Panay, who led the Surface project, and is a corporate VP at Microsoft, took to Twitter to confirm that he had been testing out the latest Wacom beta drivers. “Cool to see Pen pressure in Photoshop” he commented, along with the promise that the software update would be “releasing soon.”

That was then followed by the quiet release from Wacom of what’s described as an “Enhanced Tablet Driver“, v7.1.1-12. Although the driver makes no specific mention of Surface Pro, the details given around what, exactly, it does for a Wacom digitizer-enabled system does sound just like what Panos was talking about:

“Expand the capabilities of your tablet computer with the enhanced tablet driver for systems that use Wacom Feel IT technology! Installing this driver will provide many advanced pressure-sensitive features that Wacom pen tablet users have come to enjoy. The driver supports advanced features such as pressure-sensitivity in graphics applications such as Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter. It also allows you to adjust the pen tip pressure sensitivity and to program the side switch of the pen for a wide range of alternative settings and functions” Wacom Feel It driver documentation

Microsoft is yet to confirm whether this is, in fact, the relevant update, though given there have been mixed messages around why pressure sensitivity does not work properly in all apps in the first place, that’s arguably not a surprise. Anecdotal reports from Surface Pro users have indicated that it the driver does, indeed, address the issue, ZDNet reports.

One proposed explanation is that Microsoft scuppered third-party support by forcing the Surface Pro to use its own InkAPI drivers for the Wacom digitizer, whereas others have blamed Adobe for not building the necessary support into its software. Adobe has been pushing for the WinTab API drivers instead.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is tipped to be preparing a new line of “Surface 2″ tablets, potentially including a smaller, roughly 7- to 8-inch model, for reveal at its BUILD 2013 developer conference this year. So far, Windows RT and Windows 8 have been reserved for 10-inch tablets or bigger, leaving the smaller scale touch market to the iPad mini and various Android-powered options.

As with the non-touch variant of the Cintiq 22HD, this new screen recognizes up to 2048 different levels of pressure from the digital pen, as well as +/-60 levels of tilt on the pen’s nib. The included stylus also has an eraser head on the other end.

Spread around the bezel there are multiple shortcut buttons, with a total of sixteen customizable ExpressKeys – that can change function depending on which application has focus – on either side of the display. Touch-strips, meanwhile, are on the back of the panel, and can be programmed to control zooming, scrolling, bruss size, or rotation of the canvas.

The panel itself supports between 10- and 65-degree incline, and can be rotated by 180-degrees in either direction. It’s priced at $2,499 in the US and £1,899.99 in the UK.

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.

That’s not something you could really say about Wacom’s existing Cintiq models, the 22HD, 24HD, and 24HD touch, which kick off at a desk-bound 22-inches. In contrast, the Cintiq 13HD display is 14.75 x 9.75 x 0.5 inches and 2.65 pounds, and simply hooks up to your laptop as a second display.

Once you’ve done that – via the native HDMI, or DVI, VGA, or Mini DisplayPort with the right adapter – you get a 2048-pressure-level pen, 16.7m color support, and tilt recognition. The pen itself comes with nine different nibs – five standard, three felt, and one stroke – as well as a desk stand and a carry case. It has two side switches and an active eraser, as well as the pressure-sensitive nib.

Around the body of the 13HD there are four user-assignable shortcut buttons, the functions of which can automatically change depending on the active app, and a 4-position customizable rocker ring and home button. The screen itself has 250cd/m2 brightness and covers 75-percent of the Adobe RGB color gamut.

As well as detaching the stand to use the new baby Cintiq in your lap, you can prop it up at one of three angles – 22-, 35-, and 50-degrees – and a regular USB 2.0 data connection is included in the three-in-one cable which also handles display signal and power.

The Wacom Cintiq 13HD will go on sale in early April, priced at $999 in the US and £749.99 in the UK.

The screen of the monitor is 10.1-inches and has a resolution of 1280 x 800. The product gets connectivity and power from a USB cable. The little display uses a stylus that needs no battery and supports 512 levels of pressure sensitivity. Using the pen you can make annotations on just about anything you can think of and you computer will accept handwriting.

The product is designed to work with various electronic form software including Wacom’s own software offering and SoftPro SignDoc and xyzmo SIGNificant. The display has a stand that allows you to view it at angles of 15 or 20°. Users that prefer can also lay the screen flat on the desktop surface.

The display also includes integrated AES encryption for security. The device measures 12.2 x 8.3 x 0.6-inches and has four user assignable express keys. The worst part about this product is the price tag. Wacom is asking $749 with the shipping date set for April.

[via EverythingUSB]

We know that Samsung is a big believer in the stylus, so this investment may not seem like a huge surprise to most, especially since the two companies have already been working together for quite some time. With this deal, we could see a lot more Samsung devices come with styluses, including the upcoming Galaxy S IV, which is rumored to be getting the S-Pen.

While that specific rumor is shaky at best, we’re at least guaranteed to see more of Wacom’s technology be built into upcoming Samsung “Note” devices, since that’s a lineup that the company says is all about productivity, but it’ll be interesting to see where the investment takes Samsung, and how they’ll further use Wacom technology with upcoming devices.

The only remaining question is, how does this affect Wacom? They’ll surely get more business from Samsung, but what this affect how Wacom handles business with other companies that compete with Samsung? With only a 5% stake, we doubt Samsung will have much control over that sort of thing, but it’ll be fun to find out how it’s all handled.

