In 2009, Apple released the Magic Mouse, a departure from its previous mouse designs with its sleek, low-profile design and touch pad for gestures. While the first generation of the mouse powered by two AA batteries didn’t receive much criticism, the 2015 redesign sparked negative reactions due to the rechargeable battery and the Lightning charging port located on the bottom of the mouse. This positioning led to what was known as Dead Magic Mouse syndrome, making it difficult to use the mouse while it was charging.
Since then, numerous hackers have attempted to fix the issues with the Magic Mouse. One recent attempt by Ivan Kuleshov has garnered attention for its innovative approach and potential for success in addressing the mouse’s flaws.
The Magic Mouse has two major issues: ergonomics and the inconvenient location of the charging port. While various 3D models and commercial products have been developed to address the ergonomic issue, attempts to relocate the charging port have been unsuccessful. This is because of the design of the mouse’s circuit, which prevents it from being used while charging.
Ivan Kuleshov’s approach to fixing the Magic Mouse’s issues involved tweaking existing 3D models for mouse extensions and addressing the charging problem by circumventing Apple’s circuitry. He added a USB-C port and a TP4056-based charging module directly soldered to the battery’s terminals, allowing the battery to be topped off when plugged in. In his experimentation, Kuleshov observed that the battery charge reported in MacOS increased correspondingly.
In addition to addressing the charging issue, Kuleshov’s 3D printed shell for the Magic Mouse also aimed to improve the mouse’s ergonomics. The shell splits the mouse into upper and lower sections, ensuring that the optical sensor isn’t suspended off the surface while maintaining the touch-sensitive top section. Kuleshov plans to make the project files available on his GitHub account in the near future.
Overall, Ivan Kuleshov’s innovative approach to fixing the Magic Mouse’s flaws has garnered attention for its potential to address the mouse’s ergonomic and charging issues. As the project files become available, other users and hackers may have the opportunity to replicate Kuleshov’s modifications and improve the functionality of the Magic Mouse.