Libertyville company rolls out new products for tablets, smartphones
A Libertyville-based technology company, led by a Hawthorn Woods couple, has launched a new stylus that aims to make your texting, gaming or other work easier while using tablets and smartphones.
LYNKtec is offering the new TruGlide stylus for touch-screen devices and was engineered with a patented woven conductive fiber tip to make it more durable than the rubber tips found on other styluses. It's also resistant to damage and tearing, said LYNKtec founders; husband-and-wife team Joan Ghiglieri and Bob Martin.
"A lot of people had come to us with products, but we weren't really interested in them until we saw this stylus," Ghiglieri said. "We always said no to accessories before, but when someone came to us with this product, we loved it."
Still, the founders decided to reengineer the stylus and strengthened certain features to create this third generation product. Their staff engineers in Libertyville redesigned it and a partner in Asia manufactured it, they said.
About a year ago, they launched LYNKtec, which has 6 employees, and TruGlide is one of its first products. The company plans to offer a number of other new products in coming weeks, they said.
"We want to develop other products that are fashionable and innovative for users of iPad, iPhone and other devices," Ghiglieri said.
Both founders came from technology backgrounds. Ghiglieri had worked in the semiconductor industry in Silicon Valley and Martin was an engineer at Hewlett-Packard and other companies. They also worked as consultants and decided to go into business for themselves in 2009, laying the groundwork for LYNKtec.
While the stylus market has stiff competition, the couple believes their product will offer users a better and longer-lasting experience.
"Sure it's a tough market out there," said Martin. "But we're looking for innovative ways to improve the user's experience."
The TruGlide Stylus is offered in two styles: a 4.7-inch with pocket clip and a 3.2-inch with tether for a headphone jack. It is also available in black, white, silver, and sapphire Blue. It costs $21.95 and is available at www.lynktec.com and www.amazon.com.
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