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Adonit's $45 iPad stylus can wirelessly charge like an Apple Pencil
Adonit made the first unofficial iPad stylus that can wirelessly charge like an Apple Pencil.
The best stylus for your iPad or other touchscreen device
By Serenity Caldwell This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. After testing 18 styluses in five categories for over 20 hours to find the best touchscreen stylus for sketching, writing, and navigation, we think the Adonit Mark is the one most people should buy, thanks to its unmatched combination of accuracy, comfort, and price.
The best iPhone and iPad accessories
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. A huge ecosystem of accessories surrounds the iPad and iPhone, with options to handle pretty much any need. At The Wirecutter, we spend dozens of hours (at least) on each of our reviews to find the best gear for all parts of your life. Here are some of our favorites for your iOS devices. This guide may have been updated by The Wirecutter/The Sweethome. To see the current recommendations, please go here.
Adonit introduces Bluetooth-free touchscreen stylus
The stylus available for tablets and smartphones usually fall into two camps. The more precise pens with Bluetooth connectivity that only work with certain apps or the rubber-tipped pens that work with anything but can result in smudgy lines. Adonit thinks it's found a happy medium with its new Jot Dash pen. The powered pen offers up precision tracking without having to pair via Bluetooth or being reliant on an app. The pen works with iOS and Android devices (Sorry no Windows support) and is powered up via a click button at the top of the pen. The 1.9 mm point uses Adonit's PixelPoint technology to detect touch-screen signals and rebroadcasts those signals as a larger point so the device recognizes it as a touch without having to resort to a larger pen tip. Yeah, it's kind of confusing, but it works. The pen ships with a charging dock and is available today for $49.99.
Adonit boosts stylus-driven sketching with Forge
If you're into tablet-style sketching, you're likely familiar with apps like FiftyThree's Paper or Adobe's Sketch and Line. Now, stylus maker Adonit has a sketching app that's designed to not only get the most out of its drawing accessories, but to boost your productivity as well. The software is called Forge, and its simple interface keeps tools handy, but out of the way so you can focus on the task at hand. When you need to create multiple versions of the same sketch -- a logo project, for example, -- the app allows you to easily copy the drawing and build on top of it, organizing the old and the new on separate layers. As a designer myself, that's been the most useful thing about Forge: the ability to try new things with the same idea quickly and easily, without mucking up the original.
Adonit's latest Jot Touch stylus works with Adobe's cloud software
Adonit, the company known for its artist-oriented iOS styluses (stylii?) has just released a new model: the Jot Touch with Pixelpoint. The "Pixelpoint" term refers to the fine point 3.1mm tip that Adonit claims is more artist friendly than a regular stylus. For further fine control, the pen has a thinner design and 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity (which requires an iOS device with Bluetooth 4), along with 2 shortcut buttons. Finally, the company says the new Jot Touch is the first stylus to work with Adobe Creative Cloud (via Adobe's Line and Sketch apps), allowing users to access their Jot files, copy and paste between devices and use Adobe's Kuler color picker. The Jot Touch with Pixelpoint is now available from Adonit for $120, and you should be able to grab Adobe's Sketch and Line apps soon at the App Store.
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.
Evernote updates iOS app, announces partnership with Post-It and creates Evernote Market at EC3 conference
Evernote, the go-to note-taking app for 75 million people, has announced the latest expansion of its empire today at its EC3 conference with the unveiling of Evernote Market and a partnership with Post-It Notes. Yes, that's right: Post-It Notes, where people's random ideas were stored before Evernote. The partnership with the Post-It brand, and Post-It owner 3M, is particularly exciting. The companies are developing a special line of Post-It notepads that will allow users to take photos of their notes for seamless transferring and searching (using color coding) via Evernote. So if you find your desk so cluttered with stray Post-Its that it looks like a detective's dream board, in the future Evernote will be able to help you quickly search and organize those ideas. This Post-It partnership is the driving feature behind today's update for Evernote iOS. Version 7.0.1 brings a new Post-It Note Camera to the app. You can assign notes to different tags, notebooks, and reminders based on the color of the Post-It, and then search through handwritten text in images. The update also fixes numerous bugs. But where exactly do you buy these special Post-It notes? That's where Evernote Market comes in. Evernote Market is the company's first entrance into the world of physical merchandising, providing a mix of Evernote-enhancing office tools alongside branded products. While the Post-Its aren't available on the Market yet, they should be in stores like Staples and Office Depot soon. Among the other office offerings the company debuted today were new, Evernote co-branded devices from from Fujitsu, like the ScanSnap, and Adonit's custom-designed new Jot stylus for Evernote. ScanSnap is releasing a special Evernote Edition scanner for transferring your paper notes directly into the service. Meanwhile Adonit debuted the Jot Script Evernote Edition Stylus, the first fine point stylus on the market. Adonit's Jot Script is optimized to work with the company's Penultimate handwriting application. Users will also be able to find Evernote's Moleskin and other branded paper notebook options in the online store. Evernote is also debuting a series of lifestyle products for tech fans who want to represent their favorite note organizing team. Have you ever wanted a Evernote tee shirt? How about socks? They've got you covered. On a more practical level the company also debuted a beautiful high quality minimalist flat backpack and a rucksack that seeks to improve on the standard messenger bag. [Editor's Note: Having had a chance to see and touch these backpacks, I must say they are incredibly well made and the design is tops. I'm a bit of a luggage nerd and I'm always on the lookout for a good backpack. My only worry now is having to choose between the flat backpack, the larger backpack and the smaller, triangular messenger bag. -- Victor] Evernote's announcements today show that the company is looking to expand into areas beyond simply your phone and desktop. They want to be inside your notebook, your random notes on your desk, and on your tee shirt. The increased integration and scanning options they've announced today make that desire a very real possibility, if only for this one tech writer.
