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The latest 3Doodler 3D printing pen is smoother and easier
The team at WobbleWorks has been quick to iterate on the concept of a 3D printing pen in the past 3 years, and it's not stopping any time soon. The startup has unveiled the 3Doodler Create, a third-generation pen that irons out some of the remaining kinks. The refined drive system should give you smoother output, but the real centerpiece may be the ease of use: WobbleWorks is promising simpler controls that get anyone printing "in seconds." It's even a bit flashier, as there's an both an ambient light bar as well as a transparent panel to show what's going on inside.
Microsoft rolls out Windows Ink for beta testers
Windows Ink is available today for Insiders in the Fast ring, allowing users to sketch, write notes on sticky pads and draw all over screenshots with a digital pen (or your finger, if you're an au naturel kind of person). The update adds a Windows Ink Workspace, which is accessible from the system tray or by clicking the back of your connected pen. The Workspace brings up pen-enabled apps like the sketchpad, sticky notes and screen sketch, and it has a space to suggest more pen-friendly experiences.
Windows 10's 'Anniversary Update' arrives this summer
Just because Microsoft is less focused on monolithic Windows releases doesn't mean it's forgetting to deliver big upgrades. The company has used Build 2016 to announce a so-called Anniversary Update for Windows 10 that delivers some hefty improvements. For one, it brings Windows Hello's biometric authentication to all kinds of apps, including the Edge browser: You can sign into a website with your fingerprint. Pen support also gets its due with a sticky note app, a sketchpad and virtual drawing tools like a ruler and a stencil. The upgrade brings more advanced gestures and pen input, a Linux command-line shell, smarter Cortana commands (such as sending files to colleagues) and unification between the Windows 10 and Xbox One app stores. The Anniversary Update arrives this summer, so it shouldn't be too long before you can give its features a try. Get all the news from today's Microsoft Build keynote right here!
3Doodler is back with a cute, safe 3D printing pen for kids
Even from their earliest moments of Kickstarter success, one thing was clear to the team at 3D printing pen startup 3Doodler: they'd have to build a version just for kids. Now, after releasing a streamlined upgrade to the original and pushing to get these things into classrooms, they've finally done just that. Meet the 3Doodler Start, a curvier, cuter version of the pen meant for a new generation of pint-sized makers.
Samsung fixes the Galaxy Note 5's backwards pen problem
Samsung isn't just relying on warning labels and "read the manual" suggestions to prevent people from inserting the Galaxy Note 5's S Pen the wrong way. A Phandroid reader has discovered that newer Note 5 models have an updated slot design that makes it feasible to eject a backwards stylus without breaking the detection mechanism -- you won't have to panic because of a simple mistake. It's not certain which models have this stealthy upgrade, although it wouldn't be surprising if many of the freshest units make the grade.
Don't stick your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 stylus in backwards
Is it a design flaw or user error? There's a new hullabaloo over the stylus on Samsung's brand new Galaxy Note 5, as first noticed by an Android Central forum user. Up until now, every previous Note model was designed so that the stylus couldn't be inserted blunt-end first. However, the Note 5's pen goes in either way, and doing it wrong could have dire consequences. The original poster, "FrogVomit," said that "there was no forcing whatsoever" when he accidentally inserted the pen blunt-end first, though he had to pull hard to get it back out. The result? The pen removal detection broke permanently.
Digital pens help spot early signs of brain conditions
Doctors frequently check for early signs of brain conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's by looking at irregularities in your drawings, but it's an imperfect art based largely on the doctor's opinion. All too often, the only concrete signs show up by the time you've already been ravaged by the disease. MIT researchers might have a more effective way to catch these conditions early on, though. By using custom tracking software to monitor the output from a digital pen, they can more accurately predict the onset of brain conditions based not only on what you draw, but how you draw. Healthy people spend a bit more time thinking than scribbling; those with memory issues (such as Alzheimer's sufferers) spend a lot more time in thought, while Parkinson's patients tend to struggle with the drawing process.
Microsoft snaps up the technology behind the Surface Pro 3's pen
In love with the Surface pen? You're not the only one. Microsoft confirmed on its Surface blog this morning that it acquired the pen-sensing technology that helps power the Surface Pro 3 from the company that created it, Israeli tech outfit N-trig. If you're the type who pays attention to Israeli business newspapers, this whole thing might not come as a shock - Calcalist reported earlier this year that Microsoft was eyeing N-trig for a full-on acquisition that would see the company's 190 employees folded into the Microsoft mothership at some point. That's not the case anymore, though: We've been able to confirm the folks in Redmond just bought the technology, and not the whole company.
