, send it back, and have them ship me a new one gratis. I love it... it's a bit heavy but works quite well, and has a big Li-Ion battery that I charge every other night. I also have the mini keyboard, which kicks ass. Remind me to get a separate number pad though, for those rare times I need one. The multimedia buttons work under Linux too, just use $YOUR_FAVORITE_MM_KEY_APP ... I use Lineak and KLineakConfig.
Unless you attached it to your head and used mouse-look in a first-person shooter.
Uh... you move your head to turn? What is the point of that? It doesnt make anything more real... I mean, its still you sitting there in your underwear playing games on your computer all day/night.
If do that kind of crazy shit, then you might as well make yourself a portable computer to enchance your gaming expereance.
Extra long 30 foot radio range. Line of sight not required!
Cause you just know that's a useful feature for your mouse!
The web site has it for $79.95? Is this a new variety of slashdot effect? (In which case prepare to get sued by the "red dot" people for violation of look and feel)
Or am I looking at the wrong wireless optical gyro mouse?
My fiance just bought me one of these for Valentines day. I was playing Counter Strike with it and suddenly the 'W' would not respond (so obviously I could not move forward) and it was very picky on when I could use it, I assume I was getting interference from something, but it was a horrible mess, I returned it a few days later. Now I'm off to pick out a new wireless setup.
Anon Cow
These mice have been around for a while. This isn't a 3D mouse, this is one of those mice you tilt for presentations that tires your arm out.
I'd hate to game with one.
Is this just an actual case of, you get what you pay for? Does a good ~100ft. wireless keyboard/mouse need components that costs over 50% of that price ($80) assuming 50% for mark-up, etc.,.? That's hard to believe.
BTW, the mouse/keyboard combo noted in the article appear to have only a 30ft. range (which means MAYBE 15ft on a good moonless night).
'He was a dreamer, a thinker, a speculative philosopher... or, as his wife would have it, an idiot.' - Douglas Adams
glad I'm not the only one that noticed that.
you get to look like your whackin off... Great!
2 + 2 = 5. Big Brother's watching you. bonglord.com
Who decided that we should all be using mice to control our computer pointers? I believe (if tv doesnt lie) that it was AT&T or someone-or-rather in the late 60's, but why a mouse?
HowStuffWorks says Mice first broke onto the public stage with the introduction of the Apple Macintosh in 1984, but there were heaps of video game consoles out before that, I would have thought that a joystick style controller would have been a logical choice. Mouses are really odd.
Up/downl
Left/right
Forward/backward
Pitch
Rol
Yaw
Could do it, but it doesn't sound like it. Would be pretty neat for 3-D model design work, I'd think.
"A great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to be a great democracy." --Theodore Roosevelt
I think that $invention is really cool. It has many uses including $uses[0],
$uses[1] and even $uses[2] if you think about. I think $company
has a bright future.
For the most part, wireless mice have sucked for gaming because of their sample rate.the technologies exsist now that lets then be just as fast as any usb/ps2 mouse on the market. the Logitech Mx700 is a perfect example of this. it has the exact same sample rate of its wired counterpart the mx500. i use one everyday for gameing, and there is no one who could convince me its not the best gaming mouse out now
I have used one of these for the "gaming" that the poster spoke of, and personally, I found the mouse to be extremly inaccurate when using the gyroscopic method, and wasn't all that great when on the desktop using the optical sensor. The mouse just doesn't seem to be that responsive: blame it on the fact that it isn't wired, or the design isn't great, or whatever. Furthermore, the ergonomics of the mouse are absolutely horrible: I couldn't stomach using the thing on my own computer for much more than basic desktop use, let alone when playing a game that requires repeated motions and accuracy. It looks kind of cool, but the design really doesn't conform well to the hand of the user, although YMMV.
presentations and little else but maybe I'm missing something.
Now this seems better for you. Anybody owners care to comment on it? Not much info on Mac/Linux compatibility on the site. I note you have to _buy_ a driver for full compatibiliy on a Mac?! What kind of company advertises that?
This guy is way out there
I just set up my always-connected mouse "CorePointer" and my sometimes-connected one as "AlwaysCore"... Then they both work.
Do you really need reason for beer? Wingman Brewers
From the review:
I'm been using my IBM trackpoint (nipple) on my thinkpad for a couple years now! I hardly use a mouse anymore!
