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From sketch artists, to researchers, students, and business professionals, everyone has a different idea of when, where and how they’d use the Livescribe smartpen. So what’s yours? Write us back by submitting a comment below. We’ll pick our favorite response on January 4, 2008 and send you a smartpen for free when we start shipping the product.
In the meantime - check out what our group friends are saying on Facebook, and have a look at what other blogs are saying:
Livescribe - Paradigm Shifting User Research Technology?
“While the [Livescribe] was not designed for user research applications, consider how it might be applied:
- During user interviews, the researcher can reference what he or she writes or sketches directly back to the interviewees words for clarity and idea expansion.
- In usability testing the facilitator can reference recorded comments directly back to a discussion guide document to quickly drill-down to supporting quotes.
- For ethnographic observations informant conversations and environmental sounds can be unobtrusively recorded while taking notes.”
Ethnography: Saved by Technology?
“Enter the [smartpen] from [Livescribe]. The [smartpen] allows us to take notes even as we capture a taped version of what is said, and then to interpolate between them as need be. The [smartpen] gives us both the topographical map and the treasure map.”
“Unfortunately, at least some of that time you really do need an accurate transcription, particularly of complex ideas that are new to you and so are hard to summarize. That’s where being able to replay just that portion of the lecture with Livescribe would be incredibly useful.”
Pen Cures Restless Mind Syndrome, Reveals Office Secrets
“For business purposes, the uses are endless. The pen can attend those mindless weekly traffic meetings on your behalf.”
“This would have been a dream device for me when I was a student. I was always sloppy with my notes and would often spend hours trying to figure out why I circled three times “War/zoo analogy”. Seemed important at the time, but when it came time to study, I’d have to put on my Sherlock Holmes hat and try to figure out what the heck it meant. With this, I could double click, rewind a few minutes and just hear it again.”
“I am the old fashion type who likes to take notes by hand rather than type through a lecture. (As a former radio journalist, I also like to have my tape recorder going to catch those important quotes!)”
Tags: business professionals, ethnography, Facebook, journalist, researchers, sketch artists, students, transcription
Although I was immediately drawn toward the Livescribe for my personal use, the first time I viewed the demonstration video, I realized what a true boon this could be in our high school. I immediately forwarded the site to my principal and the Special Education Department Chair, with the request that we earmark some funds for purchase.
A high school setting is a particularly challenging place for both a Special Needs student and the teachers who are working with the student. The Individualized Education Plan (IEP) designed for each student tries to provide ways to accommodate that student’s disabilities so he/she is still able to function within a regular classroom. However, we are also well aware that the student will, at some time, leave our classroom and be expected to function in a “Non-IEP” world. This is where I feel the Livescribe really can make a difference for these students.
For example, one common IEP deals with note taking; the teacher is often instructed to give the student a copy of lecture notes or to allow the student to get notes from either an aide or another student. While this serves the short-term goal of allowing the student easy access to the material, it does not help them prepare for the “real world” where they will have to obtain verbal information on their own. However, the Livescribe could serve as the bridge here. A student could be instructed to take his/her own notes, and then the teacher, aide, or, eventually, the student alone could go over the notes and double check with the voice tap. In addition, a student who is having trouble with a concept would merely have to make that notation while it is being explained, and, again, the aide or teacher would know exactly what to review.
The added bonus is, of course, that the product itself is very hip, cool and affordable. Too often the procedures and equipment we use with Special Needs students are stigmatizing and/or hard to access. The Livescribe, on the other hand, has the added cachet of being something everyone, Special Needs or not, will want.
I work with K-12 students who have various cognitive and physical disabilities as an Assistive Technology Specialist. The LiveScribe might be the perfect Assistive Tech tool for my physically impaired and dyslexic students who have a difficult time with note taking and also be the perfect tool for an Assistive Technologist who is on-the-go, a lousy speller and blessed with AD/HD.
