As convenient as Bluetooth technology might be, there are still some hard limitations that make it a little less appealing. It’s notorious for latency and instability due to interference, and a Bluetooth device can only pair to at most three other devices at the same time. That said, Bluetooth offers the convenience of not having to rely on dongles, and the technology continues to evolve, at least for Bluetooth audio.
Bluetooth mice, on the other hand, seem to still be stuck in the past, which is why there’s still an ongoing tug-of-war between Bluetooth and wireless radio technologies. While the latter offers more consistency and flexibility, it comes at the cost of a USB port that is sadly becoming an endangered species on the laptops that need them the most. Fortunately, a simple yet genius redesign of the humble wireless mouse receiver could very well change the game, offering a solution that is years in the making.
Designer: Sanwa Supply
A wireless receiver is like a device that’s permanently paired to a wireless mouse, making it possible to use it on any number of devices that support a USB connection and a mouse. The design of these dongles is pretty minimal and bare, but they still take up the space of one USB slot, which means there’s one less port to use for other equally important peripherals. With today’s USB technology, however, that shouldn’t be the case anymore.
It doesn’t have an inspiring or even memorable name, but the Sanwa Direct 400-MAWBT209BK wireless mouse offers an interesting solution to this years-old problem. Instead of a simple stick or small block, the receiver takes the form of a multi-port USB-C hub with an HDMI port and a USB-C port. The latter practically reclaims that lost connection while the former adds functionality that the laptop may not offer at all, considering how some have completely ditched large ports like HDMI and USB-A.
It’s not a panacea, though, as it does require that the original USB-C port already possess related features like high-speed data connection and video out. That said, most laptops today do have at least one of these, so that’s not really much of a guessing game. There are other caveats, like how using the USB-C extension port on the receiver at full power could actually interfere with the wireless signal to the mouse. On the flip side, the receiver can function like a normal multi-port hub this way even when you’re not using the mouse.
Interestingly enough, the Sanwa Direct 400-MAWBT209BK wireless mouse also supports Bluetooth mode for those times when even a receiver is no good. This could be useful for tablets where sticking a USB hub can be inconvenient or inelegant. At least it offers users the choice of which technology to use at the right time, while still leaving the door, or a port rather, open.