.. and it sucks for FPS' but that's what the mouse is for right??
on the downside, I now have an almost permanent indent in my index finger!!
*604x
What I haven't heard from anyone is how this will work while surfing porn and keeping one hand "busy"
Send whiskey and fresh horses!
My mate had a couple gyro joysticks for his Atari 2600 back in the day. Quite frankly, they sucked and we never used them.
If it was so crap for basic games like Dig Dug and River raid there is no way in hell a modern gamer would use one, no matter how much more refined. The human hand/arm just isn't precise enough while waving around in the air.
I bought one of these in 2001?!
Felt like we were going back in time here...
I want to see a 'pointer' device that is a glove with a gyroscope, and it has sensors on each finger as well so you can map complex hand and finger movements to different operations.
Of course, you could also get your computer to recognise other important gestures and map them to some appropriate function.
For example:
Finally - a computer that responds to your emotions! :-)
Cheers,
Toby Haynes
Anything I post is strictly my own thoughts and doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the opinions of IBM.
Tube of KY Jelly: $5.99
An X-Ray of your colon posted on the Stile Project: Priceless.
There are some things in life karma can't buy, for everything else, there's AC.
Serious gamers don't even use optical mice (with the exception of Logitech's dual-sensor models), to say nothing of gyroscopic wireless hoo-ha. Optical mice don't track well when you make lots of fast twitch movements.
No, this thing is targeted squarely at the PowerPoint set. (Not that I'd turn one down; it'd be perfect for an HTPC setup.)
-Isaac
I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice. For Entertainment Purposes Only.
This product is WAY OLD.
/me runs to USPTO to file.
Fakespace beat you to it
"They redundantly repeated themselves over and over again incessantly without end ad infinitum" -- ibid.
Just attach a camera to your monit0r. For instance, you could select a file, then flip it the bird to delete it. Point at a file to open it. Stick a finger down your throat and making gagging motions to run MS Office. And, uh... it would be pretty obvious when you want to view your pr0n collection!
"Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney
I'd end up with neckstrain worse than when i started playing descent...
"Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
We sell it for $100 over here at Gateway. (not much of a tech market in Vegas)
Why shouldn't a mouse work with Linux? Or would it not use a standard mouse interface?
move_mouse(x,y)
Wooo works with Linux.
Almost as amazing as ads that proclaim their TouchScreens "work with Linux!!" -- er, a touchscreen is a mouse, or so thinks your computer. Or "Our keyboard wedge barcode scanner works with Linux!!!"; its a hardware trick that mimics keyboard input, so of course it does.
Be sure to pay extra for Linux compatibility!
-- @rjamestaylor on Ello
2) This is a stupid device to use with games. Phear me, I wield the Gyroscope!!! .... MOMOMOMONSTER KILL!!!!!! Give me a break. This is good basically for presentations, not for any sort of extended use. Certainly not for gaming. The best gaming input device is a trackball, period. No RSI and perfect motion control. Especially for FPS.
Grab an emulator and some bowling arcade games that use trackball, I have this mouse and with those games you can literally pretend to be rolling a bowling ball and it feels very authenticate, controlling the angle and speed of the ball, having to keep your line straight and such.
Just don't accidently let go of the mouse like a ball.
Didn't someone mod a powerglove to do something like this a while back, i remember something about it on here. Also a sibling post mentioned it, pair this with a projector and a piece of treated glass (i remember someone figuring out how to do this, but i cant find a link, anybody?) for a minority report like interface... found the /. link to the powerglove thing...
"Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
These seems like a pretty nifty piece of equipment. However, as a serious gamer (attending several LAN-based cash competitions a year, including the most recent CPL), I would not recommend this mouse to anybody other than a casual gamer looking for a new way to play. As I recall I remember seeing one of these in use at a expo and some people were having fun playing a few racing/flying style games. Maybe it could be a fun alternative to a gamepad or joystick, but using it in any other game, namely the First-Person Shooter, would be devastating. It would be hard to imagine trying to play with this mouse with my current settings of a windows sensitivity level of 2 (default is 6) and sensitivity in game as low as possible so that I can achieve maximum accuracy. True, it requires a lot of movement when doing a 180 with a MX700, but aiming accuracy is as good as it gets. This could be a neat little package along with maybe one of those "Multimedia Desktops" you see being sold on TV all of the time. Welcome to the (not so) new age of gaming periphrials.