I plan to experiment with the newly announced 3D audio connector to connect to a variety of inexpensive wireless microphones designed for video camera use and also those used already in Sound-Field systems in the classrooms. The RF wireless receiver or Bluetooth adaptor would be wired to the top of the pen where the new headset attaches. Most of my students have already chosen the LiveScribe as their first “digital pen” to try out, over all the other non-audio versions marketed companies.
I will also purchase one for myself to hopefully improve my organization and eliminate memory lapses. Upon leaving each school/student, I will be able to quickly jot down the date, school and student, then put the pen back in my shirt pocket. While driving to my next appointment I can be repeating back not only what was done and what we need to do next for that student but also refresh the names of the other team members and relevant people I was introduced to. I hope it will be a game changer for my students AND myself.
I love vacations; I love to travel; I love to share and relive my experiences with others. However, after the initial review when my memory is fresh, I have found that pictures alone do not keep my memories alive. I can see this really changing when I use my SmartPen.
How cool will it be to be able to jot down and sketch places I am visiting and include not only my written description, but also my verbal input? Imagine being able to share this online with friends (how envious will they be!) while I am traveling and to add this searchable resource to my computer log when I return home. I’m not a scrap booker, and I have no desire to tediously transcribe notes into a tidy form so I can keep track of details. Audio recorders are bulky to handle; long notes are often difficult to write when one is on the move; details of trips often get lost in the shuffle …the SmartPen will solve all that for me.
What would I do with a livescribe?, easy, I’d finally throw away my teenagers Fly Pen. As a 50 year old guy who is working full time and trying to get a university degree in evening classes, I don’t want a semi-toy that can mix music and translate English to Spanish, I want a reliable note taking tool that will really save me time transcribing those lecture notes to usable computer files.
I work for The Larkin Center, a welfare agency in Illinois that provides services as well as a place to live, for children and adults with mental and/or behavioral disorders. Presently we bill state and federal agencies for these services. In these difficult economic times, these agencies are also cost conscious, and reclaiming money for our services can be difficult. We must regularly attend Medicaid training sessions to teach us what is an appropriate service and how to properly bill for these, which can be very difficult to follow. It never fails that several of us will go to these sessions and we will all come back with a different idea of what was said and what needs to be done. What I am proposing is to utilize the Livescribe Pen at these training sessions. This will enable me to record what is being said accurately to help us all to better understand how we are to bill these agencies. The lives and wellbeing of these children and adults depend on our ability to bill correctly and reclaim the money for our services efficiently. I feel your product would be tremendously helpful to our ability to bill and receive financing for our institution, thereby helping improves the lives of the many children and adults entrusted to our care.
I am a project mangaer. I am currently managing 33 projects. I keep notes on everything on ever project. Everything! At minimum every two weeks I have 33 project meetings. This does not include PMO departmental and other administrative meetings. I need to turn the notes I take in to formal meeting minutes. I try to take my notes on my laptop but I am not always at my laptop when these meetings occur (sometimes I have to step out of one meeting to take another). I am looking to use the livescribe to facilitate getting my formal notes and other deliverable done more quickly. Nolonger would I have to transcribe my notes. I could go straight to proofreading and formatting. Can you brink it to market any quicker?
I´m a creative director inside a advertising agency. When we make brain storming a lot of ideas are launched , but we cant bring all them later when we are developing the campaings….we forget a lot of ideas, slogans, words sayed…etc. So we decided to film the meetings in a cam to review the creative process and turn again over deleted ideas. But it is a extra work and we lose a lot of time. The smartpen will be the favorite tool for people working with creative ideas- Frequently we got instantly inspiration for a idea but we dont remenber what was about…”this means a lot of written notes in paper that we loose later”. Something similar hapens with the meetings whith clients: “did he sid 2 or 3? ¿Do you remember if the client said Black or Green?… nobody remember it…. I need 5 of this pens for my creative team…..please….send them now. I´m sure that livescribe smartpen will be the revolution tool in advertise and marketing departmens.
