HOWTO use a touch-screen without shucking your gloves (use a sausage)

According to this Korean news site, shilly Koreans have figured out how to use their iPhones and other electrostatic touchscreen devices without removing their gloves: instead, they use miniature sausages, which are close enough to a human finger in composition to trick the screen into responding.

IPhone frenzy in the mini-sausages 'maekseubong' a special (via Kottke)

Previously:

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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Anonymous

‘cuz nuthin’ says “I love my touchphone” like sausage grease all over the screen. Not to mention a greasy sausage where..in your pocket?

Maybe cut one finger off of a cheap pair of gloves? Do erasers work on touchphones like they used to work on Palms and other touchscreens?

Just sounds like an awful lot of work and mess for not all that much gain.
TEKNA2007

When I use my sausage, it takes an iPad. 9.7* inches – yeah baby.

* measured diagonally
Marshall

There is no way that a delicious procesed fish/cheese tube (that’s not a “meat sauasage” there) would last long enough in my hands to be useful as a finger substitute on my phone. But having recently been in a snowy Seoul, this makes total sense to me.
Anonymous

I’m looking at this.

Come on you know what this looks like.
Jardine

So does a penis work? I suppose accuracy would be a big problem. I only have one of the two pieces of equipment required to try.
Anonymous

but the guy in the picture isn’t wearing gloves
VJrabauke

@Jardine it works ;) even nipples do
- merreborn
  
  Remind me not to borrow your iPhone.
Anonymous

nose works!
Itsumishi

My friend and I discovered a similar phenomenon with touch lamps back when we were about 13. Cheese, Sausages and flesh were the only things we could get to turn them on and off.
OoerictoO

what’s with the use of “shilly” here?
- Anonymous
  
  Because the “s i” sound in Korean often causes them to add a “sh” sound when speaking english. “Fish” becomes “Fishy”, City = “sh*tty”, etc.
  
  Reminds me of the mid 90′s when people had cityphones. Didn’t work well. Everyone thought it apropo that they all said “sh*tty phones” instead.
pKp

To do on non-stuffed gloves : just cut a horizontal line where the first joint of your index is in the glove. Then, when you want to use the screen, put your finger trough the line. Maximum cold protection.
Anonymous

The chewed end of a wooden pencil works fine too.
Krutus

I live in Korea and I eat those things. Not really sausages, more like processed cheese, but sometimes they taste of fish. In other news, “maekseubong tagitcheung and this just fits the iPhone user base, while the poisonous celebrity, Max is on the stick” is my the best thing I’ve read all day.
Anonymous

you can use your tongue. i know it works.
Anonymous

I have seen some styluses available for the iphone/ipod touch that won’t rot in your pocket. I recently picked up the “Pogo Sketch” stylus. You can use it on iPhone and on the Macbook pad to turn it into sort of a Wacom tablet. I was disappointed that the iPad wouldn’t have drawing capabilities but this thing might make up for it. Works well with Brushes and Alias Sketchpad apps. I will say though that they are sort of fragile. A little piece broke off of mine (but didn’t effect use) and my friend that also got one had the pocket clip break off his within a day.
joelfreeman

Using a few stitches of capacitive thread works well. Check out this Instructables article for more info:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-A-Glove-Work-With-A-Touch-Screen/
arkizzle / Moderator

My gloves are threadbare enough that they work fine.
Anonymous

Just buy non insulated leather gloves, such as; shooting gloves, uniform dress gloves, tactical gloves, motorcycle gloves, etc.

Works fine and to be honest, leather will keep your hands pretty taosty regardless of that neat cashmere lining.
nanuq

The sausage thing seems wrong on so many levels…
gobo

Or, y’know, buy a stylus. They make ‘em for the iPhone. But I guess a sausage is way more hip!
holtt

I have always wondered if you could use your tongue on an iPhone. If so, I would suggest an ice cream licking app.
- Beta_Bates
  
  Tongues work, yes. Noses too.
wormbaby

Really?? A sausage?? How about a stich or two of cheap ol conductive thread like the rest of us figured out how to do last winter. Works great mine have gone through the washer a couple times and they still work.
Anonymous

I have found that you can use a banana as a stylus.
Anonymous

99 cent gloves. Wear a hole through at least one finger with your long sharp nails.