Steal This Sig
It's awesome as a presentation tool, but far too sensitive for first person shooters.
I've used one of these for over 6 months (the old 25 ft range version).
You have a plasma screen in your boardroom, and your partners have to use hotmail for mail?!
What moron said the price is|was $119? Even a click on the home page takes you to a screen presenting you with a $79.79 price tag, making froogle or PriceWatch unnecessary.
It was kinda popular, and decent game support, but getting a non standard controller to catch on is very hard. Still, once you got the hang of the spaceorb, it's was pretty sweet. You could kick back, put your feet up, and frag fest away into the night (on that rockin 28.8 connection).
Shouldn't be too difficult: One (or two) Web cams figure out what I'm doing with my hands in front of the screen. Mapping gestures to actions, moving the cursor, etc.
-Max
I owned one of these for about 2 days. It was 'okay' as a mouse. What ruined it was the horribly buggy software and the keyboard, which dropped every other character.
Returned it without a second thought.
This is good timing and good luck for me. I recently lost the AC adapter for my gyro-mouse. On the www.gyration.com website it says that the mouse uses a 110-220v adapter; right now, I have the cradle hooked up to a 12v AC adapter that I originally bought for a DVD player. My question is, is it safe to continue doing this? The mouse gets rather hot if it's charging for very long.
They've sold these at CompUSA for a long time. I've owned one for almost a year already.
It is for presentations. It needs a laser pointer. Wouldn't cost much, and would solve a miner need in many presentations.
Course if it could make presentations good and interesting that would be better, but I don't know how they could do that.
Seen it.. used it.. sucks. (for gaming anyway) My buddy got one a few months ago thinking the same thing. Luckily... he was able to take it back. ShaBot
I have the unfortunate pleasure of working for a company that has a fair number of these things (~20) In the past year, we have had to return every single one of them due to some problem or another. Usually it is the batteries (ridiculous since they're less than a year old), but there have been other problems. Additionally, they are horridly inaccurate. Okay, to be fair, my hand is horribly inaccurate when it's not supported by something, but that doesn't make them any more useful.
They have the audacity to patent this? This is hardly a groundbreaking, original thought. These companies are really grabbing for straws when it comes to intellectual property. I guess they need something to show for the money they expand.
But, c'mon. Don't they have such motion sensing in some higher grade virtual reality goggles?
While they're at it, they should patent a contour, shaft-like device designed to fit comfortably in one's hand.
I've been using the older version of the Gyration mouse for over a year. It took a little getting used to, but it works perfectly well. Battery life is fine, tracking sensitivity is perfectly adequate. I really don't see any reason to switch to a newer version.
The only down side is picking it up, mousing, putting it down, switching to the keyboard, and picking it back up again. It ends up wasting a fair amount of time over the course of a day.
The man who never alters his opinion is like the stagnant water and breeds Reptiles of the Mind -- William Blake
For less what? Your link points to the same company's Ultra cordless optical mouse, which is the same price as the Ultra GT displayed on the article's home page.
Were you thinking of another manufacturer? If so, please update your link.
eskwayrd = m^2c^4
Maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea...
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Dasher
It's an input method that doesn't need a keyboard, is fast, is always accurate, is fun and is GPL.
I've been using a gyroscopic wireless mouse for a few years now. I didn't realize they were anything new...
I wanted to do something like this for my highschool project in computers.
7 7/
Didn't have the time to do the movement part, but we've made the figers move and grab/drop a 3D object (A ball with an Earth texture.. =P) using the mouse to move it...
I'd say it's pretty nice for a highschool project where i had to learn VB and DirectX, while me and my partner also had to figure out how to make the hardware for the fingers...
Here are some screencaps of the hand from the program if anyone is interested:
http://www.deviantart.com/view/19886
I've had that mouse (and the keyboard, although that is a new, larger keyboard, mine is TINY) for over a year and it works GREAT! I love it! I use it mostly on desk, not with the gyro, but when I want Gyro its amazing... I mainly use it for gaming with RTS and it doesn't work well with FPS. Wonderful product
"If they existed, they would be here already." - Enrico Fermi
Just bought one of each of these (Gyration Ultra) for our church - for remote presentation. Bought the 100 foot "Pro" version and the 30 foot version, for two differently sized rooms. Basically, they work exactly as advertised - tilt and yaw motions control the cursor. If you don't hold down the "trigger" on the bottom, nothing happens when in midair. That is good, because you can release the trigger and use just the buttons for forward/back slide control in PowerPoint, without moving the cursor around.