Bamboo Paper is a free app that works like a digital notebook. The app allows users to create and collaborate with handwritten notes, sketches, and doodles saved on the Android device. The app is designed to work with the Wacom Bamboo Stylus line of input devices or any stylus that comes with a smartphone or tablet.

The app is compatible with the Samsung Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note II, and the Galaxy S III to start with. Wacom promises that compatibility with other devices will come later. The app supports natural handwriting for capturing notes and allows the user to draw using different color inks and highlighting.

The app requires Android 4.0 or higher and so far has between 1000 and 5000 installations. The downloads 18 MB and currently has an average rating of 3.7. The app is also available for download from the Samsung Apps app store.

This device will be appearing as a 13.3-inch Mac-based pen tablet computer. You’ve got a 64GB solid-state drive inside, upgrade possible to 480GB internal SSD storage, and a ship-date for online purchases of the device for as early as mid-November. This device combines the original hardware of an Apple MacBook Pro with OS X Mountain Lion with a digitizer from Wacom for 512 levels of pen pressure sensitivity. Also in the mix is a ForceGlass pen interface and the ability to work with Microsoft Windows 7 as well.

If you purchase the base configuration of this machine, you’ll be getting Modbook Inc’s own original 64GB Nishara-class SATA 3 SSD with NAND technology – and you’ve got the option to work with a bigger more powerful beast as well, of course, with up to 480GB of storage. With NAND technology you’ll have the best speed and performance available with flash-based storage, and you’ll have no moving parts – better for the long run.

Sales of this Modbook Pro will begin on Wednesday and will have customers living in the United States – or at least whose mailing addresses are in the USA – getting shipment in starting in November. The Modbook team lets everyone know the following about each Modbook purchase, and makes it clear that this is not an original product in and of itself, but a modification of a product originally manufactured by Apple.

The Modbook Pro is an enclosure conversion kit designed to exclusively contain an original MacBook Pro base system manufactured by Apple Inc. Apple Inc.’s one-year warranty on the base system is voided by the conversion and replaced with the Modbook Pro Protection Plan, which covers the entire hardware solution, including the base system.

Let us know if you’re into the idea of the Modbook Pro, or if you think people should just stick with the iPad and leave the real power to the notebook universe!

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.

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.

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.

The Bamboo Paper app now comes to Android as well as iOS, a free digital notebook intended for sketching, note-taking and doodling. Wacom says it intends to bolster the apps in the coming months, including adding support for multiple notebooks; however, the Bamboo Stylus duo will also work with other high-profile software like Taposé, Paper and their Android alternatives.

As for the stylus itself, it’s not a digital pen like Wacom has provided Samsung with for the Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 10.1, but it does have a metal body and take regular 0.7mm ball point refills. The stylus nib is also replaceable.

The Bamboo Stylus duo will go on sale from May, priced at £34.99 in the UK. At the same time, the Bamboo Paper apps for iPad and Android tablets will be released for download from the App Store and Play Market respectively.

The Intuos5 features a slim-profile in a professional matte black and soft-touch finish that’s both modern and durable. It has ergonomics in mind with an ambidextrous design that makes it easily adjustable for right- or left-hand users. At the core of Wacom’s graphics tablet is its Intuos5 Grip Pen, which registers 2,048 levels of pen pressure and up to 60 degrees of tilt. This precision and sensitivity makes it feel the same as working with traditional tools such as markers, pens, and brushes, giving users more creative effects when used with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and other similar graphics software.

The addition of multi-touch gestures support helps to further streamline workflows by making it easy to zoom, scroll, pan, and rotate content, all directly on the tablet instead of switching back and forth from a mouse or other input device. The Intuos 5 can recognize standard Windows and Mac gestures as well as custom gestures created through Wacom’s software.

There are also customizable ExpressKeys on the Intuos5 along with one Touch Ring and a four-function toggle that allow users to create custom shortcut keys for commonly used functions to reduce the need to go back to the keyboard, improving productivity. And with the purchase of a separate Wireless Accessory kit, which includes a rechargeable battery, RF module, and USB receiver, the Intuos5 can be converted to a wireless tablet for even more comfort and convenience.

Wacom’s Intuos 5 graphics tablets are available now and come in three sizes with the Small priced at $229.95, Medium at $349.95, and the Large at $469.95. A cheaper pen-only version of the Small tablet will also be offered, but pricing on that has not been confirmed yet.

Since the Galaxy Note, however, Samsung and Wacom have tweaked the digitizer layer, and the 10.1-inch version is supposedly more accurate. The stylus itself will work with the Galaxy Note, though you won’t get the extra precision. Unfortunately there’s no silo for the pen in the Galaxy Note 10.1, which makes it a shame that the stylus itself is a little on the narrow side. We’d prefer something thicker and more comfortable to hold for longer periods.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 hands-on:

Samsung will preload the Adobe suite of PhotoShop apps for Android tablets, and you can create and edit multi-layered photos as well as easily integrate new shots from the Galaxy Note 10.1′s camera itself. Unfortunately there’s no actual handwriting recognition or Evernote integration, as we saw on the HTC Flyer, but you do get a clever handwritten equation calculator that might come in useful for students.

The downsides are that the Galaxy Note 10.1 feels a little thicker and heavier than the original Galaxy Tab 10.1, but it’s a compromise we feel many would be willing to make when the slate hits shelves in Q2.

