Mobile Technology

Jailbreak tweak adds mouse support to your iPhone or iPad

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A mouse on an iPad? (Mouse image: Yutaka Tsutano)
A mouse pointer on your iPad might not be such a bad thing
A mouse on an iPad? (Mouse image: Yutaka Tsutano)

One of the defining features of the (alleged) post-PC era is the replacement of the traditional mouse and keyboard with multitouch. iOS devices natively support Bluetooth keyboards for lengthy typing sessions, but mouse support is unheard of … that is, until now. Jailbreak developer Matthias Ringwald has released a new tweak called BTC Mouse & Trackpad. Install the tweak, make your mouse discoverable, and select it from the list under Bluetooth devices. Voila – you'll see a mouse pointer on your screen.

Why?

A mouse pointer on your iPad might not be such a bad thing

In the world of multitouch, why would anyone want to use a mouse? When combined with a keyboard, it can transform your device. When using a keyboard dock, you would normally have to reach up to your docked device's display to navigate. This quickly diminishes that faux laptop effect. The addition of mouse support lets you use the iPad more like you would use a desktop PC.

BTC Mouse & Trackpad isn't some half-baked tweak, as Ringwald has covered most of the bases. Your mouse will wake your iOS device on movement; you can even "slide to unlock" with the mouse. The scroll wheel can be used for pinch-to-zoom and navigating the home screen (springboard). There's even a presentation mode – a handy feature for those using their Apple devices for keynotes.

Perhaps the most impressive addition is remote desktop support. If you use the remote login app Jump Desktop, your mouse movements on your iPhone/iPad will be mirrored perfectly on the remotely-controlled PC.

If this sounds like your cup of tea, BTC Mouse & Trackpad can be found in the BigBoss repo of Cydia for US$4.98. Owners of Ringwald's BTstack Keyboard tweak, however, get a 50 percent discount.

Source: iDownloadBlog

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1 comment
bio-power jeff
Does this mean that I can play quake 3 on the iPad with mouse and keyboard? Oh hell yes