Project Mighty

With Adobe’s push for the cloud in a big way this week with a convergence of Creative Cloud apps like Photoshop CC, so too did they decide to remind the world that their creative software environment is made to work hand-in-hand with the hardware you’ll be using on a daily basis. Project Mighty is an embodiment of that initiative, being displayed this week as a bit of an experiment – it’s not yet clear whether or not Adobe will be releasing this stylus as an actual for-sale item in stores.

This experiment does exist in some physical sense, however, as the company shows it to be working with Bluetooth LE for wireless connectivity, on-board memory, and pressure sensitivity for advanced illustration. With “your creative cloud” inside this device, you’ll be connecting to not just the machine you’re directly interfacing with, but your online presence as well.

This stylus device works with a rechargeable battery inside and a Pen Tip charger up on its nose. The build shown this week is a triangular shape that curves in an ever-so-slight spiral from the tip up to the bunt of the device.

Project Napoleon

The device known as Project Napoleon is, at the moment, a rather new concept in the world of wireless connectivity for illustration. This is Adobe’s “Digital Ruler”. You’ll be tapping one of six different modes of execution in this machine, this then wirelessly indicating on the machine you’re working with – be it your tablet, your touchscreen monitor, or your Project Mighty pen – that you want to create in one of several ways.

Tapping the circle option allows you to create a smooth circle shape. Tapping the straight line allows you to draw smoothly in a straight line. It’s not clear at the moment how this device will be interacting with devices across the board, but we can assume it’ll be in collaboration with Adobe CC applications exclusively.

Both of these devices have been shown in extreme brief this week and we can expect additional information in the near future from Adobe on their availability. As Adobe leaves physical stores behind with boxed software, so too does it stay!

[via Adobe]

A company called Adonit has launched a new stylus specifically aimed at the iPad user called the Jot Touch 4. The stylus supports 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity and is able to provide natural lines. The stylus also supports palm rejection allowing you to rest your hands on the screen as you work. Knowing that your palm or other fingers isn’t going to accidentally destroy your art is a big deal.

The stylus pairs to the iPad using Bluetooth 4.0. Battery life for the stylus is one month per charge and it charges via USB. The stylus also features a pair of shortcut buttons close to the tip allowing you to access software tools quickly and perform undo functions or switch colors with a press. The pointed tip of the pen isn’t what touches the screen of your tablet.

The round clear disk is what actually glides across the screen of your tablet and since it’s clear you can see exactly what sort of line you’re making. The tip also has a dampening functionality that makes it feel as if you’re writing with a pen on paper. That dampening tip also helps reduce noise allowing you to work in silence. The stylus is available right now for $89.99.

[via Adonit]

The Bamboo Stylus mini joins Wacom’s current line of Bamboo styli, such as the Stylus Feel, Solo, Pocket, and Duo. The size of stylus may be off-putting at first, but it seems like the compact shape of the Stylus mini is great for those who need optimal portability, and let’s face it, not all of us need a stylus the size of a permanent marker.

The stylus looks a lot like a cheap crayon, but it’s actually plated with brass and it comes with replaceable tips in case they ever get worn down eventually, but the various tips also vary in softness and firmness, allowing users to select the optimal surface tension for the stylus right off the bat.

The Stylus mini also comes in several colors for those who want more than just the usual black color scheme. Other than black, you can choose white, green, blue, pink, or red. They cost $20 each, which may seem like a lot with a stub of a stylus like this, but portability usually costs a lot more in the technology world these days.

We can be confident in expecting that this version of the Galaxy Note will be rolling out with many of the features revealed on the Galaxy Note 8.0 just this pas week at Mobile World Congress 2013 as well. With this release we saw the ability to tap the back and menu keys with the pen – an ability never before seen on a Note device. We also saw out-of-the-box integration of features like multiscreen and transparent box multi-tasking, too.

This next-generation Samsung Galaxy Note III was spoken about by The Korea Times courtesy of “an official” that spoke on condition of anonymity. While it’s not the first time this publication has published anonymous tips, it would be the first time we trusted their word without a grain of salt. That said, a Galaxy Note III with a 5.9-inch display would not be out of the question given the size increase between the first and second iteration of the device.

Have a peek at our review of the Samsung Galaxy Note II as well as our hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 to gain a better understanding of what we’ll be seeing in a third handset later this year. The release of this device is likely for the first half of 2013, but we’ve had no official work from Samsung to that tune. We’ll just have to wait and see!

A company by the name of Tech Tips created a detachable fingernail attachment of sorts that acts as a stylus. From there, the company figured out a way to embed the technology into wearable and fashionable fingernails. Nano Nails hide a tiny capacitive tip under the index fingernail that can be detected by a touchscreen just like a fingertip would, and it’s completely invisibile unless you’re looking for it.

The stylus nails will save you from having to carry a separate stylus, and since they’re glued to your finger, they’re always at the ready. There is a slight learning curve to Nano Nails, which is mostly getting used to using the proper angle for the tip to make contact with the display, but it’s certainly better than having to blindly tap at your phone with the pad of your finger.

Nano Nails will be available in either a full press-on nail or a nail tip, and the company expects them to sell in packages of four or six for around $10. They can also be put on by either the wearer or applied professionally at a salon. Tech Tips expects to start shipping the new product sometime this May.

[via CNET]

The Kazoo Heaphones you’re seeing here come in several friendly animal-shaped looks including the aforementioned frog and at least one kind of penguin, then there’s a set of iPod touch cases with every animal from an elephant to a zebra – imagine that! They’ve also worked with that fancy little lanyard connector on the iPod touch bringing you a set of charms – once again very zoo-friendly. They’ve got a set of Kazoo AUX cables coming out, each of them made to connect in just about as kid-friendly a way as possible for your kid’s audio equipment, too, with more animals on the fritz of course.

The most interesting of the releases here is the Griffin Capper Stylus, this being tablet, smartphone, or any capacitive touchscreen interface, really, friendly, made to attach to your regular standard pencil or pen. This means that your child will be learning to use a standard-sized writing utensil while they’ve still got the tablet in front of them – how handy! These come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors as well. The fun continues with Nickelodeon and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed accessories, with both Griffin and Nickelodeon making a statements specifically for these new doors opening for 2013:

“Nickelodeon properties have passionate fans who are eager for products associated with their favorite shows. Partnering with Nickelodeon opens the door to tons of fun accessories modeled after the most popular characters among kids of all ages. We look forward to a long-lasting partnership, kicking off at the 2013 CES.” – Mark Rowan, President of Griffin Technology

“Nickelodeon properties have passionate fans who are eager for products associated with their favorite shows. We are excited to partner with Griffin to produce unique and trendy products to help us further expand our consumer electronics offerings.” – Manuel Torres, Senior Vice President, Global Toys and Consumer Electronics, Nickelodeon Consumer Products

This lineup begins with so much Spongebob your eyes are going to fall out. There’s an 8-bit styled iPad cases, “Faces” cases for the iPhone 5 and iPod touch (with interchangeable faces!) and a lovable SpongeBob Woogie – that’s a big stuffed animal with a special app to make it “alive”, so to speak, when you’ve got your iPhone, iPod touch – or even Android device inside! Dora the Explorer is popping up too with cases for iOS devices galore, starting with the Dora the Explorer Skin for iPod touch.

