- A Reddit User Created a Touch-Sensitive Mouse Pad with Integrated Buttons
- The Kage GhostPad device can be programmed with different functions
- It will soon enter crowdfunding, but it already seems expensive
Over the years, there have been several devices that put quick computer controls at your fingertips; think Elgato Stream Deck, for example, or standalone numeric keypads built for your keyboard. But all of these things take up space on your desk, quickly making it cluttered and cluttered. Now, however, one enterprising PC user believes he has found a solution.
Posting on Reddit, user cmajmus revealed a mouse pad they’ve apparently been working on for the past two years. Dubbed the Kage GhostPad, this isn’t just any desk pad: It’s equipped with 16 touch-sensitive buttons that put quick PC controls at your fingertips.
The buttons are integrated into the pad and sit beneath its surface, which cmajmus says means “no buttons, no bumps.” Once you press one of the hot zones, “everything you’ve assigned to it is activated: keyboard shortcuts, macros, media keys, MIDI notes, gamepad inputs, and even launching applications,” says the creator.
You can customize what each button does using a browser-based companion app once the desktop panel is connected to your PC via a USB cable. You’ll be able to drag and drop functions into each zone, set pressure thresholds, add custom icons, and more.
And on the side you’ll find a detachable LCD module that displays the device’s active mode, assigned shortcuts, and any status indicators, helping you see what the GhostPad is doing at a glance. And you can “divide the surface into programmable zones,” says cmajmus, each with its own set of controls that can be toggled as needed.
Convenience at a cost
The creator of the GhostPad explained that they were motivated to create it due to the “frustration of having a Stream Deck, a macro pad, a MIDI controller, and a numeric keypad taking up space on the desk.” They then added: “I wanted something that did it all and disappeared visually.”
Some Reddit users were curious about how the product prevents accidental touches, like if you hit your hand on the mat or place an object on its surface. To this, cmajmus said that you can “turn off some zones if your keyboard overlaps” and also stated that you can “have 0.5 liters of beer” without activating any of the buttons.
If you don’t like the look of the GhostPad (or if it wears out over time), you can change the top surface with a variety of different visual options. And while the pad isn’t machine washable, the creator says it’s waterproof and can be washed using gentler methods.
The reaction appears to have been positive on Reddit. User Jfaun said it was “one of those things I see and I’m surprised it doesn’t exist and I never thought about it,” while another called it “ridiculously cool.” XLB135, meanwhile, opined: “As a minimalist who literally has nothing on my desk other than a phone stand and a small bamboo box of cards, I find this very appealing.”
GhostPad’s creator revealed in a different Reddit thread that the product will begin crowdfunding in “a few months.” You can also pre-order the device on their website, with an “early bird” price set at €129 (around $147 / £111 GBP / $211 AUD).
That makes it very expensive for a mouse pad, but if you think it could save you money on accessories like a Stream Deck (not to mention desk space), you might feel it’s worth it.
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