Measure anything with this pen

Th There are limits to what a tape measure can do, such as give you the dimensions of a curved surf surface. Or add. But the new Instrumments 01, despite its clunky name, can do nearly everythin thing a traditional tape measure can and those other things, too. It uses a small rolling whee wheel built into the top of a pen. (It also converts to a pencil or stylus.) Line up your meas measurement with the 01’s laser guide, then roll the wheel to get your number. A free appa syncs the pen to your phone, so all you have to do is press the pen’s top to sto stop, record and store a measurement. Upgrade to the app’s Pro version and th those dimensions can be transformed into 3D renderings. There are some hiccups:h the roller wheel won’t always engage on slippery surfaces and kee keeping a straight line can be challenging over long lengths. For measur measuring uncommon things, though, such as the rounded edge of a tablee table or the cumulative rise and run of a flight of stairs (for a carrpet carpet runner, say), there’s no better tool.