The oStylus has a unique take on the touchscreen stylus: instead of a penlike tip, it uses a round washer-like contact area. It imitates the finger but gets your fingertip out of the way so you can see what you're doing.
The oStylus was designed by Canadian jeweler and sculptor Andrew Goss. Jewelers have long had special tools to enable precision control over materials while taking care not to rough them up. In this case, the stainless-steel "O" has a vinyl film backing for smooth contact with the touchscreen. It's held to the solid aluminum handle with titanium wire. It costs $37.50, with an initial numbered limited-edition run going for $75.
"We see it mainly being used by artists, graphic designers, architects, etc. for quick sketches, although the new software like Sketchbook Pro for the iPad is amazingly powerful," reads Goss's website. "The combination of zooming in and out, combined with the oStylus, allows pretty detailed work."
Goss also likes Paintbook, Adobe Ideas and TypeDrawing; for handwriting, he recommends iDraft and Penultimate; for typing, the Swype-like Shapewriter.
It's pretty amazing how much precision a draftsman can get with a stylus like this once they get over the learning curve. Check it out:
User Guide for Owners of the oStylus [oStylus.com] via Gizmodo
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