Is Garmin prepping a GPS mouse? Answer... no

It seemed like the Deluo GPS-in-a-mouse combo was going to be a one-off deal, but our attitude is changing thanks to a recent discovery at the FCC. According to the agency's reports, GPS navigation mainstay Garmin is planning on producing a wireless mouse, and while the existence of a GPS receiver in the peripheral isn't clear, we'd have to assume that given the company's past, they're probably not just knocking out a regular old AA-battery-powered mouse to boost profits. Does this mean we'll be seeing a wave of mouse / GPS match-ups, and does the combination make any sense? What do you -- the clever, good-looking, and infinitely talented reader -- think about it?

Update: Thanks to a helpful reader, we've unraveled the mystery of this Garmin device, which appears to be this RF wireless mouse (or some variant of it), used to control the company's marine navigators... now, on to finding out who's really behind the JFK assassination.

[w3pirate @ Oct 11th 2007 3:09PM]

Obviously the plan is to drop use of Laser, L.E.D, Trackball or other such clumsy and inaccurate tracking methods.

By utilizing up to 3 satellites to fix the position of the mouse, resampling the position every few seconds, a new level of precision for input devices has been obtained!

Not only will this provide unparalleled input directionality, it will also allow the mouse to be used on any surface, including glass!

[Gibbstar @ Oct 11th 2007 3:32PM]

w3pirate,

GPS technology will not track down even close to the precision a mouse would need. Civilian technology allows tracking to the vicinity of 3 meters. GPS for mouse tracking is completely unrealistic.

[abomb @ Oct 11th 2007 3:43PM]

@ Gibbstar:

obviously sarcasm is lost on you

[dj-kenpo @ Oct 11th 2007 3:43PM]

@gibbster: he was using sarcasm.

[unami @ Oct 11th 2007 3:49PM]

oh, it works, you just have to run around a bit.

[NHAnimator @ Oct 11th 2007 3:48PM]

Facetiousness at its best.

But then again, there are plenty of people out there who would buy a mouse that made those claims. One with an LCD display...?

You are here. You are now 0.002 inches from where you were a second ago. You are moving at 0.01 fps. Now you are backing up. Now you are moving SSW. Now you appear to be heading towards a wall at 45 fps. Signal lost.

[Gibbstar @ Oct 11th 2007 4:43PM]

DOH!

[FK @ Oct 11th 2007 3:10PM]

I built a time traveling GPS enabled mouse, theorizing that I could time travel within my own lifetime using my GPS mouse, I plugged it into the computer and vanished .... I woke to find myself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that were not my own and driven by an unknown force to change history for the better. My only guide on this journey is Scuba Steve, an observer from my own time, who appears in the form of a hologram that only I can see and hear. And so I find myself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong and hoping each time that my next leap will be the leap home.

[The Pepto Pimp @ Oct 11th 2007 3:25PM]

Whatever you say, John Titor...

[Corrupt_Data @ Oct 11th 2007 8:25PM]

No, not quantum leap! That theme song is now stuck in my head for the rest of the day... great.

[jason @ Oct 11th 2007 3:12PM]

Is GPS accurate enough to replace a laser or ball? More likely it's just a "travel mouse" with a gps receiver in it. Convergence and all that...

[Scott @ Oct 11th 2007 3:14PM]

I can imagine some uses in geologic and other mapping in the field, but nobody uses a mouse in the field they use touch tablets.

[seth @ Oct 11th 2007 3:21PM]

Perhaps its just a combo device. A mouse and a GPS reciever. Less shit to plug into your USB ports.

[Mark @ Oct 11th 2007 5:31PM]

Did you read the article?

[Byrongman @ Oct 11th 2007 3:22PM]

Don't we have f!@#ing better things to do with satellites than track people's damn mice?

I don't see the point in developing this technology even if it works, it's a huge waste of resources.

[Dave @ Oct 11th 2007 4:24PM]

Please remember that the satellite doesn't track the receiver, the receiver tracks the satellite. As such, you can have as many receivers as you want, with no effect on satellite resources.

[nxp3 @ Oct 11th 2007 3:23PM]

I guess it could be some kind of location tagging device for bloggers. And with gps getting so cheap, that's one free port for other usb device.