Livescribe 3 smartpen now sends your notes to Android devices
Making good on its promise back in January, the Livescribe 3 smartpen now works with Android devices. A preview version of the requisite app is now available for download, ready to equip devices running KitKat and newer versions of Google's mobile OS. In addition to the Livescribe+ Preview Edition app, you'll also need to install the Livescribe Link Preview Edition software, with the latter handling Bluetooth pairing duties so you don't have to swipe over to the setting menus every time. If you'll recall, using the high-tech pen with Livescribe's paper notebooks automatically digitizes your scribbles to the companion app on your trusty mobile device. Folks who are eager to employ the peripheral can grab the either the Livescribe 3 or Livescribe 3 Pro Edition at a $25 discount during this so-called preview period ($130 and $175, respectively). Unfortunately, you'll have to be in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or the United Arab Emirates to take advantage, but a global launch is expected in the coming weeks. We're hoping the final software arrives then, too.
Vibrating pen makes it easier for Parkinson's patients to write
The ARC pen pictured above might look laughably large, but it could be the perfect option for folks with Parkinson's disease. It was created by a group of students from UK's Royal College of Art and the Imperial College London to combat a Parkinson's symptom called micrographia. That's characterized by a patient's handwriting becoming smaller and more cramped as they go along, to the point that it's not readable anymore. This pen prevents that from happening by stimulating key muscles through vibration (it's equipped with motors to make that happen), giving users more control over their hands. Further, its large size makes it more comfortable to hold than regular pens.
Microsoft app gives you more control over the Surface Pro 3's pen
The Surface Pro 3's pen is arguably a defining feature, but you haven't had official control over it so far. As of now, though, you finally get some say over the stylus' behavior. Microsoft has posted a Surface Hub app that lets you customize both the pen's pressure sensitivity and its top button. Right now, the software isn't likely to please demanding artists and note-takers -- you don't have fine-grained sensitivity tuning, you can't launch any app you like and the side buttons are strictly off-limits. The crew in Redmond is willing to add features based on feedback, so don't be afraid to pipe up if you have dreams of launching Photoshop with a single thumb press.
Olympus' newest mirrorless camera is built for selfies
Even Olympus can't resist the allure of selfies, it seems. The company has just unveiled the PEN E-PL7, a retro-tinged mirrorless camera whose centerpiece is a 3-inch flip-out LCD that makes those trendy self-portraits a little easier. When you swing out the display, it kicks into a "Selfie Mode" which lets you tap the screen to capture a slightly time-delayed (and hopefully, better-prepared) shot. There's a selfie interval option to snap successive photos in different poses, and powered zoom lenses will automatically kick into a wide-angle view to make sure your pretty face is in the frame.
Modbook will let you convert your Retina MacBook Pro to a tablet for $1,999
Modbook, the company behind those aftermarket Apple tablets, just launched a Kickstarter campaign for its latest product, the Modbook Pro X. After paying a pre-order price of $1,999 today, backers will be able to convert their own Retina MacBook Pros into a tablet beginning early next year. The conversion incorporates the laptop's original hardware, with components shifted from the lower half of the computer to just behind the 15.4-inch 2,880 x 1,800-pixel LCD.
Lix reveals a portable, pro-grade 3D printing pen
There's little doubt that 3Doodler's 3D printing pen is fun, but it's not strictly a precision tool; it's big, and mid-air drawing can get messy. Lix believes that pros need something more accurate, so it's crowdfunding a 3D pen of its own. The printer is about as slim and comfortable as a technical pen, giving it the kind of accuracy you'd need for air-drawn artwork and even some prototyping for architecture and fashion. It's easier to carry with you, as well -- Lix's device takes power from a USB port rather than a wall outlet, so you can draw wherever inspiration strikes.
ASUS reveals the VivoTab Note 8, an 8-inch Windows tablet with Wacom pen input
ASUS' VivoTab Note 8 has been one of CES' worst-kept secrets, but we're still glad to see that it's finally official. The 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet is a direct foil for Dell's Venue 8 Pro, and includes a familiar-sounding 1,280 x 800 IPS display, 2GB of RAM, a 5-megapixel rear camera and an HD-capable front cam. Most of the differences revolve around its namesake pen input; the VivoTab includes a Wacom stylus that can handle 1,000 pressure levels, arguably trumping Dell's less sophisticated (and purely optional) approach. An ever-so-slightly faster 1.86GHz Bay Trail Atom chip doesn't hurt, either. The tablet should ship either late in the first quarter or early in the second, with prices starting at a frugal $299 for a 32GB model and climbing to $349 for a 64GB edition.
