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LG unveils a cheaper G3 that comes with a Galaxy Note-baiting stylus
Have we reached complete, utter, smartphone product launch saturation? Nah. Here's another one. LG's latest (and not unexpected) announcement has some charm of its own, fusing a G3-esque body and UI with a 5.5-inch screen and a new stylus that looks like it'll slide into the phone. (LG's prior stylus models sometimes had the pen accessory float around separately -- it wasn't a good thing.) It won't house the same incredible screen as the G3 flagship, unfortunately. In fact, the display is a less-than-mediocre 960 x 540 resolution, yeesh. LG's pegging the giant phone at a keener price-point -- one it hasn't shared in the announcement -- which could make an interesting option for those pining for sketching skills sans flagship prices. There's a quad-core processor, and a 13-megapixel camera without the laser-beam focus to round out the notable hardware points and it'll first land in Brazil, before rolling out across Asia and Europe. Oh and it will be making an appearance at IFA -- as will we. We'll let you know how it fares in the flesh.
Felix StretchWrite transforms any pen or pencil into a stylus
Despite Steve Jobs' dislike of styluses as pointing and writing devices for smartphones and tablets, a lot of people find the pointy sticks to be a necessity for accuracy. But there are still some issues with styluses -- they're usually more expensive than they need to be, and it's hard to find one that will make everyone happy in terms of how it feels in the hand. The Felix StretchWrite bands (US$9.99 for two) adds stylus functionality to any pen or pencil, meaning you can transform your favorite writing tool into a stylus. To get an idea of how the StretchWrite works, think of taking a big rubber band and stretching it over the point and eraser on a pencil. Now, give that rubber band a capacitive nub on one end and a hole on the other (for the pencil or pen tip), add some grippy bumps to the surface, and you have a StretchWrite. They come in packs of two -- either red and gray or pink and blue -- so you can have two styluses for about half the price of a single inexpensive stylus from other vendors. Testing the StretchWrites, I grabbed a pile of pens and a sharpened pencil, and tried a StretchWrite on each of 'em. Cheap throwaway pen I picked up at a Macworld booth? Worked fine. A Sharpie? Worked well with the cap still on, although the "tip" end was a bit squishy. Same with a large, comfy pen that I got from a vendor. What I found is that StretchWrite works best on the really cheap stick-type pens -- think BIC pens -- and on pencils. At $10 for two, you won't have to worry about losing one (or both) of these. You'll also have immediate access to either a pen or pencil by flipping your "stylus", which is pretty handy as well. Toss 'em into a backpack pocket along with pens and pencils, and you have the perfect spur-of-the-moment lightweight stylus. While StretchWrite doesn't provide the same feel or accuracy as a "professional" stylus, it's perfect for students and ought to be a back-to-school necessity for iPad-toting students. Rating: 3 stars out of 4 stars possible
LG may soon imitate Samsung's Galaxy Note with the G3 Stylus
LG hasn't finished with new G3 variants yet, judging by a promotional video (below). It appears that a G3 Stylus will soon join the flagship Quad HD G3 and its much smaller and lesser equipped sibling, the 4.7-inch G3 Beat. There's not much to go on other than the stylus, though it looks even bigger than the 5.5-inch G3. Don't count on an Optimus Vu resurrection, though -- a previous UA profile leak detailed an LG Stylus with a qHD 960 x 540 screen, which would make it similar to the new G Vista for Verizon. If that proves accurate (and it may well not be), the new handset would be less Galaxy Note 3 and more Galaxy Note 3 Neo. Meanwhile, Samsung's latest stylus-equipped Galaxy Note 4 device is expected soon with a 2,560 x 1,440 screen -- that's "QHD" with a capital "Q."
