Amid the flash and dazzle of new gadgets unveiled at the annual CES tech trade show last week, one clever new app aims to transform the humble smartwatch into a versatile input device for computers and other devices.
The app is called WowMouse, and it was developed by a company named Doublepoint. It works by turning your Android smartwatch into a Bluetooth mouse that you control through hand gestures and finger pinches.
So how does it work exactly? It broadcasts your watch as a Bluetooth Human Interface Device, allowing it to pair with various operating systems as if it were a regular Bluetooth mouse. Doublepoint confirmed support for Windows, Linux, macOS and iPadOS. It works with Wear OS watches like the latest Samsung Galaxy lineup, though tap detection can be inconsistent on the new Google Pixel Watch. And sadly, Apple Watches don’t allow for Bluetooth HID connections, so iPhone users are out of luck.
But for supported Android watches, the possibilities are intriguing. You simply wave and pivot your wrist to move the mouse cursor around, then pinch your thumb and finger together to replicate a mouse click.
Doublepoint has greater visions beyond just mouse emulation too. They are pitching manufacturers and developers to license the WowMouse software to enable unique gesture-based controls. One demo shows rotating your wrist to dim smart lights in your home. So in theory, you could be adjusting all manner of internet-connected devices with a few simple arm twists.
The stumbling block is getting any hardware company to build support for such niche smartwatch software. With WowMouse only compatible with a portion of the Android smartwatch market, it seems unlikely any lighting brand or appliance maker will dedicate resources to integrate its features. But the technology shows promise, and one hopes Doublepoint can refine and expand it to reach more users.
For now, Android smartwatch owners can grab WowMouse on the Google Play store and turn their wristwear into makeshift mice. It may not be the killer app to make smartwatches indispensable. But it does reveal creative new ways we can interact with computers and gadgets using today’s sensor-packed wearables. The future is full of possibilities when clever innovators and accessible devices intersect so readily.
Discover more from GadgetBond
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