You can also use it on a desk as an optical. Shape's a little ackward for that - rather a tall but narrow mouse to accomodate the recess for the trigger underneath. Otherwise, works great. Even has a scrollwheel.
Surprisingly, it takes very little getting used to - as they state in the ads, you just move your hand naturally and the cursor follows your motions. But it is prone to overcontrol because moving your hand in midair is less precise than the tiny motions on the desktop (in my case, I move the desktop mouse about 3" for full left/right tracking).
Another couple points - it's got a recharging stand, so it doesn't eat batteries; both versions come with a second battery pack; the Pro version also has a separate charger for the backup battery, and the Pro version also includes a AA-battery pack for emergencies. And both include a USB-powered receiver. Finally, the things worked out of the box with WinXP - no drivers to install. Really a pleasure to hook up and use in seconds.
So really, it works like it's advertised - perhaps even better - which is a rarity these days!
--Brandon / Split Infinity Music
Now what i am suprised i havent seen yet is one of these mice chopped up and put on a toy gun. The end of the toy gun would have a laser pointer on the end to help you line up with your cross hairs initialy. Coupled with a projector you could have a lot of fun!
-- botsex is {grep;touch;strip;unzip;head;mount}
Our university has had those for about 6 months now. Pretty cool I'd say, but not perfect, sometimes its difficult to get the pointer quite in the right spots. Great for pointing to things in presentations, not much else. Also, its really easy to hit the clicker by accident when you're holding down the button on the bottom for the gyro thing. Kinda annoying in powerpoints. However if I remember correctly it works just fine on flat surface like a normal mouse. Thats my .02
and put the buttons in the hand or on the table, better yet tie button press in with a command to voice recognition softare, and you've got a decent head pointer. Most other head pointers cost more (some far more) and require a reflective dot on your head and a camera to track it. There is a cheap hack of one at www.mousevision.com. But a good, cheap gyro head pointer would be greatly welcomed by the disabled.
"I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
The last time we were informed of an amazing gyroscopic technology, it was about as amazing as a grandma in a bathtub.
"Gorilla Arm"
We never learn.
M.
Is it just the Linux drivers that are new? Because I have owned this mouse for like 4 months now (and the keyboard) and I don't see a newer one on the site. And it's 99.99, not 119.95, and you can get just the mouse for 79.99 from CC. Oh, and it's an awesome mouse, but I can't use it for games. I need the control a regular optical mouse offers. The rechargable batteries work really well, too. Now that there are Linux drivers, I guess I'll try it on my new box, too!
Coming from a past where I worked in a store that sold these, I can tell you the #1 reason for them coming back was gamers. It was to hard to use for extended periods of time, and it wasnt nearly as comfortable. I'd recommend it for the business users, web surfers and technogeeks.
This damn thing has been out for what seems like forever.
Steve's Computer Service, Hobbs, NM
>3.3*10 ^ -9 seconds, or 0.000000003s or 0.000003ms, or 0.003ns, or 3.3ps.
What happened to 'micro'? Your final answer should be in nanoseconds. 'c' is (with less than 1% error) 1 ft/ns in a vacuum, 6 in/ns in a mouse cable.
>The signal travels at light speed, no matter if it's in a wire or through the air
Point taken (since this doesn't affect the validity of your argument), but this is not true.
The speed you quote (c=299,792,458 m/s) is specifically defined as the speed of light in a vacuum. It goes slower in any other medium. In a 'typical' circuit board (and therefore in many chips and wires that connect to circuit boards) the speed is approximately half of this.
You know when you see something half-in and half-out of water, and it looks bent? That's because the speed of light in water is slower it is in air. Glass slows it down even more, which is what makes it so good for lenses.
I tried to contact Gyration for support with my Ultra GT mouse. Their web-based live chat was never available during the hours they claim. I e-mailed them twice, but they ignored me. I called, was unable to reach a person, left a message. They ignored me. Finally I e-mailed them via the web chat link. After a few days I did receive a reply.
