Accessories can sometimes be just as important to us as the gadgets themselves. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m always on the lookout for a new favorite gear bag, wallet, writing instrument, phone case, etc. Lately I’ve been fixating on finding the perfect capacitive stylus that I can use for drawing and writing. When I came across the Adonit Jot Pro Stylus, I knew I had to try it. I actually purchased it with my own cash because I didn’t intend to review it. But after using it for a couple weeks I knew I had to share my experience. So here goes.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

Over the years, I tried many capacitive styli with my iPad and Android tablets. With only a few exceptions, they’ve all been pretty similar. In the image above, you see the Jot Pro next to a Targus stylus. The Targus has a typical large rounded rubber tip. Although it works fine for writing and drawing, it’s less than optimal because it’s difficult to do really detailed work because it’s hard to see what you’re writing due to the large tip. The Jot Pro has a very unique tip which solves that problem very well.

First of all the Jot Pro is larger than the typical stylus. It’s more along the lines of a pen or mechanical pencil. It is 6 inches long and .375 inch in diameter. It’s also nicely weighted and balanced to give it a true pen-like feel.

The barrel is made of aluminum and is available in Black, Silver and Blue. A rubber grip around the bottom half of the barrel makes the stylus comfortable to use for long writing or drawing sessions.

It also has a magnet in the barrel that allows it to “stick” to your iPad.

I love love love that there’s a threaded cap that protects the stylus tip when it’s not being used and stores on the opposite end when it is in use.

Replacement caps are available in several colors for $6.00.

The tip of the Jot Pro is what sets it apart from the other capacitive styli I’ve reviewed. It looks like a finely tapered point with a plastic disc stuck to the end. But if you look really close, you’ll see that the tip is actually a tiny ball.

The transparent disc snaps on to the ball tip allowing it to swivel in a variety of angles.

The bottom of the disk has a thin layer of plastic, so you don’t have to worry that it will scratch your display. Replacement discs can be purchased at $8 for 2 discs.

The Jot Pro glides effortlessly on an unprotected display. However, it didn’t work well at all on a Pure Gear screen protector which I had on my iPhone. It felt sticky and wanted to drag across the screen. The Pure Gear protector is thicker and softer than other protectors I’ve used, so it’s possible that the Jot Pro might work just fine with other brands of screen protectors.

The swivel disc lets the stylus adapt to the way you hold it instead of you having to hold it in a certain way against the display.

The best thing about the Jot Pro is that you can see what you’re writing and drawing through the disc. It really makes a huge difference when drawing and allows for more detailed work. I also found that the Jot Pro is the first stylus that actually feels like a pen when writing. In addition to the Jot Pro, Adonit also offers a classic (does not have the rubber grip or magnet) for $19.99 and a Jot mini that has a pocket clip (no pricing on that one yet). Even more importantly, Adonit will be offering a pressure sensitive stylus soon that I’m really looking forward to try. The Jot Touch will allow for varying line thicknesses when drawing depending on how hard to press it against the screen.

The Adonit Jot Pro is my new favorite stylus. What is yours?

Filed in categories: Android related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Stylus

Adonit Jot Pro Stylus Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 2, 2012 at 11:00 am.

I remember the day I eagerly unpacked my first Nintendo DS.  At the time it was revolutionary–a touch screen gaming platform.  I inserted my first game (Nintendogs!) and picked up the stylus for the very first time.  It was then that I noticed said stylus had apparently been sized for a toddler instead of an adult.  Thus began my issues with gamer’s claw–grasping a teeny tiny stylus for so long your hand cramps up in a claw shape.  I thought I had made that affliction up, but the good folks at GreenBulb luckily suffered from the same problem and set out to fix it.

The XStylus Crayon began its route to my DS as a funding campaign on IndieGoGo (similar premise to Kickstarter).  300 gamers saw a need for the innovative stylus and chipped in, allowing it to go into production.

So what is it?

DS stylus in front; XStylus in back

Out of the package, the XStylus Crayon is a bit smaller than the Nintendo stylus.  However, once it’s flipped open and locked into place, it widens and becomes the comfortable to use XStylus.  The Crayon is meant to simply give a gamer a wider grip at its base, thus preventing any cramping (or Gamer’s Claw).  It’s also intended to fit on board the DS in place of the Nintendo stylus.  At its sweet spot it’s roughly the same width as a Bic pen.

Bic pen vs XStylus vs Nintendo stylus

So I mentioned that sweet spot–there is really only one way to hold the XStylus, which is with the index finger across the top of the widest spot and the bottom resting against the first joint of the middle finger.  Nothing should be blocking or touching that middle gap.  It’s a bit like trying to master chopsticks, but once you find the spot, the hand cramps just melt away.

When it’s in the closed position, the stylus does slide and snap in to the stylus slot in the DS fairly seamlessly.