Adonit Jot Touch pressure-sensitive Bluetooth stylus for iPad
Although there are many electrostatic styluses for the iPad for those who wish to use them, the seemingly unattainable goal of creating a pressure-sensitive stylus eluded peripheral manufacturers until now. Adonit's Jot Touch (US$99.99) became available to the public earlier this week, becoming the first pressure-sensitive stylus for the iPad. I had a chance to test-drive an Adonit Jot Touch for a few weeks, and although I'm not an artist who can really take advantage of the lifelike brushes, pens and pencils that pressure sensitivity provides, I'm still impressed with the capabilities of this new stylus. Read along for a review, and see how the pressure-sensitivity features work in a few apps. Design Placing the Adonit Jot Pro and Jot Touch side by side, you immediately see some differences. The Jot Touch is slightly longer than the Jot Pro, although the rubberized grip area is smaller. The Jot Touch also has three buttons that are used to turn on the stylus (and get it to pair with your iPad) and provide one-touch shortcuts. The tip of the pen is also slightly different. Looking closely at it, you'll notice that it's slightly longer than that on the Jot Pro. That's because it compresses into the body of the Jot Touch when you're applying pressure to the pen. Since the Jot Touch has a built-in battery to power the Bluetooth transceiver and other electronics, Adonit came up with an ingenious way of charging the stylus -- there's a tiny USB dongle with a very strong magnet in it. Plug the dongle into a USB port, place the tail-end first into the magnetic port, and it charges. A tiny LED near the buttons lets you know when the battery has been topped off. The Jot Touch will work as "just another stylus" with any app, but requires that an app be "Jot Ready" to take advantage of pressure sensitivity. Adonit provides a Software Development Kit (SDK) to any developer who wants to add more precision, pressure sensitivity, or shortcuts to an app. So far Adonit lists 14 apps that are ready to take advantage of the Jot Touch, including such titles as PDF Pen, Procreate, and SketchBook Pro. As with the Jot Pro, the Jot Touch also comes with a screw-on cap to keep the plastic "precision disk" (unique to the Adonit styluses) clean and undamaged. There's also a replacement tip included in case you do damage or lose the original tip. You can purchase the Jot Touch in either red or gunmetal gray. Functionality So, how did the Jot Touch work? OK, once I restarted my iPad. For a few days I was having issues with the Jot Touch pairing with Procreate, and kept bothering both the Adonit and Procreate teams. Finally, someone suggested that I restart the iPad, and that cleared most of the issues. What do I mean by "most" of the issues? Well, I don't know if I had a faulty Jot Touch or not, but it kept dropping the pairing with my iPad. I'd work for a minute or so, and then it would disconnect. I wondered if it was just the app I was using, but it happened with every app I tried. With Procreate, the pressure sensitivity works with a number of pens and brushes to increase or decrease the opacity. I liken this to using a pastel stick -- with a very light touch, not much pigment is transferred to the paper and the paper often shows through. When you press down hard with the pastel, more pigment is transferred and no paper shows through. The two shortcut buttons are used to "undo" and "redo" your most recent strokes, and can be used to back up through changes you've made to your drawing. Tapping the lower shortcut button with a finger is a very intuitive way to undo your work instead of having to move away from your work and tap an undo button. With Clibe, a "social journaling" app, the buttons work to increase or decrease the brush size. When the app detects the Jot Touch, a small + sign appears on the drawing/painting tools to indicate that the device buttons can be used. It's a lot easier to understand how the Jot Touch works by watching it in action, so I tried to capture video of the Procreate app and the Jot Touch in action using the Reflection app for Mac. Unfortunately, Reflection quit mirroring the video whenever I paired the Jot Touch to the iPad, so I couldn't nab video that way. This also means that the video is taken with an external video camera and isn't the best quality, so be forewarned. During the video, you'll notice that the device disconnects -- you actually see a small window appear saying "Jot Touch Disconnected". This is the problem I referred to earlier. Conclusion I like the concept of the Jot Touch, and I think as more and more developers use the Adonit API to add capabilities to writing and painting apps, the device will become much more useful. As it is, using the Jot Touch with the Procreate iPad app is the closest equivalent I've found to traditional art tools. I don't believe that the issue I had with Bluetooth pairing failing constantly is a common problem; it's probably a one-off issue with the review device. Pros Very ergonomic design, well-balanced in the hand Shortcut buttons can be used to perform various tasks in applications Already supported by a number of iPad apps Ingenious charging mechanism Reasonable price Cons Review device disconnected frequently from iPad Some apps make poor use of the possibilities of pressure sensitivity and the shortcut buttons (a developer issue, not Adonit's problem) Who is it for? Anyone who needs a pressure-sensitive stylus for the iPad, particularly those who have fallen in love with using Apple's tablet as an artistic tool #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Adonit Writer for iPad 2: A smart keyboard case