Then comes the most awesome set of comic book characters in the history of the world, those four green-skinned heroes in a half shell that hold a special place in this humble narrator’s heart, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This brand is working with Nickelodeon at this point in history and will be rolling out with Griffin with at least one TMNT Shell for iPhone 5 and iPod touch as well as a Folio for iPad.

Stick with us all week for more action from Griffin as well as the rest of the gadget-loving universe as we traverse CES 2013. Check out our big amazing CES portal for all things hands-on as well as early release and otherwise soon-to-exist in the consumer market machines. Check the timeline below as well for examples of some of the products above with slightly different designs, Griffin quality manufacturing in-tact.

The Galaxy Note II event in New York City introduced a project Futura and Samsung would present together immediately following the main keynote that headed off the night. The night ended with a Kanye West concert, but not before Futura’s crowd-sourced digital mural was crafted live as the Samsung press and special guests filtered in to the venue. Made of a vast collection of guest-created images collected from Galaxy Note II devices throughout the night, the artist made one wild amalgamation to shine on its many contributors.

Above: Futura sits amongst the fray at the Galaxy Note II event in NYC. Below: DJ Hudson Mowhawke delivers tunes at the Galaxy Note II event near a giant display showing off the finer points of the Galaxy Note series.

In the hands-on period between the keynote and the concert, Futura sat at attention yet very obviously relaxed in the center of what was essentially a mad rush for touches on the newly available devices. A darkened club atmosphere, bright lights and colorful devices, and the artist in the center of it all, wearing dark pants, sneakers, and a white t-shirt with a leopard print pocket. His demeanor was that of a wise worldly fellow mixed with the seemingly unending hunger for staying on-point with not just his own artwork, but the most interesting and fabulous tools with which to do it.

That’s where Samsung comes in.

Above: Samsung’s Galaxy Note II keynote shows the collection of creative partners they’ve got ready to speak on the features of the Note series at the event.

Futura: They’ve asked me to speak on the creative possibilities on the tablet – specifically with the S-Note function and a lot of the different stuff you can do with the device. Kind of like a paint program, but it’s quite intense. I just got my device recently and within a few days of just messing with it, without even a formal walk-through, I felt like the device was intuitive enough to figure out, and I was able to do some really cool stuff.

Also the pen, itself, is amazing. I’ve worked with tablets before, whether its… you know, other names I don’t need to mention. Those always married up like a mouse. You do what you do with it… *clicking, mouse-movement gesture* within the tablet.

This is quite different.

The intensity, the sensitivity – I was messing around with something and it looked just like I spray painted it!

SlashGear: Have you gotten to use the Note II extensively yet?

F: Ah here, actually, I’ve got it in my back pocket. We’re gonna get plug in on it pretty soon and they’re gonna project my screen on to the monitor there and just go at it.

SG: I [Chris Burns] just got it too and reviewed it for SlashGear – it’s really nice, feels really good. [see our full review of the T-Mobile Galaxy Note II right now if you do so please]

F: Yeah it’s fun – it does feel good, and sexy, yeah.

SG: Your career path has been many different places – it’s always been interesting to see you delving into working with brands. Lots of different brands – designing a bike here, or this or that there – do you see yourself continuing to do that now?

With Samsung specifically, how do you see that affecting your art career?

F: The one thing about Samsung I’m kind of excited about – obviously – is – yeah there’s a list of companies that I’ve collaborated with, put my name on their product, bla bla bla – but I’ve never been [with] a tech company. And one of the biggest tech nerds out there – ever since my advantage, I guess, of going to Asia, for the rest of the whole swarm, I was always into gadgets and stuff like that.

I spent tons of money on all the kinds of stuff. Probably had every phone, PDA, you know, that’s probably been out there – if it’s cool, I may have got my hands on it, you know, as a consumer. So finally, [I get] to work with a brand that’s got a product that I can really use.

At this point Futura hails a server that’s been circling, asking quite politely if he can have two of the spring rolls she’s been serving to the crowd. In such a laid-back environment that this man creates, we can’t resist grabbing a roll as well.

F: There we go! Thank you so much, I’m going to dip this one, *dips from the sauce presented thusly*, thank you!

So all the collaborations. You know, the bike collabo, that makes sense, I guess, you know, Nike. CK1, that was like 6 years ago – maybe not so much. But you know, Samsung though, yeah, this is awesome.

And what I was saying is – you can do some stuff on this device that you can export out. I mean, you know, what, I got an idea for a painting, or a design sketch thing. It’s like other devices can’t just do that. This could be a very interesting addition.

Above: DJ Craze – another of Samsung’s special guests – lays down a few fine musical constructs for party attendees.

SG: If you have a brand, and Samsung, they have a brand – do you feel like this is a cross brand? Your name, Futura, do you feel like that’s a brand?

F: Yes. I do. I have a – I mean I subsequently closed my shop in Japan. You know, I had a shop in Japan where I was making stuff and putting my name on it. And thus those products are from, you know, my brand. But now, no, I’m actually kind of no longer doing that. However –

Skye, grab these foodie people! *Futura once again hails a server via his partner*

Above: The crowd gets thick at the event right before the Kanye session is about to begin.

F: But yes I understand that the Futura signature was once a graffiti tag on the walls of New York subways is now a brand. And I’m cool with that actually. I mean I’m not – I’m choosing these collaborations based on, obviously, what it is, not what the pay day is.

And to some degree, it’s not like – and as I say now, I had to close my store. It’s not like my motive is to manufacture things, put my name on them, you know – I want to pursue my art career. And I recently had a show in New York about a month ago.

I’m trying to get out of that lifestyle, get back into painting.

Above: Futura poses in front of one of his works of art at his recent show: Future-Shock at Valmorbida in New York. Image via 12ozProphet.

Stick around SlashGear for our continued interview series with the top minds in many industries and of many different disciplines, each of them making use of the technology that makes our modern world great. With an artist like Futura creating greatness with a device like the Galaxy Note II as a tool, the tool’s potential shines like a beacon for all to see – and want. Expect tech companies to continue with this trend in the near future – and keep an eye on Futura as he moves into tomorrow right on the cuff with creative intent.

This new stylus boasts a magnetic tip system, which allows the tip to be easily removed, while also keeping it securely fastened. The company says that this special magnetic system leaves the door wide open for the possibility of releasing new interchangeable tips in the future. There’s also Bluetooth 4.0 on board, which allows for quick and easy pairing directly with an iPad in order to take advantage of some pretty slick features like pressure sensitivity and palm rejection capabilities.