White can be a tricky color to get right: you run the risk of making your smartphone look oversized or, worse still, tacky. Samsung has nailed it with the Galaxy Note, however: the super-skinny bezel around the Super AMOLED HD display – running at a crisp 1280 x 800 resolution – and the 9.65mm thick chassis make for a device that looks distinctive rather than cheap. The matching white pen, with a discrete Samsung logo, is a nice touch too.

We were impressed by the inking experience back in our initial hands-on with the Note at IFA, and this latest software build doesn’t disappoint either. The touchscreen uses a Wacom digitizer, which recognizes pressure as well as touch, and the responsiveness and clarity is brilliant. Unlike, say, the HTC Flyer which can show some disconnect between the nib of the pen and where on-screen inking occurs, as well as jaggedness in the final pen-strokes, Samsung’s implementation is flaw-free and smooth.

Galaxy Nexus vs White Galaxy Note Hands-on:

We also asked about Samsung’s plans for the S-Pen SDK – set to be released in December - considering Ice Cream Sandwich has native digital stylus support, and the company told us that what, exactly, will happen is still up in the air. It seems that the Galaxy Note will indeed get Android 4.0 – Samsung pointed out that it had been working with Google ahead of other Android OEMs on the platform, for the Galaxy Nexus – but there’s no solid timescale for the upgrade.

As for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, we already had a good idea of how big a step up Ice Cream Sandwich was from Gingerbread from our hands-on playtime at the Hong Kong launch event, but it’s a platform that continues to deliver interesting tidbits each time you use it. A lot of the appeal is in the animations, such as when you tap the new on-screen home/menu/back buttons or swipe between panes, and which help to make the OS feel more consistent and thorough.

Just as we expected, the Galaxy Nexus will go on sale in Europe on November 17, and the US release of the Verizon LTE model is expected to be around the same time.

We’ve seen digital pens that can turn a notebook into a digitizer before – Livescribe’s smartpens leap to mind – but Wacom is keen to underline the differences between the Inkling’s focus and that of other products. Whereas Livescribe’s pens are intended to track a mixture of handwriting, brief sketches and other mixed content, the Inkling is dedicated to drawing.

In that respect, the promise is simple: clip the compact receiver box to the top of your notepad – it’ll handle up to A4 sized paper – and power on with the left button. A combination of infrared and ultrasound are used to track the special battery-powered pen, which means you’ll need line-of-sight between the nib and the receiver, but beyond that it’s a case of sketching away to your heart’s content. What makes it particularly clever is the layer button; tap that and the Inkling stores your subsequent sketches to a new layer (you can save as many as will fit in the receiver’s 2GB of storage, each a space-efficient vector file).

Wacom Inkling demo:

Those layers become useful when you hook the receiver up – via microUSB – to your computer. The new sketches are automatically sucked into Wacom’s Sketch Manager app, and you can then see the entire drawing as well as hide individual layers. It’s even possible to watch an animation of the whole drawing process, though you can’t currently export that as a video file; Wacom told us they are considering that functionality for a later upgrade. What you can do, however, is snip sections of one layer out into a new layer, isolating different parts of the picture.

From there it’s a case of exporting to one of the supported apps – Photoshop and Illustrator are the most likely candidates (both CS3 or later), but Autodesk SketchBook Pro and SketchBook Designer (2011 or later) are possible too – whereupon all the layer information is carried over and you can edit, color and generally tweak as normal. Quality is surprisingly high, with smooth curves even at high levels of zoom.

It’s not entirely perfect. The included carry-case/charging box feels a bit thrown-together, though it does at least have space for the (standard) black ink refils, USB cable, both receiver and pen, and allow you to charge each from a single USB hook-up. Wacom tells us that this is still pre-production hardware, so things will hopefully be more sturdy by the time the Inkling hits shelves.

Still, even as the merest amateurs of artists, we weren’t surprised when Wacom said it had been inundated with interest after announcing the Inkling last month. The simplicity of the capturing process and the ease with which even complicated sketches can be later managed is brilliant, and we can imagine that “proper” artists would be able to use the Inkling as a real tool rather than a gimmick. The $199 price-tag when the Inkling goes on sale imminently could be the biggest block to ownership, though if you’ve ever found yourself wishing you could keep whatever you doodled in the margins of your notebook it may still be worth it.

Even with the smaller models you’ll need to be used to a fair sized mousemat if the Wacom alternative isn’t to feel over-scaled. We can’t argue with the active digitizer’s accuracy, however; the lightweight (and battery-free) stylus supports both actual taps against the tablet as well as hovering, while the barrel mounted buttons are accompanied by some user-configureable buttons on the base unit itself. These can be easily tapped with a finger or with the tip of the pen, and are easily enough pressed so that we don’t expect they’ll blunt the nib.

Style-wise they’re all thin and, thanks to plastic rather than metal construction, lightweight. That’s important when you consider that Wacom is also offering an optional wireless dongle set, allowing you to scoop the tablets onto your lap and work remotely. All but one model is finger-touch enabled, and the MacBook Pro Wacom had its demo units hooked up to was happy to treat the Bamboo as an even bigger trackpad.

As we reported yesterday, the Bamboo Connect will be $79.95 (£49.99 in the UK), while the Bamboo Capture will be $99.95 (£89.99) and the Bamboo Create $199.95 (£169.99). The Wireless Accessory Kit will be $39 or £34.99.

