Talking point

Posted by T3 Online on Thu 2 Mar 2006

This unusual Art Lebedev wireless mouse is so simple it's really quite clever.

If great design marries form and function, Russian design house Art Lebedev is making its mark with the all-new two-button mouse, the Mus2. The concept is simple - make a mouse for the hand that matches the one you see onscreen. Despite its unusual appearance, Mus2 is fully-featured cordless optical mouse for Mac or Windows that's available in black or white. It uses two AAA batteries and has a power indicator in its handle which lights up when the batteries need replacing. It works up to two metres away from its USB receiver and has an optical sensor resolution of 800dpi.

While it looks a little like an RSI magnet, the designers swear it's comfortable to use: "Despite the fact that some people find its form unusual, Mus2 fits neatly in hand like a normal mouse and doesn't cause any discomfort," they stress.

Russia's largest design company Art Lebedev was founded in 1995. Now its teams of designers work on everything, including industrial and graphic design, user interfaces and software development. They raised a lot of attention when they announced the oh-so-clever (but unavailable) Optimus mini auxiliary keyboard - click to enlarge gallery image below. This has three user-configurable buttons that show their functions on little OLED screens.

Anyway, back to reality. You can pre-order Mus2 now direct from the designers. It costs $40 (£23).