Ten One Design says that the Pogo Connect is the first of its kind and includes new patent-pending technology called Crescendo Sensor, which makes the tip extremely responsive to pressure and recognizing the slightest touch. They say that Crescendo Sensor works at all angles and provides hundreds of different pressure levels.

The stylus is fully compatible with 16 iPad apps so far with more to come in the future. Some notable ones that the Pogo Connects works with are Brushes, Zen Brush, FlipBook HD, and SketchBook Pro. The stylus is powered by a single AAA battery and said to last “for months.” The Pogo Connect is available for pre-order now for $79.95.

The stylus also has a compacted setting that makes it easy to store in a pocket or inside a purse. The stylus can also be stored using a snap on lid that has a plastic headphone plug that slips into the headphone port of your portable device and holds the stylus in place. The Bamboo Stylus pocket can be collapsed to 89.5 mm and extended to 118 mm.

The stylus weighs 16.4 g and is 12 mm in diameter. It features a cushion grip and has a tip that works with capacitive touchscreens while leaving no scratches behind. Users can also customize the Bamboo Stylus pocket with interchangeable color rings.

Wacom says the tip offers a smooth writing experience that feels just like you’re writing with a traditional ink pen. The tip is 6 mm in diameter for accuracy and body of the stylus is made from aluminum. The stylus also comes with replaceable tip and includes a firm stylus nib and an optional soft nib in the box. The stylus is available now for $34.95.

Earlier this month Samsung reintroduced their Note 10.1 tablet after a few delays and hardware improvements. We got our first look during Mobile World Congress of the tablet, but Samsung later opted to hold off while they beefed it up with their own Exynos quad-core processor running at 1.4 GHz, 2GB of RAM, and offering it in 16GB-64GB storage options.

We’ve seen countless leaks, and Samsung’s already released a few commercials showing the true business, creativity, and multitasking functions of this tablet — so this is all nothing new. Today however during their live event showing off the new slate, they’ve announced the Galaxy Note 10.1 will be available in 16, 32, and 64GB flavors, as well as have micro-SD support for added storage. All variants will be WiFi, with 4G LTE options coming later this year.

One of the biggest parts of the tablet isn’t the quad-core processor or Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, instead it’s the software pre-installed. Samsung’s added what they are calling live panels for true multi-tasking. You can have multiple windows or apps open and on screen at any given time. Browse emails while watching videos, or jot down notes while reading an email. That along with their exceptional WACOM digitizer and S-Pen stylus for ultimate precision you can draw, take notes, play games and more. Everything we loved about the Galaxy Note [see our review] is here, only bigger, better, and faster.

This device will be available starting tomorrow (the 16th of August) for $499 USD in its 16GB internal storage iteration or $549 for 32GB.

Just yesterday, Samsung UK indicated that the Galaxy Note 10.1 would go on sale at its retail store in the Westfield Stratford shopping center, offering users a 10.1-inch tablet with a 1280×800 display, quad-core Exynos processor, 2GB of RAM, and stylus-enabled touchscreen. The S-Pen has reportedly seen some performance improvements too, with Samsung throwing in Adobe’s Photoshop Touch app to aid drawing and doodling.

One report indicated that tomorrow may see the announcement of the Galaxy Note II instead, but the current information surrounding the successor to the popular phablet points to a reveal at Samsung’s pre-IFA event on August 29th. Reports indicate that device will also feature a quad-core Exynos processor along with a larger 5.5-inch screen, although the resolution and aspect ratio may shift to 1280×720 and 16:9 respectively.

Whatever Samsung’s mystery device turns out to be tomorrow, we’ll fill you in on all the details. The event kicks off at 11am EST (8am PST), so keep it locked to SlashGear to keep up to date with Samsung’s shenanigans.

That falls in line with the current pricing at Negri Electronics, who currently have the Note 10.1 in stock for $749.50. The tablet includes a quad-core Exynos processor clocked at 1.4Ghz, 2GB of RAM, a 10.1-inch 1280×800 display, and WiFi/HSPA+ radios. Samsung has modified the touchscreen on the Note 10.1 to accept input from its S Pen, similar to original Galaxy Note, allowing users to draw or jot down notes.

Samsung has made some adjustments to the S-Pen and underlying technology since the introduction of the Galaxy Note, however. The company says that performance has seen a boost, and it’s also including a copy of Adobe Photoshop Touch to bring budding artists up to speed, with the S Note app also along for the ride.

The company first showed off the Note 10.1 back at MWC 2012, although back then the tablet had a dual-core processor instead of the quad-core chip it has now. If the idea of scribbling all over a tablet appeals to you, check out our hands-on, and head over to the Westfield at Stratford on August 16th if you want to put down cold hard cash for Samsung’s latest and greatest.

[via Android Central]

The camera then determines which pixels are in and out of focus, and sends the information back to software which translates where the stylus is being placed on the screen, including the angle. Because the camera is tracking at a pixel level, it allows for a more accurate stylus. The technology isn’t new, but Microsoft is hoping to cram a sensor into a stylus that’s accurate yet small enough to fit.

Microsoft is still working on the technology, but there’s still the question of pressure sensitivity. That’s something that the company won’t be able to track on ordinary displays for fear of breakage, but the stylus might still see use as an accurate pointing tool or aid that can be used on a wide range of computer and mobile displays.

[via Extreme Tech]

The Cintiq 24HD touch comes with a counter-weighted stand as well for the best ergonomics possible, with users able to select the best possible position. Wacom say that Corel Painter 12.2 is compatible with the new tablet, so you’ll be able to make use of all the functionality and real estate straight away. On top of that, Wacom says the tablet will play nice with the Cintiq pen which supports software from Adobe, Corel, and Autodesk. The tablet isn’t cheap though, starting at $3,699.

The Cintiq 22HD, meanwhile, offers a similar experience but without support for multitouch. You’ll have to rely on the Cintiq pen to create your latest masterpiece, although here you get the added benefit of a more flexible stand. You can adjust it to almost any position, and swivel the tablet while you’re working to approach work from the best possible angle. The physical ExpressKeys off to the sides can also be customized to launch favorite tools or functions.

As for pricing, the Cintiq 22HD won’t quite be as exorbitant at $1,999, but maybe think this one through before you throw down the cash. It should be shipping from today, while the larger 24HD touch will be available sometime in August.

All the specs are what you would find on the current 13-inch MacBook Pro: Intel’s Ivy Bridge Core i5 processor clocked at 2.5Ghz, integrated HD 4000 GPU, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of hard drive space (plus a 960GB SSD option), SuperDrive, and WiFi b/g/n plus Bluetooth. The team has added is a Wacom digitizer to the 1280×800 display, with 512 levels of pressure sensitivity for the included stylus, with the screen also capable of registering 133 points per second.

Lots of attention has been paid to the housing of the Modbook Pro too. The tablet comes with a sloped edge design, and special grippy feet ensures the Modbook can be propped at a 50 degree angle without slipping. The usual array of ports are still onboard too, including Thunderbolt, USB 3.0, SDXC slot, and the MagSafe connector.