Precision Touch Dart Stylus: From Kickstarter to your hand
I love watching crowd-funded projects make it from concept to reality. Precision Touch just recently (July 19, 2014) reached the end of a funding campaign on Kickstarter for the Dart Stylus, now available for pre-order for US$59.95 (normal price $69.95). What makes this such a unique stylus? It has a fine (2mm) point for extra precision when you're using it with your favorite iPad. Be one of the first people to own a Dart Stylus by entering our giveaway at the end of this post. Specifications Barrel diameter: Approximately .47 inches (12mm) Length: 5.2 inches (132mm) Tip diameter: 2mm Weight: 1.1 ounces (31.18 grams) Power: One AAAA battery Type: Active (does not require Bluetooth pairing) Design Highlights The first thing that hits your eye when you see the Dart Stylus is that it looks like it looks like a traditional drawing pen. Rather than a wide tip on the end like you'd see with most iPad styli, the Dart comes with a small 2 mm wide tip. That tip is replaceable, and two extra tips are supplied. To work on the iPad's capacitive touchscreen with such a small tip requires special circuitry, hence the need for a battery. The Dart comes with one AAAA battery installed and another spare. There's one tiny blue LED on the stylus nib to let you know that it's powered on, and three lightly engraved lines circle the barrel of the Dart to help you grip it. To turn on the stylus, you just turn the tail cap clockwise until that LED turns on. Turning it off is done with a counterclockwise twist. Functionality Highlights The Dart Stylus doesn't require Bluetooth pairing, so in that respect it's like many of the passive styli we've reviewed over the years. The battery and circuitry is there simply to make the tiny tip of the Dart work with the iPad touchscreen. With the power shut off on the Dart, it is as useful as a "real" pen on the screen -- it doesn't work. Twist that tail cap clockwise, though, and the Dart becomes a very accurate stylus. During my review, I used it with the FiftyThree Paper app. Using the pencil tool, I was able to draw very thin lines, perfect for sketching in a rough outline of something to paint. The pen tool, when used with the Dart, started pen strokes with a fine point, then gradually increased in thickness. With the brush tools, the Dart acted just like a medium point brush. I also used the Dart with a few note-taking apps. I found the stylus to be much more controllable and my writing actually clearer than when I have used other passive styluses in the past. If you like taking handwritten notes on an iPad, you'll want a Dart. The Dart has a great feel, much more like a pen than a marker, and it is balanced so well that you'll have no problem using it for hours on end. Conclusion The Precision Touch Dart Stylus finally brings a fine tip stylus that really works to the iPad accessory market. While it's not inexpensive, it is well-designed and very nicely constructed, and it will be your drawing and writing companion for years. Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway Be the envy of all of your friends by being one of the first people to lay your hands on a Dart Stylus. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before August 3, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive a Precision Touch Dart Stylus valued at US$69.99 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
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.
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.
FiftyThree's Pencil stylus set to level up with pressure sensitivity on iOS 8
Even though FiftyThree's Pencil stylus can't completely replace a proper digital pen and tablet, it's at least getting better over time. For instance, the arrival of iOS 8 will finally give it pressure sensitivity -- bad news is, you'd have to wait for the mobile OS before you can take advantage of the new feature. Once you get the update for Apple's latest platform, you'd have greater control over your lines: you can draw thin, mechanical pencil-like sketches by using only the very tip of the device, or shade objects using its thicker side. Depending on how much you've been using Pencil, these lines might not be as precise as anything you draw using a Wacom tablet. But you might be able to get pretty close, so long as you maneuver the stylus with expertise. It's a shame you'd have to wait till fall to try it out, but note that a new iOS 8 beta's rumored to come out soon. We don't know whether this beta update will enable Pencil's new capability, but keep an eye out if you absolutely can't wait.
Engadget Daily: Microsoft Surface Pro 3, Voice over LTE and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours – all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Gadget Rewind 2005: Lenovo X41 Tablet
Lenovo made headlines earlier this year when it took Motorola Mobility off of Google's hands, giving it a boost in smartphone markets outside of its usual stomping grounds. But that wasn't the first time it snatched up another company for industry leverage. In 2005, IBM gave up majority control of its PC business, allowing Beijing-based Lenovo to take over and effectively expand its reach to a global audience. The timing of the deal was a little bit off, however. One of the first products to launch under Lenovo's new ownership was the ThinkPad X41 Tablet, a laptop/tablet hybrid, which had already rolled off the assembly line and was still sporting an IBM logo.
