Tag Archives: Apple Pencil

Apple Pencil 3 might come with important usability improvements

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The late Steve Jobs might have ridiculed the stylus of old, but it’s arguable that we would have approved of the Apple Pencil, or at least its second generation. It’s minimalist to a fault and, as of the current models, finally has a reasonable and not unattractive charging method. That simplicity, however, may have come at the cost of some features that many people have come to expect from digital pens in this industry, especially when it comes to buttons that can trigger different functions. The 2nd-gen Apple Pencil remedied that with a double tap gesture and rumors claim that the 3rd-gen model will expand that with a new gesture, among the other expected upgrades that will help give Apple’s creativity and productivity tool an even bigger edge.

Designer: Apple (via 9to5Mac)

The original Apple Pencil arrived with a smooth and completely circular barrel and a cap that hid its awkward Lightning charging connector. The 2nd iteration added a flat edge for a better grip and switched to wireless magnetic charging for a unibody design. Neither model, however, had the traditional buttons you’d see on styluses like those from Wacom and Samsung, which meant you couldn’t execute some special action instantly without having to dig through an app’s menus and options.

The Apple Pencil 2 does have a touch-sensitive area that you can double tap to the same effect. For many people who use iPads for creative work, however, that single gesture is hardly enough. According to the latest unofficial information, however, the next Apple Pencil will add another action to that list, allowing you to squeeze a section of the barrel to trigger a different action. Depending on how it’s implemented and how sensitive the pressure sensor might be, the feature could turn out to be very useful or very annoying.

Image courtesy of Majin Bu

Another major change expected for the Apple Pencil 3 is an interchangeable nib system using magnets. According to the information, users will be able to switch between different nibs with different shapes for points, and they will be able to do so using simple yet strong magnets instead of the screw mechanism available today. It’s still unknown what practical benefits this new system might bring, but it could make the Apple Pencil feel a little bit more natural for different digital brushes that might require broader or finer tips.

The Apple Pencil 3 is also expected or at least hoped to finally support Apple’s Find My network, a long overdue feature that would have saved many Pencils from being lost permanently. Most of Apple’s wireless devices already support this feature, so it’s unthinkable if the Apple Pencil 3, which is probably going to cost more than the current $129, would still be left out of this tracking capability. The new Apple Pencil is expected to be revealed next month alongside a new iPad Air and iPad Pro.

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Apple Pencil Number 2 skin is a perfect homage with a big caveat

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Despite what its founder once said, Apple has wholeheartedly embraced the stylus, at least for its iPads. In fact, you could even say it innovated an accessory that hasn’t seen much change in years, introducing magnetic charging and invisible touch-sensitive buttons to the design. Its minimalist aesthetic and familiar shape have also made it more open to custom designs and skins that allow owners to express themselves beyond a simple white or black stick. Of course, this also presented an opportunity for accessory makers to establish a new market segment made especially just for this Apple stylus. Skin manufacturer Colorware is just the latest to jump on that bandwagon, but its Apple Number 2 Pencil is quite unique in more ways than one.

Designer: Colorware

The first Apple Pencil was pretty much a smooth and slippery cylinder that forced some people to put on grips or skins just to be able to securely hold the stylus. The second-gen Pencil improved the design with a somewhat hexagonal body that gave it a better grip but also inspired even more skins to embellish the Apple Pencil’s appearance. After all, with that familiar shape and generic name, it’s almost a dead knocker for the iconic Number 2 pencil known by people of all ages throughout the world.

The Colorware Apple Number 2 Pencil is one such makeover for Apple’s current stylus, but it takes the modification to the extreme. It definitely looks like the Number 2 or HB pencil with its glossy yellow body, orange eraser, and silver band that connects these two parts. Colorware, however, takes the homage one step further: even the tip is black, like a typical graphite pencil.

The nib of the Apple Pencil is, of course, white, and almost all skins stop at covering the barrel only. That’s because you can’t really cover the nib and expect its performance to be unaffected. The manufacturer naturally doesn’t divulge what it used to coat the nib, so you’ll have to trust that the Apple Number 2 Pencil will still remain as functional as a regular Apple Pencil.

The catch to this almost faithful recreation of the classic HB pencil is that it costs a whopping $215. Considering the 2nd-gen Apple Pencil retails for $129, that’s not a small cost added on top. A regular skin would only set you back $13 or so, though you’d also have to look for unofficial black nibs if you want to get the complete look. It also doesn’t indicate if that price includes extra nibs, so you might find yourself at a loss when this special black tip needs to be replaced.

The post Apple Pencil Number 2 skin is a perfect homage with a big caveat first appeared on Yanko Design.

Astropad Slate turns your iPad into a no-screen Mac drawing tablet

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Apple has been pushing the iPads, particularly the iPad Pros, as the next wave of computing, practically replacing laptops for some of the common computing tasks, including content creation. Despite the rich variety of apps for these slates, however, there are still some software and work that can only be done on more powerful computers like Macs and MacBooks. And despite how Apple’s computers have long been loved by designers and artists, the company itself has made no tools to support these use cases, such as drawing tablets or even specialized controllers. That does leave the market wide open for manufacturers like Wacom and its drawing tables, but it also forces people to buy these products when they have a perfectly capable iPad with an Apple Pencil. That’s where Astropad’s latest product comes in, bridging the divide between Macs and iPads once again, but with a curious twist.

Designer: Astropad

In a nutshell, Astropad Slate is an app that lets you remotely control a Mac using an iPad, Pro or otherwise. You can connect using Wi-Fi, a USB cable, or even Peer-to-Peer networking. Although an Apple Pencil would be nice, it isn’t exactly a requirement. With just your fingers, you can already control the Mac as if you were using a gigantic touchpad. That includes supporting gestures like pinching or two-finger scroll.

The Slate app really shines, however, when you involve an Apple Pencil, which is supported by most iPads nowadays. With this precise tool, you can not only hover over the user interface on the Mac, you can also turn handwritten scribbles into text, practically replacing the keyboard. Of course, creators, designers, and artists are more likely to utilize the app’s ability to turn the iPad into a drawing tablet, but one without a screen.

This would be similar to the older and cheaper drawing slates that some artists prefer for their distraction-free experience. It does, however, take a bit of getting used to because you won’t be looking at where your hand is going, unlike the analog pen and paper experience. That does help you focus more on what’s happening on screen and, at least for some, offers a more ergonomic position since you won’t be craning your neck downward.

For those that prefer a more “conventional” display tablet experience, Astropad does have its Studio that turns the iPad into something like a Wacom Cintiq and even has compatibility with Windows PCs. For all that power, however, Astropad Studio requires a $79.99 annual subscription, while this simpler Astropad Slate is a one-time $19.99 purchase only.

The post Astropad Slate turns your iPad into a no-screen Mac drawing tablet first appeared on Yanko Design.