They'll understand me now when i wave my hand in thin air and tell my cursor
"this is not the icon you are looking for"
jedi master since 1991
I for one, welcome our new hot grits... PROFIT!
It's a crying shame how un-hip both the readership and the editorship of
I got my first Gyropoint in mid 2000. It worked pretty good, but forget gaming performance.
Its only problem was recharging. Something hinky in the charger circuit. Nothing related to its wireless or gyros. I'm sure they've worked it out by now.
You can buy the mouse standalone for 79.95. The mini-wireless keyboard is 40 to make the total 119.95.
My co-worker purchased it last year and i thought it was a sweet product... but definitely not for gaming as there is substantial LAG during movements.
The first gens were bad for gaming. Even the 1.5 Gen (MS overclocked 1st Gen) mice were far better for this.
Anything 2nd gen or later doesn't freak out with quick movements except on unusual surfaces.
Give optical mice another try.
I've had one of these for a year. Love it. Works great, the rechargeable battery is great, the range is great. But for gaming, you need to put it on a mousepad. Waving it around in the air actually works pretty good for normal mousing, but you don't have enough control for a game. I just sit back on the couch and put a mouse pad on the cushion beside me ... the ultimate in laziness!
Bought the kybd/mouse a few months ago. Not too bad, but assuredly not for gyro gaming. Not even, IMHO, for daily use.
Pros:
Good RF range. I have the 25' model, and have used every bit of it.
Great for conference room presentations.
The gyro action does work.
Smooth feel on the buttons and wheel.
Quiet clicks.
Good battery life on the kybd
Cons:
Mouse is too narrow and tall
Too heavy in relation to other rodents
Terrible battery life on the mouse before it needs recharge. Have to recharge at least daily.
Finicky recharger. Sometimes the mouse contacts don't contact correctly, and the mouse doesn't charge.
Kind of tricky to hold it and left/right click at the same time. You have to cradle it between thumb and ring finger. Hold it wrong, and you might unlink the gyro and revert to normal optical ops.
Kybd is laptop size. Cramped, but OK for travel. They do make a full$ize wirele$$.
kybd feel is so-so, even compared to a laptop.
bottom line:
It's good for untethered presentations, but for normal use, an IntelliMouse or MX700 is better. The Gyro isn't my daily favorite.
Forgot to mention that in my post :)
All the magic happens in the receiver box that plugs into the PC. To the PC it just looks like a regular USB keyboard and mouse. Mine didn't need a driver or any software for winblows, just plug it in and give er! Linux setup was also a snap (Slackware 9.1 2.4.22)
First came the dancing games, DDR, then the DJ games, Beatmania, then some more crap simulation games. As if the other games don't make people look dumb already, now we'll start seeing people waving their arms in the arcades with these mice.
The TouchStream from ThinkGeek does this more or less.
We started using the Gyropoint mice in our classrooms in 2002, and the suites in 2003. They are fantastic in a classroom setting especially when coupled with a projector and a large screen. The students can create their assignments/presentations and post them in a common location (public folder). Then one student logs into the projector computer, and you pass the mouse around when it is each student's turn to present their work to the class. The bad points: These are not fast responding mice, and it is tricky to do fine control with them while they are in the air. Using them for gaming will get you fragged quick. If you mess with the channels (between the base and the mouse/keyboard) prepare to send some time to get it working again (change channel, go to learn/teach mode, fail, repeat 7 times). We have had a couple go bad, one with a bad battery, one just died, so you might want to have some spares on hand. There are two versions of the suites, one has a smaller keyboard (and is more expensive), the other has a full size keyboard. You can pick up the mouse alone for about $80 (US$), and the suites go for $100 and $120.
i own one of these, thinking it would rock with a wireless keyboard and bigscreen on couch. They take alot of practice just to use them in windows alone. Terrible for any real games, they cannot be moved fast or the pointer will go nuts, there is also a lag from the weight inside having to move.
We had a laptop hooked up to a Panasonic 53" widescreen TV. After we uh, "obtained" movies we move them over wireless to the TV-connected laptop. Unfortunately, laptops don't typically come with remotes (especially 650mhz Dells like the one we had). But with the Gyration: problem solved. With the keyboard, it also works great for surfing the web on a large television. Sit back on your couch and read the web on a giant screen.
