The traditional method of writing and drawing has always been pen and paper, but as the rate of technology in the workplace develops, we’ve moved to typing on a keyboard and clicking on a mouse. It’s not so much that people prefer the taps of a keyboard (even if it’s a very nice keyboard) or the clicks of a mouse (even if it’s a very nice mouse), but rather because the efficiency of using a computer to write has become superior. However, there’s one device that is building the bridge between the two different worlds.
The Livescribe Smartpen is an interesting device. You make notes with it and then pen will record your process as well as any audio, should you choose it to. This can then be synced with your computer, or shared with a bunch of services and web apps like Evernote, Google Docs and Facebook. It’s not exactly focused on writing, but more on general note-taking making it a great companion to educational and business use.
How does the Smartpen work?
The Livescribe Smartpen is used in connection with a special notebook, with controls at the bottom that the pen recognises. You tap with the pen on a record button and the pen starts recording what you draw or write. You can optionally record audio too, meaning that notes taking during a lecture or business meeting can be associated with a recording of the presentation.
They generate “pencasts” which are basically replays of what you’ve drawn or written on your page, but viewable as a video or PDF on a PC or mobile device. In Livescribe Desktop, the handwriting recognition of the pen comes to life as you can search through your notes for specific words or phrases, especially useful if you have a series of notes took during lectures on similar topics.
The Livescribe Echo pen.
That’s the basic idea of what a Smartpen is. There’s several different models, the newest being the Echo. The Echo features an OLED display for showing controls, a microphone with built-in speaker and either a 2GB, 4GB or 8GB configuration for storage.
Livescribe Connect
Being web app enthusiasts, we’re most interested in how the Livescribe Smartpen connects with our favourite web applications like Google Docs and Evernote. Last month, the pen got an upgrade to be more suited to Facebook and Google services, opening up more opportunities for users. If you’ve designed a new concept, the comments functionality in Facebook or the chat in Google Docs means you can start discussing your notes with others.
Your Smartpen can send both the “pencase” animated notes in addition to any recorded audio to these services and on to any mobile devices like your iPad or smartphone.
The Livescribe pen can connect with Google Docs amongst other services.
Final Thoughts
Imagine being in a lecture but without your various gadgets. With the Livescribe Smartpen, you are not without the ability to reflect on your experience thanks to it’s ability to record just about everything. The pencast PDFs are especially useful if you’re maybe drawing out a new product concept and want to demonstrate the steps taken to get to your final draft.
The only disappointment with this $99+ device is there’s no built-in handwriting recognition. It’d be great to be able to sit on the couch and to have written this article on paper, only to later copy it into WordPress. Unfortunately, unless you want to pay a further price, this is not a feature you’ll get to experience.
Looking away from the web, the Livescribe pen has an open API for software developers and has a selection of applications available in it’s own store. From those, the pen has gained all-new uses like playing games with the on-board speaker or checking the time.
Livescribe’s pens are an interesting concept, but with the lack of built-in handwriting to text conversion, it’s a little harder to justify. Nevertheless, i’d love to have a go with one myself. Have you used one? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments.