Logitech has unveiled a new mouse for couch potatoes. According to Electronista, the M515 has been designed to track smoothly on upholstery. It also features a smooth underbelly to keep dust, crumbs, and other particulate from mucking with the optical sensor.
Couch cushions are hardly flat and stable, making inadvertent input a real problem. To combat this issue, the M515 employs a sensor to determine whether your hand is actually on the device. If it’s not, the mouse’s laser is turned off. This handy little feature is likely responsible for the two years of battery life Logitech is claiming for the M515.
Signals from the mouse are transmitted wirelessly to your PC via an RF link to an included USB adapter. The M515 also offers an ambidextrous design that should appeal to lefties, and you can switch the scroll wheel between clicky and smooth configurations. However, it doesn’t look like forward or back buttons made the cut.
While I can’t find a North American launch date or price for the M515, it’s scheduled to hit Europe in April for £49.99 ($80 USD if you do a direct currency conversion). That seems a little pricey for what looks like a very basic mouse. Even so, I’ve done enough mousing from the couch to appreciate what the M515 brings to the table cushions. Dear Logitech, come up with a gaming version with a few extra buttons, please.