Logitech Take Gesture Leaf Out Of Wii's Book With Latest Cordless Mouse
While there were motion-sensitive cordless mice around before the advent of the Wiimote (I can imagine Gyration are probably jumping up and down and screaming "we did it first!"), the bandwagon is well and truly on the move; latest to jump aboard and hawk their wares are Logitech with the MX Air.
Admittedly, they do take things a bit further than Gyration's older cordless gyroscopic mouse; Logitech have been canny with their software support, making things like volume and music control interact with in-air gestures. So, to increase volume you press & hold the volume button and gesture the mouse to the right; skipping a track is done by moving it in a small, circular motion, in the direction you want to skip.
Available in August, the MX Air uses a combination of MEMS (microelectromechanical systems), sensors, DSP and RF wireless in a system they're calling Freespace. You can also use it on a desk, if you're old-fashioned or your arm hurts. There's a rechargeable battery, 30-foot range and hardware buttons for play/pause, volume/mute, back and select as well as a touch-sensitive panel for scrolling.
It'll be priced at $149 in the US and £99 in the UK.
