Mice have provided us with an unprecedented amount of flexibility in interface navigation since their invention. It doesnât seem like the status quo of using a mouse will change anytime soon, either. The mouse has been so deeply implanted into the computer that many people end up ditching the trackpads on their laptops and getting mice for the convenience of being able to navigate smoothly with these little devices.
One company has decided that using a mouse simply for navigation isnât enough. I.R.I.S., a company specializing in optical character recognition (OCR), has made a mouse that can be used as a navigation aid while simultaneously acting as a scanner small enough to sit on your palm. Known as the IRIScan Mouse, this little device will scan any paper you put on your desk while you move around it. The swiping motions you make will reveal new pieces of the document on your screen.
IRIScanâs mouse costs $79, in contrast with the worldâs first scanner mouse (the LG Mouse Scanner), which costs a penny under $130. Â Both mice are designed to scan documents all the way up to the A3 size specification and they are well revered by happy consumers who have purchased them.
For small businesses, these mice are a must-have. They remove clutter in your office by eliminating the need for another chunky device that scans papers. You can quickly scan documents and use the OCR software that comes with them to import the scanned text into word processing programs such as Microsoft Word. Youâll never be too busy to whip out the scanner since you have one right at your fingertips.
The conveniences brought by such devices makes them very sensible purchases. Their size limitation conforms with the size limits of most flatbed scanners, so thereâs really not much of a difference between the two technologies, save for the fact that you save a ton of space and have the ability to take your scanner with you everywhere you go!