This iPhone 6 rumor is a special kind of stupid
Apple rumors usually fall into one of three categories: Believable, unbelievable, and ridiculous. A recent claim from International Business Times is making a strong case for a fourth, even less plausible designation. According to the IBT, Apple's next iPhone is definitely going to come with a stylus. IBT makes the claims not once, but twice, even going so far as to suggest that you should expect a stylus with the iPhone 6. The site draws its conclusion from a recently outed patent for an "iPen" device that uses orientation sensors built into the stylus itself as well as a touch panel, as well as an extendable tip. The system would theoretically allow the implement to be used like a traditional drawing device, producing different on-screen effect depending on how it is held and its angle to the screen. To link such a patent to the upcoming next-generation iPhone is absurd to say the least, and there's quite literally zero reason to think that the two have any relation to one another. The iPhone has a touchscreen and the patented stylus is designed to work with touch panel of some sort... that's about as tenuous a correlation as I've ever seen. This theory also completely ignores the fact that Apple has scoring patents for a "smart pen" or stylus since 2010, and almost every one of them either notes its use for tablets, or doesn't name a host device whatsoever. If anything, I'd argue that an super-stylus makes much more sense on the still-mythical "iPad Pro," rather than anything designed to stick in your pocket, and even that claim would be a huge stretch. The iPhone has always been about simplicity, and it was the original anti-stylus smartphone. To suggest a change at this point in the device's heritage is over the top to say the least. "So let's not use a stylus. We're going to use the best pointing device in the world. We're going to use a pointing device that we're all born with - born with ten of them. We're going to use our fingers. We're going to touch this with our fingers. And we have invented a new technology called multi-touch, which is phenomenal. It works like magic." -Steve Jobs, announcing the original iPhone in 2007 In the seven years since Jobs stood on stage and made that statement, our fingers haven't gotten any less awesome, and touchscreen technology has improved even further. Would an "iPen" make sense for artists? Absolutely. But most artists wouldn't find a 4 or 5-inch screen ideal for scribbling, and it certainly wouldn't be a reason to include one alongside the next iPhone. Not. Gonna. Happen. [Photo credit: Michael Gil (iPhone)]
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-3 ships with WiFi and f/2 lens for $350, dead fish sold separately
We question Olympus' decision to photograph its latest ruggedized cam next to a dead fish, then send that image out to reporters. But puzzling marketing practices aside, this is one impressive point-and-shoot. The Stylus TG-3 hails from the company's Tough line, which means it's waterproof (to 50 feet), freeze-proof (to 14°F), shockproof (from seven-foot drops) and crushproof (to 220 pounds). Unlike many other ruggedized cams, however, the TG-3 is equally impressive when it comes to traditional capabilities. There's a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, an f/2-4.9, 25-100mm optical zoom lens, a 3-inch 460k-dot LCD, 1080p video, GPS and WiFi. A new microscope mode lets you snap macro shots just 10mm from your subject and a ring light accessory (perhaps our favorite feature) mounts atop the camera's built-in LED to provide even light with small subjects positioned just in front of the lens. The TG-3's expected to ship this June for $350 in black and red.
Olympus brings five-axis image stabilization to the point-and-shoot with $400 Stylus SH-1
Olympus introduced its five-axis image stabilization in 2012 with the OM-D E-M5. That $1,000 camera was mighty powerful for its day, but the new IS tech was perhaps its most impressive feature, enabling sharp stills and steady handheld video. It's very exciting, then, that Olympus is bringing that same stabilization to its point-and-shoot line with the Stylus SH-1. This compact cam has plenty of other tricks up its sleeve, too. Take the f/3-6.9, 25-600mm 24x optical zoom lens, for example, or the 16-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor and TruePic VII processor (the same found in the OM-D series). There's also a 3-inch 460k-dot LCD, 1080/60p video, an 11fps burst mode and integrated WiFi. The SH-1 is expected in stores this May in black, white and silver. It'll retail for $400, which, considering the optics and the five-axis image stabilization on board, is a pretty solid deal.
