DoBox brings mouse cursor to any iPad – no jailbreak required

5 March 2016, 03:30


Whether justified or not a frequent criticism of the iPad is that it lacks the ability to attach a mouse. By comparison, Android tablets are usually mouse-friendly, even if the interface is primarily designed for touch.

Soon-to-be-Kickstarter project DoBox aims to overcome this limitation on any iPad – no jailbreak required – via its wireless dock project that features USB ports, an Ethernet jack, an SD card storage slot and even an HDMI port.

Details are scant at the moment but we assume that the USB signals are turned into Bluetooth signals and intercepted by DoBox’s software, which runs on the iPad. The folks behind DoBox say that it’ll have open-source programmer interfaces so that other developers can make use of their technology. In other words, it’s likely the mouse and any other devices you attach will only work in apps designed to make use of DoBox – so don’t expect to buy one and have a mouse cursor straight away in Word, or Pages.

On the iPad Air the use of a mouse cursor has always seemed questionable but on the iPad Pro a mouse cursor provided by DoBox could well prove to be a useful optional extra for those who require it, or would just feel more comfortable with one. However, you’ll have to carry around a Mac Mini-sized extra bit of hardware, and remember to keep it charged along with your iPad.



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Just a note: the DoBox uses Wi-Fi, doesn’t Bluetooth. ;)

— This is DoBox · Mar 5, 12:55 PM · #

 
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