Wether rapid prototyping or creating CAD schematics for manufacturing or even just taking notes on a product concept brainstorming session, I personally have found a stylus to be essential to creating quick sketches. The recent addition to the Waacom family, this Ballpoint pen allows you to write in ink and while simultaneously digitizing the information and saves up to 50 files in the devices storage. Having been developing patent sketches and constantly revising a robotics prototype I can see the benefits of a tool like this. I especially like the idea of having both a hard copy tangible sketch and a digitized format that I didn't have to scan then upload. I will definitely be picking up one of these considering they are only going for $199 and will be released late sept/nov. Good by cumbersome tablet, hello future pen.
The basic technology for this has been around for years (e.g., the logitech digipen), though I think this latest iteration is the first to add pressure sensitivity. I've always wanted one of these (back when I was getting my physics PhD, I would have killed for this), but everything out there to date seems to be the same rehashed product that is doomed to be abandoned shortly after its release. Here's to hoping wacom does it right.