How To Not Touch Touchscreens

Since the advent of the LCD screen, one of the traditional commandments has always been never to touch the surface. Contact with the screen can distort images, ruin pixels and wear out a pristine monitor quickly. This still applies to standard desktop and laptop monitors, so if you like to take the hands-on approach in your computing affairs, stop reading and get a screen protector pronto.

As we proceed into the age of smartphones and touchpads, those of us used to the “no touching” rule find ourselves in a foreign, backwards world where touching the screen is not only acceptable, it appears to be necessary to use the device. All the new toys use capacitive screens, which require something conductive in order to work... such as a human finger. It's madness, I tell you.

Capacitive screens are protected from the aforementioned dangers, of course, but that doesn't mean it's always pleasant to use fingers to touch them. Screen smudging is an issue, fingers may not always be clean and jobs may demand a stylus for better accuracy. Most PDA styli don't work since they aren't conductive. It's a problem that had gotten so bad that folks in South Korea started using sausages once they discovered, through what had to be some fantastic trial & error experimentation, that they somehow worked. Thankfully, Targus has a conductive stylus on the market now.

Targus Conductive Stylus

Making a conductive stylus is more complex, so they aren't cheap and only recommended for those who either need the accuracy of a stylus or dislike sausage.

3M Screen Protector Film

If you're only worried about screen smudging or just can't stand the thought of making direct contact with an LCD screen, try 3M's Screen Protector Film. It can be cut to the size of your phone and reduces smudging while keeping the device fully functional. You can feel better touching this with your fingers or, if you still prefer, your favorite encased meat.

Whiteboard Tower Defense

It was recently brought to my attention that an artist/game developer was bringing his own unique brand of physical gaming into the world.  Rather that just create a project and move on he decided to start a Kickstarter campaign to try and get this project moving a little faster (if he could turn a profit, I'm sure nobody would be crying).

Doodle Defense

If you've ever played a Tower Defense game you get the general scheme of things here.  Create a path, setup towers, enemies approach your defense system and wipe you out as they exit the screen. Doodle Defense takes the tried and true formula and just changes the medium you play it in.  Rather than using your fingers or a mouse you use dry erase markers on a whiteboard. If you are interested in the tech that powers this game, good on you, it isn't very interesting.

The demonstration videos and photos aren't very clear or useful, but here's what I could glean from it. You have to use a red, blue, green, and black marker so you'll have to make sure you have a package of all four color dry erase markers.  I saw that at least two different types of markers were used, both Quartet dry erase markers and Sanford Expo dry erase markers.  I couldn't tell what kind of whiteboards were used.  I couldn't see the brand or attempt to divine the size of the boards.  I assume it'll all depend on how close you keep your projector to the board.  The source code for the game is available if you want to try to build your own rig, but that's too much effort for me.

So I just went looking to see if any other whiteboard games were available and found Whiteboard Tower Defense.

This is really just a standard Tower Defense game and the only reason that "whiteboard" is in the name is to excuse the poor art quality in my opinion.  You can see in the screenshot that somebody took a photo of the whiteboard in their office and used that as the backdrop for the game.  They even left the Quartet logo in place on this game's backdrop so you know they have a Quartet whiteboard.

I doubt that Quartet officially sanctioned this game, but whatever.  That's for the lawyers to fight about.

Who Cares About Vintage Erasers?

Apparently somebody does.

Sometime ago I bookmarked Less than 100g, a self described "blog dedicated to tiny & beautiful stuff." The idea for the blog is novel enough.  Showcase things that the author finds that are both small and cool. They ran an issue (they call every blog posting an issue) dedicated to a collection of vintage erasers that was featured on another website.  So of course I had to visit the original page.

Eraser Collection from Collection a Day

I get liking little things, and I get collecting things, but old erasers?  That's something I just can't get behind.  Some of the erasers don't even look very old.  The octagon erasers are odd and earn points for being interesting, but what's so special about a Pink Pearl?  I mean I guess the logo printed on the eraser has changed a little since it's current introduction and the eraser most readily available is a 100 instead of a 101.

Pink Pearl Eraser

Is there any monetary value to be gained by collecting old erasers? Is there a market for antique erasers?  Is anybody out there really jonesing for a chunk of disposable rubber that is the exact same as what they used as a child? Wouldn't that mean you enjoyed using the eraser?  To go further down the rabbit hole, what people usually erase are mistakes, so if you enjoyed erasing you must have enjoyed making mistakes.  If that is the case, then you are clearly a confused individual. If you are collecting erasers because you are a hoarder, then you've got other problems.  With the wide variety of erasers available today, just throw out your old ones and get something new.

Me?  I prefer a pen.  Sure I make mistakes, but as the kids are fond of saying, YOLO. Just give me a normal pen and a notebook.  If I screw up badly, I'll scratch it out and use the next page.  If it's not to bad, I'll just edit and continue on.  It is a lot easier when I don't have to worry about keeping an eraser on hand at all times.

InkJoy Pen Review

I'll admit to you from the start that I'm a gel pen aficionado and I've never really had much time for standard ballpoint pens. I recently had a collection of PaperMate's InkJoy pens fall across my desk so I proclaimed "game on" and gave them a proper run through.

