stylus
Latest
Apple's Pencil looks great, but...
Apple's big iPad Pro came with a big surprise -- an optional stylus. It's easy to dismiss the accessory -- named Apple Pencil -- as a reaction to Microsoft's Surface and Samsung's Galaxy Note series. Whatever the motive, though, the Pencil pushes the iPad and iOS in a new direction, away from regular consumers and toward Apple's bread and butter: designers and creatives. We spoke with over a dozen professional artists, illustrators and designers to gauge the reaction to the accessory. Many use styli in their everyday workflows through options including dedicated Wacom graphic tablets, all-in-one solutions like the Surface series or capacitive options like FiftyThree's Pencil for iPad -- and they've got a lot to say about Apple's entry into the market.
Apple's iPad Pro accessories include a Smart Keyboard and Pencil stylus
Apple's larger iPad Pro is aimed at suits and other creative professionals that want to get work done. Although its 12.9-inch display offers plenty of pixels for your fingers to poke at, the company will also be offering a standalone keyboard and stylus accessories. The latter is called the Pencil, and in typical Apple fashion it's a simple, minimalist-looking tool. It has pressure sensitivity -- meaning you can press harder for thicker, darker strokes -- as well as tilt sensors for realistic shading. While you're scribbling on the iPad Pro, Apple says the tablet's subsystem scans for Pencil's signal 240 times per second, recording your input with "lightning-fast responsiveness" as a result. Pencil's internal battery lasts for 12 hours and with the hidden Lightning connector you can plug it directly into the iPad Pro for easy charging -- just 15 seconds gives you another 30 minutes of battery life, Apple claims.
Wacom's Bamboo Spark offers another option for digitizing scribbles
Do you still prefer the feel of pen on paper but need an easy way to catalog your handwritten notes digitally? Wacom's Bamboo Spark will do just what. The product is something the company calls a "smart folio" that uses its digital pen technology to capture the scribbles of a real ink pen on A5 paper (5.83 x 8.27 inches). How does it work exactly? With the help of the Bamboo Spark app on an Android or iOS device, the folio's Electro-Magnetic Resonance board and Bluetooth beam your pen strokes to that trusty mobile device at the push of a button. The Spark can hold up to 100 pages, even while it's in offline mode, and claims up to 8 hours of use before needing to recharge via USB.
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.
Adonit's Jot Touch and Jot Script 2 make a strong case for the stylus
I've never been a big fan of the stylus. Sure, I don't really have a choice when I'm using Wacom's Cintiq pen displays, but other than that, I don't care much for styli. Adonit has a pair of them -- the Jot Touch and Jot Script 2 -- and they promise a more pen-like feel, so now seemed like as good a time as any to give the stylus another shot. Alas, though, after spending a few weeks getting to know these two gadgets, I can confidently say that I'm not ready to give up the ol' pen and paper just yet.
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.
Now Android devices can understand your chickenscratch
Tired of typing on your tablet? Sick of speaking to your phone? Well, if you've got Android 4.0.3 or higher, you are in luck because Google Handwriting Input for Android has just hit the Play Store. This utility app supports both printed and cursive writing styles, understands 82 languages and can even decipher hand-drawn emojis. What's more, it doesn't require you to use a stylus -- though for languages not based on the Roman alphabet (like Japanese, Korean or Hindi), a writing implement definitely helps. I just downloaded this to a Nexus 6 and it understood my scrawlings reasonably well. The only issue of immediate concern is the warning that Google will be saving all of the input text -- including any passwords and credit card numbers -- so take care with what you write.
Wacom finally outfits its Cintiq 13HD pen display with touch gestures
Wacom has a habit of trotting out non-touch versions of its stylus-friendly tech first. The Cintiq 13HD arrived back in 2013, and one of my main gripes with the device was its lack of support for your fingertips. Well, the company finally announced the touch-enabled version today, nearly two years after the original's debut. And yes, it still packs in a Pro Pen with 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity. The adjustable stand is included too, and the customizable ExpressKeys and a Rocker Ring will wrangle your go-to tools quickly. In fact, as far as I can tell, the only difference between this and the previous version is the added touch compatibility. There's no denying Wacom's pen tablets and displays are way more useful when you can get your fingers more involved, I only wish it'd give us the choice from the start. Surely those who've already invested are going to be a bit upset -- and rightfully so. If you held out, though, the Cintiq 13HD can be yours this month for $999. Don't miss out on all the latest news, photos and liveblogs from MWC 2015. Follow along at our events page.
Microsoft reportedly acquires company behind Surface Pro 3 pen
Microsoft now owns N-trig, maker of the all-important pen included with Microsoft's Surface Pro 3, according to Israeli financial news site Calcalist (translation by Reuters). The deal is estimated at $200 million, and most of N-trig's 190 employees will transition to Microsoft Israel as part of a new research and development center, the site says.
