[nwah1]

Yes, the thumb buttons seem much better. USB-C is an upgrade.

Only thing that is missing is a wireless charging. Some competitors use Qi charging or a special mousepad, so there's never a need to plug it in.

In 2010, Logitech released a solar-powered keyboard called the K750. Now that batteries and PV cells are improving, and low energy wireless technology is improving, I bet this would be less terrible.

Also in 2010, RCA invented an "Airenergy" device that could harvest ambient wifi signals for use as a power source.

I imagine some combination of the above technologies could eliminate cables from peripherals entirely.

[jandrese]

The power density on WiFi is minuscule. FCC Regulations mean you can transmit at a max of 300mW only, and the power you receive is affected by the Inverse Square Law on top of that, so total delivered power to your device is fractions of a mW unless your wireless router is right next to the router. Even then the entire process tends to be rather inefficient on top of that so the math probably doesn't work out.

The Qi mousepad makes a lot more sense.

[hinkley]

> FCC Regulations mean you can transmit at a max of 300mW only

Is that new? When I was originally playing with dd-wrt I was under the impression that 100 was the limit, discovered my AP was defaulting to something like 70mW, and would allow you to go higher.

[jandrese]

You might be right. My memory is from several years ago when I was working with some possibly dubious long range outdoor radios.

[hinkley]

The funny thing is that they don't seem to care about the directionality of the signal. You fire 120mW in a sphere and they have opinions. Narrow 100mW down to a (double) cone or a disc? No problemo.

Makes no goddamned sense to me.

[jagger27]

Well a mouse is likely next to a couple of client devices (phone, laptop, smart watch) that each have their own radio. Maybe it adds up?

[brokenmachine]

It doesn't. The transmit time is packet switched between devices.

[jakobegger]

I've been waiting for Qi charging as well!

I love my original MX Master, but it really annoys me when I have to deal with that charging cable. USB-C might be a marginal improvement, but I' love to be able to just put the mouse on my Qi pad when I leave the office...

[rhinoceraptor]

One thing you could do is buy a magnetic break-away USB cable like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Ant-i-Product-Compatible-Micr...

I have those on my wireless mice/keyboards, and game controllers.

[stetrain]

Logitech does have a wireless charging mousepad system but it's currently limited to their gaming series mice.

https://www.logitechg.com/en-us/products/gaming-mouse-pads/p...

[hinkley]

Generator in the mouse wheel and under the left click button.