The XStylus is pretty successful in accomplishing what it’s meant to do.  It’s both comfortable to hold and convenient to store.  However I found the top half above the base a bit flimsy.  It easily bends and didn’t feel as solid in my hand as the base.  Depending on the game I’d be playing, and the death grip I’d have as a result, the bending was sometimes a bit of an issue and I did manage to accidentally snap one of the crayons during play.

The other weird thing is that it’s called the Crayon and is packaged to look like a Crayon–but that paper sleeve must be destroyed to actually use the stylus.  There is no other crayon-type branding anywhere on it.  I was kinda bummed about that.

Each pack of XStylus Crayons come with one each of white, red, black, and blue plastic styli.  It is compatible with all existing versions of the Nintendo DS and 3DS.  The XStylus Crayon 4-pack for DS can be purchased through GreenBulb for $19.99 shipped worldwide.

Filed in categories: Gaming Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Nintendo DS accessory, Stylus

XStylus Crayon for Nintendo 3DS/DS Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 7, 2012 at 2:00 pm.

Those of you who have read my Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet review will know how much I love the active stylus that comes with it. It’s accurate , pressure sensitive and extends the tablet’s use way beyond any non-pen tablet especially for drawing and handwriting.  The capacitive stylii you get just don’t compare.

Cregle has just complete funding from Kickstarter for their iPen.  The battery powered, active iPen will require a receiver to be plugged into the iPad’s UART port which will be used to accurately track the position of the pen.

It’s worth noting that it will only work with iPen-enabled apps, a list which is on the Kickstarter website and that pressure sensitivity won’t be included in the first release.  It’s well worth looking at just for the accuracy of the active stylus alone and will be a great addition to iPad functionality (don’t think it’ll be enough to turn me to the “dark side” though ).

Kickstarter funding has finished, and it will be available from the Cregle website in January 2012 for $89.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: digital pen, iPad, Stylus

Cregle iPen – Active Stylus for the iPad originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 29, 2011 at 2:00 pm.

A normal stylus with a hard tip works fine for writing and sketching, but when you want to “paint” on your tablet, a stylus with a brush tip can be a much better choice. There aren’t many styli on the market that fit this criteria and I’ve only had the opportunity to review one other before today. The Nomad Compose Dual Tip Stylus is unique because it has interchangeable tips to give you the perfect paint brush feel.

Note: Images in this review can be clicked for a larger view.

The Compose stylus is sold in two versions. Long tip and Short tip. Each package also includes a Glide Bevel tip.
The handle of the Compose is made of aluminum. It’s light weight but nicely balanced. Each end has a threaded socket that the stylus tips or the end cap can screw into. You could screw a tip on both ends if you like.

The brush tips are made of natural and synthetic fibers and feel just like a real paint brush. The Long tip is 0.7″ inches long, the Short tip is 0.4″ inches long and the Glide Bevel tip is 0.05″ inches long.

I tested all three tips with my iPad 2 and the Levels drawing app. I found that I liked using the long tip best as it provides a very comfortable painting feel that requires very little pressure on the display. Swiping the stylus back and forth over the screen results in accurate strokes at almost any angle of the brush. The shorter tip is more firm and strokes are sometimes skipped and don’t show up in your drawing. I found that I liked the Glide Bevel tip least of all due to the fact that you have to hold it almost flat to the screen for your strokes to be recorded. I’d rather use a regular hard stylus tip instead of the Glide tip for drawing and sketching. If it was up to me, I would offer a version of the Compose with both the long and short tips and ditch the glide tip altogether. But that’s just me… Unfortunately, you can’t buy the individual tips. Since they are interchangeable, you would think that would be an option.

The only other small complaint that I have with the Compose stylus is the lack of a protective cap. Nomad will offer a case for the stylus in January, but that’s another purchase.

All in all, I would say that the Nomad Compose with the Long Tip is my current favorite paint brush stylus. I’m no artist, but it sure makes me feel like one.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews, Tablet Computers and Gear

Tagged: Stylus

Nomad Compose Dual Tip Paint Brush Stylus Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 29, 2011 at 11:00 am.

I’m sure there’s more e-doodlers out there than me , and Artist Hardware’s Sensu Artist Brush looks pretty cool for doodling and painting on the go on your capacitive screen device.