As for the wireless option, that will consist of a plug-in USB dongle that hooks up with its counterpart slotted into the side of each tablet. There’s handwriting recognition support and various bundled apps, including Adobe Photoshop Elements and Autodesk Sketchbook Express on the Create. Both Windows and Mac are supported.

The Bamboo Connect will be priced at $79.95, while the Bamboo Capture will be $99.95 and the Bamboo Create $199.95. In Europe, the Bamboo Pen (which is basically the Connect) will be £49.99, and the Capture and Create will be sold as the Bamboo Fun Pen & Touch Small and Pen & Touch Medium for £89.99 and £169.99 respectively. Another version of the Pen, the Pen & Touch, will be $74.99. The Wireless Accessory Kit will be $39 or £34.99.

The Inkling is a new creative tool that will digitally capture what you draw as you draw it in real ink on real paper. It comes in a self-contained kit that consists of a receiver and a pen. The receiver can be attached to the edge of any paper medium you plan to draw on and detects the pen via an ultrasonic and infrared link.

The receiver records your strokes as you draw and can record up to 1024 levels of pressure. It can even record your strokes onto different layers with a push of a button, which comes in handy if you’re using layer-based applications like Adobe Photoshop. And since it uses a real ink pen insert, when you’re finished you’ll have both a physical pen drawing and a digital copy of it, that can be exported as either a vector or bitmap image.

Both the receiver and pen contain rechargeable batteries and are charged by USB while sitting inside the Inkling storage case. It takes 3 hours to reach a full charge, which offers 8 hours of drawing time. The Inkling kit is priced at $199 and will be available in mid-September.

[via Geek]

That camera, ASUS original suggested, could be used by students to snap photos of text and images and then annotate them directly on the Eee Note’s display. Ports include microUSB, a 3.5mm headphones socket and a microSD card slot, to augment the onboard 4GB of ROM. There’s also a mono speaker and integrated microphone.

ASUS reckons the Eee Note EA800 will last for up to 10hrs continuous use with the wireless turned on, or 14.5hrs with it turned off. Alternatively the 3,700 mAh battery is good for up to 10 days standby. It supports PDF, ePub, MP3, JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG, txt, doc, docx, xls, xlsx, ppt and pptx files. No word on pricing at this stage.

[via Notebook Italia]

The Pocket eDGe runs Android and has WiFi b/g, Bluetooth, 3GB of internal storage, a 2-megapixel camera and a microSD card slot. There’s also a microUSB port and a headphones socket. The two displays work hand-in-hand thanks to Entourage’s tweaks to Android, so you can flip webpages over from the LCD to the E Ink for easier reading and annotation.

At $399.99 it’s still not cheap, but it’s an interesting alternative to the Huawei S7 and Samsung Galaxy Tab. More information in the video below.

[via Android Community]

Press Release:

WORLD’S SMALLEST DUALBOOK, POCKET EDGE, ENABLES MOBILE LIFESTYLES WITH MULTIMEDIA TABLET, NETBOOK AND E-READER FUNCTIONALITIES

McLean, VA – Consumers who crave portability, but don’t want to be weighed down by numerous consumer electronics can now easily read, write and surf the Web on-the-go with enTourage Systems’ Pocket eDGe – a device that gets users through the day with its comprehensive professional and entertainment applications, combining the functionality of a touch screen tablet, e-reader and notepad.

The Pocket eDGe is a compact, multi-purpose, WiFi-enabled device, weighing just 24 ounces as the smallest dualbook available on the market. It is comprised of hinged LCD and E-Ink screens that interact for better communication and engagement with multi-media materials. Available content includes a vast array of e-books, periodicals and music available through enTourage Systems’ Web store.

The 7” LCD screen is ideal for Web browsing or viewing videos. The LCD side allows users to send emails to quickly stay in touch and manipulate Microsoft Office documents. Users can take advantage of useful applications that are already incorporated into the software, such as the built-in calendar app which makes it easy for users to keep track of appointments. The Pocket eDGe also operates on the Google Android operating system, providing access to numerous helpful Android applications available at enTourage Systems’ application store and other third-party developer sites.

The other side of the product contains a 6” E-Ink screen for accessing any e-books and documents in EPUB. It is also compatible with PDF documents. The E-Ink screen is Wacom Penabled, allowing for easy annotation or note-taking with an included stylus, when the Journal function is activated. With this technology, users can mark up documents, such as notes, recipes or contracts, and then send them as PDFs to friends and colleagues.

The two screens uniquely interact. Users have the ability, for example, to search terms and key words from e-books in Google, a dictionary or via Wikipedia on the LCD side. The Pocket eDGe has built-in speakers, a microphone and a camera – letting users record lectures and meetings, or capture images, listen to music and watch videos. The mobile professional or student can also project presentations through a USB-Video adapter.

“Consumers are becoming increasingly mobile and demand technologies and information access regardless of their location,” said Asghar Mostafa, CEO of enTourage Systems, Inc. “The Pocket eDGe is compact and lightweight, but full of all of the features and tools an on-the-go user would need for work, school or recreation anytime, anywhere.”

To-date, enTourage Systems has secured more than 250,000 trade books and hundreds of New York Times best sellers, in addition to the more than one million free public domain books digitized by Google, that are all available at its e-book store. enTourage Systems provides access to over 1,300 newspapers from 82 countries and 39 languages, and also has enhanced its e-store with more than 8 million music tracks and albums from major and independent labels – creating a one-stop solution for digital content.

