pogo

The digital world has plenty of accessories that aren't strictly necessary, but Ten One Design's Pogo Sketch Plus caught my eye today.

It's a stylus for iOS devices that replaces your finger with something a bit more precise. I've been interested in the user-interface convergence between tablets, laptops, and drawing tablets. Such devices today are quite separate, but I foresee a future where they get closer together--and devices like the Pogo Sketch line could help.

The $15 stylus updates the two-year-old Pogo Sketch with a tip with "more consistent and smoother operation," the … Read more

We discuss our personal tech hits and misses of 2011; what we loved, hated and was overrated. Also, Scott and Ty weigh in on what will most likely be going on at CES 2012; the who, the what, and the why.

… Read more

Kevin Fox, lead designer at Mozilla Labs is theorizing that the headphone jack on the Apple iPad 2 might just be waterproof.

Based on the iPad 2 teardown graphics sourced on the crowdsource repair manual site iFixIt, he speculates that the new headphone jack is the materialization of a patent Apple submitted back in September 2010 that uses smaller pogo pins instead of the traditional metal strips.

The springy pogo plug design reduces the real estate required around the hardware, and also exposes the outermost plug ring when fully inserted into the jack--not a big deal, since the "ground ring" is simply used to remove charge and pause device playback when you remove it from the connector.

Interestingly enough, Fox also speculates that its steep-angled curve within the iPad 2 suggests a weatherproofing element to prevent moisture penetrating the device, and the subsequent lawsuits that can occur as a result.… Read more

The Flybar is a futuristic reboot of the Pogo Stick, complete with a sleek new design and a sophisticated system of propulsion, and it boasts the ability to rocket its rider up to 5 feet in the air.

It was created by SBI Enterprises (original inventors of the Pogo Stick), along with MIT-trained physicist Bruce Middleton and champion skateboarder Andy Macdonald. There are two models: the Flybar 1200 and the Flybar 800. The 1200 was designed for experts weighing up to 250 pounds, and the 800 was designed for less experienced riders between 80 and 180 pounds, including teens and smaller adults.

The devices, whose prices start at about $200, have been around for a while now, but I finally got the chance to take the Flybar 800 for a jump in New York's Central Park. … Read more

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

Sure, Polaroid might be 6 feet under (or is it?), but casual photo enthusiasts can still enjoy instant gratification with Dell's Dell Wasabi PZ310 Mobile Printer, just announced today.

The Wasabi uses Zero-Ink (ZINK) technology that replaces cumbersome print cartridges with dye crystals embedded right into the proprietary ZINK paper. The crystals are heated as the paper passes through the printer, rendering clear, sharp images in less than a minute for each 2-inch by 3-inch photo.

ZINK also licenses its technology to other companies for their own unique products. For example, look for cameras and ZINK printers to converge … Read more

People are still lamenting the passing of Polaroid Instant Film into history, but thanks to technology featured in its tiny portable PoGo printer launched in 2008, the company is offering a new shoot-and-print option: the Polaroid PoGo Instant Digital Camera. And despite its parent company's woes, Polaroid has no intention of curtailing product plans in 2009.

Plans for a 21st century Polaroid camera were announced in August 2008, but the product itself was announced at CES 2009.

The camera, which has a certain retro boxiness to it, is pretty big in comparison to most point-and-shoots with its camera specs. … Read more

Have you ever had work piling up, a boss breathing down your neck wondering when it will get done, and the strongest urge to forget about it for a while and head to your favorite online gaming site to waste the hours away in a blaze of gaming glory?

I'm a victim of that myself. Because of that, I've compiled a list of some of the best online gaming sites across the Web where I waste the time away. I'm sure many of you know others--this isn't an exhaustive list--so feel free to share them with … Read more

Most people use their fingers to operate their iPhones and iPod Touches because Steve Jobs made sure the touch-screens of those devices were finger-friendly. But that hasn't stopped Ten One Design from making a special stylus, the Pogo ($19.99), for those of you who just don't think your fingers cut it when it comes to operating your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Ten One Design's marketing materials sum up the new stylus this way:

The sleek design of the Pogo Stylus features an ultralight aluminum body with an anodized finish and laser graphics. The soft tip glides … Read more