As promised (threatened?) in yesterday's roundup of three outstanding iPad case and stand products, I have another case to review for you. The Adonit Writer for iPad 2 (US$99) is the second generation of a rather sleek Bluetooth keyboard case for the iPad and from my testing this week, it's the keyboard case you wanted to wait for. (Click here to see our review of the original Adonit Writer for the first generation iPad.) Design As with all of the cases of this genre, the Adonit Writer for iPad 2 features a full case to protect the device as well as a built-in Bluetooth keyboard. However, that's where the resemblance to other keyboard cases ends. Most of the units I've seen use a built-in battery pack that needs to be plugged into a USB port for charging; with the Writer, power is supplied by three AAA batteries that are loaded into a cylindrical "hinge" that connects the keyboard and the frame that holds the iPad. That frame covers the back of the iPad, and has a magnet in the correct spot to turn your iPad 2 on and off as if it was a Smart Cover. Closing the Writer's lid not only shuts off the iPad 2, but also puts the keyboard into a low power sleep mode. Although I have not yet been able to wear down the batteries, a note on the Adonit site says that they'll last for about a month of heavy use or two months of normal use. While that's similar to what I've seen with other cases, with those units I just plug in the USB cable and charge up the batteries for another day. One could use an inexpensive AAA compact recharger and rechargeable AAA cells. However, that's something else to carry around and lose during travel, while the USB cables used to recharge the other keyboard cases are ubiquitous and something that I carry around anyway. %Gallery-131222% There's another slight problem with the battery holder. It's meant to work like the one that is built into Apple's Bluetooth Keyboard and Magic Trackpad, with a closure that can be opened with a coin. The closure on the Adonit Writer opened easily enough, but it took about three times for me to close the battery door without having it fall off. I would not be a happy camper if the door fell off and was lost while I'm in transit... This door seems to be a point of difficulty for the Adonit designers, as the first generation product had issues with some of the doors jamming. On the other hand, the Adonit Writer is slimmer than many of the other keyboard cases I've reviewed. Some of them can be downright bulky -- the Qmadix Portfolio, for instance, is about 1.4" thick. The Writer is .8" thick near the keyboard, but slims down to about .6" elsewhere. I was initially concerned that the proximity of the keyboard to the screen might result in some key marks on the iPad display, but that concern disappeared when I noticed that there are three small "bumps" that keep the keys and display from ever touching. While most of the other keyboard cases use a series of folding flaps to keep the iPad in an upright position, the Adonit Writer (and the Crux360 case as well) use a stiff hinge to perform the same function. One thing I like about the Writer is that the keyboard and case are magnetized so there's a limited range in which you can adjust the angle between the keyboard and iPad. Functionality With any keyboard, I have three main criteria that must be met. First, I must be able to touch type quickly on the keyboard; second, the keyboard must provide tactile feedback to assist that touch typing; and third, the keyboard must not rattle or click loudly. I found the keyboard on the Adonit Writer to be excellent by these criteria. While the keys are closer than I'd like -- all iPad keyboards have that issue -- they have an excellent feel, good feedback, and the keyboard is relatively quiet compared to others. More than any other iPad keyboard I've reviewed, the Adonit Writer keyboard gave me the necessary comfort and feedback to type quickly. That's not to say that I didn't go through a short adjustment period to get used to the smaller space bar and the location of several other keys, but one I did become familiar with the layout I was almost back to my normal typing speed. To me, one test for any iPad keyboard case is whether or not I can actually use it as a pseudo-laptop. This has been an issue with several keyboard cases, but not with the Adonit