Paper drops in-app purchases to encourage you to buy a Pencil
Paper, the sketching app that was born from the ashes of Microsoft's Courier project, has become a must-have for all would-be artists. If there was one annoyance, however, it's that you could only use one brush and a limited color set, which you could expand only with paid upgrades. If, however, you bought one of the company's $49.95 Pencil styluses, the tools would become available to you for free. From today, however, Pencil is abandoning the in-app purchase model, enabling every user to sketch, watercolor and write with the software.
Pencil by FiftyThree stylus shows up in Apple online and retail stores
FiftyThree, the company that developed the wonderful Paper drawing/painting app (free with in-app purchases), also created a companion stylus that they naturally gave the name Pencil to. The stylus, which looks like a carpenter's pencil but has some amazing technology built into it, sells for US$49.95 for a graphite version and $59.95 in a beautiful walnut version. Up until now, Pencil was only available through the FiftyThree website and on Amazon, but the company has announced that the stylish and versatile Pencil is now available at the brick-and-mortar and online Apple Stores. TUAW will be reviewing Pencil by FiftyThree in the near future; in the meanwhile you can check out the details of the cool piece of hardware here. What I want to try the most is the adaptive palm rejection, which allows your palm or other bits of your hand to be resting on the screen while drawing or writing. Other stylus manufacturers have tried -- and most have failed -- to produce workable palm rejection, so we'll be sure to put it to the test.
Wacom's Cintiq 27QHD pen display moves the ExpressKeys to a remote
Until now, Wacom's largest pen display for design pros was the Cintiq 24HD. Well, here at CES 2015, the company just gave those looking to do some on-screen work even more real estate. As the name suggests, the Cintiq 27QHD offers 27 inches of screen space with a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution capable of 1.07 billion colors and wrangling 97 percent of Adobe's gamut. Rather than stashing the popular ExpressKeys on one side, the controls have relocated to a remote that can be placed anywhere on the display or down on a desk. That change also allowed Wacom to give the 27QHD an edge-to-edge glass surface -- a departure from the soft-touch bezels that used to frame these Cintiqs. The Pro Pen returns, bringing 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity and replaceable pen nibs, including felt tips that offer the feel of pen on paper.
Wacom revamps its hybrid Windows tablet for 2015
Back in 2013, Wacom debuted a pair of standalone tablets that doubled as pen displays for both Android and Windows 8. At the time, that latter model, the Cintiq Companion, started at $1,499. For 2015, though, the company has added more configurations, and knocked $200 off the price. Just like its predecessor, the new Cintiq Companion 2 doubles as a handy pen display when you're working at home, pairing with either a Windows PC or Mac via the Wacom Connect app. And when you're on the go, the device serves as a full-fledged Windows tablet (even though it's a bit of a load), running Photoshop and other design apps, with a 13.3-inch, 2,560 x 1,440 display providing the screen real estate to do so. Similar to Wacom's stationary devices, the Cintiq Companion 2 also brings those useful ExpressKeys, Pro Pen, touch gestures and more to round out the hands-on workflow.
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge review: Innovation, experiment or gimmick?
Just because you can do something, should you? Samsung thinks so. Its second experimentally screened phone taps into its hardware R&D and production clout to offer something not many other companies can make, let alone bring to the public outside of a fuzzy proof of concept. And so, following the Galaxy Round, here's the Galaxy Edge. If you take the basic shape and concept, it's the spitting image of the curved-screen Youm prototype spied at CES a little less than two years ago. Now, though, it's a for-real smartphone you can buy. I've been testing it out in Japan, where it launched instead of the Note 4, although both the Note 4 and the Note Edge will eventually be available in the US. Fortunately, despite the unusual, (addictively stroke-able) curved screen, it still packs all of the good things that made the Note 4 such a strong choice. But bragging rights aside, is there enough of an argument for a curved screen? Should you just get the Note 4 anyway?
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.
Microsoft Research packs stylus with sensors for grip-based tools
Believe it or not, there has been limited research into the way we hold a pen for different writing tasks. A team at Microsoft Research has taken aim at those fine motor skills with a prototype stylus and tablet combo. The duo packs in inertial sensors to track the position of each while in use. A multi-touch grip sensor wraps the outside of the stylus that not only monitors how its held, but can also initiate tasks with a mere finger tap. Sure, button controls have long been built into styli, however this effort investigates the grip as a means of swapping between tasks. During the test, holding the pen-like peripheral a certain way accesses a specific tool set or keeps a resting palm from prohibiting movement with the other hand. On the tablet, the sensors can tell when the slate is being passed off to another user -- swapping to that person's fine-tuned presets automatically. Of course, all of this is still in the research phase, but enhanced touch recognition for stylus-driven devices like the Surface Pro 3 would certainly be a welcome boost.