It’s a miracle! You’ve discovered a cure for ADD (attention deficit disorder)! Ever since I was a kid, my mind would wander in class… and now, as a technical writer for a governmental IT group, I attend more meetings than should be allowed, and I do drift off to other thoughts on occasion. The miraculous Livescribe has done what the medical community couldn’t do… bring us a dose of reality when the old attention span misses a few beats! It’s a modern-day-miracle!!!
As a part-time college teacher (and full-time gadget geek), I can see using this in class. I currently record audio in all my classes, but I also write down points from our discussions. Because I teach World Lit, there’s a lot of give and take, and it would be great to have a way to be able to write brief notes about comments and discussions in class in order to develop further assignments and tests, even to refer back to points in the class for the students should questions come up further along in the semester.
One question, though, can the audio be exported as a recognizable file type like .mp3?
Christian, More information will be released about the smartpen’s audio format closer to launch. Hang tight, we are counting down with all of you.
As an educator in the elementary school level if I could I would have my whole class use the pens. Then I would have the perfect way to save samples of their writing without having to have the mounds of paper associated with collecting this. Right now I collect it all, then scan it into my computer (the scanner is not the best one and sometimes does not work), then return all the papers to the students at a later date (if I remember). I could do the same thing with their math, science, and social studies without all the hassle!
For myself, I would use the pen to keep all the information that I write down and then forget where I put the paper! I would keep my notes from various staff meetings without having to take my laptop with me. I have been looking for an easier way and this it! I have a tablet PC right now which is great but I am still lugging equipment around to meetings. This would be something I can put in my pocket! Imanagine that.
As I think of purchasing LiveScribe Pen once it is released, I was wondering if it will have the capability of plugging into a phone and recording the conversation while I make notes on the dotted paper. I work as a corporate technical recruiter and most of my business is over the phone and the internet - I constantly make notes, regarding candidate’s skills, but sometime can’t remember the context. It is hard to keep it all organized, so I thought if the Pen had the phone plug in capability this would be a tremendous help. I could also use it while checking references and email the audio file to the manager
Thank you!
Lina
Simply put i have trouble remembering what is said in class and my penmanship is terrible. On top of all that i am studying to become a naval architect (lots of math, sciences, and sketching) too much writing for me to enjoy the classes. Anything that can help me with these problems is a godsend. Also if i could get a list of retailers in Ontario Canada who will be selling your product that would be great.
Thank you kindly
John
As a college professor developing technology for laboratory automation, the SmartPen platform could supplant the traditional paper Laboratory Notebook. Academic, corporate, government and military research labs are searching for an interface between the handwritten laboratory notebook and electronic instruments.
At the moment, most labs are required by laws and regulations to maintain a written manuscript of laboratory procedures, including signatures of performing technicians and witnesses for regulated processes and invention documentation currently bound by 21 CFR Part 11.
In addition to providing a written notebook that is scanned electronically on the fly, the audio recording feature would be invaluable to technicians that require two gloved hands to perform a procedure and could simply dictate observations and comments to the pen.
Working through the SDK, it is very conceivable that instrument instructions could be printed as templates on dotpaper. To configure an electronic instrument for analysis, the technician could fill out fields for sample name, results file name and instrument parameters, etc. The SmartPen would then beam these instructions wirelessly to the instrument. The notebook entries would serve as a written manuscript record of the analysis.
We attempted to use hand-held PDAs for this purpose, but their near-zero input bandwidth made them very cumbersome. PDAs are a smart screen with a dumb stylus. The smart stylus, smart paper approach of the SmartPen/dotpaper along with the audio recording provides immense input bandwidth. I am really anxious to explore the SmartPen utility in the laboratory this semester!
I just finished my first semester at Harvard Law School, and for so many reasons, the LiveScribe Pen sounds like my wish come true.
A growing number of profs at the law school have started implementing no-laptop policies in the classroom because they envision an “ideal” where students–instead of trying to transcribe their classes–actually listen and reflect on what is being said in class, while participating in the discussion too. However, the sad truth is that law school topics are so complicated that most students don’t feel like this is really an option if they don’t want to be ultra-confused by the end of the semester, so they try to take transcripts on their notebooks anyway.
