Griffin LightBoard digital crayon for iPad: Beatweek Best of Show 2011

What do you get when iAccessory maker Griffin Technology and crayon maker Crayola join forces? That’s the idea behind the LightBoard, a crayon-shaped stylus which allows kids to “color” on the iPad’s screen. The trick behind it all is that the counterpart App Store apps can recognize the difference between the crayon-stylus and the random touch of a finger, meaning that kids won’t make a virtual mess of the page while attempting to hold the iPad with their other hand (even adults sometimes have issues with using a stylus with the iPad for this same reason). Impressively, the LightBoard crayon is set to cost about $30, whereas we had been fearing something much higher. More LightBoard-compatible apps are set to come down the road. If you’re trying to keep your iPad away from your kids, this is the wrong product to bring into the house. As such, the Griffin LightBoard is a Beatweek Best of Show winner for CES 2011.