WatchPointer

AirPointer is a macOS app that turns a closed AirPods case into a pointing device by reading its motion sensors. Its helper programs reconnect the case's Bluetooth motion channel, keep the sensors awake, and send motion data to the app; orientation calculations convert that data into cursor movement, while sudden movement in the direction of a tap triggers a click. A setup wizard grants Accessibility access, calibrates the case and screen position, and teaches the app to recognize taps. The app includes menu-bar and setup interfaces, configurable connection shortcuts, audio and microphone handling during sessions, and local session logs. The repository documents support tested on Apple Silicon Macs with AirPods Pro 3 and macOS 26, with AirPods Pro 2 recognized but not tested. Sessions may end after about 30 minutes because of a suspected AirPods firmware timer, and the code is licensed under the MIT License; bundled assets have separate licensing.

MacTap is a macOS menu-bar app that turns one, two, or three knocks on a compatible MacBook chassis or the desk beneath it into keyboard shortcuts and other mapped actions. It supports left- and right-edge layouts, configurable sensitivity and actions, presets such as Daily, Coding, Capture, Media, and Focus, and per-application overrides. Tap classification runs on-device, with gesture mappings stored locally and nothing uploaded. It requires macOS 14.6 or later and a MacBook whose motion sensor is exposed as an SPU HID device, including M2-and-later models and M1 Pro, Max, or Ultra systems; some M1 models, including the original M1 Air, are unsupported. The app requires Accessibility permission for actions to send shortcuts, is distributed as a signed and notarized macOS app, and is licensed under the MIT license.

MousePods is an open-source Linux tool that turns motion sensors in AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro into a head-tracking mouse or simulator controller without an Apple device. It connects over Bluetooth through BlueZ, starts the appropriate sensor protocol—Apple RemoteHID for AirPods 3 or SensorDataWX for AirPods Pro—and sends the resulting motion data through a virtual uinput device for Wayland and X11. Its motion engine derives yaw, pitch, and roll from gyroscope and gravity data, re-estimates gyro bias while stationary, and applies One-Euro smoothing; cursor modes include head or bud movement, calibrated screen pointing, and experimental inertial gliding. The local desktop app provides battery and orientation displays, live sensor data, calibration, settings, shortcuts, and a sensor explorer, with a Flatpak distribution available. It also supports head tracking in Proton games through opentrack and includes an experimental Chrome extension for controlling 360-degree video views. The source code is licensed under Apache-2.0; protocol documentation, findings, and captures use CC BY 4.0.

OpenDisplay is a free, open-source second-monitor system for extending a Mac desktop to an iPhone, iPad, or another Mac over USB or Wi-Fi. It provides a true extended display rather than only mirroring, with Retina/HiDPI output, portrait or landscape orientation, touch and two-finger scroll input, and support for multiple connected devices. The Mac sender creates a virtual display with macOS's CGVirtualDisplay API, captures it with ScreenCaptureKit, hardware-encodes the frames as real-time H.264 using VideoToolbox, and sends them over a TCP connection. The receiving iOS or iPadOS app decodes the stream with AVSampleBufferDisplayLayer and sends touch and scroll control messages back for CGEvent injection. USB connections use macOS's built-in usbmuxd; Wi-Fi discovery uses Bonjour. A separate OpenDisplay Receiver app can turn a spare Mac into the display instead. The project is self-hosted and does not require an account or server connection for display streaming. The Mac sender requires macOS 14 or newer, while the spare-Mac receiver supports macOS 12 or newer; the official mobile receiver targets iOS/iPadOS 16 or newer. It is distributed under GPL-3.0, and its reliance on the private CGVirtualDisplay API prevents App Store distribution and may create compatibility risks across macOS updates.

big-arrow-on-the-screen is a macOS command-line tool and agent skill for Claude Code and Codex that lets AI agents point at controls without clicking them. Its Swift binary places a click-through overlay above windows and displays a labeled arrow, ring, or box aimed at a target found by coordinates, window or tab, application element, mouse position, or Peekaboo data; the overlay can raise the target application, follow it, speak or provide copyable text, and remove itself after a duration, click, stop command, or agent-process exit. It does not type, click, capture the screen, or contain AI. The project is distributed as a Homebrew install or source-built macOS binary, includes commands for installing its agent skill, and is MIT licensed.