Accessory maker ESR this week introduced the Geo Digital Pencil, a low-cost Apple Pencil alternative that has support for Apple's Find My functionality.
Priced at $30, the Geo Digital Pencil connects to an iPad with Bluetooth, and it supports writing, drawing, sketching, and more much like the Apple Pencil. The Geo Digital Pencil connects to an iPad using a magnetic attachment to keep it from being lost, but charging is done using a USB-C charger.
Supported features include tilt sensitivity and shortcuts, but pressure sensitivity, Apple Pencil hover, and other Apple Pencil exclusive features are not available.
Find My integration allows the Geo Digital Pencil to be located using the Items tab in the Find My app on any Apple device, with options for playing a sound, marking an item as lost, and seeing the last known location of the pencil when Bluetooth is unavailable.
ESR says the Geo Digital Pencil is compatible with all 11-inch iPad Pro models, the third-generation iPad Air and later, the third-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro and later, the iPad mini 5 and later, and the iPad 6 and later. It is available for purchase from Amazon, and it is priced at $30.
ESR has also introduced a case designed for the iPhone 16 models with Camera Control button and the MagMouse, a mouse with a built-in USB-C cable that can attach magnetically to an iPad or Mac for storage purposes.
Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio.
Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014.
Q.ai has...
Monday January 26, 2026 1:55 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch.
Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More
Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...
Monday January 26, 2026 3:56 pm PST by Juli Clover
Alongside iOS 26.2.1, Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12 for devices that are still running that operating system update, eight years after the software was first released.
iOS 12.5.8 is available for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6, meaning Apple is continuing to support these devices for 13 and 12 years after launch, respectively. The iPhone 5s came out in September 2013,...
Tuesday January 27, 2026 2:39 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Update: Apple Creator Studio is now available.
Apple Creator Studio launches this Wednesday, January 28. The all-in-one subscription provides access to the Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage apps, with U.S. pricing set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year.
A subscription to Apple Creator Studio also unlocks "intelligent features" and "premium...
Thursday January 29, 2026 2:40 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
On an earnings call with equity analysts today, Apple CEO Tim Cook responded to fast-rising RAM and SSD storage chip prices in the supply chain.
Prices for RAM and NAND storage chips are surging lately due to high demand from companies building out AI servers, resulting in supply constraints.
Cook said that rising memory chip prices had a "minimal impact" on Apple's gross margin in the...
Looks like the Goojodoq GD14 that’s been available for a while.
Correction: ESR launches a stylus that looks like an Apple Pencil but does almost nothing the Apple Pencil can do.
It does most of the things the Apple Pencil does. Save for the pressure sensitivity - though that’s overrated to not really useful for mere note-taking.
Digital artists should get the Pencil Pro (if compatible). Most other people will be well-served with a good-enough third-party Pencil at a fraction of Apple‘s price.
Plus, they won‘t be subject to Apple‘s whims on making their accessories with future iPad generations. Prepare to write off your Magic Keyboards and Pencils once Apple yet again changes a few magnets.
God people here are insane and love giving Apple their money.
If you want an Apple Pencil Pro, this is obviously not for you. But it is very comparable to an Apple usb-c pencil (better even) while being significantly less expensive. It’s a good option for a lot of people who are very casual (or occasional) pencil users.
Im using a $12 3rd party pencil right now. The first one I got didn’t write well on my iPad mini 7 without skipping but the second one works like a charm and feels exactly like my old Apple Pencil 1. I don’t think anyone should be buying the usb-c Apple Pencil. Get the Apple Pencil pro if you care about all the fancy features, or get a 3rd party pencil like this one by ESR which is probably going to be slightly nicer than the cheaper one I got.
