14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier this winter the US Patent & Trademark Office granted patent for Apple's wireless hybrid low power computer mouse. I for one can't see exactly how much power can this low-power hybrid mouse save, but let's see what Apple has to say about it, maybe you'd like to buy one: "a hybrid computer mouse having both a low power accelerometer used in combination with an optical tracking engine to provide velocity or relative positional data with low tracking errors over a wide range of use."
OK, so that didn't exactly make sense to me... let's try again! This new method is about getting first tracking info "from a first tracking device and periodically determining accuracy of the first tracking information. A second tracking device is activated and used to acquire second tracking information when said determining indicates that the accuracy of the first tracking information is inadequate." And the explanations go on.
Mark Wilson, editor at Gizmo.com says the first device is somewhat the usual optical tracking sensor. The new device is the accelerometer and it's like in Wiimote. He says motion detection is a much more energy-efficient approach. When calibrated with the optical information, it's a very accurate tool.
This newly patented Apple wireless Mighty Mouse uses Bluetooth technology and its battery should hold up to a year, much longer than it did with previous models. Apple names the inventors of this patent as being Steve Hotelling, Joshua Strickon, Brian Huppi and Christoph Krah. I have yet to see this great input device and if you've already used Mighty Mouse and have an opinion about it, don't be shy and share it with the rest of us.