The Magic Mouse is a popular wireless peripheral device designed and manufactured by Apple Inc. It offers users a sleek and ergonomic design with intuitive touch controls. However, some users may prefer a wired connection for various reasons. One of the main advantages of using the Magic Mouse with a wired connection is that it eliminates the need for batteries. With a wired connection, the mouse can draw power directly from the computer, ensuring uninterrupted usage without the hassle of having to replace batteries. This can be particularly beneficial for users who often forget to charge or replace batteries.
Setup in 3 Easy Steps
My only guess as to the reason for this is that my truck has wireless carplay already and the Magic Box was constantly fighting my phone when re-started since it would try to connect to it 1st even though it was not plugged in. Both Android Auto and Apple Carplay work by connecting over BT, and then opening a backchannel peer-to-peer WiFi connection between the phone and the box.
This can be particularly beneficial for users who often forget to charge or replace batteries. In addition to the convenience of not having to worry about battery life, a wired connection can also provide a more stable and reliable connection. Wireless mice can sometimes experience interference or connectivity issues, especially in crowded environments or when multiple wireless devices are being used simultaneously.
Review of "The Magic Box" AA/Carplay dongle
First off- not in any way affiliated with the company. I haven't seen any other reviews (or any info at all, really), so though I would write down some thoughts. This is for a wireless AA/Carplay dongle (sorry, should have said that in the title).
This went into a 2021 Rav4 Prime, which supports wired AA/Carplay. My wife is an Apple fan and uses Carplay, I'm an Android guy using Android auto (Oneplus 8T). I previously used a GiWiOS wireless adapter, which was about $80 on Amazon, and seemed to work well enough, but switching between AA and Carplay required rebooting, and about 50% of the time it wouldn't reconnect cleanly to the car without unplugging/plugging USB to the dongle. I figured I would try something else to see if it did a better job switching between wireless AA and Carplay.
I bought The Magic Box and The Magic Remote for about $400 total. Yeah, this thing is expensive. The box itself at a high level is fundamentally a small Android device with 4GB RAM and 64GB Flash running Android 11. It can connect to a car over a USB cable and (I think) talks Carplay with your car; which is weird, because it's running Android internally, but go figure. The touchscreen in the car works well enough with it. It also has an HDMI output, so I imagine you can use it like a FireTV dongle when travelling.
When booted up, it shows an Android UI with a bunch of app icons (I'll call this the "streaming UI"). The first thing to do is click the settings icon and connect to a WiFi AP. Where do you get a WiFi AP? Here's the first hitch- you either need your car to provide an in-car WiFi connection, or you need to turn on hotspot mode on your phone and use your phone as an AP.
Once you have WiFi configured, you can then login with your Google account, go to the Google Play Store, and install whatever other apps you like, including Netflix, Paramount, Disney, whatever.
The UI also has some special icons. One icon launches wireless Android Auto; another launches wireless Apple Carplay. You can then pair your phone (Android or Apple, respectively) with the Magic Box BT connection. I got Android Auto working fine, haven't gotten my wife's Apple Carplay working (but haven't tried much yet).
However, here's where the Magic kindof goes off the rails. Both Android Auto and Apple Carplay work by connecting over BT, and then opening a backchannel peer-to-peer WiFi connection between the phone and the box. But remember how earlier we had to pair the Magic box to an AP (either in-car or your phone hotspot)?- this is a different WiFi connection than that one, and neither the phone nor the Magic Box can use both concurrently.
Your phone can typically either use Android Auto or be in hotspot mode, but not both at the same time. So switching between the Magic Box streaming API and Android Auto required me to manually turn my phone's hotspot mode on and off to switch between the two.