Writer. It balanced very well in my lap and was usable, although not a real substitute for a "true" laptop like an MacBook Air. The fit of the Writer is perfect, and it's a cinch to put the case on or remove it for touch-only iPad use. Since this version is for the iPad 2 (there is a model for the original iPad as well), there's also a strategically-placed hole in the back where the rear-facing camera can peer out. Unlike some cases where I've never really been quite sure how to get the Bluetooth keyboard into a discoverable mode, the Writer is very clear -- you press and hold the power button until it blinks green and then finish the pairing by typing a code on the keyboard. If your batteries are about to go out, the keyboard supplies a warning by turning the LED in the power switch a yellow color, and when it's time to replace them the LED flashes red. As with other cases of this type, the keyboard has a set of keys that serve to control iPad functions. There's a home key, a Spotlight search key, a slideshow key, and a key for displaying the onscreen keyboard. In the center of the keyboard are three keys for controlling music or video playback, and on the right side of the keyboard are volume keys and a lock key. Want to use these as standard function keys? No problem -- they're numbered as F1 through F15, and there's a "fn" key that enables them. Conclusion While there are still a few minor issues that I have with the Adonit Writer for iPad 2, it's still about the best that I've used. I love the feel of the keyboard, the slim design of the case, and the limited adjustability of the screen angle. The fact that the case acts like my Smart Cover to turn on and shut off the iPad 2 is nice, and the process of pairing the keyboard was easier to understand than with other Bluetooth keyboards. The only negatives for me were with the use of AAA batteries (which I was able to overcome with the use of rechargeables) and the design of the battery door, which always seems to me to be on the verge of popping off. If you're in the market for a Bluetooth keyboard case for an iPad 2, I highly recommend considering the Adonit Writer. The slim and intelligent design make it a joy to use, and the build quality is apparent from the minute you remove it from the packaging. As Chris White noted in his earlier review of the original model, "The Writer itself looks and feels like it could be an Apple product." That's high praise, and it stands with the Adonit Writer for iPad 2.
Adonit's Jot is a stylish, precise stylus for the iPad
A few months ago I reviewed the Adonit Writer, a superb keyboard case for the iPad. The Writer was the debut product from Adonit, and it's since released an updated version for the iPad 2. Apparently Adonit was just getting started, because it's nearly ready to launch a new product, the Jot. The Jot is a capacitive touch stylus built for the iPad (and any other capacitive touch screen) that comes in two flavors, the Jot and the Jot Pro. Like the Writer it's being crowdfunded through Kickstarter. There are a lot of good styluses out there, many of them quite superb, but the Jot is a whole new take on these familiar accessories. What makes the Jot special is that it isn't using a foam tip like most other styluses; instead, it has a clear, flat, pivoting 'Precision Disk' attached on a small metal tip. I got an opportunity to give both versions of the Jot a try, and it lives up to its promise beautifully. The precision disk is just that, precise. It takes one of the biggest weaknesses of touch screens and drastically minimizes it. You can clearly see the center point of your strokes, and you get more feedback as you draw. I was surprised just how significant that little difference is. Unlike foam, the Jot requires almost no pressure to use and feels a lot like a really nice ballpoint pen gliding across a textureless paper. While it handles strokes wonderfully, I did find that I occasionally had trouble tapping buttons with the disk; usually it connected fine, but I found that it sometimes took a very slight movement to make sure the iPad registered the tap. After using it for a while I adapted my taps a little, and I haven't had any trouble with it since. Being so fast and precise does actually have a slight downside. I suddenly found that most of the notebook and art apps I use feel sluggish and had trouble keeping up with the Jot. Worse, some of them offset the point a little because they expect you to use your finger or something else of similar size. Despite this, I still love using the Jot everywhere I typically use a stylus; it just takes some adjustments. The good news is that Adonit is working on an app fine-tuned for the Jot. From the video it's posted, JotStudio looks really good. Besides being built for the Jot it looks like a flexible drawing program with an internal browser, support for images, web clips and PDFs, not to mention a well designed interface. JotStudio will cost US$2.99 when released, but all Kickstarter backers will get it