The CEO of Nvidia used Computex to demonstrate how Tegra 4 could be used to improve stylus input on a tablet. Jen-Hsun Huang drew on a Tegra 4 reference tablet with a basic capacitive stylus, and appeared to show the tablet being able to detect some level of pressure sensitivity, without the aid of an active stylus and digitizer.
Adobe showed off a hardware project for drawing it has been working on at its MAX Conference. Project Mighty is a pressure-sensitive stylus for tablets that is connected to the Adobe Creative Cloud, while Napoleon is an accompanying ruler that effectively works as a protractor for Project Mighty to work with in the tablet app.
The digital age has changed many things, including the way that we view as well as create art. Almost every touchscreen device currently on the market is able to run some kind of painting software, and now creating art on these devices has become a little easier with the Sensu Brush artist brush and stylus for touchscreen devices. Electronista has three to give away to our readers, so read on to find out more about this brush, and how you can enter to win.
Sony has recently filed a number of patents related to haptic feedback via friction, instead of the vibration method that most devices use. A "rolling contact ball gripping mechanism" on the end of a stylus uses actuators to increase or decrease the ball's resistance to rolling, making it easier or harder to move the stylus across a screen.
The Pogo Connect pressure-sensitive stylus for iPad by Ten One Design is now shipping for $80. It is the first pressure sensitive stylus for the iPad that uses the latest ultra-low power Bluetooth 4.0 specification that also makes pairing with the Bluetooth 4.0 compatible third-generation iPad automatic, when in range. Although the device ships with a large nub, the tip is removable and will be compatible with a range of interchangeable tips set to arrive in the near future.
Although Apple chose to avoid the utilization of stylus technology for the iPad, a significant number of iPad users are still interested in using a stylus for productivity or content creation. Indeed, a large third-party market for stylus accessory makers has sprung up around the iPad. This is a fact that has not gone unnoticed by Samsung, which is aiming to leverage this space in the market with its Galaxy Note 2 and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets with native stylus support. Applydea hopes to offer a native-like stylus experience for iPad users with the Maglus.
Wacom today announced the availability of its new Bamboo Stylus pocket, a new stylus designed for portability. The new pocket stylus collapses, making for easy stowing in a pocket, and it attaches directly to iPads and Android tablets. The new stylus is also compatible with the Bamboo Paper - Notebook app for iPads.
In a surprise, an Apple patent application for an optical stylus has turned up on the USPTO website. Steve Jobs had derided the stylus as an input method for the iPhone and the iPad once famously saying that ‘If you need a stylus, you’ve already failed.’ However, Jobs was well known for throwing the opposition a curve ball from time to time speaking out against an idea, only to have been developing a concept behind the scenes. One example was when he said that consumers liked having a separate iPod while also carrying their phone, only to reveal the ultimate convergence device in the iPhone a couple of years later.
Today, Wacom has launched the Bamboo Stylus duo for capacitive tablet users. The successor to the Bamboo Stylus solo, the duo has the same rubber tip that will work on most tablets and a ball-point pen on the opposite end.
Epson just introduced the Stylus NX430 Small-in-One printer that the company said offers the most features for its size. It can print without the need for a connected PC thanks to integrated memory card slots, wireless technology and a 2.5-inch color LCD. It can scan and copy as well.
Though Apple CEO Steve Jobs famously said, "if you see a stylus, they blew it" referring to tablets, there are occasions and certain types of software that benefit from stylus use, particularly handwriting, photo-editing and drawing apps. As users continue to find specific uses for styluses on iOS products (and particularly competitor touchscreen devices), a small but significant market has sprung up to meet demand. Four of the latest styluses to hit the market are highlighted below.
Samsung has introduced a wide range of accessories built for the company's new Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet, which recently arrived on the market. Owners will be able to choose from several docking options, including a multimedia dock and a keyboard dock, along with three different cases, an HDMI adapter, a travel charger, car charger, stylus, Bluetooth keyboard, and an SD card adapter.
Ten One Design, makers of the popular Pogo Stylus for iOS devices, are taking pre-orders for a new version designed for the iPhone 4. Available in Black, Hot Pink, Burnt Orange and Cactus, the styluses offer greater accuracy than a finger, while the black Travel Clip that keeps the stylus in place doubles as a stand in both landscape and portrait mode.
iPad owners have some new options today as Targus has launched a number ofaccessories for the iPad and STM Bags has launched its iPad org board. Targus has released two cases, a charger and a stylus. The Spruce EcoSmart Mini Messenger for iPad is made of recycled polyester with environmental bonuses of PVC- and nickel-free manufacturing. It protects and stores an iPad, with pen loops, a business card holder, and a mesh pocket for other small accessories in addition to two zippered compartments. It arrives with an adjustable, padded, removable shoulder strap and ships in black with green lining.
Olympus' turn at early introductions for the PMA imaging expo were headlined today by two long-zoom SP series cameras as well as two hardened Stylus Tough updates. The SP-800UZ is one of the longest-range compacts ever with a 30X stabilized lens that can reach well into telephoto range. Olympus also promises a level of detail in capture and playback with a 14-megapixel sensor, 720p movie recording and a 3-inch LCD.
RadTech has announced Styloid 2.0, its latest soft-tip precision stylus for the iPhone and iPod touch, or other touch-control displays. The Styloid is designed to resemble the style of a pen, and provides users with a tool for either controlling their touchscreen or pressing small buttons. They stylus is made from a hard-anodized aluminum barrel with polished stainless steel accents, and finished with a satin black color coating. The device also is free from any sharp edges to help prevent scratching the users display.
Olympus chose Friday to introduce a new generation of its hardened TOUGH-series compact cameras. The mju TOUGH-6010 (to be called the Stylus TOUGH-6010 in the US) is superficially a standard 12-megapixel camera with 3.6X zoom but is waterproof to a depth of 9.8 feet, withstands drops up to 4.9 feet and will avoid freezing at temperatures as low as 14F. Magic Filters are new to the 6010 and, like the Art Filters on the E-P1 and full DSLRs, can either simulate real effects like a pinhole camera's or else strictly artistic visuals like an Andy Warhol-style Pop Art filter.
In brief: Internet Evolution is holding a contest to find its readers best ideas for an iPhone application. Users can post their ideas and a winner will be announced in early March. Ten One Design has announced that it is reducing the price of its iPhone compatible stylus to $15. Meanwhile, iWebTemplate has update its offerings with several new iWeb Themes from iPresentee and Miamiou.
Olympus on Monday swept through its camera line with several updates ahead of the Photokina expo. The SP-565UZ ultra-zoom keeps the 20X, 26-520mm equivalent lens range of the 570UZ but is both smaller and lighter than the earlier camera. It makes a few minor sacrifices to reach this goal, including a smaller 2.5-inch preview LCD (down from 2.7); in exchange, the camera gains a microSD adapter to use the normally cellphone-oriented cards to store photos.
Olympus on Tuesday gave a preview of updates to its camera lines ahead of Photokina with European announcements of cameras that should appear in the US. The µ[mju:] 1060 (Stylus 1060 in the US) is unusually long-ranged and boasts a 7X zoom, 37-260mm equivalent lens that helps compose distant landscape shots. Both hardware- and software-based image stabilization keep the resulting 10-megapixel images steady and are backed by a very high-speed mode that shoots at nine frames per second in exchange for lower-resolution three-megapixel shots.