Now fully funded on  Kickstarter  ( funding requested $7,500, funding recieved $68,823 !!! ) , the Sensu is a capacitive brush device that gives you the feel of a real artist’s brush . Traditional synthetic brush hair is infused with conductive properties to make this work on your iPad or Android Tablet ( or any other device with a capacitive screen ) .  Made for portability,  when closed the brush is 4 1/2″ ( 114mm ) in length and when the protective cap is posted  is 7 1/8″ ( 181mm ). There’s also a useful rubber tip on the other end that can be used for  everyday operation of your tablet or as a pencil/stylus.  Made of chrome-plated brass, silicon and rubber this looks like a really nice product for the more artistic among us

Check out their Kickstarter page for some video showing its use

Set to be released next year, the brush will sell for $34.95

Filed in categories: Android related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News, Tablet Computers and Gear

Tagged: Android, Drawing, iPad, Stylus

Sensu Artist Brush for Capacitive Screens originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 28, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

ACME Studios, known for their pens that have been designed by well known architects, designers and artists, have just created an accessory that will convert their any of their standard pens into a stylus. Just unscrew the front section of the pen and replace it with this new front section with a capacitive stylus tip that is safe for smartphones, iPads and other tablets. This new tip is available now for $16 from Design Mafia and other retailers that sell ACME products.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News, Tablet Computers and Gear

Tagged: Stylus

Convert your ACME Pen into a Capacitive Stylus originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 21, 2011 at 10:00 am.

The stylus is making a comeback in a big way this year. We’ve reviewed quite a few here on The Gadgeteer (see the list of related posts below for just a few of them…). I’m still trying to find the BEST stylus out there and I’m thinking that the XStylus Touch might be it. I can’t be sure till I get my hands on one, but it looks pretty cool from the demonstration videos I’ve seen so far. The only problem is that the XStylus Touch isn’t yet available for sale. It’s part of a crowd funding project at IndieGoGo (similar to Kickstarter) that has 29 days to go. This capacitive stylus is weighted and can attach magnetically to your iPad when it isn’t be used. I’ve never given my money to a crowd funding project before, but I think I’m going to take a chance on this one… What is your favorite capacitive stylus?

Update: I just contributed $25 to this project. It’s the first crowd funding project that I’ve participated in. If the project doesn’t get all the funding needed, my contribution will be refunded.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Capacitive, iPad, Stylus, Tablet

XStylus Touch – Best Capacitive Stylus Design Yet? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 17, 2011 at 3:11 pm.

It’s the 3rd of September and if you’ve been watching Game of Thrones, you know that Winter is coming. That means it’s time to start shopping for cold weather gadget gear. Last winter I reviewed the Agloves and loved them. They allow you to easily interact with your capacitive phone without having to take off your gloves. They are great for chilly to cold temps, but if you live in an area where it gets really frigid, you might consider a pair of OnTips. They have small a ‘stylus’ sewn into the tip of the thumb and index finger, and a special swipe pad on the side of the thumb. They are available in 4 different versions that range in temperature protection. These gloves appear to be better suited for extreme outdoor activities  instead of just walking from the parking lot to your cubical every morning. Prices range from $29.50 – $69.50.

Filed in categories: News, Outdoor Gear

Tagged: Stylus

It’s time to shop for winter gadget gear originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 3, 2011 at 10:33 am.

Bracketron will be unveiling their new stylus at the IFA in Berlin at the end of this month, but they’re giving us a sneak-peek.  The Style-iT combines a ballpoint pen with a stylus that will work with all touch screens.  The ballpoint is hidden under the cap, which has a clip to keep it securely in your pocket or bag.  The stylus end will work for anyone, left- or right-handed.  You’ll be able to write, tap, swipe, slide, or draw with the stylus.  Style-iT will be available in black, white, and blue, green, pink, and orange to coordinate with the iPad 2 Smart Covers.  The suggested price for the Style-iT is $24.95.  It will be available at Bracketron online and other retailers beginning in the middle of September.

Filed in categories: News, Tablet Computers and Gear

Tagged: Stylus

Bracketron Introduces the Style-iT 2-in-1 Stylus + Ballpoint Pen originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 27, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

Do you enjoy making art with your iPad or Android tablet? If so, you probably prefer using a stylus instead of your finger when drawing. There are quite a few capacitive styli on the market, and now there’s another. Ten One Design, the company that has brought us the Pogo Stylus has just announced the Pogo Sketch Pro Stylus. This stylus features a paintbrush style aluminum handle and a new tip that can be used at any angle and is even user replaceable. The Pogo Sketch Pro is available now for $24.95

Filed in categories: Android related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Art, iPad, Stylus

Ten One Design Announces new Pogo Sketch Pro Stylus originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 24, 2011 at 4:00 pm.

Still looking for the best stylus for your iPad? Quit looking and make your own for free! The folks at Rainy Day Projects show you how to take an ordinary Bic pen and an old power cord to create paint brush style stylus that will work with any capacitive touch screen device..

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: iPad, Stylus

Make your own iPad paintbrush stylus originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 13, 2011 at 4:00 pm.

