My Crazy Ideas < Crazy

A couple of years ago I was on a plane home from Columbus, OH trying to use my netbook. I had an Acer Aspire One, which has the weird mouse touchpad with keys on the sides rather than below. As a bigger guy, trying to use laptop touchpads in general on planes is tough, having to twist my wrist to manuver the cursor appropriately.

It was on that flight, that I had an idea for an input device that would be easy to use on a plane, not require any wrist twisting, and would still allow for me to type easily. I drew out the concept, and threw it up on TwitPic (March 10, 2009):

Well today, two years later a story pops up on Engadget about a Ring Mouse developed by Genius: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/13/ring-mouse-available-for-70-just-in-time-for-your-nerd-wedding/

Oddly similar right?

I thought so too.

It’s actually kind of cool to see something I imagined created, even if it was by someone else. When I had the idea it seemed neat, but touchscreens were just getting popularized so I figured inputs like this would be short-lived. I still feel that way.

I’ve had ideas like this since then too.

When the iPad was announced, I felt like it had one major flaw in people’s ability to hold it with one hand and type with the other. Unfortunately, I didn’t upload that drawing of my case concept to TwitPic, but look what’s available today: http://store.apple.com/us/product/H2117ZM/A, the Griffin AirStrap.

I guess maybe next time I have a crazy idea I should follow through on it.