Ever wish you had an all-in-one remote that would allow you to be the master of your ever-expanding digital world? Appcessory-maker Spicebox is developing a smartphone-enabled device that will help you do just that.
Called MAUZ, the dongle turns your iPhone into a computer mouse and touchpad as well as a 3D navigation device, allowing you to rotate and move items on any screen with a flick of your wrist. The experience is fully programmable, so you can pre-set motions to match your most-repeated activities, like a gesture to switch tabs in your browser window or skip the song currently playing.
Mauz is an all-in-one remote for your digital life
MAUZ also fully integrates with your smart television and supports visual gestures, meaning you can flip through menus and adjust the volume just by waving your hand above the phone. “It’s kind of like plugging your computer mouse and a Wii controller to your phone and then adding a touch of Kinect,” says a Spicebox spokesman in a video on the group’s Kickstarter page.
Super lightweight at only 15 g, MAUZ is smaller than a matchbox and a million times smarter. The device relies on your phone’s accelerometer for motion gestures, but it takes unique advantage of the iPhone’s front-facing camera for visual gestures. That portion of the software is powered by Nanocritical’s software development kit, a touch-free gesture recognition engine.
Mauz accepts touch or gesture commands
In May, Spicebox will also make its own open software development kit available, allowing developers to create short-key programs for computer applications that MAUZ isn’t pre-loaded with. Developers will be able to make these available through MAUZ’s app store, and users will be able to download a suite of pre-programmed gestures for their favorite software.
A recipient of the Macworld Best of Show 2013 award, MAUZ is expected to be available this summer for about $60. The dongle is currently only for the iPhone 4 and 4s, although a version for the 8-pin Lightening connector is in development, as is a version for Android phones.
To learn more about what MAUZ can do, visit the Kickstarter campaign or their website.
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