"Digits" makes gloves useable on touchscreens

SAN MATEO, Calif. (KGO) -- It's one of those little annoyances in life -- texting in cold weather can be challenging when your fingers are numb and gloves just get in the way. A product called Digits claims to offer a solution. But, does it really work?

Die hard skiers conquer the elements on a cold winter day. The Bay Area Seals brave the chill at the ice rink in San Mateo. But even the most athletic among us can't text with gloved hands in the frigid cold.

"You really can't feel fingertips on your iPhone," said Bay Area Seals player Frankie McClendon.

Fellow Seals player Ryan Webber adds, "My hands get real cold and I can't text, takes me forever."

That's where the Digits comes in. It's a simple product barely the size of a fingertip, designed to make texting on those cold winter days manageable.

"This metal piece goes inside your glove," Webber said. "This little needle right there, and then it connects to that."

We asked the Seals to help us put the Digits to the test.

To make things more realistic, we shed the hockey gloves and found a pair of normal mittens to test the product. First we tried texting without the Digits. Letters they entered refused to appear on the screen.

McClendon couldn't even get started, "I couldn't even get my phone to unlock, couldn't open."

Both agree a product like the Digits, if it works, would be useful.

"Texting takes a lot of teenager's days," Webber said. "We spend too much time texting. If they make it easier we can get stuff done quicker."

So the two put on the Digits and let their fingers do the rest. The padded tips are made from a conductive silicon and supposedly triggers movement on your screen. Both saw an immediate difference.

"It's amazing," McClendon said. "I could easily send a text now. It's more clear, it's more accurate."

Webber added, "I think this would work on the mountains, skiing."

The Digits is made by Quirky and retails for $11.99. For more information on this product, click here.

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smartphones, iPad, iphone, ice, wind, 7 on your side, michael finney

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