The tech in MyScript Smart Note is perfect for stylus users
MyScript Smart Note is a note-taking app for iPad geared toward stylus users who want a comprehensive solution for jotting down handwritten notes that actually function like physical, organized notebooks rather than like sketches. It recognizes your handwriting and treats it like text, allowing you to highlight and define words. Plus with a variety of other gestures, MyScript Smart Note proves to be pretty powerful for a free app. It requires iOS 7.0 or later. As the app explains in its 3-page tutorial, MyScript Smart Note analyzes your handwriting. This isn't the type of app you've probably seen in which what you write actually converts to text using a predetermined font. Your handwriting remains as you wrote it and the MyScript technology realizes it's text. Pressing and holding a word highlights it. Dragging the left and right points can even select individual letters. In practice, the handwriting recognition is extremely accurate. In fact, MyScript Smart Note managed to correctly identify every word from my neatest handwriting to my very-sloppy-yet-still-readable handwriting. There's also a zoomed-in mode that focuses in on each word you write before moving on to the next if you find that to be your preference. Gestures make it easy to edit handwriting in the same way it's easy to delete or replace letters or words you've typed. Strike through individual letters or words to erase them. Draw a vertical line in between two letters to put a space in between them. Repeat this in a space to bring the two letters together. Then of course there's my favorite gesture: writing a letter over another letter to replace the one underneath. It works near flawlessly. In addition to handwritten text, MyScript Smart Note allows for regular sketching using the drawing tool, custom selections using a selector tool and of course provides an eraser for those pesky mistakes that a simple gesture might not fix. Notes can also have audio clips, images and even complex math equations. Your notes don't need to start from scratch either; import PDF files to draw or write over them. As for the notes that do require a blank canvas, even that's customizable: line patterns, backgrounds and margins are all adjustable. Also important for powerful organization is search and this app nails that too. Everything you write is searchable. The app searches through multiple notebooks, displays the notebook your query is in and highlights the word on that page as well. When your task is complete, pages or entire notebooks can export out of the app in the form of text, an image, a PDF, a printed page and a few other options. The only downside I see with MyScript Smart Note is the limitation for free mode. Without reaching into your pocket, you get 10 pages in one notebook to work with. You hit the wall quickly, but I suppose it's sufficient usage for a free trial. Unlocking the full app requires a US$1.99 in-app purchase. The go-to app for taking notes is typically Penultimate. However, there's no question that serious note takers should give MyScript Smart Note a try instead of rushing to what's most common. Penultimate has more options for sketching and drawing, but if you're avid for writing with a stylus, MyScript Smart Note is frankly top-of-the-line.
The LG G3 Stylus may do well in developing markets, if the price is right
A flagship phone with a fancy stylus and top-notch specs? Nah, you're thinking of the other major Korean smartphone maker. LG's taking a different approach with its way-too-aptly named G3 Stylus, which is more "stylus" than "G3." While the screen is the same size at 5.5 inches and the camera is 13MP, that's essentially where the commonalities end between this budget-minded phone and its high-end brother. Indeed, the stylus-packing Stylus smartphone is designed to target users in developing markets who want a handset in one hand and a stick in the other, but can't spend a boatload of cash for the privilege. The recently announced device is now being exhibited at IFA in Berlin, so enjoy a gallery of photos and a few more thoughts.
Wacom's new iPad styli are a (pressure) sensitive bunch
If you're tired of poking at your tablet screen with a dirty twig, perhaps it's time to invest in a proper stylus, eh? Digital doodling specialist Wacom is knowledgeable about these kinds of things, and at IFA this year, it's introducing a new range of styli that might be just the ticket. The simplest of the bunch is the third-generation of Bamboo Stylus, a fairly standard model with a slight difference: The rubber tip is coated in carbon fiber, meaning there's basically zero friction when you're moving it around on tablet glass. There are two variants, as well -- one that's just the stylus (the solo) and another with a ballpoint pen on the opposite end (the duo). It comes in a choice of colors, from the more understated silver or gray, to the shoutier blue, green, orange and pink.
Samsung partners with Montblanc on a chic Galaxy Note 4 stylus
At IFA 2014 Unpacked, Samsung has announced that it's partnering with venerable pen maker Montblanc on two custom styluses for its new Galaxy Note 4. The "Pix" and the "e-StarWalker" are done in the pen maker's classic, chunky style for any Note smartphone or tablet user. Montblanc calls it a "digital writing" device, a clear sign it's targeting those for whom a flimsy plastic pen just won't do. It also revealed two flip covers for the Note 4, the "Extreme" in a threaded fabric that mirrors Samsung's Galaxy S5 "Band-Aid" design, and the "Soft Grain" with a classic leather look. There's no word yet on availability or cost, but we don't imagine that a digital writing device comes cheap.
