Winter is lurking just around the corner, and already there have been a few days when I've pulled on gloves before going out the door. And the chill in the air means that the owners of smartphones with touchscreens are going to have to start making a choice between being able to use their phones outside and fending off frostbite.
If you've ever tried to use an iPhone or one of the Google Android smartphones with touch screens while wearing gloves, you've discovered that it's a no-go. Manipulating touch screens can be hard enough with gloves off, too—especially if you've got manicured nails. And because most smartphone touchscreens are designed specifically to detect fingertouches, unlike those of the Palm and other handhelds that come with a stylus, there are few substitutes for fingers in manipulating them.
That's where the Pogo Stylus for iPhone and iPod Touch from Ten One Designs comes in. Recently redesigned for the iPhone 4, it has an electrostatic tip that works like your finger on smartphone touchscreens—execept that it won't smudge up the screen with your fingerprints. And it works without having to take your gloves off.
The Pogo is about the size of a golf pencil, which makes it both convenient and terribly easy to lose. It comes with a clip that can connect it to the iPhone to prevent loss, but that won't keep you from dropping it with your gloved hand into a snowbank. On the other hand, if you're standing outside to make a call or send an email or text message, it's perfectly serviceable.