Back when Steve Jobs introduced the original iPhone, he went on and on about how Apple decided to use the most natural stylus, your finger, for navigating the newly designed touchscreen. The advantages were obvious: You already know how to use your finger (no, not THAT finger), you can’t misplace it and it’s always there, ready to use. But truth be told, I am an artist (designer, actually) by trade and I haven’t painted with my finger since I was seven. And I use a Wacom tablet in my work – a lot. So I depend on a stylus and I am quite comfortable using one. But is there a stylus made for the iPhone/iPad that I might actually want to use? Yeah, there is and it’s called the AluPen, from Just Mobile.

When Jobs stated his reasons for no stylus being necessary, I agreed. When I bought my first iPhone, I thought it was genius that I could use my fingers to type, tap, scroll, drag and pinch. Pretty cool. Then I downloaded Autodesk’s SketchBook Mobile. All of a sudden, my finger wasn’t so cool, anymore. Try taping a pencil to your finger and draw something. It feels really weird and – sorry, Steve – it’s not natural. But a pencil is. And everyone is familiar with them.

The people at Just Mobile thought about this and so, they designed a pencil for the iPhone/iPad. Well, it’s not really a pencil, but it sure look like one. What it is, is a hexagonal shaped aluminum stick with a black tip attached. That’s pretty much it. But Just Mobile collaborated with Tools Design to make it look and feel like the pencil we all know and use. And the result is a thing of beauty. The AluPen really does look cool and feels good in your hand.

At first glance, it looks and feels fat, which it is. But because it’s aluminum, it’s really light and cool to the touch. The black tip is rounded, not “sharp” at all and it’s soft and a bit squishy. That’s weird. The softness bugged me until I realized why it’s soft. It mimics the finger tip. Try dragging or tapping on your iPad with a real pencil or other hard stylus and it’s won’t do anything. But with its soft tip, the AluPen fools the iPad into thinking you’re using your finger.

Now, when I am doodling in Sketchbook, it’s a more natural feeling when I just sketch like I always have… except when it isn’t. There is (for me) one major flaw to the AluPen, and it’s not even Just Mobile’s fault. When I sketch, I rest my hand on the paper so my arm doesn’t get tired and it gives me more control of the pencil. However, using the AluPen on an iPad required that I lift my hand off the screen while sketching. Because if I didn’t, my hand or another finger would start drawing, too. Not good. I really don’t know what the solution is at this point. But we are only in the first version of the iPad and maybe in the future, there will be settings that will correct for that. Note that because of the its relatively small screen size, this was not an issue with the iPhone.

For its intended market, the AluPen is fun, comfortable and genius in its simplicity. But it is hampered by the limitations of products it was designed to work with.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: iPad, Stylus

Just Mobile AluPen iPad Stylus Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 7, 2010 at 11:38 am.

If you are still searching for the perfect capacitive stylus for your iPad or other touch screen device, I have another one for you to consider. It’s the Candy Pen iPad Stylus from Hard Candy Cases. This stylus has a chromed finish with two caps that reveal a capacitive stylus on one end and a refillable ball point pen on the opposite end. According to the folks at Hard Candy, the stylus weighs almost as much as an iPhone. So those of you that like pens with some heft, this one might be perfect for you. It’s priced at $34.95 and is available now.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Capacitive, Spotlight Gadgets, Stylus

Hard Candy Cases Offers Yet Another Stylus Option originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 31, 2010 at 1:00 pm.

Ten One Design’s Pogo Stylus for the iPhone 4 isn’t radically different than their original stylus, but you do get some added functionality with the clip on stylus holder. Besides holding your stylus when it isn’t be used, it will double as a stand to position your iPhone at a comfortable viewing angle in portrait and landscape orientations. The Pogo Stylus comes in 4 colors: Hot Pink, Black, Cactus and Burnt Orange. It’s priced at $14.95 (Available Now for Pre-Order – ships by Oct. 25).

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: iPhone, Spotlight Gadgets, Stand, Stylus

Ten One Design iPhone 4 Pogo Stylus Now Available originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 9, 2010 at 10:00 am.

The iPad is known to be primarily a finger driven device, but it seems to be creating a revival of the stylus. Why? People who enjoy drawing and sketching want a tool to make it easier. We’ve been reviewing several styli since the iPad’s release and today I have another. It’s the oStylus Capacitive Touch Screen Stylus. They are actually still in the pre-production and pre-order stages. I know we normally don’t review prototypes here on The Gadgeteer, but I am making an exception due to the unique design of this particular product. Just be aware that the production version of the oStylus might not exactly match what I display here in this review.

The oStylus has a sandblasted anodized aluminum handle, with a titanium wire holder for the tip. The tip is made of stainless steel in the shape of an O. An engraved vertical line on the O helps to give it cross hair type accuracy because you will see the “ink” dot in the center of the O as you draw.