How much is all this going to set you back? Good question. The team hasn’t announced official pricing for the tablet yet, saying that it’s coming in the next few weeks with the tablet set to ship in the Fall. We doubt it will be cheap though, so if this strange hybrid has piqued your curiosity, you better start saving up those pennies.

The included stylus, meanwhile, is pressure sensitive for up to 1024 levels, and it doubles as a mouse: pressing down on the stylus activates a left click, with dedicated buttons for right-click and scrolling near the tip. The tablet itself can be switched between 4:3 and widescreen modes, and comes with four quick buttons for specific functions, including Undo, Eraser, Zoom In, and Zoom Out.

On top of that, Genius is throwing in a nice software bundle to get you started. Packages include Adobe Photoshop Elements 9, Corel Painter Essentials 4, PenDrawer, PenSign, and Pen Toolbar. Those should be compatible with both PC and Mac, although PenDrawer is restricted to Windows only. The EasyPen MX610XA is available today in the United States and Canada, and costs $169.99.

ArtRage is a painting application that will leverage the pressure sensitivity of the pen combined with the Wacom surface (up to 1024 levels), while SketchBook Express will allow users to draw and sketch doodles or ideas using multiple tools, such as pens or brushes. Wacom say that the Bamboo Splash works with both Macs and PCs, and is also compatible with Windows 8 when it ships in the Fall.

The orientation of the surface can be tweaked to cater to left and right handed users and the active area will span 5.8-inches by 3.6-inches. The Bamboo Splash retails for $79 and is available to purchase right now. You can find it either on Wacom’s site, or search around on other internet retailers.

Microsoft’s new Surface actually features two digitizers instead of a single one like most tablets. At the event live they said it best by stating, “This surface has two digitizers. One for touch, one for digital ink.” All stylus or pen input is converted into digital ink and the new Surface tablet is extremely responsive and accurate.

The distance between the screen (digitizer) and the stylus is only .7mm thick, and allows for it to be highly accurate, making you feel like the ballpoint of a pen is actually writing on the “surface”. Surface will see the proximity of a stylus and stop recognizing hand inputs. We’ve seen this before with the HTC Flyer tablet only they had a special digitizer, not two. Then in a similar fashion as their new smart cover the stylus conveniently magnetizes to the magnesium body of the tablet for simple and easy storage. Hopefully we’ll get hands-on with all the goodies so stay tuned for additional details live.

Samsung confuses things somewhat by referring to that wireless technology as “Near Field Communication (NFC)” though apparently intending it to be a generic term rather than the NFC we’re familiar with from contactless payments and the company’s own new TecTiles. In fact, the radio link could be Bluetooth or something else.

That makes the pen somewhat similar to ASUS’ Padfone stylus-headset, which also integrates Bluetooth and can be used to make private calls rather than switching the tablet to speakerphone mode. Interestingly, Samsung and ASUS aren’t the only firms looking into special pens: Apple also has a recent patent application in the works, for an “iPen” with haptic feedback and an integrated speaker.

As for the capacitive stylus aspect, Samsung envisages using contact plates built into the body of the new S-Pen to sense the micro-current of the user’s body and communicate it to the nib, allowing for a more accurate tip. There’s no telling whether or not we could actually see this reach the market, but given Samsung has been gung-ho about optional pens for its phone line-up – there’s one for the new Galaxy S III, for instance – we wouldn’t be surprised if it spawns a commercial product.

[via PatentBolt]

The big difference between the HAND Stylus and most others on the market is that the tip is retractable. This thin and small stylus looks very much like a standard pen with a clicker on the top. When the user pushes that clicker, the tip retracts to protect it from damage during transit. The tip is also replaceable, and each stylus comes with six tips.

The project is on Kickstarter right now it was seeking $25,000 to come to market. It has 31 days to go and so far it has racked up three times the amount of funding it needed to the tune of $76,120 at the time of writing 1880 people have backed the project. You can pledge $25 or more and get one stylus and the color and finish of your choice. There are color options, including purple, blue, green, orange, black and red. All colors except black offer glossy or matte finishes. Delivery is estimated to be July of 2012.

Typically EMR technology is found in Wacom stylii, and has several advantages over other pens. The technology doesn’t require any batteries in the stylus, nor does it need to be tethered. It’s the same technology found in the Galaxy Note right now, and presumably in the Galaxy Note 10.1.

Toshiba has also tried to make the tablet corporate friendly with the addition of a fingerprint reader. Otherwise, specs include a 10.1-inch IPS display with a 1366×768 resolution, an Atom N2600 processor, 2GB of RAM, and 64GB SSD. The tablet runs on Windows 7 Professional, and costs between 134,400 yen (~$1,629) and 150,150 yen (~$1,820) depending on the configuration.

Clearly, this tablet is aimed at businesses and corporations, and commands a high price for the privilege of doodling in Windows 7. We wouldn’t expect this to make the jump to the US, and even if it does, we can’t imagine many people rushing out to buy one.

The pressure-sensitive design of the stylus will appeal greatly to artists and other people who like to doodle on the iPad. The company points out that Bluetooth 4.0 technology is fully supported by the CoreBluetooth framework inside iOS 5. The stylus won’t need to be paired with the iPhone or iPad, the Bluetooth 4.0 technology senses the stylus, and it starts to work.

Ten One says that any application will be able to use Blue Tiger stylus. Developers wanting to take full advantage of the pressure-sensitive nature of the device can integrate free code into their apps that the design company will provide. The image and video you see are of pre-production hardware. The finished product will have a different design and is also still pending FCC approval.

ASUS kicked things off showing us everything we’ve been enjoying from them thus far. And now they are showing the next “transformation” with the ASUS Padfone. With the full specs being officially confirmed. The phone comes complete with the Qualcomm 1.5 GHz dual-core S4 processor and 4G LTE. Rocking a 4.3″ qHD 960×540 AMOLED display, 1GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage with 8 megapixel rear and 1.3 front cameras. ASUS has added micro-HDMI along with the usual micro-sd port as well. Obviously it docks right into the tablet for 5x the battery life (no exact specs were given on battery). With Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on board too, all coming in April.

Following along with the cousins, the PadFone also docks into the Transformer Prime’s universal docking station for an additional 9 hours of batter life. The term “Always on, always connected” has been widely used by ASUS. Since the phone docks into the tablet there is no syncing or cloud services needed. Instantly switch from phone portability to full work mode with the pad and start right where you left off. This is the next Transformation in the Transformer Pad.

As you’d expect, the tablet is merely a shell or skeleton and comes to life once you dock the phone inside. Everything seamlessly transfers over and you instantly can work or watch video right from where you left off. Now here is one of the more exciting parts of the event and the Padfone. Should a call come in while docked ASUS has not only added a stylus to the tablet, but said stylus doubles as a headset — yes a stylus headset. With volume up/down and end call functions you can leave the phone be and complete a call. Then once again continue right where you left off.