I have to say that an InkJoy ballpoint pen is the best ballpoint pen I've ever been fortunate enough to use. There isn't the usual harsh dragging or slow ball rolling or gritty grind I usually experience. I dug through my desk to find a couple of other ballpoints to make sure I wasn't just confusing myself, but my findings backed me up. These InkJoy is the smoothest ballpoint pen I've ever used.

InkJoy 100

Let's start at the bottom and work our way up. The InkJoy 100 is your base model pen. It comes as a standard stick pen with a cap or in a retractable version. Either way you are going to get an extremely basic plastic tube surrounded with plastic bits. As cheap as this pen feels and as little as it costs you are still getting the full advantage of the InkJoy system so your pen will produce great lines. The InkJoy 100 is the only version of the InkJoy line available in the stick format. All other InkJoy pens are the retractable format.

InkJoy 500

The InkJoy 500 is the real workhorse of the InkJoy family. The smoked semi gloss is replaced with a matte finish and a rugged looking rubberized grip that is reminiscent of a tire tread has been added. The plastic clip from the 100 series has been replaced with an actual metal clip. These are welcome upgrades as that bit of rubber helps to keep your pen in place and the metal pen clip isn't going to break off after repeated use. I'm sure we've all had hundreds of the plastic clips break, but I've only ever broken a metal clip with some severe pen related trauma.

InkJoy 550

Visually you can immediately see that additional chrome accents have been added to the plunger and the tip of the InkJoy 550. You can't see it from the photo, but an additional thin piece of rubber runs along the back side of the pen to keep it from slipping when it is in your hand and meets with another rubberized portion at the back. The back rubber doesn't really do anything because your hand shouldn't be making contact with the back side of your pen (maybe it is aesthetics, or it helps to keep the rubber strip in place). Although the rubber appears to be thinner than the 500 in practice, it is negligible as the rubber on a pen is never designed for softness but for grip. The 550 has a glossy barrel with a slight ergonomic curve while the 500 has a matte barrel with an exaggerated bump.

InkJoy 700

When you first lift the InkJoy 700 you'll be pleasantly surprised that it has a bit of heft. Some people prefer pens to be like basketball shoes and be as light as possible, but I think a pen with a little weight helps so I don't have to apply as much downward pressure. Since I'm naturally curious (and it hasn't killed me yet) I went and took apart the pen to see just where the weight was added. I was glad to discover that the tip of the pen, previously a chrome piece of plastic, was replaced with an actual piece of metal. This means that all the extra weight is properly positioned to help you draw easier and smoother.

The InkJoy 700 is clearly positioned as the executive version of the InkJoy series. It throws out almost all ergonomics to give it a slender hourglass figure with a high gloss finish. It has a full chrome plunger instead of a chrome wrapped plunger and then even included a slightly nicer spring in the pen to make sure every click is tight and strong. As nice as the black InkJoy 700 is I recommend that you give the InkJoy 700 in white a look as well. They will look great next to your white iPhone and when you buy the complete pack it comes with 1 red, 1 blue and 2 black pens.

White InkJoy 700 Pack

Trace Element Sharpie

One of my most perverse office supply obsessions is the standard Sharpie. If I visit somebody's house or apartment and they don't have any Sharpies I make sure that they receive a gift of Sharpies within a few months. Nothing fancy, just the standard fine tip black Sharpie marker that is readily available for around a dollar.

So it will come as no surprise to you that I took note when Sanford released pens and then liquid pencils under the Sharpie brand name. The other day I noticed that Sharpie is now selling a "Trace Element Certified Marker" and I had to figure out what this new kind of sharpie was. At roughly four times the price of a standard Sharpie the description says that it is great for nuclear energy and aerospace. If anybody says a product is ideal for nukes and astronauts alike I sit up and take notice.

Trace Element Ink Sharpie

You might be asking yourself, do I need a Trace Element Ink Certified Marker? Well if you have to ask yourself the answer is probably no. The only reason you'll ever need one of these markers is if you'd want to prove without a doubt that something written with this marker was written by the person who says they wrote it.

Here's how it works. The marker's ink contains a very specific chloride signature that only a few other markers in the world contain. Each marker comes with paper work identifying which chloride signature it contains. So if you ever have a question about who wrote something using one of these markers, you can just haul your sample to a laser ablation machine and have it analyzed. If the trace elements of chloride in the sample detected by the machine match the paper work you'll have an excellent idea exactly who wrote it and when it was written.

I'm not an expert in the subject but my quick googling makes it look like Rolls Royce and General Electric both require their technicians to use ink with easily identifiable trace elements when performing work. Does your profession require you to use trace element certified ink? Leave a comment below and let us know.

Clear Acrylic Office Supplies

Just last week I took notice of the clear acrylic stapler from Kantek and thought it was the bees knees. Shortly after that one of my coworkers let me know that Kantek has a whole line of clear acrylic office Supplies. Most of them aren't very interesting but I'm pulling out all the stops here with my list of the top ten clear acrylic office supplies.