The mouse IS a bit awkward to use; I know some people that couldn't ever get the hang of it, and I definitely have no clue how it could be beneficial in gaming. They're only sort of accurate at best, and getting that headshot would be pretty much a crapshoot with one of these guys.
Come on guys, this has been out in the market for over two years. I am using one for last year. They do work decent in the air if you don't have too much coffee and can keep your hands pretty stable and learn to move your wrist but not the hand :)..
That said, this is very old news... nothing exciting here... read on to better things.
The ..er.. graphic on the front page looks a little... rude don't you think?
No way this works for gaming. I've been using the set for a few months now, and while it is an excellent wireless keyboard/mouse combo (way better than the Logitech junk I had previously) I could never see someone using the gyro feature in a game. It's very difficult to master.
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According to the literature, the second mouse button is not supported on the Mac.
It doesn't have a 3rd button. No way I'm gonna buy it.
How can people live without the 3rd button in X ???
(and no, the wheel doesn't count. try clicking it repeatedly and reliably and you'll know why.)
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...I don't seewhat the big news is. I got one of these for $79 in November 2003. It's nice, but it's not the greatest. And it sucks for games... How is this news?
Un-news
...inside could be a quite interesting electromechanical component for home made tiny robot walker, similar to AT-PT or AT-ST from Star Wars.
There you are, staring at me again.
I tried out several of these and while the mouse was okay, a bit difficult to get use to the keyboard sucked, dropping too many keystrokes. Besides known problems ( check out their websites) with certain production problems, try dialing their phone numbers. When I tried to reach support, sales, or any of the phone numbers, none of the numbers were receiving inbound phone calls. In addition, the "on-line live chat" doesn't work. There was even a 'special number' to call if you had bought on of their known defective devices, which didn't work. So, no sales support, no customer support. No deal. This item was written up in Tom's Hardware several weeks ago and sounded great for controlling my laptop remoting for viewing video. Read the article. You probably won't want to try to use it for gaming after reading it.
I heard of this a few years back, when it was called a 'bat'. Didn't work then, either.
And theres a simple reason for this: it's terribly un-ergonomical. Try waving this mouse about for three hours. Remember the touch-screens on PCs waaaaay back? (Curses, here I go showing myself to be an Old Fart again). They didn't work because of what was called 'gorilla arm'. Your entire arm quickly began feeling big and heavy and hairy - and tired.
And that was just pointing at a screen, without having to pick up a mouse.
Besides, what happens as you pick the mouse up? Cursor wanders off? Or do you have a kind of activity trigger?
Yes, certainly, there will be specialist applications for this thing. Perhaps certain presentations (smallish percentage, though). Possibly specially-written-for games (that kind of game usually flops - no market).
But, all in all, I'm sticking to my lovely little logitech, which simply works, is nice and light (haw, a pun!), and contains no batteries.
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my buddy has had this mouse for a while now. and i used it the last time i was over there and i did not like it one bit.
like the first poster said, my hand shakes enough to two dimensions. that is exactly right. i tried it from across the room and it was tough to get it to do what you wanted because of this.
I recently bought one of these. THe price in New England runs about $80. For gaming it is rough. Maybe after I use it a lot more it will become second nature but I fond it is porr for gaming. For example, to activate mouuse movements, you press a trigger on the underside of the handle. To click usiing one of the 3 buttons you really need to stop the mouse tracking. Woops you're dead. What I do find it to be great for is general web/email browsing from across the room on the couch onn my 42" plasma monitor. If I were going to gae I would use it as an optical mouse. I fond it a strong optical mouse BTW.
Anyone remember a joystick for the old Atari systems (800 in mycase but I guess would've worked on the 260o or a C-64 or even amiga) called "Le Stick"? It had some kind of liquid (Mercury?) inside and you would tilt it in midair to achieve movement in the direction you wanted to go. All I remember it was suicide playing asteroids with this as you could not stay in one spot, its dead zone was not adjustable and too small. still, a nice novelty.... and it was 2-d, not 6 degrees.
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I've had one of these for a while. The thing you have to remember is that it's not like a regular mouse, so you really have to learn "mousing" skills all over again. Once I got used to mine, I stopped consciously thinking about it (just like riding a bike, using a manual transmission, tying your shoes, etc.). The price is high, but it's a fun toy.
There are even more input devices for Linux laptops and PDAs. For example the famous Twiddler, which can be attached to the hand wrist.
