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Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the Selfie Brush
Imagine waking up one day, wondering what you'd have done with your life if you hadn't listened to your parents and gone into the family hairbrush business. "Everyone needs hairbrushes," they said, waggling a warning finger at your infant face, "it's a stable job, and it's not as if you're going to be a Hollywood actor, eh?" they'd add. The only downside to this, of course, is that every day of your life is the same because, after all, every hairbrush that could have been invented has already been invented. Then, one day you listen to the song Selfie by The Chainsmokers, and all of a sudden a bolt of inspiration hits you. Selfies are, by their very nature, an act of vanity, so why wouldn't people want to fix their hair before immortalizing themselves on Instagram? Furiously, you run downstairs to your basement design lab and, after a month of sleepless nights, using a coffee can as an impromptu latrine and emaciated from a lack of food, you emerge with the Selfie Brush.
Digital artists take the spotlight at the Nomad Brush booth
Mike Schramm looked at the Nomad Flex in October, and he liked it as a tool for aspiring artists to use. I stopped by their booth at Macworld/iWorld 2013 on Thursday, and a bunch of those aspiring artists were clustered around iPads to try the brush out. The US$29.99 Flex is the star of the booth, as it has a synthetic soft brush tip and comes in five colors. Along with all of the demo units, Nomad has also recruited a number of iPad-based digital artists to discuss their work this week in the booth. I spoke with Sumit Vishwakarma, who led a tech talk on Thursday about creating art on the iPad. Vishwakarma is also offering classes that teach artists how to integrate digital techniques with traditional art. They're also giving advice to booth visitors, which is really a nice bonus for anyone who stops by. If you're heading to the expo on Saturday, take a moment to go hands-on with a Nomad Brush and get in touch with your inner artist.
Capacitive touch brush stylus made from conductive thread
Artist Margarita Benitez really wanted a Nomad Brush for her iPad but didn't have the cash for the actual thing, so she did the next best: she made one herself. Using an old brush handle and some conductive thread, she was able to assemble a working brush, and says it works better than expected. Her entry at Instructables has all of the instructions if you want to give one a shot yourself. I would say that if I tried one myself, I'd probably go with a different brush handle -- hers is a little thin for my tastes, though each artist probably has their own preference about what kind of brush you'd need (and it might just depend on the project as well). She also had to use a metal holder for the brush head and holds the brush with her fingers touching it, in order to send the capacitive charge down into the screen itself. I bet there's a way to improve on that, though, either by using a metal brush handle completely, or by running a strip of metal up and down the side of the brush. Either way, Benitez' result looks great. If you do jump in and put one together, be sure to send pictures to us on the tipline so we can see yours in action! [via Make]
Microsoft researchers show off intuitive stylus, don't know how to hold a pencil (video)
At this week's Microsoft promotional bonanza, otherwise known as TechFest 2011, a team of researchers debuted a rather shabby looking capacitive stylus that switches between functions based on your grip -- an interesting addition to a rather stagnant market, sure, but there are still a few kinks to be worked out. The multi-purpose tool enlists capacitive multi-touch and orientation sensors to respond to how you hold the thing, allowing you to perform a number of different tasks with a simple repositioning. A demo video of the stylus at work shows a disembodied hand switching between a pen, an airbrush, a compass, and even a virtual flute with ease, but while the project stresses the "naturalness" of the experience, we're pretty sure nobody sketches quite like that. Check out the video after the break to see what we mean.
Nomad capacitive brush turns your iPad into an art canvas for $24 (video)
We didn't have much luck using the oStylus as a paint brush, but even the creator confessed that it was never intended for such chores. Thankfully, the Nomad Brush was concocted specifically for those chores. What you're looking at above is a paint brush that's designed for use with capacitive screens, and it could very well spark a modern day renaissance... or something of the sort. The brush is topped with capacitive fibers that the iPhone, Galaxy Tab and iPad (among other tablets and phones) can recognize, enabling you artsy folk to express yourselves even when it's impractical to tote around a suitcase full of watercolors. Head on past the break for an (admittedly impressive) video, and pop the source link to hand over $24 in exchange for a shipping label. Just promise us you'll keep it away from any actual paint buckets, okay? Update: Looks like there's a cheaper alternative floating around from Blackbox, if you're down for it.
Nomad capacitive brush now available for iPad
Some remarkable work has already been produced by artists using iPads -- David Hockney even mounted an exhibition in Paris of his iPad and iPhone paintings -- and the release of the new Nomad Brush should only increase their creativity. Until now, artists have been limited to using their fingers or eraser-like styluses, but this is set to change with the introduction of the Nomad Brush, which is made with capacitive fibers to give creative types the same "feel" as if they were painting normally. Designed by artist and architect Don Lee, the US$24 Nomad Brush works on all capacitive screens, including iPhones, iPod touches and iPads (and even the Samsung Galaxy if you're tempted by the Android side). "Nomad brush is carefully hand-crafted and made with exceptionally conductive materials," says Lee. "This allows the brush to be extremely responsive, making brushstrokes immediate and effortless on any capacitive touchscreen device." Check out the video below to see the brush in action. [If your artistic leanings are more refrigerator door than the Louvre, keep an eye out for Crayola's new stylus offering coming later this year. – Ed.] [via RazorianFly]