The O swivels on the wire holder and as you can see from the image above, the bottom surface has an O-ring pad affixed to it. The pad is made of vinyl and allows the stylus to float across the iPad’s display without any drag or friction. Included with each stylus are some replacement vinyl rings. The material is the same as used for car and bus advertising, so it should be very long lasting.

Using the oStylus to draw and sketch does feel slightly awkward at first because you need to keep the O flat on the display in order to make the necessary contact with the screen. Since the O swivels, it is not hard to do, but it just seems weird at first.

Unlike the other styli that I’ve reviewed so far, the oStylus allows you to more easily see what you’re drawing. As you drag it around the screen, the ink dot will be in the center of the O. Other styli can get in the way of the ink because the tip is so large. This is the best feature of the oStylus in my opinion. It’s similar to the Dagi Stylus that Jackie reviewed recently in that regard.

The construction of the oStylus is very fine. I guess it should be considering that it was designed and partially handmade by jewelry makers. The handle is smooth and comfortable, with a nice weight to it.

I made a short video demonstrating the oStylus. Take a look…

The only ‘bad’ thing about the oStylus is the price. It’s $75, which is quite a bit to spend on a stylus. However, that’s the current pre-production pricing for this first batch of 250 styli that have been created. Hopefully the price will come down… I also wish that some type of protective holder was included with it. It’s too nice to just leave laying around when it’s not being used.

All in all, I will say that this is the best capacitive stylus that I’ve reviewed so far, and at the moment, it’s my favorite. Do you use a stylus with your iPad? If so, which one is your favorite?

Update 10/29/10 – The price has dropped to $37.50

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: iPad, Stylus

oStylus Capacitive Touch Screen Stylus Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 23, 2010 at 11:00 am.

Got an iDevice?  Love to draw?  Hate to use your finger?  There’s a stylus for that!  Unlike many other styli like the Pogo Stylus or WirelessGround Stylus, DAGi’s Stylus has one advantage over them.  It allows the user to be able to see what they are writing/drawing on the screen.

These transparent accurate capacitive styli comes in many different shapes and colors.  I got a sample of the silver, blue, and black colors.

The ends of the DAGi Stylus are plastic while the body of the stylus is made of light aluminum.  The plastic clip at the end also has a hole in it if you wish to put a lanyard through it.

The writing end is made of an angled flat clear circular piece with a touch sensitive dot in the middle.  Writing with the DAGi Stylus is a breeze since I can see the screen under it more clearly.  Drawing with it is pretty good also.  I would like to give a sample drawing but I don’t think smiley faces count as a drawing so here’s a youtube video of another user that uses the DAGi.

The only place to get the DAGi Stylus is on eBay.  Prices range from $19.90 to $22.90 plus $2 shipping.  The prices have gone up since I purchased these a few months ago when I got 3 for $25 shipped.  It is still a good investment if you do draw a lot on your iDevices.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: iPad, Stylus

DAGi Stylus for iPad Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 18, 2010 at 11:59 am.

Ten One Design, the creators of the Pogo Stylus and Pogo Sketch capacitive touch-screen stylus for the iPhone, iPod touch, MacBook and iPad, have announced the availability of their new iPad case – Particle. It is a lightweight open backed rubber case that has a built-in holder for the Pogo Sketch stylus.

The Particle, bundled with the silver Pogo Sketch (a $15 value) and is available now at www.TenOneDesign.com for $34.95.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Case, iPad, Spotlight Gadgets, Stylus

Ten One Design Releases the Particle iPad Case originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 22, 2010 at 1:30 pm.

Although the touch screen was not a new technology when the first iPhone was released, this device did usher in a new age in touch screen interactivity. Before the iPhone, most smartphone and PDA users employed a stylus as the preferred method of input. The iPhone changed that with the capacitive touch screen and true finger friendly applications. In the three years since the first iPhone came on the scene, the stylus seems to have become a rarely used accessory. That said, they can still come in very handy for some applications, such as drawing apps. I’ve been looking for the perfect stylus for my iPad and the latest one to cross my path is the Touch Screen Stylus Pen from WirelessGround.com

This stylus is similar in style to other styli I’ve reviewed. It has a light weight anodized aluminum barrel that is available in Blue, Pink, Black and Silver.

One end has a plastic pocket clip and …

the opposite end has the capacitive touch screen stylus tip. This particular stylus tip is a flexible rubber covered bulb that at first glance looks like it would be perfect for drawing apps.

My first test was to use the stylus to tap out some words in the notepad app. It actually works great for that task. I had no problems at all tapping out letters on the on-screen keyboard.

My next test was to use the stylus as a paintbrush. It failed miserably at that task. The rubber tip does not glide smoothly across the iPad or iPhone’s display. Instead, it skips across it with an awkward dragging feeling, almost like the tip is sticking to the glass. I made sure the display was clean, along with the tip, but nothing seems to solve the dragging issue.

