The Navilock 'GPS Mouse' Isn't a Mouse
The German company Navilock issued a PRESS RELEASE on its new BT-451 unit, which it describes in several places as a "GPS Mouse." As a result, all the blog coverage I've seen thinks the device is a converged mouse and GPS device -- a weird combination that makes it blogworthy. Trouble is, the "mouse" part appears to be just a mistranslation. The company spec sheet mentions nothing about pointing device functionality, nor does it use the word "mouse." I've contacted the company for clarification and will post what I learn. UPDATE: The company has confirmed that this product is not a pointing device, but simply a GPS receiver.
6:05 AM * PERMALINK * 8 comments
Comments:
Think about it - a GPS mouse could tag comments, files, votes, etc. with a physical location. Sort of like geotagging pictures. This could have all sorts of applications, if it were real.
If you were outdoors. It could also answer the question, "Dude, where's my mouse?"
Best of all, for travelers, it would condense two devices into one.
Alas, however, it appears such a gadget doesn't exist.
Mike Elgan
Sorry... I've heard the term 'GPS Mouse' used all over the place. It's not that it's a pointing device... the term has come to mean any small, Bluetooth GPS device without its own user interface.
It's a new term... get with the times, man.
Well, unfortunately, you're alone in all that. For example, I4U News says:
"Well here are a few words that I can’t say I ever expected to use together, Bluetooth GPs mouse. Navilock has chosen a GPS chip from u-blox to power their Bluetooth GPS Mouse."
SlipperyBrick says:
"This is an interesting combination of peripherals if nothing else. A company called Navilock out of Germany who specializes in GPS products has produced a Bluetooth enabled mouse that also acts as a GPS receiver."
Etc.
Maybe it's a European thing? Anyone else have any insight on this?
Mike Elgan
The term "GPS mouse" or "mouse type GPS" has been in use for some time now. It merely refers to the shape and size of the device. Chris is right on, except that it can be Bluetooth or wired.
Rich Owings
http://gpstracklog.com
OK, but NONE of the press and blog reports on this product (I linked to all of them) seem to be aware of this.
Mike Elgan
I guess it's a European thing, then. Or at least German. I'm from Switzerland and I've heard the term almost everywhere when discussion hits these bluetooth devices. But - now that I think of it - only in German. "Bluetooth USB Maus".
I guess it's because of the shape and size these device have been called like this in first place and now there's apparently occured a not very common translation.
They're surely not a pointer device and bluetooth GPS device combined.
Have a look at the Wikipedia entry on this.
Remo Schmidt
That must be it.
In fact, we do need a word -- right now, some people use the word "dongle," which is hideous. I'm not sure "mouse" is ideal, because obviously its confusing.
Mike Elgan
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