Mousing in Three Dimensions | eWeek

Mousing in Three Dimensions

Written By
Robyn Peterson
Robyn Peterson
Jul 2, 2003
1 minute read
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Feeling tied down by your mouse? The $80 (street) Gyration Ultra Cordless Optical Mouse frees you. This unique device uses a dual-axis gyroscope to detect a wide range of motion. Within 25 feet of the USB radio-frequency (RF) receiver, moving the mouse pointer on-screen is as simple as waving your hand in the air. Should you want to sit at a desk, though, the Gyration Ultra also acts as an optical mouse.

Long battery life is key for a cordless mouse. The Ultra Mouse operates at only 2.2 volts despite powering the gyroscope, microcontroller, and RF link. In our testing, when not using the mouse, setting it in its charging cradle ensured that battery life was never a problem. If the batteries fall to 20 percent of their full charge, a green light on top of the mouse flashes.

The included GyroTools software lets you assign macros to gestures. You can make a jerk of the mouse to the left cause your Internet browser to go back to the previous page, for instance. An impressive sampling rate—80 Hz—results in motion smooth enough to satisfy even a finicky gamer.

To read the full review, go to PC Magazine.

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