Camarillo, California-based Interlink Electronics Inc has announced RemotePoint, a cordless hand-held mouse that will ship next month. Anyone that feels warm about mice needs his head exapmined, but a tail-less mouse must be a small step forward for those with desks – and minds – so vacant they have room for a mouse mat. Interlink claims RemotePoint will liberate the desk-bound computer user and marks an important first step towards a truly cordless computing environment. RemotePoint uses Interlink Electronics’s VersaPoint Pressure Pointing Technology and operates on an infra-red beam that works along the line of sight with two system components: an infra-red transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter, the RemotePoint hand-held control unit, is powered by two AAA batteries and uses a power-saving sleep mode technology to deliver extended battery life, even over long intervals of device inactivity. The VersaPoint Pressure-Pointing Technology is a force sensor that converts changes in pressure – the touch of a thumb – into changes in resistance that are translated into cursor movement. Interlink’s patented Force Sensing Resistor offers durability, sensor lifetime exceeds 10m actuations – has it tried 10m? – according to the company, and a compact size, less than .02 inches thick.
Teardrop
It is available in Windows and Apple Computer Inc Macintosh compatible versions. For Windows, RemotePoint’s infra-red receiver plugs directly into either the standard serial or PS/2 mouse port, requiring no special software when used with Windows, MS-DOS and OS/2 systems. RemotePoint is shipped with its own VersaPoint used with WindowsDOS and Windows mouse drivers to ensure first-time, trouble-free operation where no system mouse driver is available. For the Macintosh, RemotePoint uses the Apple Desktop Bus interface and requires no special software. Remote point has a teardrop shape and has a single-button control of both cursor direction and speed; the primary click button, mounted directly under the index finger. Both RemotePoint versions are 100% Plug & Play-compatible and cost $200.