The Pocket eDGe inspires a green lifestyle, allowing users to store all notes, documents and books digitally to decrease paper waste.

The Pocket eDGe can be oriented to view the LCD vertically or horizontally, or it can be held like a book, propped open like a laptop, or opened the full 360-degrees to view only one screen.

The Pocket eDGe will be available in November 2010 at major online retailers for $399. For more information, please visit www.entourageedge.com, the enTourage eDGe Facebook page or @enTourageeDGe Twitter feed.

It seemingly won’t be ready in time for IFA early next month, however, so we’ll have to make do with the five models the company is willing to tell us about.  Both the Pro 603 and Pro 903 have integrated 3G modems and Wacom touchscreens, too, presumably for ebook annotation.

Each of the ereaders runs Pocketbook’s open-source software and have wireless access to the Bookland ebook store.  Onboard storage is 2GB – we’re guessing it’s expandable – and Foxconn are apparently the OEM tasked with building the new range.  No hard specifications on the Pocketbook IQ tablet, beyond that it will be available in a choice of three colors,

[via Lesen]

The two interactive open displays are now available to purchase. In case you don’t recall, the 21.5-inch DTU-2231 display has a resolution of 1920 x 1080. The 1631 has a 15.6-inch screen with a resolution of 1366 x 768. The two screen share several other features.

Both have a cordless pen that needs no batteries. The pen has 512 levels of pressure sensitivity and it features a tip switch. A pair of side switches are available that are customizable as well. Both have USB hubs and offer video pass-thru. The 2231 will sell for $1899 and the 1631 goes for $1249.

Fear not, if you are a DIY type, you can take your Wacom tablet and turn it into a Cintiq clone on the cheap. OK, maybe not cheap, but the kit costs less than the Cintiq for sure. The kit is available for four different Wacom tablet models and includes the enclosure and other materials.

Kits are offered for the Intuos4, Intuos3 A4, Intuos2, and UD starting at $221.55. The rub is that the kit doesn’t include all the parts that you need for the conversion. You will also need your own LCD screen sized depending on the tablet you are converting along with the enclosure kit and Wacom tablet. Only kits for the Intuos3 and Intuos4 are available right now.

[Via Hackaday]

Toggle buttons allow you to control up to four different features with each touch-strip, via the round control on the front.  That way you can cycle through multiple brush settings all with one hand, while actually using the stylus with the other.

That stylus has a tilt range of +/-60 degrees and Wacom reckon you hardly need to be pressing it to the display in order to begin painting.  The 21UX itself can rotate 180-degrees and tilt between 10- and 65-degrees, while connectivity is via DVI-I.  Of course, as with other Cintiq tablets none of this comes cheap; the 21UX is $1999.99.

[via Gizmodo]

The two new displays are the DTU-2231 and the DTU-1631. The DTU-2231 is hailed as the first interactive HD pen display for radiology, EMR and other applications. The screen is 21.5-inches wide and has a resolution of 1920 x 1080. The pen display lets users highlight areas for closer inspection and make handwritten comments right on images.

The DTU-1631 is a much smaller 15.6-inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 supporting 720p HD resolution. The screen is sized for capturing signatures and other tasks. Both displays use battery-free pens with 512 levels of pressure sensitivity. Both also feature USB hubs, video pass-thru, and can be set to provide a flat work surface. The 2231 will sell for $1,899 and the 1631 will sell for $1,249 with availability set for this spring.

Preorder customers – who ordered a DR800SG directly from iRex themselves – started getting their units back in late January 2010.  First impressions were of an excellent quality display with a touchscreen display that doesn’t obscure the E Ink panel, while build is strong though leading to a slightly heavy unit as a result.

In-store availability, meanwhile, will be gradually rolled out over the coming months, so if you want to check out the ereader before you lay out the cash it’s probably a good idea to call ahead.  A Kindle will be cheaper, but the iRex gets you the flexibility to buy titles from Barnes & Noble, NewspaperDirect and LibreDigital.

Video overview after the cut

Over at CNET they’ve already reviewed the Intuos4 Wireless, and reckon it’s certainly more convenient than the wired model.  However they also had some issues with Bluetooth pairing, and expressed concerns about battery life; if left turned on, the tablet can apparently drain the battery to the point where it can no longer be recharged, meaning a replacement (costing between $39 and $49) must be bought.

As with other Intuos4 models, there’s an OLED display, various shortcut buttons and a scroll-wheel, many of which can be user-programmed.  The pen supports 2,048 levels of pressure, and comes complete with standard, felt, stroke and flex nibs.  The Wacom Intuos4 Wireless is available in the US now, priced at $399; it’ll land in the UK at the end of March, priced at £359.99.

[flv]http://s3.amazonaws.com/wacombucket/Intuos4/VIDEO_I4Wireless_Intro_Flash.flv[/flv]

Press Release:

Wacom Intuos4 Wireless provides creative freedom

The ideal pen tablet for on-the-go professional creators of digital content

Monday 1st February 2010: Wacom today announces the Intuos4 Wireless professional pen tablet, a highly-anticipated product featuring Bluetooth wireless technology. The new Intuos4 Wireless is aimed at digital content creators such as photographers, designers and artists who seek the freedom of wireless technology as well as the control and comfort benefits inherent in Wacom’s professional range of pen tablets. The liberating experience of being able to move about the room and work “unattached” from a computer also makes the Intuos4 Wireless an excellent tool for use at a collaborative work session. In addition, the medium-sized Intuos4 Wireless fits easily into most computer laptop bags, offering an ideal input solution for mobile creative professionals.

