Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Emerging Tech
  3. News

Clicking is only the beginning: this magnetic pen is a fidgeter’s dream come true

Add as a preferred source on Google

So, we all agree 2016 is the year of the fidget, right? First off, 154,926 backers pledged $6,465,690 to make ultimate desk toy the Fidget Cube a reality, and now a new Kickstarter campaign wants to up the fiddle factor of the world’s writing implements.

Called Think Ink, the concept in question is a ballpoint pen and “discrete fidgeting tool,” which combines a titanium and steel pen exterior with a plethora of bendable, spinnable, and assorted other tactile elements to keep fingers happy.

Recommended Videos

“I made this for my daughter,” co-founder Kent Lyon told Digital Trends. “She had just started a new job, which she nervous about, and started noticing that she was fidgeting a whole lot. Whether it was clicking her pen or playing with her hair, she found that she couldn’t stop doing something with her hands.”

Lyon jumped online to search for a product for her, like the one he eventually wound up developing. He could not find something suitable, but it nonetheless turned out to be a rewarding experience.

“The more I started reading about fidgeting, the more interested I got,” he said. “Eventually, when I couldn’t find something that fit, I figured I’d have to make her something myself.”

Lyon teamed up with entrepreneur Jym Daniel, and together they developed Think Ink: gradually distilling their fidgeting research into a product they hope will take the world — or, at least, the world’s hands — by storm. “We took a lot of ideas from hardcore fidgeters, and what they said they most enjoyed,” Lyon continued.

The pen form factor is one Lyon said they picked because most people carry one with them.

“A pen is something people can take everywhere, and that they already fidget with,” he said. “I heard from so many people who described themselves as ‘pen murderers.’ It just made sense to use as the basis for our fidget device. And, unlike regular pens which you can click and suchlike, there’s no noise this pen can make that will annoy other people around you.”

Whether it can match the success of Fidget Cube on Kickstarter remains to be seen, but if you want to get hold of a Think Ink pen of your own you can do so by checking out the campaign at the link above. The pens will set you back $40 each, with shipping scheduled to take place in April.

Now get back to work!

Luke Dormehl
I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…
DJI’s first 360° drone offers 8K video recording and a freakishly long transmission range
From omnidirectional obstacle sensing to 42 GB of onboard storage, the Avata 360 is DJI doing what DJI does best: raising the bar for everyone else.
DJI Avata 360° drone.

DJI has officially entered the 360° drone arena with the launch of the Avata 360. It’s the company’s first-ever fully immersive FPV drone, and a direct shot at the Antigravity A1, a rival built by an Insta360-incubated brand. Looks like the drone wars just got more interesting. 

What makes the Avata 360 worth looking at?

Read more
I transferred all my chats from other AI apps to Gemini — and it works flawlessly
Google Gemini Graphics Featured

You know that moment when AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude suddenly lose the plot mid-conversation and start hallucinating like they’re absolutely sure they’re right? Yeah…it’s equal parts funny and painfully annoying. My usual reaction is switching between apps, hoping one of them gets it right. But the real problem is that I have to start over every single time. It feels like I’m stuck in a loop explaining my life story to different AIs, one after the other.

Now with Gemini, I can now jump in from other AI apps without that whole reset conversation. Finally, the Google gods have blessed us. I tried it out expecting the usual hiccups, but it was surprisingly smooth and quick.

Read more
Google expands Search Live globally with voice and camera AI
The feature is now available in 200+ countries with multilingual support
Google Search Live

Google is taking another big step toward turning Search into a full-blown AI assistant. The company has officially expanded Search Live globally, making the feature available in over 200 countries and territories, along with support for dozens of languages.

https://twitter.com/google/status/2037201891130523917

Read more