Phones with Multitouch displays, like iPhone and Nexus one, require gestures with fingers. Most strongly remaked by Steve Jobs, as the ‘iPhone would be the end of the stylus’. He did not realize that Chinese characters are actually writen at much faster phase with a pen-like stylus. Steve, unlike me, doesn’t cycle to work every day, wearing gloves in the cold winter, unable to give comments without having to take the gloves off (and stop). So, stylus is not dead, phones like the iPhone could really use a stylus. But they are expensive, and I wouldn’t buy one.
Koreans found (thanks @moka for the link) a way to avoid all the stylus hassle, with a home style solution. They use fast food meat sausages. Now I know what you think, “Why so difficult, just use a pen!” Because these screens don’t work with pressure points, they sense the electrostatic load of the finger to the screen. A normal sylus, or pen would’t work, but these sausages are perfect.. well, at least in functionality. And availablity, for sale everywhere in the country for just 20 euro cents. According to a korean news article, sales boosted 40% in January, due to the cold weather. Although, when I noticed a sausage this evening, and wanted to try it out (video), nobody seemed to be aware of the trend. Perhaps it’s all just a smart marketing trick? Can someone verify if this works with other items as well?
Note:
- People WILL stare at you when you do this. (but you will have warm hands!)
- Buy the thicker one, as there is an iron tip that will scratch your screen with the thin one
- No idea how to perform multitouch gestures, two sausages?