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New Logitech Dark Field Mice Operate On Glass
Slatterz writes "Logitech has introduced new mice that use two lasers rather than one to work on a variety of previously unusable surfaces. The first laser picks out imperfections in the surface of a tabletop while the second laser focuses on microscopic imperfections highlighted and uses those to direct the cursor. The technique, dubbed dark field microscopy, allows mice to be used on almost any surface, including glass (as long as it is more than 4mm thick)."
This tech sounds awesome in an evil way. Or evil in an awesome way, I guess.
>The first laser picks out imperfections in the surface of a tabletop while the second laser focuses on microscopic imperfections highlighted and uses those to direct the cursor.
Anybody doing retail sales has surely encountered couples like this. I'll bet the second laser demands a discount for the imperfections that the first laser found.
Fuck Everything, We're Doing Five Lasers...
per dolorem ad astra
Mice that work on any surface have existed for years. They use an amazing technology called a "ball."
There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
We have more surfaces today than five years ago, obviously. You can't really expect old technology to remain relevant in such a fast moving world as ours, can you?
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So you're saying this mouse doesn't work on windows?
There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
I find your lack of faith in the dark field disturbing.
I'm so glad we figured this out.
It was unacceptable that we weren't able to use mice on glass.
My productivity will increase dramatically.
Yep, glass has only been invented since 2004. Before that we just used melted sand. ;)
I intend to live forever, or die trying. - Groucho Marx
It can also detect the spirochetes that cause syphillis, Treponema palladium.
Yes, but maybe you should just see the doctor instead of waiting for the mouse to come to market.
Use a trackball: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Trackball
Specifically, I use this Logitech trackball: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Logitech-trackball.jpg
After using that, using a mouse feels like my response time and accuracy is that of the old-style slow and stupid zombies.
Never got mine to work on top of a pizza... Might've been the cheese?
-- Chaos, panic, pandemonium... My job here is done!
The first laser picks out imperfections in the surface of a tabletop while the second laser...
Sound familiar? This sounds to me like it could be the start of a Gillette vs Schick style pissing contest, the absurd current state of which was foretold by The Onion.
Let me go on record as predicting Microsoft will bring out a 3-laser mouse within 12 months. With an ergonomic grip and lubricating strips on each end.
For all the things they've been able to get mice to track on, it still sucks to move a mouse on anything other than an engineered mousing surface. This new sensor may be a good feature for notebook mice that will be used on who-knows-what, but buying a premium gaming mouse for it's ability to track on crappy surfaces makes about as much sense as buying a Formula One car for its off-road handling.
And if anyone says "but it's better!": Today's well-made mice track fantastically well on a proper surface. They're already, for practical purposes, perfect. Yes, admittedly, there are people whose Logitech or Microsoft mice track poorly. But those people fall into two groups: (a) those who aren't using a pad at all, and (b) those who are using a horrible made-when-men-were-men-and-mice-had-balls pad they had lying around. Logitech and Microsoft would be better off just throwing in a proper mouse pad—and there are some excellent, relatively cheap cloth pads—than endlessly making slightly better sensors just so that people's cursors jump a bit less while they're scraping their mice back and forth on horrible surfaces.
(And if Microsoft and Logitech had half as much innovation in materials as they do in optics, their mice would move like air hockey pucks by now.)
How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
It's a good thing they invented the lesbian mouse, then - no balls and it loves carpet.