LCD Mouse Mod

lcd mouse

Master modder [Jani ‘Japala’ P?? latest hack is adding an LCD screen into a mouse. The LCD is from a Nokia 6610. It fits pretty well since the controller board isn’t any larger than the screen. The controller requires adding three more wires to the mouse. These are connected to a parallel port. The screen can only show about 1 frame per second, but that is fast enough for general statistics or showing photos. It’s a really clean build. A clever trick was using a piece of plastic from the blister pack to cover the screen since it was already the same shape as the mouse.

[thanks z]

61 thoughts on “LCD Mouse Mod

  1. i love how clean this project came out.. and as for people thinking its useless.. have a little imagination..

    the reason he didnt just make a little picture frame or put it in a drive bay is that that stuff has been done.. when was the last time you saw an LCD in a mouse.. personally i have never and it combines the millions of uses of a free LCD with the fact that it will always be predominantely displayed on your desktop when you are away from the comp.. or just a hands twitch away when you are on it.. it is not meant to be constantly looked at.. it is just meant to be cool and different and it will be as usefull as you make it..

    that being said i would be worried about the palm prints smudging the view.. but thats just cuz i have sweaty hands

  2. also.. i dont have my hand on the mouse constantly when i am on the comp and i dont think most people who have used a computer for the greater part of their life do either.. i type with 2 hands and there is such a thing as keyboard shortcuts.. just think about being able to type on your favorite chat program and just look over to your right (or left?) and check on all kinds of information.. like some have said, your p2p download progress, file transfer progress, rss feed, whatever you can think of that can be adequately displayed..

    man now i want to build one :(

  3. What i think would be really cool with this is if you could make it display the icon of the program you are in (like someone has already said) BUT make it so if you pressed alt and scrolled the wheel (alt-tabbing but with mouse scroll) it showed the icons of other programs which you could select… cool? definatly

  4. I dont know if someonbe already said this cuz I am too lazy to read 50 posts, but why not go the cheaper route and use LCDsmartie and a martix orbital LCD screen, and let it display system info, and rss feeds and stuff. You know what? Im going to do that! I have spare LCDs and an old mouse… ill submit it when Im done… wow im really excited now…..I cant wait

  5. I have to wonder if this hack could be taken further than even juan suggested, and a small computer (say the guts for a palm or something) could be stuffed in the mouse… It would definately be a tight fit, and yes, *useless*, but it would be funny to see the mouse cursor moving on the screen in the mouse–you have to move the whole computer (mouse) to move the cursor. Yes, useless, but so is a lot of *marketed* things.

  6. 1337 hack! I read about some kind of screen that produces a static electricty charge and makes the screen feel like it is a 3d object. It was in some kind of car gps. Think of the possibilites… get real-time data (CPU clock, FPS,etc.) while your hand is on the mouse.
    Also, how ’bout a power switch for the lcd?

  7. I’m actually a little surprised some one hasn’t mentioned just the sheer “mood-lighting” aspect. Or maybe a way to show a stripped down visualazation for mp3’s that are playing. it’s a shape that the frame rate is so low.

    And as far as the usefulness of an LCD in a mouse- It’s not so much an “LCD in a mouse” issue, but more of an “lcd in any cramped small space”

    I’d like to see a mod using a something like a pocketPC screen modded into where the number pad is on a keyboard. or into a seperate keypad like the Logitech diNovo has. but as a hardware hack, not wsing a PPC’s wireless or bluetooth to connect, and software to control. A decent screen and it’s touch sensative. think about the possibilities.

    Bonus points for a wireless setup. my only complaint about this hack is the required corded connection.

  8. WTF!!! Why are you knocking him, What have you made lately!!

    Its a cool hack and I followed the instructions on his site which are more than adequate unless you really need to be spoon fed

    You can check download status, blah, blah while your machine is locked, etc

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