Capacitive

A major difference between the NGP and 3DS lies in the two devices' touch-sensitive technologies. The 3DS will reuse the original DS' resistive touch screen, whereas the NGP will have two capacitive touch areas (front and rear), of the type most tablets and smartphones use today (including the iPhone and iPad).

The 3DS' resistive touch screen requires some depression (hence the stylus), but can also respond to a finger press. The technology offers a nice level of precision (like when handwriting or pecking at small virtual keys), but certainly requires a bit of a learning curve when being used in tandem with a stylus.

With the introduction of the NGP's front and rear touch capabilities, players will essentially have another dimension of interaction at their disposal. At first glance the rear pad might seem silly, but after the insightful video to the right, we're beginning to think it might actually provide a more seamless gaming experience. The video showcases a game called Little Deviants, in which the player drags a finger across the rear panel to manipulate the world onscreen. We're excited to see that for the first time gamers can interact with a portable gaming device without their fingers blocking the screen.… Read more

The oStylus is a stylus for capacitive touch screens. At first glance, it looks more like something your dentist would use, but it's actually quite a cleverly designed contraption.

A swiveling donut-shaped tip lets you hold the oStylus at an angle you like, and the hole in the middle of the tip allows you to see what you are drawing. To prevent scratches on your screen, the tip has a vinyl film so the metal doesn't touch your device's glass. Watch the demonstration video below to see how it works.

Creator Andrew Goss is shipping the product internationally from Canada. The oStylus costs $37.50 before freight, and a signed, limited-edition $75 version is also available. Don't want to pay so much for a capacitive stylus? Well, you can always use a sausage. Just remember to eat a hole first so you can see what you are drawing. … Read more

Moto Development Labs devised a simple method of analyzing capacitive touch screens using drawing programs. They put the iPhone, the Nexus One, the Droid, and the Droid Eris through the paces and proved not all touch screens are created equal.

Using only your fingers and a drawing app, Moto shows how you can test out the accuracy of your smartphone's touch screen. The test is simple: draw some slow, steady lines across the screen with your finger. If they're smooth and straight, your touch screen is tracking with relative accuracy. If they're wavy or jagged, your phone … Read more

Just a few days ago, we read about BlackBerry's patent on a hybrid resistive capacitive touch screen. This would give you the best of both worlds--the sensitivity of a capacitive screen for finger input and the flexibility to use a stylus when needed.

Well, it looks like HTC has a similar idea, according to its latest patent, but achieved more simply.

The Taiwanese company has concocted a stylus with a magnetic tip. Being able to conduct electricity, it simulates the human finger so it will work with regular capacitive screens.

The advantage is, of course, its thinness compared with … Read more

Doc Brown invented a flux capacitator after he knocked his head on a bathroom sink in Back to the Future. As everyone knows, it's the most important part of the time machine that allowed him to wreak havoc over many decades.

Now the item is available for public consumption on pre-order from Things From Another World for $220. As seen on Uncrate, it has lighting effects that really looks indistinguishable from the original.

And you don't even need to fall off a toilet to get one.

(Source: Crave Asia)