free. With Adonit's Writer, one of the things I was really impressed with was the craftsmanship. It's every bit as evident in the Jot & Jot Pro. They are carefully designed, the materials are solid, they feel great in your hand and the weight is balanced with enough weight to keep a steady hand but light enough to be comfortable. One of the first things I tested was pulling the precision disk off like they showed in one of the demo videos. Despite the small size it takes a lot of pressure to separate the disk from the main body -- way more than you'd ever encounter using it under normal circumstances -- and the protective cap keeps it safe in your pocket or bag. If it does get separated, it snaps right back on, no damage done. What's the difference between the Jot and the Jot Pro? The key components are the same. You get the same precision disk either way; the materials and size are nearly the same as well. The most prominent difference is that the Jot Pro includes a rubber grip that I find nicer to hold. The Jot Pro also has a magnet in it that can attach onto an iPad 2 when you need to put it down. Did I mention it's gorgeous? The colors available are different between the two versions. The Jot comes in green, red and purple while the Jot Pro comes in turquoise, gun metal and silver. Personally I find the Pro colors to be more appealing. The black rubber contrasts beautifully with the gun metal of the stylus I'm reviewing. Adonit's Kickstarter campaign for the Jot and Jot Pro will be over on Saturday. If you want in on the first batch, a $15 pledge will net you a Jot, while for $25 you can get either two Jots or a Jot Pro. Regardless of whether you've got a Writer and you're backing the Jot, Adonit is quickly developing a reputation for releasing well-designed, lovingly crafted and unique products. I can't wait to see what it has in store for us next.
Adonit Writer is avaliable now
The wait is over and the Adonit Writer first-generation iPad keyboard case is now available. You can order one for US$99.99 right now from Amazon or from Adonit directly. Hurry though, the Writer will only be available at that price until July 10 -- after that Adonit will raise it to the full price of $109.99. Still waiting for the iPad 2 version? It's coming along nicely. Adonit is nearing production on it and hope to ship it to Kickstarter backers early next month. It will be available after they finish fulfilling the Kickstarter orders. If you read my recent review of the keyboard case for the iPad, you know that I was overwhelmingly positive about the Writer. Having now spent a couple of weeks with it, I adore it even more than I did when I wrote the review. It goes everywhere my iPad goes and frees me from having to bring along a laptop whenever I might need to write anything substantial. I also appreciate the flexibility to be able to comfortably type while sitting without a desk or a table. Your millage might vary depending on how you like to sit.
Adonit Writer: Taking iPad keyboard cases to a higher level
When I'm working at a desk or a table, I can type fairly well with the iPad's virtual keyboard. If I really want to write extensively, I can use the Apple Wireless Keyboard [link fixed]. However, it's difficult to use either solution to write anything longer than an email when I'm sitting with the iPad on my lap. Plus, carrying the Wireless Keyboard around kind of defeats the portability of the iPad. When I first saw the Adonit Writer, I knew I had found the solution. The Writer is a gorgeous Bluetooth keyboard, stand, and case hybrid. It's built to be an ultraportable solution for those of us who do a lot of writing on the iPad in many different environments. Zach Zeliff and Kris Perpich -- formerly from Microsoft and Apple -- had the vision, creativity and dedication to design the Adonit Writer and turn it into the real product I'm typing on right now. The Writer is also another crowdfunded Kickstarter success story; its original goal was to raise US$10,000 to get off the ground, and by the end of the campaign on February 3, it had reached nearly $27,000.
Adonit Writer adds one more option to the iPad folio + keyboard barrage
We weren't too fond of the AIDACASE KeyCase Folio, but we should've known a flood of alternatives would be hitting the market shortly thereafter. Adonit dropped us a line to say that its rival is in the final stages of production and should be ready to order by Christmas, and while the final edition will add a lot of polish, there's a gallery of pre-pro shots just below for your perusal. The Writer iPad folio + keyboard combines a Bluetooth keyboard with a case, and the board itself slides on a magnet for maximum positioning awesomeness. There's also a quick iPad release, auto-keyboard sleep function and an exterior that'll look far sexier than what you're seeing here. Hit the source link to be alerted when it goes on sale, and as for pricing, expect to part ways with $120 or so. Or $420 when combined with a Colorware Grip for iPad. %Gallery-106021%
