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FiftyThree Announces Bluetooth 'Pencil' Stylus to Accompany 'Paper' App

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FiftyThree, the developer behind the popular Paper sketching app, today released a new stylus called Pencil, which is designed to be used in conjunction with the app.

Pencil comes in two varieties, one made from wood and one made from brushed aluminum, and both connect to the iPad via Bluetooth. In addition to a standard stylus tip, Pencil also offers eraser functionality.

pencil
When connected to Pencil, the Paper app includes palm rejection, allowing a user's palm to rest on the iPad display, and colors can be blended on the screen with fingers. Pairing Pencil with Paper will also unlock tools within the app, which are normally acquired through in-app purchases.

Great tools inspire great ideas. Pencil is the most natural and expressive tool for getting ideas on Paper. Advanced technology meets beautiful design to keep you in the flow, without needing to switch tools. With Erase, Blend, and adaptive Palm Rejection, Pencil puts creative possibility in your hands.

Because Pencil has been designed to work with the Paper app, its functionality within other apps is limited. The stylus charges via any USB port in under 90 minutes and a single charge can last up to a month.

The Pencil stylus can be purchased from the FiftyThree website at $50 for the Graphite version and $60 for the Walnut version. Paper can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

169 months ago
All the shaking made me feel motion-sick. Thanks a lot, iOS 7.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
169 months ago
It seems like the lack of an active digitiser on the iPad hasn't stopped quality drawing/note-taking apps from appearing on the iOS platform.

This is the issue that I'm currently having. I like Apple product and all, but there is just something that you can't do with the capacitive surface. I'm current still using my six+ years old Fujitsu Wacom tablet/laptop to take notes with Onenote. I don't care how you want to put it, that is currently the best digital note taking experience I have had, much much better then taking notes on the iPad.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
169 months ago
All that camera motion in the video makes it hard to watch. Very distracting. A suggestion of that hyperactive camera technique here and there would have been fine.

A video style more along the lines of the Paper video on FiftyThree's site would have enabled me to focus on the features and benefits of the Pencil stylus vs wondering who shot this thing.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kugino Avatar
169 months ago
just don't like how these styluses tend to be application-specific to make best use of all its features. don't want to spend a few hundred bucks on styluses alone...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
169 months ago
All I see in this video is people trying to use the stylus and then going back to using their finger.

That's better than what I see, a shaking camera.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
169 months ago
All I see in this video is people trying to use the stylus and then going back to using their finger.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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