Well-funded digital artists take note: Wacom has announced its Cintiq 21UX, a second-generation device that combines a 21.3-inch display with the company’s pen-controlled tablet. The new Cintiq is geared toward artists, designers, and others who benefit from being able to draw or otherwise interact directly with images on the screen rather than through a separate tablet or mouse. It doesn’t come cheap, though, with a price of $1,999 when it ships in late March or early April.
The color LCD, with a resolution 1600×1200, can be laid flat or rotated one way or the other up to 180 degrees in its stand, or dismounted altogether, Wacom said in its Monday announcement. On the back are two “touch strips” that let a finger slide adjust properties such as zoom or drawing brush size. The Cintiq also has 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity; with the new “Tip Sensor” technology, it detects as little pressure as that of 1 gram pushing on the display, Wacom said. In addition to detecting pen pressure and tilt, the Cintiq can detect rotation for drawing applications such as Adobe Systems’ Photoshop and Illustrator and Corel’s Painter 11 that support the feature for tasks such as calligraphy, Wacom said.
Wacom introduced its first 21-inch Cintiq model in 2005. It also offers the $999 Cintiq 12wx, a smaller wide-screen model.

The year 2010 seems to be the year of the color blue. It started with the worldwide box office hit “Avatar,” which rewrote box office history since it was released at the end of last year. Korean skaters at the Vancouver Olympics also wore blue, and the color is appearing as the main hue in the luxury fashion boutiques of New York and Paris, and in accessories, cosmetic lines, furniture, and kitchen appliances.

There is a reason for this. Color company Pantone picked turquoise as the color of the year for 2010, supposedly because it reflects the desire of people to regain hope amidst signs of economic recovery. “It is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky,” the firm said. “Turquoise transports us to an exciting, tropical paradise while offering a sense of protection and healing in stressful times.”

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