Livescribe

Livescribe makes a variety of smartpens that can record handwritten notes in tandem with audio. The technology lets you capture the nuances of a meeting, lecture or brainstorming session so you don't miss anything important.

Livescribe's smartpens use an infrared camera that takes up to 72 snapshots per second to reconstruct handwriting on a digital screen. The pens use a dot-pattern on paper called DPS that serves as a smartpen's GPS, allowing for digital features.

Among them:

• Symphony and Echo 2 Smartpens: Smartpens that look like ordinary writing instruments capture handwriting and convert it into digital documents. You can record audio and play it back later.

• SmartPaper: Livescribe notebooks use plain paper with the DPS dot pattern. They cost about the same as plain paper notebooks.

• Livescribe+ App: Syncs notes across multiple devices, converts handwriting into text and lets you search. It can link to multiple cloud services for sharing.

Livescribe's products are geared for students, businesspeople and anyone who wants to get more out of their notes. That includes:

• Taking notes in meetings or lectures
• Capturing ideas in brainstorming sessions
• Transcribing handwritten notes into text
• Sharing notes in different formats

Livescribe smartpens cost:

• Echo 2: $149.95 list price, $99.95 sale price
• Symphony: $114.95 list price, $79.95 sale price

Livescribe's technology is designed to help you make the transition from analog to digital notes, letting you get the best of both worlds. With a simple interface and a variety of uses, Livescribe offers a practical and easy way to take better notes.

Published on July 8, 2024