iFaraday™ - Stylus for Phone/iPad & other devices with capacitive touch screens

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A message from iFaraday...

Thank you all for your support and feedback. Your support and kind words have been overwhelming. Literally. I've had to shut down the website several times to catch up on orders. I only regret that I haven't had time to communicate with each and every one of you (that's the fun part of running a business.)  I've hired several employees, but we're still swamped.

While our communication sucks, and we sometimes fall behind in shipping, we always try to make the best product we know how. All of us. (Otherwise, what's the point?) I am still making improvements. I always listen to customer suggestions. I have several new designs on the drawing board which I hope to release soon, when I find the time.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for making iFaraday a success. No, I am not rolling a wheelbarrow full of money to the bank. But I am not losing money, and I continue to reinvest in iFaraday. We're busy, and glad to be making products people enjoy, so I consider that a success.
           
I put a few of your comments here.

Thanks,

Rustle Laidman

What is a capacitive touch screen?

Capacitive sensing technology detects the proximity of a human body by measuring its 'electrical field', a concept introduced by Michael Faraday. While a finger is commonly used, capacitive touch screens can detect anything with dielectric properties. (A resistive touch screen, by comparison, measures contact between two thin metallic layers when pressed with a sharp stylus.) Devices like iPad employ capacitive touch screens. No external stylus is required, other than your finger. However, a finger can be clumsy at times, and a gloved finger may go undetected, because its dielectric properties are altered. The iFaraday stylus mimics the dielectric properties of a small, nimble human finger.

What makes the iFaraday stylus different?

The iFaraday tip is made of soft cloth which glides smoothly across the screen. It won't scratch or leave a mess on your screen. The iFaraday stylus requires the lightest touch, just enough to provide tactile feedback. The iFarady has a pliable, symmetrical tip which functions at any angle. The tip conforms to the screen such that a planar sphere is reflected on the screen surface, like a human finger. (Touch screens are optimized to look for the shape of a human finger.)

Less desirable materials

A hard rubber tip is perhaps the least favorable material for a stylus. It will not slide across the screen, unless infused with oil. Simply put, stay away from these. Conductive foam works better than rubber, but has several drawbacks -- foam material crumbles (especially with age) and leaves behind a black powder. The tip requires more pressure than is necessary, and does not glide smoothly on glass. Conductive foam is inexpensive and readily available. It's the same material that's been used to protect IC's from electrostatic discharge (ESD) for the past 30+ years. It costs about a dollar per square foot.

A new "soft rubber" has emerged which is an improvement over the old hard rubber. However, rubber is not an optimal material for sliding motions. There is simply too much friction inherent in the material.

The iFaraday advantage

Consider the iFaraday stylus - It requires only the lightest touch. It glides smoothly across the screen without leaving a trace, and actually cleans your screen of fingerprints. The iFaraday tip is pliant and resilient, yet firm enough to press an iPhone switch. Some styli must be held perpendicular to the screen, or at a particular angle, because the tip itself is beveled. The iFaraday works at any angle. The iFaraday stylus works with or without a screen protector, it even works with gloves.

Care for your iFaraday Stylus

If you clean your screen, do not use the stylus until the screen is thoroughly dry. The cleaning agent will contaminate the tip. After using cleaning agents on your screen, wipe the screen again with purified or distilled water and let dry thoroughly.

The tip is strong enough to press the mechanical center button on the iPhone/iPod. If the tip should become pushed in or out gently push or pull it back into place. (Do not attempt to remove it entirely.)

Cleaning the tip is not necessary. However, should the tip become contaminated, swish tip in soapy water for a 10 seconds. (Diluted dish-washing liquid) Then, swish in clear water for 15 seconds. Run under tap for 10 seconds. Tamp dry to remove most of the liquid and let dry thoroughly before use. Be gentle; excessive cleaning will shorten the life of the tip.

The stylus barrel is slightly domed and polished at the tip end so it will not scratch the glass under ordinary pressure. (Glass is harder than aluminum) However, if you hold the stylus at an angle of less than 35 degrees, consider the iFaraday SALT (Shallow Angle Light Touch) stylus.

Money Back Guarantee

Please try for 30 days, Money back if not delighted. Really. We want you to be happy.
Click here to view customer comments

Attention Asus Transformer Prime Users! I have had conflicting reports about the iFaraday stylus on the Asus Transformer Prime. My current hypothesis is that they're using different touch screen suppliers. Some issues seem to have been resolved by updating the ICS operating system. (Ordinarily I think of the touch screen as hardware, not software, but they changed something that drastically improved performance.) Try without a screen protector. Most recent reports say the iFaraday is working perfectly. My recommendation is that you try the iFaraday basic stylus or the RxII. If you have any kind of problem, return it. I'll understand.

 

The Artist Pack is here! Designed for artists.

The Artist Pack set of 3 styluses. Click for Info about the Artist Pack

 

I love this The XtremeMac Anti-Glare screen protector.

 Click here to learn why

 




All Touch Screens Not Created Equal.


Clumsy fingers can hide flaws in touch screens, such as severe non-linearity. Here's an intersting article.



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Michael Faraday
(1791 - 1867) was an English chemist and physicist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. The international unit of capacitance, the 'Farad' is named after him. All iFaraday products are individually hand crafted in the USA. Rustle Laidman developed the iFaraday stylus for his wife, who likes to play 'Bejeweled' on her iPhone. Patent Pending. Visit www.iFaraday.com for additional information. ©2012 Rustle Laidman. All rights reserved.