Post: #1

My plate is currently full right now with other business/ideas...but, i tend to have some other ideas every now and then...some i intend to work on at a future date; others i dont care about.

I had one this morning(unfortunately, it is soo far outside my field of expertise and that of my friends, that i see no reason not to throw it away.)

It is an APPS/device for any random wireless mouse that allows it to powersave automatically.

I like wireless mouse. I enjoy using them. However, i also have the bad habit of leaving them ON at all times...burning through the night and day, as such, i go through a new AA battery every couple of weeks or so.

Like i said, my tech ability are limited.

I did a cursory search i couldnt find anything like it.

Some APPS/device that you will download that will give an already existing wireless mouse a powersaving capability, as such, if you forget(like always do, and left ON your mouse)...it will go into powersaving mode automatically. Prolonging battery life. It shouldnt matter what type of wireless mouse it is.

Not sure something like this is already on the market....i found some mouse that already came with powersaving mode(i am thinking of just buying these...unless there is a cheap APPs or plugin that offer cheaper market cost)...there are other APPS about turning your iphone into a mouse...dont know if the iphone-into-mouse has the powersaving mode with it or not....

Like i said, my tech ability is limited. If anybody knows of such an DEVICE or APPS...let me know so that i can download and use it for my own benefit....and if it doesnt exist...well, you are at full liberty to run ahead and invent it. My plate is already full with other business/invention ideas.
Anyways, i think i should just throw this out there to those who might me interested. Programming, etc is far outside my field of expertise.

Good day, everybody.

Post: #2

Mice with power saving ability (turn off after 2-5 min of inactivity) already available in the market. The feature is just not mentioned much. Even my $13 1750DPI wireless mouse has this feature. I'm sure most quality mice have too.
FYI software can't do anything if there is no support in hardware.

Post: #3

https://www.google.com/search?q=POWERSAV...92&bih=514

Post: #4

Thanks for the replies.

Let me try explaining again: converting any random, wireless mouse into powersaving, wireless mouse. (with the aid of an APPs, plugin, or some mechanical device of some sort.)

I can find powersaving wireless mouse under a second, like i said...

(08-04-2013 10:46 AM)Nemencine Wrote:  ...i found some mouse that already came with powersaving mode.....

what i am talking about is an all purpose converter(APPS OR hardware) that will convert any random mouse into a powersaving wireless mouse that will be cheaper than what is already on the market.

If i am not mistaken, FunctionalPsycho is saying that such a feat requires a hardware modification as well.

Calihunter thinks that i am just looking for a powersaving mouse. No. i am not. What i am talking about is something that will turn a random mouse into a powersaving wireless mouse.

.I remember watching an episode of Brits-In-China...there was this retired soldier who invented this device that automatically turns almost any c]air-conditioning unit into a power saving device. saving on electric bills/costs.

I am talking about something like that for a mouse...that will be cheaper than current market price of powersaving wireless mouse.

I hope i am clearer.

Post: #5

My mouse gets through a load of batteries. There's no on/off switch. It's a bit irritating when you're a full time nomad on the road. Fortunately batteries are dirt cheap in places like China.

Post: #6

i think you have an idea for a product and are looking for a market. save your own energy

Post: #7

computers are made in a way, usually, to accept a wake up from either a keyboard or a mouse. so a truly power saving mouse is a weird idea. a novelty. most any mouse for a laptop has a hardware on off switch, so that when it is in the laptop bag t does not accidentally activate. and if you need to change batteries every month... buy better rechargeable batteries that accept 2000 recharge cycles.

Post: #8

Quote:If i am not mistaken, FunctionalPsycho is saying that such a feat requires a hardware modification as well.

^This.
Digital devices can only accept the kind of input they are already programmed to accept. Even the multitudes of versatile apps for phones or desktops use a limited set of system calls (e.g. access hard disk, print this) already defined by the operating system, which itself uses a limited set of instructions defined and stored in the processor.

So no, you can't just add power saving feature in any ordinary mouse, since most of them have a microcontroller with unrewritable firmware, AFAIK. It is only possible if the microcontroller in the mouse has programmable memory and supporting hardware (such as a quartz crystal clock for measuring time) but that would make it unreasonably complex and expensive.
I think most wireless mice above $10 come with power saving feature.

Post: #9

Is there any electronic or electrical engineer with experience in this field? I'd like to know their opinion.

Post: #10

Engineer here.

I concur with what Functional Psycho said.

I do not know of any programmable mice on the market, all of them have their own firmware, and a wireless mouse is an entity on its own. So no use figuring out a piece of software to powersave your generic mouse, get one that already has the option.

Post: #11

Nemencine asked me if it'd be ok to post a response I gave in a PM. So here goes:

Quote:It really depends on the guts of the mouse. If the mouse has a general purpose microcontroller with programmable memory you could come up with something. My guess would be that bluetooth mice are generally going to have some kind of microcontroller in them. I'd start by taking a few apart and seeing what chips are inside. Most electronic devices use off the shelf ICs. On each IC package there will be a part number. Google the number or go to the manufacturer's website and find the product data sheet. From there you can figure out what each chip does and if it's possible to reprogram it. Then you'll have to figure out if you can reprogram the microcontrollers using bluetooth. You'll probably have to develop new firmware for each manufacturer but you'd be surprised how many devices use the same software and hardware.

Hope that helps.

That'd be my standard response for how to start 'hacking' any modern day device. Take it apart and see what ICs are inside. I recommend checking out websites like 'Hack-a-Day' (http://hackaday.com/) for insights into how to reverse engineer and modify modern devices.

Post: #12

I reverse engineered my PSP in high school. Needless to say, I ended up purchasing a few. If you're looking to reverse engineer your mouse, accept the possibility that you most likely will end up buying a new one anyway, and you might as well get one that has this feature you want.

However, by all means explore- getting in the guts of electronics is what made me want to get into the field! Explore your curiosity, maybe learn something useful, and maybe figure out a cool hack to post on afterdawn or a similar hacky community for some respect.

As far as what I'd do?



Happy hacking.