Adonit’s Jot Script , a stylus designed for non-artist notetakers, just got a refresh. The company is counting on updates to its Bluetooth-connected pen to make it easier for business and education users to take notes with Evernote’s newly updated Penultimate for iPad. Both the new pen and the app update are available now.
Renamed Jot Script 2 – Evernote Edition, the pen features a slimmer build, rechargeable AAA lithium battery and improved precision and app integration. The pen has a more compact barrel that’s designed to sit more comfortably in your paw for writing, as opposed to drawing.
Battery life is longer than the previous version, and the pen always stays connected to the app you’re using after a single pairing. A built-in USB rechargeable lithium-ion battery can fully charge the Jot Script 2 in 45 minutes, and thereafter, it’s ready for up to 20 hours of writing time.
The pen’s streamlined build is also accompanied by an upgraded Pixelpoint tip. Still just 1.9mm on the outside, the tip has been fine-tuned to make the Jot Script more precise and compatible with a variety of notetaking apps. The technology has been refined to offer faster stroke tracking, smoother line rendering and more advanced line accuracy on-screen. Palm rejection performs better too, so you can rest your hand naturally on the screen while writing. To enable palm rejection, be sure to turn off Multitasking Gestures in your iPad General settings.
The Jot Script 2 Evernote Edition offers easier and more reliable onscreen pairing from within the Evernote Penultimate app and other Adonit-preferred notetaking apps, such as GoodNotes 4 and Noteshelf .
Penultimate version 6.0.4 includes support for the Jot Script 2 Evernote Edition, featuring faster and more accurate Jot Script performance with integration of the latest Adonit Jot Touch SDK. The app’s new version has also added ability to split large notes automatically and offers improved syncing and large note editing.
The pen is optimized for the iPad 4 or newer, though I was also able to use it on my iPad 2. Further, Adonit says it has addressed glitches noted when using its pens with the iPad Air 2. I found performance with that tablet much better than the Jot Touch that I had tried earlier. There were small skip instances here and there with the new Jot Script 2, but nothing major.
The Jot Script 2 — Evernote Edition is available for $74.99 and includes Evernote Premium free for six months.
➤ Adonit Jot Script 2 — Evernote Edition
Darma is a smart cushion for making your smart ass smarter
Move over wearables, Darma wants “sittables” to be the new trend as it prepares to launch its smart cushion for your office chair. The device monitors your sitting position, heartbeat, respiration and stress level.
Darma, a graduate of the Haxlr8r hardware accelerator, is raising money on Kickstarter with plans to begin shipping the device by June 2015. Backers can get a cushion for as low as $99, down from the expected retail price of $199.
CEO Junhao Hu’s goal is to go beyond mere data and provide users with guidance on how to improve their sitting. By taking the non-wearable approach, the startup is also trying to avoid the barriers that come from actually wearing a product. For instance, Darma’s battery life will be roughly one month, much longer than your average fitness band.
Since Darma’s only a cushion, it doesn’t have information about your entire posture, but it tries to keep tabs on whether the way you’re sitting will cause pain in your shoulder, neck and back. For what it’s worth, I’m skeptical about the accuracy of measuring upper posture just based on data from your butt. It can, however, track whether you’re learning forward or backward, which does have some bearing on the healthiness of your posture.
At the least, the cushion can monitor how long you’ve been sitting for and send you a reminder to get up and move around. It can also suggest step-by-step stretches to keep you active.
I’m not yet convinced that I need a smart cushion, but if you’re ergonomically-minded, you might want to check this one out.
➤ Darma [Kickstarter]
Game, set, match: Hands-on with Ralph Lauren’s Polo Tech smart shirt
Tennis isn’t the only game Ralph Lauren’s getting its hands on these days. Just in time for the first day of the US Open 2014 , the fashion house has announced the launch of its own wearable tech line, which will provide athletes real-time biometric stats via a smart shirt.
The launch features the Polo Tech shirt which is currently distributed to ball boys at this year’s US Open to help monitor their respiration, heart rate and stress level. The team says they are using the event to test the product before finalizing the shirt’s design.
The slick, machine-washable tee is crafted with silver conductive thread woven into the fabric to track the wearer’s vitals. It is also designed to wick moisture and keep the wearer cool.
Ralph Lauren’s latest venture is in collaboration with Montreal-based wearable tech company OMsignal , which has designed a custom skin of its app for users to track their stats while wearing the shirt. The user just taps the app to begin tracking vitals and the removable black box on the shirt transmits data via Bluetooth.
In our hands-on demo, the stretch fabric feels fairly thick, but lightweight. The shirt is extra thick around the chest area, where the silver conductive thread is integrated into the band. The US Open ball boys say they’ve been wearing the shirt for a few days and find it breathable, and the black box does not get in the way of their arm swings.
Ralph Lauren says moving into the wearable tech space is a natural progression for its brand, as today’s American lifestyle revolves around being constantly connected.
“We wanted to design something that fits in with the modern lifestyle and not just a gadget,” Tom Jarrold, Vice President of Global Marketing at Ralph Lauren, told TNW. Although the Polo Tech is currently geared toward athletes and their coaches to improve performance, the team says the casual look of the top makes it perfect for everyday wear as well.
Ralph Lauren is among one of several luxury fashion brands tackling the wearable market. If shades or fitness bands are more your pace, you can opt for Google Glass frames by Diane von Furstenberg or FitBit accessories from Tory Burch .
The team anticipates the Polo Tech – including more colors and women’s sizes – will hit the market in Spring 2015. Prices are not available, as yet.
Read next: Google Glass frames and shades designed by Diane von Furstenberg are now available in the US