Computers

Eco-click and scroll with Bondidea's solar optical mouse

Eco-click and scroll with Bondidea's solar optical mouse
The N91 solar optical mouse from Bondidea features a built-in lithium battery charged by a PV panel on top of the peripheral, and an AAA-sized alkaline battery as backup
The N91 solar optical mouse from Bondidea features a built-in lithium battery charged by a PV panel on top of the peripheral, and an AAA-sized alkaline battery as backup
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The N91 solar optical mouse from Bondidea features a built-in lithium battery charged by a PV panel on top of the peripheral, and an AAA-sized alkaline battery as backup
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The N91 solar optical mouse from Bondidea features a built-in lithium battery charged by a PV panel on top of the peripheral, and an AAA-sized alkaline battery as backup
The Bondidea N91 wireless solar optical mouse with gold-plated nano receiver
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The Bondidea N91 wireless solar optical mouse with gold-plated nano receiver
A look at the N91 from every angle
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A look at the N91 from every angle
There's a handy storage bay for the 2.4GHz nano receiver on the underside of the N91
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There's a handy storage bay for the 2.4GHz nano receiver on the underside of the N91
The N91 dual power optical mouse being launched in China
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The N91 dual power optical mouse being launched in China
Although while in use, the PV panel will be blocked by the user's hand, the unit can soak up rays of light at all other times
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Although while in use, the PV panel will be blocked by the user's hand, the unit can soak up rays of light at all other times
The white version of the Bondidea N91 solar wireless optical mouse
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The white version of the Bondidea N91 solar wireless optical mouse
The N91 has a DPI button on top that alternates the AVAGO high speed laser optics between 1000 DPI for standard use and 1600 DPI for precision positioning
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The N91 has a DPI button on top that alternates the AVAGO high speed laser optics between 1000 DPI for standard use and 1600 DPI for precision positioning
The N91 can be powered by the built-in lithium battery that's charged by the PV panel or by a single alkaline battery
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The N91 can be powered by the built-in lithium battery that's charged by the PV panel or by a single alkaline battery
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Although we featured the world's first exclusively solar-powered computer mouse as long ago as 2007, I think it's fair to say that such solutions haven't exactly taken off. One reason could be a fear of being left unable to click and scroll if there's not enough light to juice up the I/O peripheral. Bondidea's N91 wireless optical mouse gets round any potential power fail anxiety by running from either battery or the built-in PV panel.

On the face of it, putting a photovoltaic panel on top of a computer mouse might seem like a bit of a strange idea, given that your hand will probably block out all light when in use. For much of the time, though, a mouse will likely just be sitting idly next to a keyboard or laptop, waiting for someone to handle it. So, it might as well soak up some power-giving light while it's there.

The N91 can be powered by the built-in lithium battery that's charged by the PV panel or by a single alkaline battery
The N91 can be powered by the built-in lithium battery that's charged by the PV panel or by a single alkaline battery

The N91 from Bondidea sports just such a top-mounted panel, which juices up a built-in rechargeable battery. There's also a battery compartment for an AAA-sized alkaline battery underneath and, although the mouse can run on solar power only, it is recommended that users install the second battery to ensure continuous operation. The battery compartment can also house a gold-plated USB nano receiver while on the move, with the peripheral using 2.4GHz anti-interference wireless technology.

In addition to left and right click buttons and scroll wheel, the N91 also has a DPI button on top. This alternates the AVAGO high speed laser optics between 1000 DPI for standard use and 1600 DPI for precision positioning.

The N91 has a DPI button on top that alternates the AVAGO high speed laser optics between 1000 DPI for standard use and 1600 DPI for precision positioning
The N91 has a DPI button on top that alternates the AVAGO high speed laser optics between 1000 DPI for standard use and 1600 DPI for precision positioning

The N91 has recently been added to Brando's online catalog (link below). At US$36, it's not the cheapest mouse on the market but it's not going to break the bank either, and it will certainly complement your solar keyboard and, ahem, green computer system.

Source: Bondidea
Available from: Brando

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1 comment
1 comment
Tyler Hall
What about kinetic charging- just push it around until it gets a charge?