Sadly we weren’t able to try the stylus headset ourselves but can’t wait to get our hands on the LTE equipped version coming later in Q3 according to ASUS. Regarding feel of these devices I was pleasantly surprised. The actual phone is extremely lightweight, smooth and well designed. Top of the line quality just like previous devices from ASUS — and it’s extremely lightweight. The actual tablet is surprisingly heavy considering it doesn’t have the usual internals and I was a bit let down by the weight.

No official pricing or carriers were revealed but we should see the all-new Padfone early April and the LTE model will follow shortly. Enjoy the rest of the photos below.

The hardware thats being used here is the bit we’re going to focus on, the software being part of a 3rd party: KRINK if you’d like to know is what we’re using for this example – downloadable in the iTunes Appstore now for both iPad and iPhone. The hardware being used here on the pens consists of smooth plastic* for the shaft, and extendable back bit incase your hands aren’t suited to crayon-length pens, and a pen tip made with high polymer abrasion-resistant coated silicon.

*The plastic is just the coating, and we can only assume it’s something like plastic as the innards are actually made of brass, this offering you an ultra light weight pen in the end with a smooth grip. The Strap Plug they tell you on the package should not be used to hang your pen from your device, only then made to keep the cap in place while you’re writing, but between you and me, you don’t have to tell anyone you’re doing it. Know this though: if you get the tip stuck in there then while doing something you’re not supposed to do, you’re on your own! I should also note that though I use these pens on the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S in the demo video, they work with all manner of mobile devices be they Galaxy Tabs, LG smartphones, Windows Phones by HTC, or the ASUS Transformer Prime – basically anything you can think of along those lines will work, smartphones and tablets galore.

That said, the H12 pen has very similar specifications, with a full-length pen on your hands instead of an extendable bit, and it’s here in classy white if you’d like to know. Both of these pens are available in the Spigen SGP store right this second. The Kuel H10 comes in yellow, pink, red, black, and white and will run you a cool $12.99, while the Kuel H12 will cost you just a bit more at $19.99 but comes in several classy colors and a lovely form factor as well: black, gray, or white.

The HTC Flyer is a 7-inch tablet running on Android 2.3 Gingerbread and powered by a single-core 1.5GHz processor. It features a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, microSD card slot, and micro-USB. Its 1024 x 700 pixel resolution capacitive touchscreen display also works with a stylus, the HTC Scribe Pen. Although this is one of its main differentiators, the stylus has so far been sold separately and it doesn’t look like this new T-Mobile offering bundles it in either.

The device is priced at $299.99 when purchased with new compatible individual plans for the tablet ranging from $39.99 for 2GB of data to $79.99 per month for 10GB of data. However, the device will cost $454.99 if you upgrade from an existing plan. For more details on the tablet, be sure to check out our hands-on and review of its WiFi version.

Hardware

To start with the hardware we have a quick video for you below, as well as our hands-on and unboxing post you can see here. What you get is an Android 3.1 Honeycomb tablet with a bright and vivid 10.1″ 1280 x 800 resolution IPS display. The IPS looks bright, vivid, clear, and has great contrast. Like most IPS displays the viewing angles are also quite excellent so that is another plus. Powered by the all to familiar NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor at 1.0 GHz, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage (16 and 64GB versions also available). Coming in around 14.5mm thin and weighs 1.65 lbs. It may be heavier than most but it also has a wide array of ports for any users needs. More hardware specs and pics can be found after the video.

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet hands-on

With all the ports you could ever need for full productivity and having stylus support this truly is a do-it-all tablet. Based on the buttons, ports, and labels on bottom we can assume Lenovo expects this to spend much of its time in portrait mode so I’ll go over the hardware as such. On bottom we have 4 dedicated buttons, something we don’t see often with Android Honeycomb tablets. While I’ve found them a bit useful at times, they get in the way more than they are helpful — just my honest opinion. They are a screen orientation toggle, a web browser launch button, then the standard Android back and home buttons. They also seem a bit hard to push needing the right angle since they click toward the display rather than going down so sometimes I feel i need to almost roll my finger to get it to recognize the input.

Along with the hardware buttons the bottom also features all those convenient ports we mentioned above. With a 3.5mm headphone jack, mini-HDMI, micro-USB, a 30 pin dock connector, then a door with a full sized SD card slot as well as SIM support for 3G connectivity.

Around to the left side (bottom for landscape) we have a full-sized USB port and a single speaker grill and that is about it. Very simple design and not a lot to it, but that doesn’t matter when you have tons of ports and are aimed at productivity right?

The on top and the right side we have the volume up/down rocker as well as the power button. The top (or bottom left in landscape view) has a dedicated cutout and hole for the included stylus. the stylus fits neatly away and is for the most part out of sight. If you happen to lose the stylus or forget it, the hole where it belongs gets very irritating and can actually bother you depending on how you hold the tablet so I’d recommend leaving it in place. It has a nice design and is easy to slide in and out so that shouldn’t be an issue.

Software

Enough about the hardware, lets talk about software and what you can do with the stylus. First off I’ll mention we have Android 3.1 Honeycomb — mostly stock with a few small changes and “enhancements” from Lenovo like an additional home launcher type widget for quick and easy launching of most used applications and more. User interface is clean, neat and performs as expected for an Android 3.1 Honeycomb tablet. Just like the IdeaPad K1 tablet from Lenovo the unlock screen has a good 1-3 second delay from when you hit the wake button, to when the screen will actually recognize your swipe to unlock the device on-screen. This isn’t a deal breaker but seems to slow down usage a bit as you have to wait for it when you shouldn’t need to.

Clearly a lot went into making this tablet near ready to go right out of the box. Lenovo has provided tons of application for both regular users and business professionals both. With stylus support and memo pad apps, to Documents to go and more. The pre-loaded applications are in no way bloatware and are almost all things most users would want, need, or download at some point. Below is a few screenshots of the included applications.

More of the many apps included straight out of the box are Netflix, and Angry Birds HD. Both of these many users will indeed use and how can anyone possibly call Angry Birds “bloatware” right? Lenovo also has what they call the Lenovo Launcher, and the Lenovo App Wheel — both right on the homescreen for quick and easy navigation to all your favorite or most used applications. Here are a few pictures of those as well as a hands-on video right from the Lenovo product announcement.

Lenovo Launcher and App Shop details

Performance

The performance of the NVIDIA dual-core processor is to be expected, performing right on par with most Honeycomb tablets thus far. Nothing is really any different here and just as we expected it seems stable, fast, and average in benchmarks. We won’t see anything too crazy until we get faster processors and quad-cores in our tablets. We’ve ran a few benchmarks as we always do — those being Quadrant Advanced, CF Bench, and Vellamo. Surprisingly the ThinkPad actually scored higher than any tablet I’ve tested thus far stock out of the box in the Vellamo tests.

