Mauz is currently up as a Kickstarter project.

(Credit: Amanda Kooser/CNET)

LAS VEGAS–We tech writers are constantly comparing real products to what we’ve seen in sci-fi movies. I’m still waiting for my Hoverboard, but at least we’re inching a little closer to some “Minority Report”-style computer interfaces with the Mauz, a device that turns your iPhone into a mouse with special skills.

The hardware portion of Mauz is reasonably discreet. (Click to enlarge.)

(Credit: Amanda Kooser/CNET)

Mauz is like a combination of the Wii remote, the Kinect, and a desktop mouse. It involves a small device that plugs into your iPhone and an app that makes the magic happen.

Visiting Mauz at CES 2013, I caught the team looking pretty stressed as they struggled with getting Mauz to work over Wi-Fi at the same time 50 gajillion other exhibitors were weighing down the network. They did get it up and running to show off using the phone like a traditional mouse with touch-screen clicks; like a Wii by manipulating a 3D model on-s… [Read more]