I was one of those law students. I spent UNGODLY amounts of time in office hours this fall semester asking professors to basically repeat portions of their lectures because I simply didn’t “get that part” down on paper. I mean, not only are these professors complete geniuses in their field–and therefore operating at a MUCH higher level than their law students–but most of them talk really quickly too!!! Bad, BAD combo for students stuck with traditional pens and paper.
The LiveScribe Pen seems like my wish come true. It would let me have the best of both worlds: I could listen and participate in class while taking the “major” notes (which is the “ideal” image in the law professor’s minds), and then I could review the parts in which I was confused and get the important details that I missed later on after class. Now, I won’t HAVE to go to office hours every single week and bug my professors simply because I “missed some words” that made all of my notes incomprehensible!!!
If only LiveScribe had come out before my first semester …
I am a writer, but had pretty much reconciled myself to the fact that, because I have weak eyes that cannot stand long hours at the computer, I would never be able to write full-time - until I heard of the SmartPen. I would use the SmartPen to write the first draft of everything by hand, and then download it to my computer for editing. As an additional plus, I would use the record feature to record the ideas I’m having when my mind gets ahead of my hand.
Braindump++
“Generally, the transfer of a large quantity of information from one person to another or to a piece of paper can be referred to as a ‘brain dump’.” (Quote from Wikipedia)
So do you recognize having important information from co-workers saved like this? On a piece of paper that once told you all the secrets about some product or project but now, when you look at it 2 years later, it is just some boxes with random lines between them and unrecognizable text items written here and there??
So come the revolution, Braindump++ !
Imagine what it would be to once more see these boxes and lines being drawn and actually listen to the explanations that were given at the time! That is what doing brain dumps with the Livescribe smart pen will be like!
Check out my blog post for some pictures and a crappy demo!
http://rocknrollprogramming.blogspot.com/2008/01/braindump.html
Hi,
I work for an international development and emergency relief agency - and the Livescribe smartpen would be an amazing tool in helping in recording and transferring info - both for emergency response programs - and non-emergency, in- the- field documentation and sharing of data, overall tones of meetings - and also help bridge the distance in and among our country colleagues…it’s sometimes hard to not only get everything down on paper, but to share the emotions and urgency of each point of action and priority being put on the table during these type of meetings….cost saving, too, which for an agency like ours, we are always on the watch; keeping costs down, yet keeping programs effective and rapid in our turnaround of information…..and that’s just a start! Wish I had one for next week when I go to Aceh! Regards, Ellen
How would I use the Smartpen? I am a senior citizen and still working for the government and noticing that my memory isn’t as sharp as it used to be. I was always able to sit in meetings and pride myself on remembering everything that went on but now I find I need to take more and more notes and still don’t always keep up. Since I plan to keep on working for a few more years and I have more and more responsibilities in my position, I would rely on the Smartpen to help me with my note taking so I can put out the extensive reports as I have done in the past. I’ve always been called a “computer junkie” so age won’t be a hindrance in getting the most out of the Smartpen!
[Unsaved Mother] So, how was bible study?
[Sean] It was awesome!
[Unsaved Mother] What did you guys talk about?
[Sean] Oh, a lot of things. The judgment of God. Deliverance from sin. Baptisms and the laying on of hands etc.
[Unsaved Mother] Really? Laying on of hands sounds interesting. Tell me more about that?
[Sean] Umm… yeah. Well, *glances down at chicken scratch notes*.
Well, one thing the leader said was that we ought to earnestly desire these gifts. And umm… oh he said something was really cool. *glances at notes again*
He said “shake hands with every man.”
Wait…
No.
He said “lay hands on every man.”
Umm…wait let me think about it. You know what I mean right?
[Unsaved Mother] …Sure.
[Sean] *Goes to room disappointed* Ah, another missed opportunity!
