Microsoft has announced a sustainability-focused new peripheral called the Ocean Plastic Mouse. Announced at its annual Surface event, the mouse is made of 20% recycled ocean plastic, making it an innovative contribution to the ultimate goal of a sustainable future.
So, how’s it put together? Well, the Microsoft Ocean Plastic Mouse is made of plastic waste that is recovered from various waterways. The plastic is then cleaned and processed into recyclable plastic resin pellets. During the process of materials development, these recycled pellets are blended to produce the shell of the mouse.
The packaging the mouse comes in is also made of 100% recyclable materials. There is absolutely zero plastic that goes into the making of the small box that the mouse comes ensconced in. Instead, it is made entirely from recyclable wood and sugarcane fibers.
In an attempt to reduce device waste, Microsoft also offers a free mail-in program that allows you to send in your old mouse for it to be recycled through the company’s contracted partners. This offer is currently only available in select markets.
The Microsoft Ocean Plastic Mouse is a wireless mouse that can connect via Bluetooth. According to one of the claims made by the company, its battery will last up to 12 months on a single AA alkaline battery cell (that is included and pre-installed in the mouse), though the exact battery life will ultimately depend on user and PC conditions.
Microsoft also promises easy and responsive left/right click buttons, fast tracking sensors, and precise navigation. The mouse features an integrated scroll wheel to help you navigate your webpages vertically. It also sports three customizable buttons and Swift Pair technology for easy pairing between the device and your computer.
Microsoft’s new release is compatible with devices running Windows 11 Home/Pro or Windows 10/8.1. Of course, the device must support Bluetooth 4.0 or higher. The previously mentioned customization of buttons feature is only available using Mouse and Keyboard center software that hasto be downloaded. Devices running Windows 10/11 in S mode will not be able to support the customization.
The Ocean Plastic Mouse costs $25, comes with a limited warranty of one year, and is available for pre-order starting today.
In 1950, Alan Turing asked whether machines can think. Rather than argue over definitions, he turned the question into a party game, where an interrogator trades typed messages with hidden players and tries to work out who is who. Since then, chatbots have gotten so good that they have already fooled humans in modern versions of the test.
So, four researchers from Paris Cité University asked the obvious follow-up question in a new study published in Computers in Human Behavior Reports: can AI at least catch its own kind?
Mozilla is giving Firefox’s Smart Window two new tricks. If you haven’t tried it yet, Smart Window is an optional AI mode in Firefox with a built-in chat that helps you get things done while you browse. With this update, it can fill out online forms using details from your tabs and keep an eye on websites for you.
Tired of typing the same details into every form?
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.