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, as I
would have liked to. (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.
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
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! The stylus barrel is
slightly domed and polished at the tip end, to avoid
contact between barrel and glass. Do not operate at an
extremely shallow angle since this increases the
likelihood of contact. If you hold the stylus at an angle
of less than 35 degrees, consider the iFaraday SALT
(Shallow Angle Light Touch) stylus. Or, use a screen
protector. (see recommendation below)
I have had several reports the iFaraday
stylus does not work well on the Asus Transformer Prime.
Although I don't have one for testing, I suspect the
Transformer Prime has an integrated screen protector, or
some type of coating on the glass. I'm sorry to tell you
that you're probably not going to find ANY stylus by any
manufacturer that will work well on your tablet. My
recommendation is that you use an antiglare screen protector
with matte finish. This should give you back a screen
surface more friendly to styluses.