Quadrant – 2011
CF Bench – 9332, 2399, 5172
Vellamo – 989

ThinkPad Pen

The ThinkPad Pen (aka Stylus) is actually quite convenient for daily use. Most of the time I’m perfectly happy with using my hands, especially on an OS designed for touch input but the stylus works extremely well for note taking and drawing applications. Equipped with a comfortable pressure sensitive pen you can feel free to doodle when bored, or note take during those important meetings.

We have a nice application pre-installed called Notes Mobile and after messing around with it, the features it provides are awesome for business users, or even students. While you can scribble away as much as you’d like (and as messy) you can also opt for the tablet to automatically convert your writing into not only a neat and readable font, but digital format that can be saved and emailed to others. The picture below will show a few different things. The first line being the automatically converted words into a neat font provided by Lenovo — I wrote it sloppy and it adjusted to be readable and look good both. The second line is the same thing wrote by myself with no changes from the software, just as the stylus allowed. Input is very smooth, accurate and fluid. The response is fast and I could see myself writing quick notes in class with ease here. The last line I attempted to show the pressure sensitivity. “Slash” is wrote with less pressure, and “Gear” I’m applying a bit more for a bolder ink look.

Everything is adjustable from font size, style, color, and we even have a bold option. One thing worth noting for all you lefties out there (myself included) is in settings Lenovo has provided a left hand options. The ThinkPad has something called “Palm Rejection” and when the stylus is active and you place your hand fully on the display it will only recognize the pen input. This was a little goofy at first until I found the left hand palm rejection option under settings.

While not activated on my tablet out of the box Lenovo provides a 3rd party keyboard that will enable users to quickly swap from touch input, to stylus input. Writing emails, and more can all be done with the stylus should you choose not to do the “hunt and peck” thing with the on-screen keyboard.

Security

I didn’t try these features myself but Lenovo has also added a few very neat security features for business users on the ThinkPad. We have Absolute Software recovery, and McAfee Mobile Security both installed. Absolute Software will allow security commands to take complete control of the ThinkPad tablet if lost or stolen — even if the thief wipes the device back to factory state. Included is data backup as well as full remote deletion of data for those important business documents. Absolute Software will also be able to trace the tablet using the included GPS and recover a stolen device, but this is nothing new, just an added benefit of buying Lenovo.

McAfee Mobile security also proved addition support and safety while browsing the web, and also features many of the same lost or stolen features mentioned above, including data backup/restore.

Camera

The Lenovo ThinkPad features a 5 megapixel camera around back (sadly with no LED flash) and a powerful 2 megapixel camera around front for video conference and chatting. Having a better camera on the front is one more reason the ThinkPad is geared toward business professionals that need the option to video conference. Here are a few example photos with the camera for an idea of its performance.

Then a quick shot with the 2 MP front facing camera

Battery Life

Powered by a 3250 mAh battery we have averaged pretty respectable battery life so far. While it doesn’t compare to the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and its 7100 mAh battery the ThinkPad has performed quite well. The image below isn’t fully accurate as far as what all I’ve ran because there should be plenty of games and benchmarks listed but it does give you an idea of what to expect. I used the ThinkPad tablet off and on throughout the day. Picking it up when needed, and leaving in standby when not in use and I’ve managed about 22 hours from a single charge with 10% remaining. For continuous use it wont last that long, and you can expect to see about 7-8 hours of straight up usage. One thing to note is the screen-dim feature where the tablet will automatically sleep the screen was set by default to 30 minutes — most tablets are 1 minute. First power up I left it alone for about 20 minutes and returned surprised it was still on. I’d turn that down first thing.

Wrap-Up

This tablet is pretty decent and should be great for business users and professionals. While the stylus works for full navigation everywhere the user needs from swiping through homescreens and choosing apps and more. Certain applications have no use for it, like Documents to Go — it has no doodle or stylus support so the stylus us useless here. We can expect to see more apps take full advantage of the pen in the future and the Lenovo App shop has a few that are confirmed to support it also.

While the ThinkPad tablet offers a great overall user experience for many users, the added features I just don’t see being all that useful unless you truly need them. I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve spent with it but would be equally happy with the Transformer. On a more business or student side of things this is a great tablet and has enough features to make it worth the added bulk and weight over other tablets on the market. This all comes down to personal needs and someone wanting a tablet will all the options and ports under the sun, that also has stylus input support as well as the latest Android 3.1 Honeycomb — this is the tablet for you.

The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet is available now starting at just $499 by heading over to lenovo.com

Griffin Technology has a new geek multi-tool that combines three different things your typical working nerd needs including a stylus for your tablet, a pen to write with, and a laser pointer for messing with cats or harassing coworkers. That laser works just as well for presentations in the boardroom. The stylus and pen head are on one removable section of the tool. The tool is called Stylus + Pen + Laser.

The soft rubber tip of the stylus promises to work on the iPhone and iPad as well as other tablets. The pen head is refillable and lets you write your notes or take the bosses lunch order. The gadget will sell for $49.99 and is available now.

Where the original capacitive stylus for the iPad and iPhone were small and made for portability, the Sketch Pro is a longer fully sized stylus with a broader tip that looks like a paintbrush. The stylus has a ergonomic grip that tapers and has a unibody aluminum handle. The tip is the stylus is designed for sensitivity and precision.

The lower end of the stylus near the tip is rubberized for grip and control. The Pogo Sketch Pro is also weighted for long-term comfortable use. The Sketch Pro will ship in October for $24.95. The stylus will also have replaceable tips allowing it to last and last.

“The creativity the Ten One Design community possesses is just mind-blowing,” said Peter Skinner, CEO, Ten One Design. “We love to facilitate their artistic passions and encourage the unique work they create. The work they’ve done thus far with the original Pogo Sketch has been nothing short of amazing, so we’re eager to see what they can do with the Pogo Sketch Pro.”

The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet sports a 10.1-inch WXGA 1280×800 16:10 IPS panel display covered with Gorilla Glass. It runs on the NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core 1GHz processor with 1GB of RAM and has a storage capacity of up to 64GB. It has USB 2.0 and micro-USB ports along with HDMI-out and SD card slot. It delivers a professional multimedia and entertainment experience and fully supports Adobe Flash.

But it’s main differentiators are in its optional digital stylus and its enterprise security features. It offers network passwords, full device and SD card encryption, as well as lost-device disablement and anti-theft software. The 16GB WiFi-only model is listed at $499, the 32GB WiFi/3G model is $569, and the 64GB WiFi/3G model is $669. They are all available to order now and estimated to ship by August 29.

[via Lenovo]

There are already plenty of rumors surrounding Amazon’s next Kindle successor with Amazon’s last domain registration for KindleAir.com. But this new domain registration is more telling and could be a sign of a neat new feature. Perhaps, the next Kindle will be paired with a stylus to incorporate note-taking capabilities on its e-ink display.

This could come in especially handy for students if, for instance, the feature lets users markup pages in a digital textbook. Pictured above is the NoteSlate concept tablet we saw earlier this year and it’d be awesome if the next-gen Kindle went a similar route.

