Apple receives patent for hybrid low-power Bluetooth mouse

Although it took Apple quite awhile before taking its Mighty Mouse to the Bluetooth realm, it looks like Cupertino could have yet another mousing device up its sleeve, this time requiring a few less AA cells to keep that cursor moving about. In a recent patent granted to the company, plans for a "hybrid low-power computer mouse" were laid out, including mention of the Bluetooth protocol. In a presumed attempt to please environmentalists and cut down on battery requirements, the new device would sport both an accelerometer and an optical tracking engine (hence the "hybrid" moniker), and wouldn't activate the latter until the accelerometer's "tracking information is deemed inadequate," hopefully reducing the power usage in its optical mouse. Of course, we've no idea if (or when) Apple plans on implementing this snazzy new design into their current mice, or if it plans to kick out a different animal altogether, but Mr. Jobs would probably love nothing more than for regulators to grab hold of this and force other mice breeders to lay down royalties for the sake of Mother Earth.

[Via SlashGear]

[Will @ Dec 29th 2006 3:13PM]

I hope it has two buttons. It took Apple a VERY long time to figure out that two button thing, and they'd best not forget how and why they did it.

[Noel @ Apr 7th 2007 4:24AM]

The current mighty mouse actually has two buttons by way of tipping the weight to the right side a la windows xp right click. Try it out on a intel mac & XP! :)

Oh and the new mouse will have both optics and a ball. The ball will only serve as a way to drive an extremely low resistance generator(think wind up radio). MAkes sense as motion can be converted to energy. Lots of motion going on when surfing for tunes or porn! :)

Noelio

[StevO @ Dec 29th 2006 3:39PM]

accelerometer

as in wiimote?
except now iMote?

[Spiral Stairs @ Dec 29th 2006 3:58PM]

I was hoping the "hydrid" referred to a means of power generation, as in hybrid cars. A mouse that generated power from its own human-powered movement. THAT would be cool.

[Legodude522 @ Dec 29th 2006 5:17PM]

I was hoping for the same thing! Go quickly and patent it!

[Eh @ Dec 29th 2006 5:43PM]

accelerometer? Worst mouse since the puck?

[scooby.carolan @ Dec 29th 2006 5:53PM]

The design is the old Mac Classic. Either Apple is hiding something fresh in terms of the outside, or we're goin retro!

[truth teller827 @ Dec 29th 2006 10:06PM]

Well, someone's got to say it. That mouse is fugly and would be uncomfortable to use for more than 2 secs.

[Leonard Nimrod @ Dec 30th 2006 9:54AM]

Hey Dumbass,
The mouse in the picture is an early Apple mouse. Engadget doesn't have a picture of this mouse as it's still only a patent, but it'll look like the current Mighty Mouse.

[Mark @ Dec 29th 2006 11:04PM]

Oh, I understand. It's a *hybrid* because they got a patent to breed mice with machines, which resulted in a side effect of having blue-teeth. Genius!
Does that mean it could possibly be more expensive than the Mighty Mouse?

[Graham Forden @ Dec 30th 2006 3:43AM]

cool!

[Galley @ Dec 30th 2006 4:06AM]

Apple's Mighty Mice already have two buttons; they just aren't physical buttons.

[Rob Roy @ Dec 30th 2006 11:03AM]

The bluetooth Mighty Mouse can run on 1 AA battery... See here, taken from apple's pages... "and you can forget lugging around a bulky charging dock: the wireless Mighty Mouse works with one or two AA batteries. Two last longer, but one works just as well and packs ultralight."

[kyle @ Dec 31st 2006 6:38PM]

wow!! that thing looks ausome!! i realy hope they start makeing clasics again

[Galen Troup @ Jan 1st 2007 11:22AM]

a few fewer!

[Farhan Mannan @ Feb 10th 2007 10:45AM]

Lol, Galen. Lol.

[Will @ Apr 7th 2007 4:31AM]

I know the mighty mouse has two buttons, I actually use Macs frequently :)

I was more pointing out how it took them until relatively recently to actually send out 2 button mice by default :P It's been a bane of many users for a long long time

anywho, my comment was more in jest anyway

P.S.: You replied to a 3-4 month old comment! you sure are skimming some old articles