#10. Paper Towel Dispenser

I'll admit a paper towel dispenser isn't very glamorous, but hey it is number 10 right?  It'll only get better from here.  There aren't going to be many people who need this, but those who do appreciate it.  Because the towel holder is clear you can easily see, from any angle how many paper towels you have.  You can also easily see if the dispenser is starting to gather dust and gunk at the bottom that you'll need to clean out.  A black dispenser would hide all the dirt.

#9 Glove Box Holder

This product earns its place on the list just for being a product with good reviews.  A box that holds boxes.  Seems obtuse?  Well it is, but people who need it, need it.

#8 Letter/Paper Sorter

Ever thought you lost some paperwork because it was hidden by the large opaque potions of plastic on your sorter?  Well lose them no more.  If you happen to attach a Post-It note to a Quarterly Report you'll be able to see it slightly better than if it was hidden behind a black or brown chunk of plastic.

#7 Double Letter Tray

File this under useful!  So far the products here have not been universally usable.  I'd consider them niche products, but the standard In/Out paper file is a universal necessity.  When crafted from clear acrylic it is a universal nicety as well.

#6 Paperclip Holder

Okay, so I know this is a pretty terrible photo.  The manufacturer removed the background of the photo without replacing it with something realistic.  But everybody needs a paper clip holder, and most of the paper clip holders just look like little cups.  This is a cool looking object, but the lack of magnet means it has to be dropped down at #7.  Without a magnet in your paperclip holder it means you'll be throwing paperclips around like a chimpanzee throws you-know-what.

#5 Business Card Holder

So in all fairness the Paperclip holder should be above this business card holder because I don't actually know anybody who keeps a stash of their own business cards on their desk.  I wanted to punish the paperclip holder so that maybe next time it would include a magnet.  I don't like this business card holder very much, but it does match the set.

#4 Monitor Stand

What is there to say about the functionality and design of a monitor stand?  Not much.  It raises your monitor to a level that is more ergonomic so you don't have to use your neck if you don't want to.  The real feat here is that it's a wide stance monitor stand with only supports on the left and right.  Acrylic can do amazing things when used in a thick slice.  One reviewer of this product noted that it can hold much larger and heavier things than listed, but that kind of activity is a at-your-own-risk kind of thing.

#3 Tape Dispenser

This is the product that launched a thousand ships... or at least inspired one blog posting. What is there to say about this except that is is a near perfect application of acrylic in office supplies?

#2 Stapler

The clear acrylic stapler earns its position as the second greatest clear acrylic product not because it is a great product or because it is better than all the other products but because it is a true oddity.  I imagine a trust of marketing gurus crowded around a drafting table brainstorming about what product they could possibly sell to go along their other clear acrylic office accessories.  All the important bits of the stapler are still metal, but they are wrapped in clear acrylic.  A perfect shoehorning of materials onto an object.

#1 AcryLight Letter Tray System

Up to this point all the acrylic products have just been straight bits that have been cut, glued, and occasionally ground into shapes that just work.  The folks at AcryLight have taken it one step further.  In order to create the letter tray pictured above you'll need to purchase two AcryLight Letter Trays and one set of AcryLight Connectors (yes everything is sold separately). As I was saying these are just straight slabs of acrylic glued together, they have actually molded the acrylic so that your papers sit on a concave shelf so they aren't going to just fly out.  You'll still be able to remove them, but a slight incline of your desk isn't going to dump all your paperwork about.  Sure the AcryLight system might be a little on the pricey side, but can you really put a price on style?

Modernize Your Office

Let's face it, your office is pretty boring. You've got your affordable but well-meaning office chair (probably fake leather) sitting behind your desk of ugly but utilitarian office supplies perched atop your extremely durable, neutral colored, easily maintained carpet. BORING!

Here's three quick products that will give your office a quick makeover and wow your coworkers.

Bamboo Chair Mat

Unless you own your business you are at the mercy of whatever flooring is installed in your building. You aren't going to get away with ripping up the carpet in your office and replacing it all, but you can put down a great looking chair mat. You can buy a couple and really spruce things up. Anji Mountain Bamboo Mats come in a variety of shapes and shades. They are made of bamboo, so you know you aren't deforesting South America to make them either.

Clear Acrylic Tape Dispenser

Most of the stuff on your desk isn't replaceable. You've got your computer equipment and your phone and various other things. If your office is like mine most of the stuff on your desk wasn't purchased for looks, but for low cost at high quantity. Fortunately, this cool modern tape dispenser is affordable and has looks that kill. The standard tape dispenser hasn't really changed since scotch tape was first introduced.

Red Leather Waiting Room Chair

I can't in good conscience recommend a cool office desk chair because everybody likes a different kind of chair and you'll be sitting in it more than you ever care to truly admit. So comfort is way more important than looks. However, you've got to have a couple chairs when visitors stop by or when people are waiting for you. It doesn't matter much about how comfortable they are. The chairs will be empty most of the time anyway so why not get something that looks cool. These red chairs are the peak of modern design and in red leather you'll know everybody will enjoy looking at them even if they don't enjoy sitting in them.