By combining the successful Intuos4 pen tablet design with Bluetooth wireless technology Wacom is able to provide users with the flexibility and freedom to work in the most comfortable way for drawing, editing, painting, retouching or general computer work. The Intuos4 Wireless meets the intuitive nature and overall experience offered by the Intuos4 brand.

The Intuos4 and Bluetooth
Bluetooth wireless technology is a global communications standard found in millions of computers and mobile devices that allows these devices to communicate reliably over distances of up to 10 metres. Ideal for home, office, or remote-meeting use, the Intuos4 Wireless provides mobility and freedom when working with Bluetooth-enabled desktop or laptop computers. It can be charged directly from the computer via USB.

Breakthrough design improves workflow, boosts productivity
Whether on the road, at home or at work, the slim and ergonomic design of the Intuos4 Wireless pen tablet makes it the ideal creative tool for working with digital content in comfort. Available in one size (medium), the Intuos4 Wireless has an asymmetrical design that puts the Touch Ring and the customisable ExpressKeys on one side of the tablet, making them all available to the user’s non-dominant hand. The ExpressKeys are instrumental in helping improve workflow and boosting productivity by placing commonly-used commands right at the user’s fingertips. Illuminated (OLED) displays provide helpful reminders as to the function of each ExpressKey. These settings are application-specific, and the displays will immediately update as the user changes between applications. To switch the tablet from right-handed to left-handed use, the user simply rotates the tablet 180 degrees and changes the orientation of the illuminated icons within the Wacom tablet driver software.

The Touch Ring on the Intuos4 Wireless is capable of controlling up to four different functions in any application. A button located in the centre of the ring “toggles” the ring between application-specific functions such as zoom, scroll, brush size adjustment or canvas rotation. The position of the illuminated LED located along the perimeter of the Touch Ring indicates the current function.

With all these features, the Intuos4 Wireless provides the perfect tool for an individual, ergonomic style of working, free of any cables.

The Intuos4 Grip Pen
The Grip Pen that comes with the Intuos4 Wireless features Wacom’s proprietary Tip Sensor technology, offering users near-zero (one gramme) starting pressure for the most sensitive Intuos pen tablet performance to-date. The pressure-sensitive support starts with a light touch, emulating the same feel, response and result derived from working with traditional creative tools such as brushes, markers and pens. Additionally, the Intuos4 Wireless pen has 2,048 levels of pressure, doubling the resolution of the pen’s pressure curve to further enhance feedback and expand creative control within software applications that support pressure sensitivity. The Grip Pen also features a pressure-sensitive eraser and two customisable side-switches that can be set for commands such as double-click and right-click. The Intuos4 Wireless ships with a handy clip-on pen holder for securing the pen to the tablet when not being used.

Intuos4 Wireless pen stand
A weighted desktop pen stand not only provides a convenient pen holder, but also functions as a handy twist-off storage compartment for pen nibs and a handy nib extractor. Standard, felt, stroke and flex nibs ship with the Intuos4 Wireless, allowing users to simulate the feel of working with a variety of traditional art and design materials.

Available software
Purchasers of an Intuos4 Wireless pen tablet are entitled to a choice of one application from a selection of three creative applications offered by leading software manufacturers Adobe, Autodesk and Corel. Users select their applications via download. In addition, Intuos4 users will appreciate the significant upgrades to Wacom’s powerful, user-friendly driver software, including precision mode and radial menus for even more precise and accurate work.

Additional accessories
In order to provide the best pen tablet experience possible, Wacom has created a range of accessories that includes several different types of pens. For example, the Intuos4 Art Pen supports the barrel rotation feature within such applications as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Corel Painter 11, allowing users to create natural brush effects by rotating the pen, much like a calligraphy pen. The Intuos4 Airbrush has a similar form and finger-wheel control as a traditional airbrush and enables users to create and define paint patterns within certain creative programmes.

Pricing and availability
The Intuos4 Wireless is priced at £359.99 (including VAT) and will be available from end of March 2010.

In fact punch in your location and BeBook’s UI will automatically show you what ebook retailers are offering their wares.  There’s also Wikipedia and Google access, together with a sketchpad app (albeit monochrome), and the Neo will display ePub, PDF (DRM/non-DRM), TXT and various picture formats.

The battery is tipped to last up to 7,000 page turns and BeBook reckon their Freescale processor makes the Neo 2.5x as fast as rival ereaders.  There’s 512MB of onboard storage, an SD slot (happy with cards up to 16GB) and USB connectivity, along with a 3.5mm headphone socket.  Preorders are being taken now for £279.99 ($453), with general availability expected in February 2010.

Press Release:

BeBook’s Neo is world’s first touchpad WiFi eReader with access to eBook stores worldwide

Endless Ideas, specialists in eReader technology, today launches its exciting new eBook reader the BeBook Neo. Following the success of the BeBook One and Mini, the Neo includes WiFi technology to allow users to find eBook retailers wherever they are in the world, download an eBook and even surf Google and Wikipedia whilst on the move. The Neo is available for pre order and will be available to buy in the second half of February.
The Neo provides users with a unique and extremely easy way of locating and purchasing eBooks. The eBook portal shows a world map and users click on their country of choice for a clear overview of third party eBook retailers. As the Neo supports all the most popular file formats, including ePub, pdf and even JPEG, the user can make sure they get the best deals on their eBooks.