The Touch Screen Stylus Pen from WirelessGround.com works fine for tapping icons and onscreen buttons, but if you are looking for an artist’s tool, I recommend that you look elsewhere.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: iPad, iPhone, Stylus

WirelessGround Capacitive Touch Screen Stylus Pen Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 21, 2010 at 9:49 pm.

The new Tango case from Ten One Design, which comes pre-bundled with the Pogo Stylus. This iPhone 3GS case features a full-grain Black leather exterior that flips open to reveal a micro-suede interior. It’s available in two colors: Aqua or Lime. The Tango Case, bundled with the Pogo Stylus, is available at www.TenOneDesign.com for just $39.95.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Case, iPhone, Spotlight Gadgets, Stylus

First iPhone Case Designed for the Pogo Stylus originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 18, 2010 at 10:30 am.

The best thing about the iPhone and iPad is that they are finger friendly. No stylus needed. Sometimes a stylus does come in handy though and regular ones will not work with these devices due to their capacitive displays. I’ve reviewed other capacitive styli in the past, but today I want to tell you about the one that I think maybe the best – at least for the task I have for it. It’s the iClooly Multi-Touch Pen from Pyramid Distribution.

This iPad / iPhone stylus is the nicest one I’ve had the opportunity to review. It looks like a real pen, pocket clip and all.

The entire body is made of metal. The barrel is Black with Silver accents (there’s another version available in Pink) and the ends are both Silver. The length of the pen is 4.5 inches.

The outermost cap unscrews to reveal a regular stylus (non-capacitive). This won’t be of use to you with the iPad, but will work with devices that have a resistive touchscreen.

To access the iPad compatible stylus, you have to pull off the entire cap. Unfortunately, there’s no where to store this cap when when you’re using the stylus.

Pressing the opposite end will extend the ‘stylus’ tip.

You’re probably thinking the same thing I was at this point – what the heck kind of stylus is that? It looks like a brush instead of a stylus.

For comparison, here is the iClooly next to the Pogo Stylus and Radtech Styloid styli. The iClooly seems to work a lot better than the other two for me. I don’t use it for ordinary tasks of tapping icons to launch apps or scroll through lists though. My main purpose for the iClooly has been for drawing apps. And it works perfect for that.

It feels very similar to using a brush to paint. I’ve been having a lot of fun doodling with it using an app called Layers. And at $10, the price is right.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: iPad, iPhone, Stylus

iClooly Multi-Touch Pen for iPad Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 11, 2010 at 11:00 am.

The iPhone is 99.9% touch screen driven. That fact is both good and bad. Good because Apple has done an incredible job making the user interface so friendly and easy to use. Bad for me, because I wear gloves during the winter and the touch screen no worky with gloved phalanges. That means no texting or call answering / ending while I’m outside in the winter months. Or does it? Radtech offers a solution with their Styloid iPhone Stylus.

A stylus for your iPhone or iPod Touch isn’t exactly a new idea. I reviewed the Pogo Stylus last year. It worked as advertised, but let’s see if the Styloid offers something more…

Material: Aluminum + Stainless
Dimensions: 101 x 6mm / 4.0×0.24in
Weight: 4g / 0.14oz
Colors: Satin black
Works with: Apple iPhone, Apple iPod touch, Computer Trackpads, Capacitive touch-control interfaces

This stylus is very light weight with a smooth anodized surface and a stainless steel pocket clip on one end.

On the other end is the stylus tip, which appears to be made of a firm but spongy Black material.

Unlike the Pogo Stylus which had a fuzzy tip, the flat surface of Styloid’s tip has been coated with a thin layer of flexible vinyl or plastic. The stylus does not have a cap to protect the stylus tip when it’s not being used.

I’ve been using the Styloid on and off for a couple of days now and I’ve noticed that it seems to take more effort to use it than it does a finger tip. This is because you can’t tap the stylus on the screen at the same angle that you would typically use to write with a pen on paper. For the most part, you have to tap the flat surface of the stylus tip perpendicular to the screen in order for the tap to be registered. I often had problems with skipped letters when trying to use the stylus to tap out a text message. After awhile, the stylus felt like it was more trouble than it was worth and slowed down my input rather than helped make it faster.

I can see how the Radtech Styloid stylus could be useful for people with large fingers, long nails or for people like me that wear gloves in the winter time. But I’ll most likely continue to take off my gloves if I need to use the iPhone, instead of using a stylus.

What about you? Would you find a stylus useful for your iPhone or iPod touch?

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related

Tagged: Stylus

Radtech Styloid iPhone Stylus Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 19, 2009 at 2:48 pm.

