LAS VEGAS, United States (AP) — Go ahead, peek at our patents. Toyota executive Bob Carter announced Monday at the International CES show that the automaker will allow others to use for free several thousand of its proprietary patents — and some still pending — to speed the development of its hydrogen-powered car dubbed Mirai, due to be sold in the U.S. by October.

Elsewhere, would-be novelists rejoiced as Lenovo launched AnyPen, which lets you write on a tablet with any ordinary pen or pencil. And LG unveiled a new curved smartphone. The International CES show in Las Vegas this week isn’t typically a major forum for mobile products, as many manufacturers wait a month or two for the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. But it’s hard to separate mobile from other technologies these days.

Here are some highlights from the gadget show.

VROOM, VROOM

Toyota has been working on a hydrogen-powered car for some time. But now it’s opened up the playing field to anyone, even its competitors, in the hopes of speeding the development of hydrogen-powered vehicles and their fuelling stations.

Toyota executive Bob Carter says his company will allow the free use of several thousand of its proprietary and pending patents to develop its Mirai hydrogen-powered car.

Carter compared Mirai’s development to the gamble the company took on the electric Prius, which now has become a ubiquitous sight on most roads.

“We can speed the metabolism of everyone’s research and development,” he said.

Don’t expect a rush of carmakers to line up, though. Quite a few have their own hydrogen fuel-cell cars in the works. But like the Prius, there’s the quandary of the car and the fuel station. Which comes first?

“We cannot have the car without the refuelling stations,” he said.

Toyota’s patents include 70 designs for hydrogen refuelling stations, the plans for which are also now royalty-free.

WRITE ME

Sometimes, it’s easier to write or draw something than to type. Some tablets including Microsoft’s Surface and Samsung’s Note series come with styluses to do just that, but that means having an extra item to carry around and potentially lose.

Now you can write on a tablet screen with just an ordinary pen or pencil. Lenovo is introducing a technology called AnyPen in its new 8-inch Yoga Tablet 2. Lenovo says the pen or pencil will even make touchscreen navigation easier than using a finger.

The tablet is built to withstand normal pressure, but don’t press too hard, or you might scratch the surface.

ALL IN THE SCREENS

LG’s new G Flex 2 has a slightly curved screen, as the name implies. LG says that makes phones easier to hold and the display easier to read. Even more notable is the fact that LG is also making the Flex 2 smaller than its predecessor, countering a trend toward bigger and bigger phones.

LG says it got complaints that the previous, 6-inch version felt too big. The new one will be just 5.5 inches, which LG considers the “sweet spot” for smartphones. That’s the same screen size as Apple’s new iPhone 6 Plus, though it’s actually slightly shorter when placed side by side.

LG is also making the back of its new phone “scratch-proof” by adding self-healing properties. Scratch or nick it under normal use, and the mark disappears in seconds. The screen itself isn’t scratchproof, but LG says it’s more durable than usual with a special chemical layer applied to Corning’s Gorilla Glass.