There are several new attractive features available with the Neo, for instance, it has a powerful battery, supporting up to 7,000 page turns. The Freescale processor makes it currently the fastest eReader on the market, offering up to 2.5 times quicker browsing and operating speeds. The Neo also features the latest WACOM touch panel technology, which allows users to sketch, mark up and annotate text.

The open architecture of the BeBook Neo makes it possible to expand its capabilities. Keep an eye on www.mybebook.com for firmware updates.

Popular file formats

Just like the previous models, most popular file formats can be read, including ‘ePub’ and ‘PDF’ (both with and without Adobe DRM), txt and even popular picture file formats, like JPG, are included.

Additional information

The BeBook Neo is available for pre order and will be available second half of February.
More information can be found at the new website: www.mybebook.com

Video demo after the cut

Like the eDGe, the Astri device – which appears to be called the MID, or My Interactive Device, just to confuse things – is targeted at the education market.  It’s based on an unspecified Marvell chipset (in fact was on display at the Marvell booth) and is currently a reference design being shopped around to OEM/ODM customers.

Basically, you can read ebooks and other documentation on the E Ink panel, making annotations and notes with the Wacom active digitizer, while navigating the Android LCD display on the other side for web access, multimedia and email/IM.  No final word on connectivity, but this is a far more portable device than other similar form-factors we’ve seen.

[via ARMdevices]

New Modbooks are now available from $1,599, which is still reasonably expensive but a far cry from the $2,249 you’d have paid a year ago.  Meanwhile the cost of converting your own MacBook 13-inch – including shipping in both directions – is from $649.99, and they’ll even throw in a GPS chip while they do it.

[via Gear Diary]

In the Bamboo Pen & Touch Fun’s favor is its responsiveness and switch to 16:9 aspect, useful considering the tablet area represents the screen as a whole, rather than just moving the cursor independently of where you touch.  Since most people have widescreen displays rather than 4:3, that’s an improvement over the Graphite.  Multitouch works as you’d expect from a laptop trackpad.  Less successful is the pen holder, which is seemingly the Levis-style Wacom loop on the side.

Still, Wacom are selling the Bamboo Pen & Touch Fun for just $99, so it doesn’t have a prosumer price.  It’s not as art-focused as their Intuos range, but then it doesn’t cost as much as those tablets do, either.

Finally there’s the Bamboo Fun Pen & Touch, which has both multitouch and pen-input and is slightly larger together with being aimed at the home and art markets, and the Bamboo Pen, which lacks the multitouch support.  Different models are supplied with different app packages, including handwriting recognition and art software such as ArtRage and Photoshop Elements for the pen-enabled Bamboo tablets, and a search tool for all models.

All of the new models will be available from early October 2009.  UK pricing starts from £49.99 for the Bamboo Pen, £59.99 for the Bamboo Touch, £74.99 for the Bamboo Pen & Touch, £89.99 for the Bamboo Fun Pen & Touch small, and £169.99 for the Bamboo Fun large.  In the US, the Bamboo Pen & Touch will be $99, while the Bamboo Pen and the Bamboo Touch will each be $69.

Press Release:

Get a feel for Bamboo’s new multi-touch technology

Wacom introduces first interactive tablet combining multi-touch and pen input, ushering in a more intuitive, simple and inspiring way to work with computers

Thursday 24th September: Wacom today announces Bamboo second generation – the first interactive tablet that merges multi-touch functionality with pen tablet technology in a single device. Based on current consumer trends and the introduction of touch devices such as the Apple iPhone, Bamboo provides a simple and spontaneous way of using a computer. It is operated by either multi-touch (finger-based input) or the digital pen when tasks require more accuracy and precision. Four different products are introduced in this range – Bamboo, Bamboo Fun, Bamboo Pen and Bamboo Touch.

Bamboo is aimed at consumers who use computers as part of their digital lifestyle to communicate, share and create content. It enables anyone to be creative. It is the perfect tool for self-expression and personalisation when producing everyday documents, presentations and blogs, or when communicating with friends, colleagues and family through social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter.

Merging pen and touch technology into one device brings the best of both worlds, making it even easier, quicker and more fun to use a computer. With Bamboo second generation, a simple tap with a finger on the digital pad will select an icon, open a menu or start an application. In addition, a gesture using two fingers enables users to simply rotate an image or document, flip through a digital photo album or presentation, scroll through a blog or an excel sheet and zoom in and out of a photo or map.

The advanced pen technology built into Bamboo means that the pen is still central to the Bamboo experience. A few simple strokes with the pen can add a doodle, signature or comment to any digital document. The process is similar to using a traditional pen and paper and provides pinpoint accuracy, helping users to easily draw natural strokes or retouch digital images, enhancing anyone’s creative flair. It is the ideal tool to activate pen-based functions of current operating systems and to use with creative software that supports pressure sensitivity.

Users can alternate between the touch and pen functions easily and quickly. If the finger is in contact with the tablet surface, touch works. If the pen tip is brought near the surface, touch is automatically turned off and pen input works instead.

The Bamboo experience is enhanced through Bamboo Dock and Bamboo Minis, an ever-increasing series of small but useful applications that enable users to do anything from digital doodling and sketching, to adding handwritten notes to a map or playing addictive little games.

