Safety note: Admin approval is an initial review, not a guarantee that every detail is correct. Check important or urgent claims with official sources and report anything inaccurate or unsafe.
A $20 Kmart gadget designed to keep a computer awake has divided Australians, with some employers claiming it could encourage remote work abuse while others argue it has many legitimate uses.
A new $20 Automatic Mouse Mover sold by Kmart has ignited a nationwide discussion about work-from-home culture, employee monitoring and workplace trust.
The Anko Automatic Mouse Mover is designed to physically move a computer mouse at regular intervals, preventing a computer from entering sleep mode or showing an "away" status on messaging platforms. The device offers timer settings of 30 minutes, one hour, two hours and four hours and is compatible with both Windows PCs and Mac computers.
The product gained widespread attention after a social media post questioned its purpose, suggesting it could allow employees working from home to appear active while not actually working. The post quickly attracted hundreds of comments and reignited debate over remote work practices in Australia.
Some business owners argued that the device could undermine trust between employers and staff by making it easier to appear online without being present at a computer. Critics questioned why such a product would be needed unless someone wanted to avoid inactivity monitoring systems.
However, many Australians strongly defended the gadget, arguing that productivity should be measured by completed work rather than mouse movement. Supporters said employees who consistently meet deadlines and performance targets should not be judged based solely on whether their computer appears active throughout the day.
Others pointed out that the device has several practical uses unrelated to avoiding work. Professionals who run lengthy software builds, data processing jobs, report generation or image rendering said keeping a computer awake prevents interruptions while those tasks continue in the background. Gamers also noted that automatic mouse movement can prevent games or online servers from disconnecting inactive players. Some users even mentioned using similar devices while waiting in long online ticket queues.
The discussion reflects broader changes in Australian workplaces since the COVID-19 pandemic, when remote work became common across many industries. Although many businesses have adopted hybrid work arrangements, disagreements continue over how employee performance should be monitored outside the office.
Workplace surveillance software has become increasingly common, with some employers monitoring keyboard activity, mouse movement and application usage to measure productivity. This has raised concerns among employees and workplace experts about privacy, trust and whether activity tracking accurately reflects real performance.
Employment specialists generally recommend that organisations focus on measurable outcomes such as completed projects, customer service, response times and agreed performance indicators rather than continuous computer activity.
The debate surrounding Kmart's inexpensive gadget has therefore become less about the product itself and more about modern workplace culture. For some, it represents a loophole that could be misused. For others, it highlights outdated management practices that rely on monitoring activity instead of evaluating results.
Regardless of opinion, the Automatic Mouse Mover has become one of Kmart's most talked-about technology accessories, demonstrating how a simple office gadget can spark a much wider conversation about trust, flexibility and the future of work in Australia.
MouseComputerWorkAutomaticActivity
A new $20 Automatic Mouse Mover sold by Kmart has ignited a nationwide discussion about work-from-home culture, employee monitoring and workplace trust.
The Anko Automatic Mouse Mover is designed to physically move a computer mouse at regular intervals, preventing a computer from entering sleep mode or showing an "away" status on messaging platforms. The device offers timer settings of 30 minutes, one hour, two hours and four hours and is compatible with both Windows PCs and Mac computers.
The product gained widespread attention after a social media post questioned its purpose, suggesting it could allow employees working from home to appear active while not actually working. The post quickly attracted hundreds of comments and reignited debate over remote work practices in Australia.
Some business owners argued that the device could undermine trust between employers and staff by making it easier to appear online without being present at a computer. Critics questioned why such a product would be needed unless someone wanted to avoid inactivity monitoring systems.
However, many Australians strongly defended the gadget, arguing that productivity should be measured by completed work rather than mouse movement. Supporters said employees who consistently meet deadlines and performance targets should not be judged based solely on whether their computer appears active throughout the day.
Others pointed out that the device has several practical uses unrelated to avoiding work. Professionals who run lengthy software builds, data processing jobs, report generation or image rendering said keeping a computer awake prevents interruptions while those tasks continue in the background. Gamers also noted that automatic mouse movement can prevent games or online servers from disconnecting inactive players. Some users even mentioned using similar devices while waiting in long online ticket queues.
The discussion reflects broader changes in Australian workplaces since the COVID-19 pandemic, when remote work became common across many industries. Although many businesses have adopted hybrid work arrangements, disagreements continue over how employee performance should be monitored outside the office.
Workplace surveillance software has become increasingly common, with some employers monitoring keyboard activity, mouse movement and application usage to measure productivity. This has raised concerns among employees and workplace experts about privacy, trust and whether activity tracking accurately reflects real performance.
Employment specialists generally recommend that organisations focus on measurable outcomes such as completed projects, customer service, response times and agreed performance indicators rather than continuous computer activity.
The debate surrounding Kmart's inexpensive gadget has therefore become less about the product itself and more about modern workplace culture. For some, it represents a loophole that could be misused. For others, it highlights outdated management practices that rely on monitoring activity instead of evaluating results.
Regardless of opinion, the Automatic Mouse Mover has become one of Kmart's most talked-about technology accessories, demonstrating how a simple office gadget can spark a much wider conversation about trust, flexibility and the future of work in Australia.
Concerns are growing over the reliability and availability of Australia's public electric vehicle charging network, with thousands of charging points po...
Residents have rallied against a proposed 1,200-megawatt artificial intelligence data centre near Tungkillo, raising concerns about water supplies, land...
Students at the University of New South Wales are learning how artificial intelligence bots operate, how to identify them online and how to reduce their...
The Shire of Harvey is weighing the cost of repairing its only public electric-vehicle charging station as ageing infrastructure puts pressure on local...
A 59-year-old convicted sex offender is scheduled for release in December despite remaining classified as a high-risk offender. The Supreme Court has im...
Around 8,000 customers in Western Australia's coastal city of Albany will need to replace gas appliances with electric alternatives or switch to bottled...
Fremantle's new bridge will open to the public on Sunday, 1 November, replacing the ageing crossing and providing wider shared paths for pedestrians and...
Western Australia's Joint Counter Terrorism Team has upgraded charges against a 22-year-old Perth man following further investigations into alleged prep...
A psychiatric report presented to South Australia's Supreme Court has raised questions about Tamika Chesser's mental competence in the case involving th...
A freedom of information request has revealed that Gold Coast Council does not hold a copy of the invoice for Mayor Tom Tate's three-day stay at Donald...
