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oStylus for touch screens doesn't block your view

The oStylus is a stylus for capacitive touch screens. At first glance, it looks more like something your dentist would use, but it's actually quite a cleverly designed contraption.

A swiveling donut-shaped tip lets you hold the oStylus at an angle you like, and the hole in the middle of the tip allows you to see what you are drawing. To prevent scratches on your screen, the tip has a vinyl film so the metal doesn't touch your device's glass. Watch the demonstration video below to see how it works.

Creator Andrew Goss is shipping the product internationally from Canada. The oStylus costs $37.50 before freight, and a signed, limited-edition $75 version is also available. Don't want to pay so much for a capacitive stylus? Well, you can always use a sausage. Just remember to eat a hole first so you can see what you are drawing. … Read more

Hard Candy's iPad Stylus is a pen, too

Remember all those slick styli for all those ancient PDAs and first smartphones? Well, some of the styli for the iPad are starting to get fancier, and at least one, Hard Candy's iPad Stylus, incorporates a real pen to "sign those important business contracts in luxurious style." No contracts to sign? No worries. It's also good for doodling during important business meetings.

If you're wondering why you need a stylus for the iPad, you probably haven't tried taking notes with your finger, and illustrators working with drawing apps prefer the added precision of a … Read more

Want to draw on your iPad? Here's your stylus

Lots of people buy iPads under the mistaken assumption that they can scribble notes on them, much like they would on a legal pad.

However, because the tablet employs a capacative touch screen, you can't just grab your old plastic PalmPilot stylus and start writing. You need a special pen, one with a conductive tip that mimics your fingertip.

Many moons ago I wrote about the Pogo Sketch and Pogo Stylus, both of which work well enough but feel thin and lightweight. If you're looking for something a little more substantial, a little more business-class, check out the … Read more

Latest iPhone stylus trend: Sausages

Capacitive touch screens such as those found on the iPhone are great because they respond well to finger taps. That's also their undoing in winter because users don't want to take off their gloves in the cold to make a call or text a friend. Over in South Korea, iPhone users have come up with an ingenious solution--sausages.

Yes, sticks of meat now double as pointing devices. Apparently, this has caused sales of a certain brand of sausage to go up. Not only do people use the sausage to tap on screens, some even utilize it for a Taiko Drum Master game as seen in the video below.

Last year, I wrote about an HTC patent application that described a stylus that can be used on capacitive screens, thanks to a magnetic tip. Who would have thought that an even simpler solution existed? I wonder if it counts as prior art in case of a patent dispute. … Read more

Want to take notes on an iPad? Here's your stylus

If you had visions of scribbling notes on your iPad, much like you can with virtually every other tablet that preceded it, Apple pretty much dashed them with Wednesday's focus on its onscreen keyboard.

Unsurprisingly, accessory makers have already stepped up to fill the gap. Ten One Design recently announced the Pogo Sketch and Pogo Stylus, which are fully compatible with the iPad.

As with the iPhone and iPod Touch, the iPad's screen requires capacitive input, which is why a traditional plastic stylus (or a gloved fingertip) won't work. The Pogo pens have special tips that mimic … Read more

HTC patents stylus for capacitive screens

Just a few days ago, we read about BlackBerry's patent on a hybrid resistive capacitive touch screen. This would give you the best of both worlds--the sensitivity of a capacitive screen for finger input and the flexibility to use a stylus when needed.

Well, it looks like HTC has a similar idea, according to its latest patent, but achieved more simply.

The Taiwanese company has concocted a stylus with a magnetic tip. Being able to conduct electricity, it simulates the human finger so it will work with regular capacitive screens.

The advantage is, of course, its thinness compared with … Read more