Bamboo second generation is ultra slim (8.5 mm), optimised for right and left-handed use and provides an integrated pen holder for useful storage of the new and lightweight digital pen. In addition, there are four customisable short cut keys.

Bamboo
With a sleek, black design Bamboo offers pen and multi-touch input in a single device and is ideal for consumers in the home office or workplace. It can be used to customise emails, letters, spreadsheets, presentations and documents with signatures, notes, doodles and scribbles. In addition, it simplifies navigating around the computer and the Internet. Bamboo is priced at £74.99.

Bamboo Fun
Styled in silver and also combining pen and multi-touch input, Bamboo Fun comes in two sizes – small and medium. It is a versatile device ideal for consumers who are keen to develop their creative skills. Users can easily produce more natural and authentic-looking paintings, sketches and drawings as well as retouch, improve, manage and share digital photographs. Bamboo Fun Small and Medium are priced at £89.99 and £169.99 respectively.

The range is completed by the Bamboo Touch (touch input only) and Bamboo Pen (pen input only) which cost £59.99 and £49.99. All prices include VAT.

Software
Each product of the range (except Bamboo Touch) offers Bamboo Scribe – a powerful handwriting recognition; Bamboo Explore – an advanced search tool for Windows and Bamboo Space – an online application to collect and share ideas. In addition, Bamboo Pen comes with ArtRage; Bamboo Fun Small offers ArtRage and Photoshop Elements; Bamboo Fun Medium comes with ArtRage, Photoshop Elements and Painter Essentials.

Bamboo works with current Windows and Mac operating systems including Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac OS 10.4, 10.5 and 10.6.

Video unboxing and review after the cut

While the new Bamboo Touch may slot into a line more commonly associated with graphics tablets, it does not come with a pen for art input.  Instead, it’s a larger replica of the multitouch trackpad found on MacBooks and some Windows notebooks, works with Windows 7 and OS X, and can recognize (at least) two finger input and gestures.

According to reports from the Best Buy that prematurely sold the Bamboo Touch, it retails for $69.  Supported gestures include scroll, zoom and rotate, plus there are four “express keys” that can be user-programmed and the whole thing connects – and is powered by – USB.

Wacom Bamboo Touch unboxing:

Wacom Bamboo Touch Mini-Review:

The LCD itself boasts an 800:1 contrast ratio and 300cd/m2 brightness, and has a 5ms response time.  There are also two 1W stereo speakers integrated and the whole thing weighs a not-especially-lap-friendly 6kg; ports include VGA for the display, a 3.5mm jack for the audio and a USB for the tablet functionality.

Both Windows and Mac systems are supported, and Green-House are pointing out that the GH-PTB17-E isn’t just good for digital artists but for anybody wanting to browse the web more naturally or mark up documents in pen-enabled Microsoft Office.  Set to arrive in Japan this month, if it can come in under $1k then it might present a tempting alternative to the expensive Wacom systems.

[via Akihabara]

Video demo after the cut

The open-source project uses Pure Data and GIMP to mangle together the two art-forms, and different areas of the tablet affect different aspects of the sound.  You can also have some fun on the fret-board, too, though it’s not incredibly clear in the video.

One preset uses the X-axis to control octave and Y-axis to control different effects; there are both analog and digital inputs, and an infra-red distance sensor that can act as another trigger.  Interestingly the USB guitar doesn’t even need drivers, as it has a custom bootloader.  Right now the source-code isn’t online (because Coulombe isn’t sure there’s all that much interest in it) but if enough people decide to weld their art equipment to their instruments then he’ll upload it all. 

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/5212424[/vimeo]

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/5596196[/vimeo]

[via Hack a Day]

Video demo after the cut

The MacBook donated its working internals, but not a screen – that was damaged – so a replacement LCD was sandwiched in-between it and the Intuos digitizer fascia.  The optical drive still works, and the ports have been re-routed to a new side panel; there’s only one available USB, though, as the second is used for a permanent hook-up to the digitizer. 

There are some nifty design touches, too, such as using the broken display’s magnets to hold on an Apple Remote.  The whole thing apparently cost less than a brand-new low end MacBook (thus far below what Axiotron would charge for a Modbook).

[via GottaBeMobile]

Video unboxing and demonstrations after the cut

The smallest Wacom Intuos4 offers a 6.2 x 3.9 inch active area; the medium enlarges that to 8.8 x 5.5 inches.  The large has 12.8 x 8 inches while the extra-large comes in at 19.2 x 12 inches active area.  Each can track pen-nib tilt as well as hovering up to 10mm above the desktop.

The Wacom Intuos4 Small is priced at €224.90 ($302); the Intuos4 Medium is priced at €369.90 ($497).  The Intuos4 Large is priced at €479.90 ($645) and the Extra-Large at €799.91 ($1,076).  More videos here.

Wacom Intuos4 Video unboxing:

Wacom Intuos4 overview:

The PL-900 is the latest addition to company’s PL series pen interactive display with an enhanced visual quality- a much wider viewing angle and anti-glare finish. The high-resolution LCD of 19-inch screen is fabricated with a digital pen enabled screen for writing, annotating and navigating directly with the pen on the screen.

It supports video connectivity of DVI-I for both analogue and digital sources, and its content can be display though similar connection via DVI-I output for external displays or projectors.

The Wacom PL-900 is compatible with Windows or Mac OS, and is available now at £1,249.99 ($1,713) including VAT and comes with a two-year warranty. U.S. pricing and availability have not yet been announced.