Luckily, my car also supports in-car WiFi (as long as I pay ATT $16/month), so I figured I would try using that as my AP with The Magic Box. But it turns out the Magic Box also isn't smart enough to share its own WiFi connection between streaming and Android Auto. Pairing my phone over Android Auto worked fine, but whenever I returned to the streaming UI, I had to go into the settings app and manually turn WiFi back on. It works, but not at all seamlessly. At the very least, The Magic Box could be smart enough to automatically enable WiFi when switching back to it's UI. Even better would be if it could have implemented two WiFi channels (one for its AP connection, and one for Android Auto), and allowed them to remain connected concurrently.
I had hoped that the Android Auto integration was smart enough to somehow piggy-back on the peer-to-peer connection to my phone to use that as its access point to the internet, but it doesn't work that way. So it works, but switching between streaming apps and Android Auto requires quite a bit of manual reconfiguration.
Some other observations:
- The Magic Remote works fine, and makes it easy to type or select. I can see the value of this if I were using this thing as a fireTV-like device without a touchscreen. However, someone made the decision that the secondary key Fn values (e.g. all punctation/numbers) are shown as blue on black keys with no backlighting, so it's basically impossible to read if you're not in direct sunlight. I'm also surprised that the USB dongle that plugs into The Magic Box to connect to the remote sticks out quite far. I've seen BT dongles that were much smaller.
- One other annoyance: the car's steering wheel controls (skip forward/back) appear to not work when using Android Auto. This is pretty bad, and even the GiWiOS box could handle this correctly.
Edit: Sorry for the multiple postings. I've removed the dupes.
Edit 2: I ended up sending it back. There were just too many compromises given the price tag.
However, here's where the Magic kindof goes off the rails. Both Android Auto and Apple Carplay work by connecting over BT, and then opening a backchannel peer-to-peer WiFi connection between the phone and the box. But remember how earlier we had to pair the Magic box to an AP (either in-car or your phone hotspot)?- this is a different WiFi connection than that one, and neither the phone nor the Magic Box can use both concurrently.
By using a wired connection, users can avoid these potential problems and enjoy a consistent and responsive mouse experience. Furthermore, a wired connection can also offer faster and more precise tracking. Although the wireless version of the Magic Mouse uses Bluetooth technology to connect to the computer, the wired connection can provide a higher data transfer rate, resulting in smoother and more accurate cursor movements. However, it is worth noting that using the Magic Mouse with a wired connection may limit the range of movement. Unlike the wireless version, which allows users to move the mouse freely within a certain distance from the computer, the wired connection restricts movement to the length of the cable. This can be a potential drawback for users who require a wide range of movement or prefer a clutter-free workspace. In conclusion, while the Magic Mouse is primarily designed for wireless usage, using it with a wired connection offers certain advantages such as eliminating the need for batteries, providing a more stable connection, and potentially offering faster and more precise tracking. However, users should also consider the potential limitations, such as restricted range of movement, before opting for a wired connection..
Reviews for "An In-depth Look at the Magic Mouse's Wired Connection Option"
- John - 1 out of 5 stars - I really didn't like the Magic Mouse with a wired connection. First of all, the wire kept getting tangled and got in the way of my work. Secondly, the mouse itself was not comfortable to use for long periods of time. The shape of it didn't properly fit my hand and I found myself experiencing discomfort after using it for just a few minutes. Overall, I would not recommend this mouse to anyone who values convenience and comfort.
- Sarah - 2 out of 5 stars - I was disappointed with the Magic Mouse with a wired connection. The wire was too short and didn't allow me to move the mouse freely on my desk. It felt like I was constantly pulling on the wire just to get some extra movement. Additionally, the mouse had a tendency to disconnect and reconnect randomly, which was incredibly frustrating. I ended up returning it and purchasing a wireless mouse instead, which has been a much better experience.
- Mark - 2 out of 5 stars - The Magic Mouse with a wired connection just didn't work well for me. The wire felt flimsy and got tangled easily, making it a hassle to use. The mouse itself was not very responsive and I found myself having to click multiple times to get a response. It also didn't track well on certain surfaces, so I had to constantly use a mouse pad. Overall, I was not happy with this mouse and would not recommend it to others.