You shouldn't buy the Lunatik Touch Pen, but you should definitely buy the Lunatik Touch Pen
My experience reviewing the Lunatik Touch Pen was a unique one. I had two of the pens sent to me, and at first glance they appeared to be identical aside from the color. One was black and the other, which was in nearly identical, but slightly more bulky packaging, was silver. Both said "Lunatik Touch Pen" on the front, so I opened the black one and tried it out. Impressions The pen portion of the device is great, and I totally love the rolling ball tip and gel ink. As a pen, it's a bit bulky, but it's absolutely above average. When you click the pen closed the rubbery tip can then be used as a stylus for your iDevice, at least in theory. In practice the stylus takes a great deal of pressure to register on the screen of both my iPad and iPhone. Definitely not ideal, and certainly not on par with my other styli I've used in the past. I was all set to write a pretty scathing review of it, and then I examined the second pen that was sent along. I unpacked and realized that unlike the black one I had tested, this one was made out of aluminum. I flipped the package over and noticed that, unlike the front of the box which is a direct copy/paste of the plastic version, the rear notes that this version is the "Touch Pen Alloy." Aha! So what's the verdict? The Touch Pen Alloy is one of the greatest things I've ever had on my desk. Unlike its plastic counterpart, which requires that your fingers are in constant, firm contact with the rubberized grip, the Alloy version works as a stylus no matter how you hold it. And when I say it "works" I mean it's recognized the moment you touch it to the your screen, rather than requiring you to press the pen down with the force of a falling asteroid. Oh, and the super-smooth gel pen housed within still works like a charm. It's a little bit on the large side, even for me, and I typically have an issue with pens and styli being too small for my mitts. If you have particularly small hands, you might feel like you're holding a young tree trunk, but overall it's not a deal breaker. Specifications Dimensions: 6 in x 4 in Materials: Aircraft-grade aluminum barrel (Alloy version), Polymer barrel (plastic version), graphite clip, silicone rubber grip Conclusion I'm torn. If you saw both of these device on a store shelf, and didn't bother to take the time to compare the rear of each package, you'd never know the difference between the two. Well, aside from the fact that the plastic version is US$19.95 and the metal one is $39.95. On one hand, the "Alloy" Touch Pen is a fantastic accessory and an easy recommendation, even at the rather steep asking price, and on the other hand the plastic version is essentially a $20 gel pen. Rather than lump these two together, as the company seems to have done with its identical packaging and product design, I'll issue two scores. Rating: Out of 4 possible stars Touch Pen (Plastic) Touch Pen (Alloy) Giveaway Dare to tempt fate? We're giving away both of these beauties, so entering will give you a shot to win either the plastic or (far superior) alloy version of the Touch Pen. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 13 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before March 9, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive either a Lunatik Touch Pen valued at $19.95 or a Lunatik Touch Pen Alloy valued at $39.95. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Toy Fair 2014: Educational toys and styluses for kids
TUAW made a return to the annual Toy Fair at the Javits Center in New York, the annual sneak peek at what your kids (young and young at heart) will be clamoring to buy during the next year. Some of the items are available now, but Toy Fair gives these modern-day Geppettos a chance to introduce their works to a wider audience. A lot of vendors are aiming their wares squarely at the education market, supplementing the growing number of children who have access to the iPad. Many of these are styluses with an educational component. You pay for the physical device, then download an extensive library of free interactive books and games from the App Store. Kalala Magic Pen is one of the most elaborate of the introduced styli, but also one of the lowest priced. First developed as a tool to teach English as a Second Language, the pen has expanded to include a number of languages and an incredible amount of songs, learning exercises, audiobooks and more. You can rotate the dial to choose among different functions in your selected app. One of the neatest parts about the pen is that while practicing writing, if the stylus happens to stray, a vibration will put you back on track. The pen retails between $20 to $30. The AppCrayon from Dano is in a similar vein as the Kalala Magic Pen. It physically resembles an oversized crayon and is geared toward teaching children how to write. A deluxe version of the chunky stylus has buttons along the side to let kids toggle among different colors and also features an eraser button. App Stix, aimed for older kids, resemble a traditional stylus. However, if you order one, your school gets one for free. The companion apps for AppCrayon include an innovative one that lets kids know if they're gripping the stylus too tightly and teaches them how to relax their grip when writing. The regular version of the AppCrayon is $9.99, and the deluxe is $29.99. DigiPuppets is another stylus, but it comes in the shape of a molded finger puppet. DigiPuppets were born out of an innovation class at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. One of the students, Dan Clay, had visited Peru and was playing around with a llama finger puppet he bought there when he realized he couldn't text with the puppet on. The professor encouraged Clay to find a solution to the issue beyond not texting, and he developed DigiPuppets alongside classmate Brendan Green. The puppets launch in May, and there's seven to choose from at the moment, with plans to expand the line. These are perfect for young kids. Retailing for $7.99, DigiPuppets slip over a finger and are easy to use. If your child happens to lose it, you're not out a lot of money. DigiPuppets come with companion iBooks, and those are available for download now. The interaction of physical objects with the iPad is a growing sector. Tiggly, which I first saw at last year's Toy Fair and has since gone on to land in Apple retail stores, demoed a new shape that is also a counting toy. You place the shape on your iPad and use it to count objects and create drawings from those counted objects. Ludos from Digital Dream Labs is a $119 toy that allows children to combine puzzle pieces to create simple programs that allow them to control a video game. How they put the puzzles together affects the character movements, and Ludos can be used with a desktop or a tablet. It's a great visual way to teach kids the rudimentary concepts behind programming and is a great way to introduce them to this field. My absolute favorite item in this sector is something that is under embargo until April. I can't wait until we're able to talk about it. We'll be sharing more from Toy Fair 2014 over the next few days.