Jot Script Evernote Edition stylus brings high-precision handwriting to iOS (video)
Many iOS styluses have all the precision of a blunt instrument -- their thick tips frequently rule them out for handwriting. Evernote and Adonit want to refine the experience with their new Jot Script Evernote Edition. The Bluetooth-based pen has a tiny, 1.9mm (0.07in) tip that lets note takers write almost as well as they would on paper. It's meant to work with an optimized version of Evernote's Penultimate that includes zoom and improved palm rejection, but third-party software can incorporate "enhanced" control through the Jot Script developer kit. Other apps get at least basic support, Evernote says. Mobile auteurs can buy the stylus today for $75, and the corresponding Penultimate app is available for free.
Livescribe 3 smartpen appears in FCC filing, can't wait to digitize your doodles
Now that we've got those naming suits out of the way, it's time to get down to brass tacks. With "brass tacks" involving a new smartpen, in this particular instance. The Livescribe 3 has just made itself known in a public FCC filing today, showcasing a svelte writing utensil whose main purpose in life is to digitize your handwritten notes. It's equipped with Bluetooth in order to pair with your iOS device and the accompanying Livescribe+ app, and once you start doodling in your Livescribe notebook, those very scribbles will appear in the app. There's a micro-USB connector on top for recharging it, and a handy twistable handle that turns the unit on. (Oh, and if you're curious, we're told that "more supported devices" will be added soon.) For the power users, there are Pencasts -- said to be "interactive documents containing audio that is synchronized to your handwritten notes." As is always the case with FCC reveals, pricing and availability are nowhere to be found; that said, an FCC submission generally signals that it's just about ready for store shelves in the US. We'll watch as you attempt to digitally write about the art of containing your excitement.
3Doodler pen gets safety feature, attaches to CNC arms to fulfill its 3D printing potential
When we ran into the WobbleWorks team on our recent Berlin trip, they were kindly enough to show off the shipping version of their crowdoverfunded 3D Doodler handheld 3D Printer. Though, when cofounder Max Bogue hinted that the company still had some surprises up its sleeve, he wasn't kidding. Perhaps most interesting is the inclusion of a mounting dock on the pen, which allows you to attach it a CNC machine, fulfilling the pen's 3D printing ambitions. Once attached, you can utilize another port to control the speed buttons remotely, so you can manipulate extrusion without actually touching the device. Also of note is the addition of a silicone tip cover, which serves to protect fingers from the heated metal extruder.
NVIDIA Tegra Note tablet poses for glamor shots with stylus and cover in tow
Not satisfied with tiny, blurry photos of NVIDIA's self-branded tablet? We don't blame you -- and neither does ChinaDIY, which just posted clear snapshots of the unannounced device. Labeled with a previously rumored Tegra Note badge, the 7-inch slate on display has a Galaxy Note-like detachable stylus and a removable cover that doubles as a stand. While there aren't many other details to learn from the powered-off unit, we've noticed both a micro-HDMI port and a microSD card slot. We're still left with the question of who the Tegra Note is for, however -- it's not certain whether this is a reference design or a consumer product. While we wait for answers, you can check out a photo of the tablet's front after the break or visit ChinaDIY for the full gallery.
SwissPen 3D printing pen brings 3Doodler competition well before launch
One's an anomaly, two's a trend, right? And certainly after 3Doodler managed to collect a staggering $2.3 million on Kickstarter (after a modest $30,000 goal), no one would be particularly surprised to see a few other folks rushing to grab a piece of the 3D printing pen action. Really, it's a fairly simple idea with impeccable timing, a glue gun-like device that melts plastic and essentially lets you draw in mid-air as it cools, arriving in the midst of a desktop 3D printing explosion. From what we can tell, the SwissPen is an awfully similar product with two distinctions. First, the company proudly flaunts the fact that the device was designed and is assembled in Switzerland, a fact it assures us is reflected in the quality of the product. Second, the $103 pen (plus international shipping) is expected to ship in October, which puts it well ahead of the $99 3Doodler's anticipated February ship date. The first batch, the company cautions us, is pretty limited -- which is likely to be less of a concern with the 3Doodler, given that company's rather generous backing. It's creators assure us, however, that they're hard at work on accessories, new colors and more for the device. Update: 3Doodler contacted us to clarify the ship date. Those who backed the pen will be getting their device next month. February is being listed as the "latest shipping date" for folks who pre-order the device now.