Tablets may be appealing for all the multimedia functionality, but nothing beats the convenience of incredibly lightweight e-readers if consuming books is your main necessity. And if Amazon’s e-reader can now also double as a note-taking device, that would be a dream come true. We can perhaps truly get rid of most of the paper in our lives, including those crumpled up notes that get lost in purses and bags.

[via Fusible]

The two new patents with the one we found back in February make three this year alone. That would seem to be a strong indication that a stylus is coming. Along with the patents come some crude line art that shows one of the devices having a slot where a stylus would store and charge. The first patent app is called “Stylus for touchscreen devices” and describes a simple stylus with a special tip for capacitive screens. It uses a rechargeable battery according to the patent app and the tip can be heated for better interaction between stylus and screen.

The second patent app is more interesting and is called “Communicating Stylus.” This patent describes a stylus that could be used to shoot whatever you write on another surface over to the iPad or iPhone. That would mean you could write notes in class or in a meeting and the stylus would shoot the writing over to the Apple gadget. Both of the patents are new having been filed in January 2010.

[via Unwiredview]

The ColorStudio HD for iPad app works with the Griffin iMarker stylus like a digital coloring book. It includes over 30 animated and interactive coloring pages that react while being colored. The app can also detect whether a stylus or a finger is touching the screen so that kids will have to keep their fingers off the screen to prevent mucking up their creations.

Griffin is now shipping the bundled package of the Crayola’s ColorStudio HD along with the iMarker stylus for $29.99. The app itself can actually be downloaded for free from the App Store. Updates will continue to add new sets of coloring pages to the app.

[via CNET]

The side panel contains a scroll wheel and nine fixed buttons. This is for things like escape, space, control, shift etc. It’s designed so that one hand manipulates the stylus and touchscreen while one works with the panel on the side. The eight buttons lined up above and below the fixed buttons are all actually small e-ink displays that shift form and function based on context. The design also includes kickstands on both sides so it’s equally ergonomic for lefties.

The technology that’s coming out right now in tablet computers is honestly unlike anything else. The confluence of large and relatively inexpensive touchscreens (that don’t suck), bright and long-lasting OLED screens(that are affordable for the average Joe), and systems on a chip(RISC did change everything, Hackers was right!) changed the game forever. As I’ve heard my friends often exclaim with glee, “We’re living in the future!”

[via Yanko]

Apple’s stylus will have built in pressure detecting circuits which would communicate with the iPad through WiFi or Bluetooth. This is important because the iPad can’t detect pressure, or how hard the stylus is being pressed down. There would also be an accelerometer built into the stylus, something that would be great for gaming. The stylus described in the patent would also have built-in squeeze buttons that could be programmed for shortcuts, like changing colors or brushes.

There are no plans to manufacture this device so far, but keep an eye out, it may be coming soon. We also wonder if Google may begin developing a stylus for Android tablets. If a tablet stylus were available, would you buy it?

[via Cult of Mac]
from Patently Apple

While the EP121 will happily let you stab at Windows 7 with your finger – or two, since capacitive multitouch is supported – it’ll also let you whip out the included active stylus and get far more precise. Art apps are the obvious beneficiary, with the Eee Slate turned into a self-contained Wacom Cintiq, but there’s also digital handwriting recognition for a surprisingly accurate alternative to onscreen keyboards. Float the stylus nib above the screen and you can move the pointer without making a selection, for hover functionality; there’s also pressure recognition, so the harder you sketch, the thicker the line.

Unfortunately, most users have only ever come across two types of touchscreen: the resistive panels common on pre-iPhone smartphones and the capacitive screens Apple’s handset helped popularize. Active digitisers are something most people are unfamiliar with, so they associate a stylus with a dumb plastic toothpick, something that’s most likely a compromise for undersized on-screen icons. Throw in the generally underwhelming experience of resistive touchscreens on commercial devices – in markets on self-checkout machines, for instance – and you can see how it could be boiled down to a two-player battle in which capacitive technology pulls ahead.

Microsoft isn’t helping things with software, either. Devices with active digitisers – or hybrid pen/touch displays – generally run Windows, and the Microsoft OS still falls well short when it comes to tablet usability. It’s been more than eight years since Windows XP Tablet Edition launched, and while the handwriting and speech recognition engines have improved behind the scenes, visible tablet accommodation to the end-user has barely evolved.

Ironically, Microsoft has had the answer – or at least a potentially significant part of it – under their nose all the time, in the shape of OneNote and the team responsible for it. Billed as a digital notetaking app (which supports searches of handwritten notes, among other things), OneNote is actually a great example of how Windows and stylus control can work together in a way far more intuitive and flexible than putting finger to screen.

For a while, with the Courier project, it seemed like the company had recognized its strengths and was set to take advantage of them. Rather than the “must do everything your desktop does” attitude that infects current Windows tablets – and leaves them mixing pen, finger, keyboard and mouse paradigms and failing at them all – Courier looked set to do one core set of skills very well, something that no other current tablet offered. Rather than ASUS’ Eee Pad models, which bill themselves as ideal for content-creation as well as consumption and then deliver that by merely bolting on a physical keyboard, the active stylus would have allowed for precise digital handwriting and sketching – with pressure sensitivity, angle recognition and more.

No, perhaps it wouldn’t be the best device to run World of Warcraft on, or to do your company spreadsheets, but Microsoft appeared to be finally saying that some things were best left to your desktop or notebook. Courier could have been another step on Microsoft’s path to an Apple-style ecosystem of devices and services – all held together by its beloved cloud – and offering not just a facsimile of the iOS platform but a legitimate alternative based on something Steve Jobs refuses to countenance: that a stylus can still be a legitimate input option for a mobile device.

This isn’t meant to be an eulogy to Courier, but nor is the stylus ready for its obituary. The iPad has made great strides in popularising the tablet segment, but it’s also left Apple’s rivals scrabbling to create me-too alternatives that offer buzzwords like “content creation” with little more than a half-hearted nod from the spec sheet. The irony is that Microsoft is probably in the best starting place to take advantage of that, and yet seems the most reluctant to use its position.

The EP121 is far from perfect, but it’s also no iPad-clone and for that ASUS deserves some credit. The stylus-savvy will recognize it for its strengths and make up their own minds whether the hybrid display and Windows 7′s naivety balance each other out. They won’t have much in the way of choice, though; look at the tablets announced at CES 2011 this month, and you’ll see the vast majority avoid the stylus like the plague, in preference to solely finger control. Unfortunately, until the tablet segment matures enough to countenance anything other than another would-be “iPad killer”, the stylus will continue to get its unfair reputation.

First, we get to see a prototype hand-sized piece of Gorilla Glass where a there’s a bend in the glass.

Next, another piece with more of a dish shape (meaning there’s a dip in the middle) sizing in at around 4-inches.

Finally, another dish shaped piece with a hole cut in it I’d assume for a speaker.

