Stylus

Fifty-Three launches Pencil stylus for iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Steve Jobs once said, "If you see a stylus, they blew it" in regard to tablets which depend on the stylus as their primary means of input. That hasn't stopped the accessory industry from engineering dozens upon dozens differently shaped and sized styluses for use with popular tablet brands, Apple's iPad included.

Fifty-Three, the people who brought you the popular Paper drawing app, Apple's 2012 iPad App of the Year Editor's Choice, have been hard at work developing its upcoming Pencil stylus for quite some time. Last month, the gizmo surfaced in an FCC filing. Starting today, the $60 Bluetooth-enabled Pencil goes on sale...

From the makers of Paper: the Pencil stylus

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

A stylus has always been handy for artists needing to work on a design using the iPad. For the rest of us, a pen-based tablet has been more of a pain.

Now comes a new stylus that just might be both attractive and useful. The accessory, dubbed Pencil, comes from the folks who introduced us to the Paper iPad app.

First, Pencil from FifthyThree is flat - like a carpenter's - so no more chasing a rolling stylus. Secondly, the stylus includes a USB port, making the tool practical beyond simply jotting down a note on your iPad...

Evernote and Adonit introduce new fine-point Bluetooth stylus

Cody Lee ∙ September 26, 2013

Evernote and accessory-maker Adonit announced today that they have teamed up to create a new Bluetooth stylus called the Jot Script Evernote Stylus. With its fine 1.9mm tip, it's supposedly noticeably more accurate than capacitive styli.

The digital pen uses Adonit’s newly-developed Pixelpoint technology, which utilizes a combination of the device's built-in accelerometer, Bluetooth, and Adonit’s frameworks to communicate the location of the stylus tip to compatible apps...

Procreate iPad gains 1080p canvas recording and support for Wacom’s Intuos Creative Stylus

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 18, 2018

The winner of the 2013 Apple Design Award, the iPad illustration app Procreate by Savage Interactive has never ceased to amaze me with its natural-looking brushes, deep bench of features, its gorgeous interface and the incredibly accurate and smooth Silica painting engine.

Hot on the heels of Monday's introduction of Wacom's pressure-sensitive Intuos Creative Stylus for iPad, Savage has now updated the app with support for the new Wacom hardware.

Procreate version 1.9 also includes a powerful new capability: full HD canvas recording. Go past the fold for the full reveal...

Wacom unveils new pressure-sensitive Intuos Creative Stylus for iPad

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 18, 2018

Wacom has just announced its latest entry into the increasingly-crowded space of iPad styli, the Intuos Creative Stylus. The accessory uses low-power Bluetooth 4.0 to connect to your tablet, and includes programmable shortcut buttons.

Additionally, Wacom says the Intuos Creative sports a best-in-class pressure sensitivity of 2048 pressure levels, creating a "realistic pen-on-paper feel" when drawing. The high-end stylus aims to deliver "professional grade" performance...

Wacom introduces new 1.85-inch Bamboo Stylus Mini

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Who holds the title for the best iPad stylus is still up for debate. There are dozens to choose from, and it seems like everyone has their favorites. But there are a few frontrunners in the pack, and one of them is Wacom's Bamboo Stylus.

The Verge says the Bamboo is "the best stylus you can buy for your iPad," and FiftyThree, the creators of paper, endorse it on their website. And today, Wacom has released a new version of the popular stylus: the Bamboo Mini...

The Sensu Brush will change your uncool stylus stereotypes

Jim Gresham ∙ March 28, 2013

When I think of a stylus, I immediately jump to this image in my head of a nerd wearing something like a Best Buy Geek Squad suit with thick glasses and black rims. On the weekend this person likes to configure Punnett squares with the probabilities of his offspring's hair color instead of actually dating. Obviously he lists Binary as his second language on the resume.

Anyway, I'm here to break this stereotype. Not that I exude coolness or a hip, forward lifestyle, but I like to think I'm not a pocket protecting member of the nerd herd. Sensu is a cool stylus and after about 500 words, I think you will agree...

The Notier stylus utilizes the industry’s finest tip

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated October 27, 2016

The stylus market is a crowded one. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and tips and are an integral part of personal computing history. Today, we take a look at Musemee's Notier stylus, which just received a product update. Boasting the "world's finest tip design," I was interested to give it a go.

As a disclaimer, I last used a stylus in 2004 on my Toshiba e-755 Pocket PC. Makes me sick thinking about it. Sure, I have dabbled here and there with a few styli when my friends have them around, but I have neither set off in quest for one, nor have I dreamed of wanting one. So, here I am reviewing the Notier with a fresh pair of preconceived notions and a nine year break from ever caring...

Samsung doubles down on the stylus, goes into bed with Wacom

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

And just like that, Samsung of South Korea buys a five percent stake of the stylus maker Wacom in a transaction valued at $58.2 million. Samsung of course is riding high on the popularity of its pen-based Note devices and Wacom suggests that Samsung with this acquisition is aiming to incorporate its stylus tech into Galaxy smartphones and tablets.

Note that Wacom also makes digital pen accessories for iPads and Mac-compatible digital tablets that are popular with professional designers and illustrators. I'm holding my breath for an Apple-made stylus because pen-based mobile devices are gaining traction, in spit of Steve Jobs disdain for the stylus...

iPen 2: a pressure-sensitive stylus for your iPad and Mac

Cody Lee ∙ January 26, 2013

Despite Steve Jobs' public disdain for styli—who can forget the infamous 'who wants a stylus?' line—the accessory has proven to be quite popular among Apple users. And if you've ever shopped around for one, you know the market is quite crowded.

But the folks at Cregle are hoping there's room for one more: the iPen 2. That's right, the team that brought you the original iPen for iPad are back with a much-improved stylus that works on a number of devices, including your iMac and Apple Display...

Apple files for patent on advanced ‘Active Stylus’ for iOS devices

Cody Lee ∙ January 3, 2013

Apple has always strongly opposed the stylus, even though other manufacturers have continued to push for them. Steve Jobs had a number of quotes on the matter, famously saying things like "nobody wants a stylus" and "if you see a stylus, they blew it."

But despite its public disdain for the touchscreen accessory, Apple obviously sees some value in it. The Cupertino company recently filed a patent for an advanced "active stylus" that works with the capacitive touch screens on its different iOS devices...

Galaxy Note II TV ad sold me on the stylus thing

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 22, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NNNHLjMc9I

Pundits are holding their breath as Apple is prepping to unleash the iPad mini upon the world, but over at Samsung it's business as usual. The company's mobile arm this morning posted to its official YouTube channel an interesting television commercial for the massive 5.55-inch Galaxy Note II phablet.

Now, it's true the media slammed Samsung over its stylus thing called S-Pen, but I'll be the first to admit this 30-second ad effectively makes the case for a stylus-based tablet computing. A team of people is seen collaborating on ideas while on the go, using the stylus and apps optimized for it.

It's not likely Apple will release a stylus-based device in the near future. Remember, Steve Jobs once said, "if you see a stylus, they blew it". Samsung hardly blew it with the Note: by August, it sold ten million units worldwide. Somebody out there must be loving a stylus on their tablet...