A couple days ago I received an email from someone asking for advice on multi-point pens. I posted that question here on The Gadgeteer so that other people could weigh in with their suggestions. Harold M. Goldner saw that post and did one better. He wrote a comparison review and asked me to post it here. So without further ado…

SIDE-BY-SIDE REVIEW OF MULTI-POINT PEN STYLI COMBINATIONS

By:    Harold M. Goldner

Since my first organizer (a Sharp series organizer) and through the present (using a Palm Treo 755p), I have been obsessive about my writing implements.  I am rarely happy with the ‘bundled’ stylus each device has, although they’ll do in a pinch.  I am also very particular about what pens I use because I am a lawyer and am writing incessantly when not using a keyboard.

I also prefer pens with a soft grip which are a little broader than a standard pen.  For instance, I have put a rubber grip on an old Cross pen I have, finding the bare metal uncomfortable before long.

What follows is a side-by-side comparison of the multi-pens I have and do use from day to day.  I own each of these and have spent anywhere from weeks to years using them (and have even replaced some multiple times).  They are reviewed in the order of my preference.  Of course, this is a highly subjective matter, so your own choices may and could very well vary from mine.

Click thumbnail to see full sized image

My favorite over-all is without question the Stylus+ 2-way.  It contains a pen and a stylus in a sleek stainless steel barrel with rubber grip cushion.  The nib is engaged with a sharp twist one way for the pen and the other for the stylus.  The styling is clean and understated, with a matte finish and chrome clip, and the workmanship so sturdy, that it is easily my multi-pen of choice.  If I am going anywhere and only take one pen (…and I typically have a second pen with me), this is the one I’ll take.  The pen is refillable, and the web site has 4 different colors available, plus highlighter tips.  The Stylus+ 2-way is only $4.99 plus shipping and handling at  Stylusplus.com.    For the money it is the best multi-purpose pen out there.

Almost as good, and maybe even a better choice if more than 2 nibs are required, is Fisher’s Multi-Action Space Pen which has a black pen point, red pen point, 0.7 mm pencil and stylus all rolled into a pen only slightly larger than the Stylus+ unit.  The action is triggered by push button, depending upon which side of the pen is upright (there are small indicators near the top), and the point is withdrawn with a button near the clip.  The pen is a sleek grey metal with a cushioned grip.  I do occasionally use this one when taking only one pen with me.  It is considerably more expensive, at $35.00 list although it can be found less expensive at sites like   http://www.styluscentral.com.  In addition, it can be personalized with up to 3 lines at $1.50/line.  One thing I do not like about it is that the button releasing the nib is a little easy to hit just using the pen, and for this reason I cannot rate it as highly as the Stylus+. (Note that this is not the same multi-point Fisher pen reviewed on Gadgeteer in April of 2001).

Another solid two-point pen is the Pilot Dr Grip 1+1.  This pen is noticeably thicker than the previous two, and uses a slide action to produce either the pen point or the stylus point.  The pen is refillable with Dr Grip refills in whatever colors are available for Dr Grip, and has a plastic body.  This is a rugged pen and can be used where one might not want to get a stainless steel pen wet or messy.  I have found, however, that the mechanisms can and do fail, and I am now on my third such pen.  It is inexpensive at $9.99, and available in office supply stores and online at  Stylisource.com.

Staying with plastic body multi-pens, we next move to the Bic e.3, which is a unibody plastic pen, pencil and stylus.  Solid plastic, available in multiple colors, with a rubber cushion grip, it takes Dr Grip refills as well, and has an eraser with a clear removable cap.  The action is via twist.  The pen is available at many office retailers, on Bic’s website and even on ebay coming in at around $6.00.  Note that this pen was reviewed on the Gadgeteer back in December of 2000.  One negative, since the clip is part of the pen’s plastic body, if that snaps (and I have seen that happen), you have a clipless pen, or worse, a pen with a sharp point on one side.

Also evaluated was the Staples Quatrex which, while inexpensive at $4.39 is also the lightweight of the crowd.  Providing two pen-points which can be populated with 2 ink colors and/or a highlighter, a stylus and a 0.7 mm pencil, the pen also uses the gravity push-button mechanism of the Fisher space pen, however the hardware is far less robust, and I found the pencil falling out of its slot and gumming up the works.  The barrel is partially cushioned with rubber bumps near the nibs.

Finally, in a slightly different vein is the Hewlett Packard Infiniter 4in1 Laser Pointer / Stylus / Pen / LED flashlight.  This pen offers a pen and stylus, but also an LED flashlight as well as a laser pointer.  It is available for  $24.95 at  Markertek.com.  I have also seen it at MicroCenter retail stores.  It is solid black plastic with no grip cushion.   It has a decent weight in the hand, and the laser pointer does work.

