Hand-made wireless mice with typewriter-key buttons

Baron Aaron sez, "I have always had an interest in design. This concept of mine diverts from the reclaimed materials I typically work in. The mice are fully functional and use a micro USB transmitter. Each one is unique. Specific character keys, colors, and other features are available."

Wireless Computer Mice 4 Sale (Thanks, Baron Aaron!)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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dainel

Poor crabs. Someone has pulled out their legs and claws trying to turn them into mice.
Avram / Moderator

One day there’ll be a post about the Mona Lisa, and someone’s going to comment “Aw, that’s less than a hundred bucks worth of paint, wood, and canvas there. Sfumato‘s not that hard a technique; you could cobble that together yourself and save a fortune.”
- ryxxui
  
  The Mona Lisa is a straight up work of art, presented for the purposes of being pretty. The product featured here is presented as a modification that the creator even describes as “economical”. I am not against art and have nothing bad to say about the Mona Lisa or the art Aaron has created. Boing Boing in general doesn’t seem to have a problem with making of people who spend ridiculous sums of money on audio equipment whose benefits are nonexistant or negligible, so I don’t see why selling a $20 mouse for $180 is that different.
Anonymous

How cool are those!
Aaron

Well I guess my take from this is that ryxxui has no concept for how art design & innovation work in society. But that’s ok this world takes all kinds. And ryxxui has his right to an opinion but as said ryxxui just figured it was his job to be the negative niny. What a job! I wonder if he considered that I might know exactly what I am doing pricing my work? I’m not trying to sell iphones here. If everyone could afford these I would be working for free.

And what is with the bullshit genre of categories- functional, serviceable, economical products and ideas being one category, and overpriced aesthetic stuff like this being the other?
Ignorant to say the least!

Does he not realize that the mouse is functional, serviceable, and economical? It is very economical in the art/ design community? And overpriced aesthetic stuff can be found at every big box retailer. I guess my customers (since 1998) have an appreciation for american handmade art/ design that ryxxui has no knowledge of. Ryxxui I’m sorry if you do not get the $160 mouse cover because dude you are missing out!
- ryxxui
  
  I respect your art and your right to charge whatever you want for it, but this mouse is only “economical” if your $160 cover for it somehow increases the lifespan or usability of the mouse ~6x. Otherwise, it’s just an aesthetic change.
  - wrybread
    
    In other words, you’re making the argument that art has no value?
    
    If so, shouldn’t you go grind your axe somewhere else? Aaron just had his creations featured on about the biggest place to be featured on the internet. Cut the guy some slack, let him bask a little. You’re clearly not his target audience, so your criticisms strike me as just shy of trolling anyway.
    - ryxxui
      
      Art has a value and my first post essentially asked if that value was in the range of ~$150. The answer to that question is not clear making it a question worth asking.
      - wrybread
        
        “Art has a value and my first post essentially asked if that value was in the range of ~$150. The answer to that question is not clear ***to me*** making it a question worth asking.”
        
        Fixed it for you.
      - Antinous / Moderator
        
        ryxxui,
        
        You’ve made your point. Four times.
      - holtt
        
        I rather agree with his point. Sad that he has to be labeled “troll” for it.
- alowishus
  
  Aaron, I think you’re feeding the troll.
  
  And yes, I would love to see an instructable for this! Like many Boing Boing readers, I like making stuff.
  
  Of all of them, the rust-colored one is my favorite. My birthday is coming up, perhaps it’ll be my present!
  
