handi-capable access devices?

[avriette]

I've recently been looking for a cordless mouse i can use from the arm of my chair since I got this stupid knee injury (my leg is up and horizontal, pretty much precludes being anywhere near my desk). So, cordless keyboard I can keep in my lap, no big deal. But Ideally what I'd like is a keyboard with the right handed side of the thing, instead of being a 10-key pad, being either a trackball (not my preference) or a trackpad.

There are "air mouses" that mostly work for presentations, but they require I point at the screen, and there are eye-focus trackers (like trackir – check that shit out!), but the fidelity is just not there for "work." I'm a sysadmin and programmer and.. well, I do a lot of stuff like that for a living, so the keyboard is more important than the mouse, but I do need a mouse and because I have to keep my knee horizontal and "up," (I've been resting it on a chair), there's nowhere at all to put the mouse.

I can sort of use my Air as my primary machine (trackpad, check, keyboard, check), I really need to be able to use my desktop (which is Linux, which is a further complication (I can't use any wonky Logitech or whomever drivers)).

I really, really, really hate this setup.

Halp.



edit: edit, edit, edit

[chicken n waffles]

i set up one of those air mice for a user many years ago. bottom line... a lot of complication, very little benefit. it takes longer to point and click since you have no friction whilst pointing, and your arm will get tired with the quickness.

i got nuffin, other than to smack you for saying "handi-capable." call it what it is.... CRIPPLE!

[Libra Monkee]

Holy crip he's a crapple!

I was looking for something like this a while back when I was still considering a carputer. Here's a few things I found:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6823166047

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6823110019

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6823126008

[Katya4me]

It doesn't sound like what you're looking for, but I do have an old Gyration Ultra GT Cordless Optical Mouse from my carputer set-up if you wanna give it a try for free. It's currently sitting in a box at the house rather neglected.

[complacent]

Would a positionable stand be helpful at all? That way you could put the keyboard/mouse wherever needed?

Something like this comes to mind.

[avriette]

i set up one of those air mice for a user many years ago. bottom line... a lot of complication, very little benefit.

I was really hoping for something more like a clip on my finger I could move around, sort of like those pulse-ox meters they have in hospitals. I don't want a pointy mouse.

i got nuffin, other than to smack you for saying "handi-capable." call it what it is.... CRIPPLE!

tongue in cheek.

[avriette]

Would a positionable stand be helpful at all? That way you could put the keyboard/mouse wherever needed?

Something like this comes to mind.

Thank you all for your suggestions. So far nothing's quite doing it (other than the Air – ironically, if I'd gone with some 17" behemoth instead of the Air, right now I'd be fine using it as my primary machine). I think it's time to tell the doctor I'm sick of waiting around for things to heal or whatever, and that he needs to get his ass in gear and start fixing things.

[Libra Monkee]

Clip on your finger?!?! Well I know a few places have USB versions of these. They're not wireless but they are handheld.

[avriette]

Clip on your finger?!?! Well I know a few places have USB versions of these. They're not wireless but they are handheld.

It looks like I'm screwed. I have the keyboard (how hard is it to get a wireless ergo keyboard right) but the $()@#$*@# mouse is a problem. I hate trackballs, but it looks like I'm headed straight into a forest of captured balls and the evils therein.

[avriette]

I can sort of use my Air as my primary machine (trackpad, check, keyboard, check), I really need to be able to use my desktop (which is Linux, which is a further complication (I can't use any wonky Logitech or whomever drivers)).

Ah, and all the Air skeptics, here's problem #1:

Not enough power to be primary machine. No big deal, right? I'll just rdp/vnc into some other beefy machine. My desktop at work is 1680x1050 * 2, so there's just no way to remote into it, save the shell and X forwarding. First time it's really bit me in the ass. OTOH, I didn't add "gee what if I got my knee driven over by a train" to the list of questions I was considering when purchasing the Air.

Oh well.

[complacent]

, but it looks like I'm headed straight into a forest of captured balls and the evils therein.

This could be u-g-l-y out of context.


(lolz?)

[chicken n waffles]

[WRXWagon2112]

I currently use this with my HTPC. Not quite a clip-on finger device, but it's not infrared and only relies on the relative position of the mouse in the air. Quite handy for home theater applications. It may suit your needs for admin stuff ... don't know for certain though.

--Alan

[avriette]

I currently use this with my HTPC. Not quite a clip-on finger device, but it's not infrared and only relies on the relative position of the mouse in the air. Quite handy for home theater applications. It may suit your needs for admin stuff ... don't know for certain though.

--Alan

Yeah, that is the device I was thinking of. Except, it seems to want to point at the screen. Is that not the case?

[WRXWagon2112]

Nope, no need to point at the screen. It uses gyros to sense the relative position of the mouse - front-to-back and side-to-side. If it's not RF then it's Bluetooth. Certainly not IR.

--Alan

[avriette]

Nope, no need to point at the screen. It uses gyros to sense the relative position of the mouse - front-to-back and side-to-side. If it's not RF then it's Bluetooth. Certainly not IR.

--Alan

mebbe pick that sucker up and return it if it does not reduce my gimp a little

[WRXWagon2112]

How'd your "handi-capable access device" search work out?

--Alan

[Mr Kleen]

I'm cross posting but you might want to check this out: http://mobileairmouse.com/