INKredible for iPad is an excellent note-taking app
I wasn't sure exactly what INKredible was all about when I first sat down to use it. It turns out that this free app (with in-app purchases) is a really useful note-taker for writing directly on your iPad to make easily edited notes. After launching INKredible for iPad the first time, you're greeted with a quick tutorial, and then you are presented with a blank, distraction-free page. Controls and buttons are visible with a swipe. Your pen strokes are vector graphics, so print-outs look truly detailed without stair-stepping jaggies. At first, using your finger (or stylus if you prefer) seems a bit awkward, but after a couple of minutes, it feels completely natural. The app has a feature called "automatic palm rejection" that works in stylus mode so your palm or wrist can be on the screen and not mess up what you are writing. A stylus is not required in stylus mode -- you can still use your finger. There are status indicators at the top of the screen to let you know what mode you are using. Sketches are easy if you are so inclined, so it's a nice app for creating simple drawings, although there are no built-in shapes. Everything is drawn freehand. Fortunately, there are unlimited undo and redo options. Pages are flipped by swiping. You can highlight text or a drawing and drag it elsewhere on the page or delete it. The app supports the iOS clipboard, and you can export via email or as a PDF. While the app is free, there are three reasonably priced add-ons each available at US$0.99: a Calligraphy Pen, a Ballpoint and a Wet Brush. INKredible is a very nice app, and if you take notes or like to draw, I suggest you download the free version -- it may be enough to meet your needs. My handwriting looked much better in this app than it does on paper. INKredible requires iOS 6 or later. It's iPad only, and works in portrait or landscape mode.
Sharp's latest high-res Windows tablet is an Ultrabook minus the keyboard
Let's see: sporty Intel Core i5 processor and Windows 8.1? Check. Retina-esque 3,200 x 1,800 15.6-inch display? Check. Plus 4GB RAM and a 128GB SSD? Of course. If Sharp's RW-16G sounds like the laptop of your dreams, sorry, but it's actually a tablet in the mold of Panasonic's 20-inch, 4K Toughpad or Samsung's new Galaxy Note Pro 12.2. Sharp is keying in on business users for the new slate with a bundled stylus for graphics pros, along with screen sharing to assist during presentations. With the Japanese company's own IGZO screen tech, it'll also outlast everyone's bladders with nine hours of battery life. There's no pricing or availability yet, but so far, it looks destined for the Japanese market only -- if you're stateside, Samsung's aforementioned model or a Surface Pro 2 might have to do.
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.
Samsung adds red and 'rose gold' colors to its Galaxy Note 3 lineup
Smartphones these days are as much fashion accessories as pure gadgets and Galaxy Note 3 fans will soon have two more ways to mix and match. First off, Samsung went straight for a trendy "rose gold" hue for the handset's metal edge against a black or white body color, giving it a blingy Chanel vibe. Also on tap is a "merlot red" so that exhibitionist types will have something more outré to lust after than the current jet black, classic white and blush rose finishes. The new shades will be launched in China later this month, with other regions getting them as per "market preference," according to Samsung. We're not sure what that means exactly, because the market usually prefers things yesterday.
Daily Update for November 19, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Pencil stylus from the makers of Paper now available
As we reported a while ago, the makers of the awesome iPad app Paper have developed a new stylus called Pencil. In fact, it looks like a jumbo pencil used for construction, but (of course) it is Bluetooth-enabled and does a variety of things when used with Paper. A clever "kiss to pair" connects the device to your iPad, and unlocks some new features in Paper. The app will ignore your wrist resting on the screen, as one example, something that is a consideration if you're used to tablets like those from Wacom. You can erase with the Pencil (again, like Wacom pens) by flipping it around and using the "eraser" on one end. Two models are available: a US$59.95 "Walnut" model and a $49.95 "Graphite" model. The tip isn't like Evernote's ball point; it's more like a Cosmonaut stylus, but chiseled to look like a big pencil. Makes sense! You can read more about the Pencil on TechCrunch. We hope to review it soon.