Then the fun began. Vince gets to use sort of a metal stylus (looks like the handle of an Exacto Knife to me) to press down on several pieces of lower-grade glass, of course breaking them each in turn.

Finally, they reach the Gorilla Glass, a 1.1-mm thickness just like each of the pieces of glass before it. The man presenting the Glass does admit that some people at PEPCOM had been able to break the glass upon HEAVY pushing, so Vince does attempt to do so as well “for our readers” – like a boss. But alas, the glass does not give way. But I guess that’s also good news!

The representative for Gorilla Glass then goes into the technology behind the glass in a bit of detail. What Gorilla Glass is is an Alkalide Lumina Silicone glass – which essentially means it has sodium in it. The way the glass is made strong is that they put in a hot salt bath, which leaches out the sodium, which they then replace with Potassium. Potassium, being a bigger molecule than sodium, sets up a compressive layer on the surface when the glass cools. That compressive layer is what makes the glass damage resistant.*

*SCHOOLED: Take a look at this extended explanation of how Gorilla Glass works, courtesy of intrepid commenter Santosh:

“Alkalide lumina silicone” glass??? Please change that to Alkaline Alumino-Silicate glass. Just a brief note on alkali (or alkaline) ions – they consist of Lithium (Li), Sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb) and cesium (Cs), first group in periodic table. Alumino-silicate represent aluminum oxide (Al2O3) plus silicon dioxide or silica (SiO2) AND NOT “silicone”. Silicone is a separate class of materials which are silicon (Si) containing polymers. So, the short version is that the glass is (alkali alumino-silicate) Na2O-Al2O3-SiO2. The sodium (Na+) ion from the surface of the glass is “ion exchanged” with larger potassium ion (NOT potassium molecule – as suggested by Corning Glass expert – in fact, there is no such thing as “potassium molecule”). I hope this will help clarify the real chemistry (typically taught at any entry level materials science class). When you stuff the larger ion, the outer layer tries to expand, but the bulk of the glass does not, which exerts compressive stress on the surface. So when you try to put the tensile or biaxial stress on the surface, the compressive stress compensates/neutralizes the tensile or biaxial stress thus preventing crack formation. I hope this will make it a complete explanation.

All that make sense to you? Thank you Santosh for taking the time to go in-depth on this subject, we appreciate it to no end! It’s commenters like you that make this community great!

The Gorilla Glass rep then displays a very thin layer of Gorilla Glass employed on a giant television, noting how awesome it looks and how it’ll differentiate it from any other television with how thin and strong it is.

Finally, he shows off a panel of Gorilla Glass with a design behind it which he notes would be optimal for a laptop cover (either custom or straight out of the box) that could, again, differentiate whichever brand plans on using it.

Take a look at the video below and see the awesome strength of the gorilla.

Then there’s a lovely and strange addition: a built-in stylus that doubles as another stand. This amazing amalgamation will be available QUITE soon, November 20th in fact, and it’s available for pre-order now. This lady will run you $299.99. Take a peek at the whole press release below:

The Perfect Holiday Accessory: MimoMonitors.com Introduces iMo eye9, 9″ USB Touchscreen Mini Monitor with Rotating Webcam

MimoMonitors’ latest release unveils a suite of new features including touchscreen and webcam, just in time for the holidays; optional Flex-Arm Mount attaches the monitor to any surface

PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — MimoMonitors.com, the leader in USB touchscreen displays, today announced the new iMo eye9 mini-monitor, the perfect, most unique gift for anyone on your list this holiday season. The iMo eye9 extends the viewing “real estate” of both PCs and Macs with touchscreen capability, offering an extra display to de-clutter the desktop and offload popular applications or open web browsers into a dedicated, always-visible window. The monitor features a dual-hinged stand for landscape and portrait viewing, and can be completely detached for tablet style usage. It also includes a rotating 1.3 megapixel webcam to keep users connected with friends and family for the holidays via Skype, Google Chat, and more.

At just 9″ wide and 1.5 pounds, iMo eye9 is easy to connect to desktops, laptops, and netbooks, working seamlessly with any PC or Mac application. As with all Mimo monitors, it requires only the included USB connection for full power and functionality. In addition to the dual-hinged stand, the iMo eye9 comes with a secondary easel stand that’s perfect for displaying digital pictures during holiday parties and gatherings. The sleek, glossy design looks great on any desk or table, and is fully protected by a snap-on cover.

The iMo eye9 is perfect for:

* SHOPPING: use the extra display to keep online stores in a separate window, actively monitor online auctions for gift purchases, stay on top of holiday shopping sales, and more.
* RETAIL/CORPORATE/INDUSTRIAL: mount anywhere to use as touchscreen controller, play marketing videos, and capture or display data.
* CHATTING: pull IM, chat, and video windows onto the iMo monitor; use the rotating webcam to give long-distance buddies a 360-degree view of holiday celebrations.
* TWEETING: update your Twitter and Facebook status and keep in touch with social media contacts, without cluttering your main screen.
* ENTERTAINING: tap into eye9′s sharp resolution and color display for gaming, watching videos, and more.
* PRODUCTIVITY: offload spreadsheets, toolbars, email windows, and much more; touchscreen works with either included stylus or fingertip.

Also available for the iMo eye9: the new iMo Flex-Arm Mount, offering added flexibility to securely mount your mini-monitor onto any horizontal or vertical surface, with the same convenient, dual-hinged design as the iMo eye9 stand.

The iMo eye9 is available now on www.MimoMonitors.com for $229.99, with the Single Flex Mounting Arm can be purchased for $39.99. Available on November 20th; preorders now being taken. Reserve yours today!

Made of stainless steel, titanium, and solid aluminum. Overall length: 17 cm (6 3/4″), handle length: 14 cm (5 1/2″), handle diameter: 6 mm (1/4″), contact O: 1 cm (7/16″), weight: 12 grams (0.4 oz). Designed mainly for drawing and painting on capacitive touchscreen devices, and there’s a thin vinyl film applied to the contact pad so you don’t have to worry about scratching up the screen.

[Via oStylus]

You can hop over to the company website and order one up with its cool multifunction clip. The clip not only holds the stylus to the side of the iPhone 4, but also lets you position the iPhone for watching video and FaceTime calls with a simple little slit in the clip for the iPhone to stand up.

The clip and the Pogo Stylus will set you back $14.95 and you can get the stylus in green, black, orange, and pink colors. If you aren’t on the iPhone 4 yet you can opt for a clip that fits older models. Ten One Design even offers an app called Autograph that lets you sign emails using the stylus.

The new stylus is just like the older stylus, the new cool is the clip. The clip will attach to the iPhone 4 with or without a silicone sleeve on the device or an Apple bumper. When you want to stand the iPhone 4 up to watch video or other content the clip can be easily removed.

Once removed, a slot in the clip will prop the iPhone 4 up in portrait or landscape mode. It will be perfect for making FaceTime calls or watching video in landscape mode. The new Pogo with the fancy clip can be purchased now in several colors for $14.95.