What is an Air Mouse?
| Reuben Howe
Controlling presentations, whether it's a lecture at a University or a workplace meeting or a slideshow at a nostalgic family gathering, can leave us feeling a little powerless.
Technical issues plague us with disconnects, limited control inputs, failed embedded videos and the physical restraint of having to dash to the host PC every slide!
While using an assistant is a common solution, the freedom to present solo is still something we value. Your presentations should be yours, from the time you take on a slide to where you stand on stage, to what websites and software you use in the show. The best way to achieve a freedom of choice like this is a Wireless Air Mouse, and you'll see why!
Presenters and Clickers
You'll most likely already be familiar with the concept of a Presentation Clicker. These small, handheld devices look like TV remote controls or wide pens, and allow a degree of engagement with your presentation even remotely.
The most common features are a laser pointer, a "Next Slide" and "Previous Slide" button, and a "Hide Screen" button. Beyond that, the focus here is on size and weight. The physical restraint of presenting is helped vastly by even a simple presenter like this!
Why is an Air Mouse Better Than a Laser Pointer?
Where an Air Mouse builds on the concept of a presentation clicker is in the lack of restrictions. While a presentation laser pointer might have a few preset bindings for PowerPoint hotkeys, an Air Mouse allows direct, free-form control.
Rather than having preset bindings and hotkeys, an Air Mouse gives you wireless control over your PC cursor. This means any interaction, from switching slide to changing application entirely, can be performed just like you were still at your desk.
The ability to switch tabs, click buttons, correct mis-clicks and more all in real time gives your presentation more depth while simultaneously giving you more confidence. Knowing that you are in complete control of the technological side of the presentation gives you more focus on your physical gestures, articulation and communication.
How Does an Air Mouse Work?
The direct control over your PC cursor remotely sounds incredible for presenting, but how does the input work?
Unlike a normal mouse which scans a surface (Usually your desk) and detects motion that way, an Air Mouse detects motion through, you guessed it, the air!
Using a gyroscope system that measures changes in angle, rotation and position an Air Mouse can transfer simple gestures into mouse movements. This means that even without turning to look at the screen of using a pointer, you can still control the cursor. Perfect for times you don't have a Smart projector to pick up direct inputs!
The Air Mouse feature is on a trigger, which means you can hold a button to activate it and release when done with the cursor. This is great because it stops the cursor wandering around the screen distracting everyone when you're busy presenting!
Beyond the mouse movement method, an Air Mouse will tend to have the usual clicks, hotkeys for slideshows and even an ALT+TAB binding on advanced models to make app-switching super slick.
How To Connect An Air Mouse
Most commonly, an Air Mouse will ship with a USB receiver. If you've used a Wireless Mouse before you probably know the tech, and the connection is almost identical. The USB is inserted into the PC / Laptop and then the inputs are transferred wireless to that device!
Simple.
If you're worried about connectivity you can double check whether the receiver of the product you are viewing is RF or IR. These are very different control methods that can make or break a technical set up so make sure you know the difference going in!
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