Many years ago, when third party vendors started making styluses to replace the supplied styli, it was possible to feel a slight difference between styli.  Certainly, if one is ‘writing’ on a dedicated input area, like the Graffiti areas on Zire’s and earlier Tungsten’s (as opposed to dynamic input areas), one stylus may feel differently than another, especially when compared to writing on paper.  I believe this is a result of the cover on the screen as opposed to the stylus itself.  I have always used a screen cover or used 3M removable tape on Graffiti areas, and have rarely noticed a significant difference between one stylus point or another.  The most important thing to me is how the writing implement feels in my hand while I am using it.

In this regard, I prefer a slightly heavier implement, and repeat my recommendation of the Stylus+ 2-way, then the Fisher Space Pen or the Dr Grip 1+1 as among the best choices out there.

Harold Goldner is a lawyer in Pennsylvania who focuses on human resources and employment issues.  He has been using a PDA since the mid 80’s.  His twitter ID is HumanRacehorses.

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Multi-pens, Stylus

Side-by-side Multi-Pen Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 26, 2008 at 2:54 pm.

Hey folks, I thought I would start up a new feature called Gadgeteer Mail. As you probably would guess, people are always emailing me asking for gadget advice. A lot of times, I can respond with info to help them, but sometimes, people ask me questions for which I don’t have a good answer. That’s where you guys come in. I know you are a smart bunch and can help me out when one of your own needs some advice, that I am clueless about. Our first question is about multi-pens.

Hi,

My name is Richard.  I found your review on the Gadgeteer when looking for multi-pen reviews.  I’ve been looking at the Quin-Tek 5 Function Pen and some of the Lamy 4 pens.  I’ve been using the Staples multi-pen and it keeps “falling apart” in the center.  I then bought a Bic 4 color pen and couldn’t stand the lack of weight of the light plastic.

Could you recommend a solid-heavy, multi-color pen that will last longer than the Staples version?

PS  I prefer medium size ball point writing.
Thank you so much.
Richard

For those of you that use multi-pens, can you help Richard with some suggestions? I haven’t used a multi-pen in eons, so I knew my advice would be pretty lame.

Filed in categories: The Gadgeteer

Tagged: Gadgeteer Mail, Stylus

Gadgeteer Mail – What’s a Good Multi-pen? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 24, 2008 at 10:10 am.

Remember the review I wrote recently of the Pogo Stylus for the iPhone? Ten One Design’s latest creation is the Pogo Sketch. It appears to be longer than their stylus and is being marketed for use for both the iPhone and multi-touch Macbooks. You can use the Sketch to…ummm… sketch things on the Macbook trackpad. A way cheaper alternative to a Watcom tablet perhaps?

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: iPhone, Macbook, Spotlight Gadgets, Stylus

Spotlight Gadget: Pogo Sketch originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 23, 2008 at 2:01 pm.

The iPhone is the first touch screen device that I’ve felt comfortable using my finger to navigate with. After all, on the iPhone, that’s all you can use to control the device – right? Wrong, you can use a stylus. But not an ordinary stylus, it has to be one designed specially for the iPhone, like the Pogo Stylus from Ten One Design.

Available in Black, Gunmetal, Silver, or Cranberry, I was sent the Pogo in Black.

In addition to the stylus, also included in the package are two clips for the iPhone 3G, original iPhone and the iPod Touch.

The plastic clip snaps around the body of the iPhone or Touch and provides a holder for the stylus when it’s not in use. The clip is useful for keeping the stylus at hand, but if you carry your iPhone or Touch in a case, you won’t be able to use it…

The Pogo stylus has an aluminum body with an anodized finish. It’s 3.5 inches long and is very light weight.

The stylus tip doesn’t really look like any stylus most of us have seen before. Instead of a nylon pointy tip, it has a soft fuzzy eraser like tip. The tip is actually washable if it would happen to become dirty. That said, I do wish that a cap was included to protect the tip from dirt when not in use.

Using the stylus feels very natural and the actual size of the Pogo makes it comfortable to hold and use. The soft stylus tip glides smoothly across the display and I found no issues using it to tap icons or letters on the software keyboard.

Do you need this stylus for your iPhone or iPod Touch? No, not really… Your finger(s) will still work just fine as they were intended to work. There’s also the fact that you can’t use the Pogo stylus for multi-touch operations that are available in some applications. That doesn’t mean that this accessory is useless though. For those people that have very large fingers and have problems pressing keys on the soft keyboard, this stylus will probably be a very welcome tool. I can also see it being useful in drawing applications. The only thing I would change about this product, would be to include a protective cap for the tip. Otherwise, it’s an inexpensive and handy accessory to have around.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related

Tagged: iPhone, Stylus

Pogo Stylus for the iPhone or iPod Touch Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 26, 2008 at 10:40 pm.