Remember the Cybermouse or Cyberman mouse (I forget). by Logitech? This is what happens when people who think computer gaming is Solitare work in R&D.
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I've got a dozen of this exact model in classrooms across the campus- I put them there last summer. We've had older versions (ball mouse) in place for ~3 years. Those are more expensive and have a much longer (~100 foot) range, but this isn't exactly a new product.
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My company purchased three of the presentation version and all three died within six months. Anectodal? Sure, but still a 100% failure rate in the first year in my book.
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It doesn't sound like I could use this to hack together my personal inertial navagation system, as someone said it doesn't quite have roll sensing. Maybe I could hot glue two of 'em together...
Has anyone here put together personal inertial navigation?
Nice piece of gear!
.. A great deal!
Last year I picked up the Gyration mouse AND wireless keyboard for $99.00
I use it for the 'TV PC'... 25 foot range using RF.
Pretty durable too! Its gotten tossed around with no ill effects...
Odd that some sources are only recognizing it now..(shrug)
Cheap VR
this is absolutely stupid to have this on slashdot. the mouse isnt new, the keyboard isnt new. none of its even close to news. Because it works with linux? jesus christ, if you have half a brain you can make most anything work with linux; including primates.
Again, not news, and it sure as hell doesnt matter.
::ahem:: i don't know if this is so innovative. at my university they have had these gyro-mice (sp?) for quite some time. I had them in my tech speech class and were entertaining when trying to play online ping-pong on ebaum's. S
bah.
I just checked out the customer reviews at Circuit City and although the majority are positive, quite a few complained that the mouse or more often the keyboard didn't work. Seems like Gyration has some quality control problems. Also, you'd think that they could do a good job on the wireless keyboard since that's so common but perhaps they included a cheap one to help keep prices down. Would have been better to just sell the mouse separately.
I started with the corded version. Second iteration was wireless version with ball config.(just bought 3 of those on ebay, $17.50 each(they seem to live for about a year before internal components take a dump)) The reason I love these things is having a few different ways to mouse around. This is key if you have carpal tunnel.(consider using it BEFORE you get carpal) plus the freedom to kick back relax. For web browsing it is ultimate. Also, you can actually use this thing standing up and moving around. Try that with a regular mouse.
I have purchase 2 sets of wireless keyboards and the gyration mouse mentioned above. They suck shit.. DO NOT waste your money on this product.
Do some google searching and see for yourself,
STAY AWAY FROM GYRATION!!
Every few years we hear of another nifty free-space manual input. Again and again folks learn: GUI's and the human body aren't well suited for these, at least not within the contraints of a high efficiency/low physical labor/space constrained way.
Light pens, touch screens, ultrasonic rangefinders, tracker cameras, gyroscopic whatevers - all ignore the fundamental issue of "Gorilla Arm". Simply put nobody wants to be holding out their arms making little precise motions for any length of time.
Keyboards, as awfully designed as they usually are, at least allow one's arms to hang down. The same for mice - there's a reason your typing and mousing surfaces are typically 2' lower then your worktop. Ask any craftsperson - they use worbenches precisely to avoid their arms stretched out in front of them all day.
So unless you're into interpretive dance and don't mind the slowness of big gestures (and are up for the cardio) this whole category of technology is innapropriate for extended use. Particularly for the sedentary cubed masses. Invest in some good ergo furniture and input devices, get some decent lighting, and leave the hand-waving to the PHB's.
I don't read ACs: If a post isn't worth so much as a nom de plume to its author then I wont bother either.
Just think how hard it would be to browse the pRon sites with one of these things. Guess I need to practice my ambidexterity :)
Who needs a Spaceball when you have WASD?
you don't use it holding your arm out. You use it with your hand resting on your lap. You move your hand barely a half an inch and the curor moves over half the screen. try it you'll like it.
i have one for a media PC and it works Great i have a lot of RF in my media room and never once had a glitch with the unit (kbd/mouse) using XP it's a great product. not sure why it's so $$ but the small keyboard and lack of need for a mouse pad and a mouse battery is worth the price!
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we must save the fist gesture to load up the pr0n browser!
...it works great in the gyroscopic mode, but I never use it that way. However, it is also about the best optical mouse I've ever used too. It works well on almost any surface, like a good optical should, and feels really comfortable in my hand.
My wife liked it so much I got one for her, too.
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