  And I’m looking forward to seeing more of your creations!
Aaron

Oh but it does greatly increase the lifespan and usability! When your grandkids come across this mouse in your home in the year … say… 2075… Do you think they would throw out your hand made custom mouse bought for $180 in 2010 from a documented american sculptor or would they ebay a 2010 Logitech M305 originally priced at $20 and wonder why no on bid on it? And then throw it away. What is the value of art is an age old discussion. And it is more usable because it has aesthetic appeal.
alowishus

And BTW, I really like the fact that it’s a mouse cover. When the mouse within become obsolete or fritz out, you can throw a new one in there. Subverting obsolescence indeed!
dagfooyo

Kewl! Looks like the mouse someone in Myst would use.
nanner

cool but why’s the guy in the middle sticking his tongue out at me?
Halloween Jack

Did someone get nostalgic for the old iMac hockey puck mice?
Mitch_M

They look like they would cause a lot of wrist pain. Are they meant for display purposes only?
Aaron

I don’t think the design causes wrist pain. I know what you are talking about…I am a technician as well as artisan. I have experimented with the shape for some time now. They might not be appropriate for gaming, but for everyday use they work great! The Logitech hardware is very reliable. Yes I grew up around Macs but this was not directly influenced by those “hockey puck” mice. I am surprised that more makers are not moding more peripherals. The one in the middle has a tongue shaped lever for a power switch. And yes it is supposed to look like a face… Aaron Ristau
Anonymous

Hello boingboing readers:
I shared an art show with Aaron and was delighted to see his work here today! Congrats man (I was the guy who had the star wars inspired stuff right next to you at the Gallery Underground). To all those that worry about the ergonomics… don’t. When I toyed with these in person, they were surprisingly easy on the hand. Good luck, and best wishes.

- Daniel
jeligula

These mice have something the hockey puck never did: orientation. The buttons will put you on track as soon as you touch it. The hockey puck was featureless and annoying as anything ever could be. I was constantly grabbing them at least 35 degrees out of true. I’m happy with my Logitech M510 as the factory made it.
ryxxui

This is essentially a $150 cover on top of a $30 mouse. Buy the mouse yourself and spend $100 customizing how it looks and you’ll still come out ahead.
- wrybread
  
  Its interesting how whenever something hand crafted gets posted on BoingBoing there’s always a few comments about how you could buy it for cheaper elsewhere. It seems to me that that’s really not the point of art or crafts. You buy something that someone made because you like the thing or the process or the whatever, not because its a better deal than what’s available at Costco.
  
  And in this case I don’t think the money argument is even a valid criticism. If you make a comparable mouse to this I have a feeling a) it won’t look nearly as cool or work nearly as well, and b) if you do a comparably decent job you’ll spend way more than $180 by the time you’re done experimenting with materials and methods.
  - daev
    
    @wrybread
    Bears repeating.
    (also +1 for Aaron’s logo on his site…that’s a work of art in itself)
  - ryxxui
    
    You knew that someone was gonna post what I posted, and I guess it is kind of a common sentiment in comments here, so I thought about why that might be. BB gives props to a lot of people selling stuff all over the Internet, and I feel like the things can be divided up into two categories- functional, serviceable, economical products and ideas being one category, and overpriced aesthetic stuff like this being the other. The people who prefer the former, like myself, this stuff makes us chuckle a bit when we see it and think about people buying it, which is why you see thee sentiments.
    The mice are cool, don’t get me wrong, but mice don’t last forever and $180 is a lot of money.
- Aaron
  
  Please do send pics if you do mod a mouse. I’d love to think I am inspiring more people to do this. I am thinking of releasing it as an instructable. Your right, it is a $160 cover on a $20 mouse but from a second generation artisan with a reputation. It’s ART man! And very few others have done one of a kind mice. It seems so natural to me since the mouse is such a tactile interface to our machines.
Anonymous

Good thing you weren’t naked when you took that picture.
Anonymous

And you can see the photographer reflected in the bottom ones….lol!
inverse

This is essentially a functional, finely crafted piece of art. Sculpture in the hand + an aesthetic connection between artist and user. Much more than a “cover on top of a mouse.” I’m off to order mine!
darkskies

Cool indeed! They look well crafted.
Would it be possible to order one custom with faux-fur ears and racing stripes?
Gotta have one (well, maybe two)…

Thnx!