[Rob @ Oct 11th 2007 3:25PM]

Sorry fellas. I designed this baby and there's no GPS in it. It's for use with Garmin's marine chartplotters.

http://www.panbo.com/archives/2007/09/more_garmin_and_a_mouse_with_mob_button.html

[frank @ Oct 11th 2007 3:27PM]

Might as well, since the phone companies seem to dragging their feet and why have a GPS unit sit there and do nothing? now make it a blue tooth mouse that also works on my PPC-6700 or Mogull so I can pair it up with my phone and use the gps and mouse on my phone too and we are talkin'

[stephen @ Oct 11th 2007 3:30PM]

i think its a good innovation. Not useful for us who sit in an office all day or at home. But for traveling business folk this would provide an excellent tool in tracking expenses, time and proving you were or were not at the scene of any given crime.

it has its pro's and con's. I'd get one if I traveled at all.

[sombody @ Oct 11th 2007 3:42PM]

So if you lose your wireless mouse, it has a GPS tracker so you can locate it.

[dj-kenpo @ Oct 11th 2007 3:47PM]

even though rob just stated it doesn't have gps in it, your comment makes me sad, becuase now I see a use for it.

I want gps tracking for my tv remote.

[Josh @ Oct 11th 2007 9:10PM]

Just remember not to lose it indoors for you won't be able to respond to the "Are you indoors?" prompt if you can't find it so that you can find it...er...uh...nevermind.

[Millhauz @ Oct 11th 2007 3:53PM]

it's hard to tell, there are people that would actually believe in such a thing...

I was just hoping it's sarcasm, wasn't sure either

[HDraogmir @ Oct 11th 2007 3:47PM]

A traveller mouse combined with a GPS unit could prove useful. Naturally, I'm assuming that you can use the mouse as a stand-alone device. Even if not, you could still plug into your laptop and navigate away, but then it's useless for your desktop workstation. Who the hells needs a GPS device at home?

[Kris S. @ Oct 11th 2007 3:51PM]

I read the article and without clicking to view the comments I wondered what the hell the purpose would be of a GPS mouse.

[Millhauz @ Oct 11th 2007 3:52PM]

It's just a regular mouse....GPS isn't that precise for commercial usage, the mapping would be slow and....seriously, a satelite to move the mouse on the display - the Earth would look like Saturn with a ring of satellites...and dump

[FrikinImpossible @ Oct 11th 2007 3:51PM]

The GPS function built into the mouse is not going to track your cursors position across the screen. It will only allow dual functionality. Its a normal laser/optical mouse, with a normal GPS puck built into one convenient system.

I'm not saying its very practical, but I'm sure its aimed at a specific audience, such as businessmen and travelers.

[christopherborne @ Oct 11th 2007 3:55PM]

A GPS transceiver/mouse could be very useful. I know someone who use GPS transceiver daily in his work, and he also has a great dislike of touchpads. As a result, each day he brings both an external mouse and a GPS transceiver. A combo of these would decrease the clutter in his PC bag and free up a USB on his laptop.

[shout @ Oct 11th 2007 4:02PM]

For documents that are 18 meters across, or 30 meters long, this is the most sensible manner for scrolling and text selection. Combined with a 1/4 acre flat panel monitor, this will reduce the likelihood of developing carpel tunnel by 30%!

Finally maps.google.com can be integrated into docs.google.com.

[daaper @ Oct 11th 2007 4:47PM]

This is obviously used for the world's largest game of pong in which each competitor travels up and down his respective coast until the ball is missed.

[sombody @ Oct 11th 2007 9:21PM]

lol

[TIMMAH! @ Oct 11th 2007 7:33PM]

Wow, are desktops getting so large that we need a GPS to navigate our mice?

"Bear left at the Recycle Bin..."
"Click your destination on the right in 10 millimeters..."

[Kinergy @ Oct 12th 2007 1:15AM]

I'm surprised nobody threw this guess into the mix: The optical mouse component of this speculated GPS/mouse is used to control a pointer in the user interface of the GPS itself! ...instead of Garmin's awkward menu buttons that we all have learned to love.