CapacitivePen
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Samsung files a patent for a capacitive stylus with NFC and headset, your next C-Pen may get talkative
Samsung is clearly big on pens. It's no shock, then, that we now know the company applied for a patent on a new stylus while the original Galaxy Note was still fresh out of the box. The capacitive pen of Samsung's dreams includes its own wireless headset in the clip to make voice calls without having to buy a separate earpiece -- something that we've only seen recently in the real world. It would even find room for NFC to pair the pen up with a host device using a minimum of fuss. The most appealing part of the patent may be its pragmatism. Unlike some of the flight-of-fancy patents we've noticed lately, the technology in the new stylus is well within reach. No patent is ever a surefire sign of action, but it's no great leap in logic to see a follow-up to the C-Pen or S Pen letting us call for pizza in between drawing sessions.
HTC Flyer touches down at T-Mobile, Scribe pen not included
US Cellular's got one and so does Sprint (albeit under a re-branded banner). So, where's the Magenta-friendly HTC Flyer we saw creep up at the FCC this June? Well, it appears T-Mobile's been offering it for some time to business customers only, but that exclusivity's come to a close. The 7-inch Gingerbread slate with AWS bands is curiously absent from the operator's own online site, but you can still snag it from HTC for $299 with a new mobile broadband plan or $454 with a contract extension. Sadly, neither party's tossing in the HTC Scribe pen gratis, so you'll have to make due with your own digits for navigating or just pick it up separately. If this is the Sense-laden variant you've been holding out for, now's the time to hit up the source and get to ordering.
HTC Flyer review
Over the past couple of years, HTC has rapidly built up an enviable reputation (and bank balance) in the smartphone space with a succession of feature-rich, smartly designed, and innovative handsets. The HD2 introduced us to the 4.3-inch form factor, the EVO 4G ushered in the era of 720p video recording, and the Legend wrapped itself inside a never-before-seen aluminum unibody enclosure. Today, the company's Android assembly line is turning out yet another groundbreaking device, though this one's closer in size to the Athena than the Aria. Yes, we're talking about the 7-inch Flyer, the most unique of this year's Android tablet offerings, opting for a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a sturdy aluminum construction that doesn't even try to compete in the race for extreme thinness, and a Magic Pen to make you forget it's running Gingerbread and not Honeycomb (yet). Also set for release under the EVO View 4G moniker on Sprint in the US, this tablet is the sum of a set of bold choices on the part of HTC. To see how well those decisions have come off, click past the break for our full review. %Gallery-123656%
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.
oStylus capacitive pen goes majorly on sale, now just $37.50
We didn't exactly think that the oStylus capacitive pen was a runaway hit at $75 plus shipping, but at half that? Now we're talking. Founder Andrew Goss just pinged us to say that the company's first capacitive pen is now selling for half of the original MSRP, or $37.50 for those terrible with numbers. The only difference is the shedding of a limited run engraving; these pens are still handmade in-studio, so the build quality will match that of the one we reviewed. We still maintain that this unit is best in the hands of doodlers, and capacitive input devices as a whole still have aways to go, but this ain't a bad price if you're looking to experiment.
oStylus capacitive pen review
Like it or not, the capacitive touchscreen just isn't cut out for use with a stylus. We've seen foam-tipped pens and meat-injected tubes have a go at it, but we've yet to really find an option that we were truly satisfied with. It's not hard to imagine why having a legitimate capacitive stylus would be beneficial for creative types; doodling on a tablet, a Magic Trackpad or a mobile device (just to name a few) would be killer if we had a reliable tool to doodle with. Enter the oStylus, a limited run (for now) product that aims to shift the paradigm and make drawing on capacitive touchpanels just as easy as drawing on resistive ones. Creator Andrew Goss was kind enough to send us what appears to be the sixth finalized unit from the production line, and we were able to test it on the iPad, Apple's Magic Trackpad and an iPhone. Read on if you're interested in our two pennies. %Gallery-103981%
oStylus capacitive pen is worthy of an oFace (video)
It's no coincidence that the stylus above looks like a precision instrument, it is. The oStyle was designed and hand crafted by Andrew Goss, a jeweler, for drawing on large capacitive touchscreens like, oh say, the JooJoo. While the benefit of the ringed-shape stylus over an opaque finger, foam-tipped pen, or meat-injected tube might not be immediately obvious, the video embedded after the break is convincing enough. Sorry no price or availability yet, all we know is that a limited production run is planned.