The live scribe pen would help me stop butchering quotes and glean more from bible studies. No longer will my level of comprehension be left to the neatness of my handwriting. I will have a device that will store the preachers words so that I can easily share them with others.
I can think of countless applications . The insurance industry requires I go to places of business to take notes and ask customers many probing questions all in order to go back and do hours of prep work. This prep work is just so I get an idea of what their coverages and premiums might look like for a quote (this is what I call no sale maybe? and certainly a reduction in my net profit based on the time I put in if I close the deal) The smart pen will act a a recorder of information so that when I fill out apps for new customers, I will have the electronic files for easy editing and thus, I will improve my profitabilty. Building Applications for my different companies will be amazing after the learning curve is mastered. Ability and profit are two things the Livescribe will boost. This is just one idea. I can’t wait for launch…
I’m a state vocational rehabilitation counselor and I team with assistive technologists like Bill Ziegler (Jan 6) to identify technology to help my student-clients (high school and college who have all sorts of disabilities) achieve academic and career success. Bill said it: Many of them have extreme difficulty in class if they have to both listen to a lecture and take notes. In addition, they usually don’t want to ask someone take notes for them, depending on someone else can impede their progress toward independence, and someone else’s notes usually aren’t very helpful anyway.
My dream is that my agency will agree to purchase Smartpens for my student-clients who can benefit from them and I hope to get one too, not only so I know how it works but also because I could benefit from it myself. When I ‘m meeting with clients I take handwritten case notes, but in order to document my files to meet our funding source’ requirements (so we can get $$ to serve our clients), I also have to document electronic files. I decided not to use my laptop to take notes — because it’s distracting and distancing — which currently would be the only way I could eliminate the extra step of word-processing handwritten notes. And finally, I am a person who has AD/HD (like many of my clients) and for us, extra steps almost always create barriers to success because extra steps make it harder to finish tasks. The Smartpen sounds like a great tool for success for people who have disabilities!
I am a CEO and when we have business meetings I would use the Smart Pen because when I listen to other people’s Idea’s I must take notes. Lets say I forgot something I can just go back and listen to what they said. I mean how can I run my Multi-Million dollar company without this pen? Once my clients see me using the smart pen, I guarantee next time we have a meeting, they will be using it too!
I currently am using the Fly Pen…and can’t wait to upgrade to the Smart Pen. I work in a very fast paced industry..you may know it as NASCAR. Working at one of the most popular tracks on the circuit we are constantly challenging our limits regarding the facility, staff, fans, and ourselves. I take a lot of notes on the go…and I have to resend those notes out to our sales team. Being able to cut down on retyping notes helps me focus on my more creative tasks. I am a geek and I always have the lastest and greatest tech tool. I usually purchase it and show it off to my boss…then he wants it since it has the cool factor. The Fly pen works pretty well except I HATE the bulkness of it. Plus all of the applications are targeted towards high school - to college age students…nothing for professionals. The only reason I found the pen was when I was in the toy section at Target, and thought to myself how cool. So I purchased it with some other software. So…how would I use my Smart Pen…the question should be how could I not use the Smart Pen? The describition of what is to come is very exciting, almost as exciting as one of our SOLD OUT race events. Can’t wait until they are released…maybe my note taking can reach top speeds like our track! How much could I write going around the World’s Fastest Half Mile…a bunch!
I have been waiting a couple of years for this device… since I heard about Anoto a few years ago.
I would use the pen for tons of things. I would integrate it with services like Jott, so that I could literally jot down a note and it would turn into an SMS reminder or show up on my Google Calendar. Then, I would use it to take notes while I’m taking pictures, or record memos, and then those notes would be uploaded along with the pictures. I would write down the name of the restaurant my colleague mentions in passing and then the driving directions would be sent to my phone. I would write email. Imagine that, actually writing a letter! I would write down my odometer reading and the client to bill and it would wind up in my billing software and my tax records. Taxes! Wow, I could fill out my taxes on a paper form and it would wind up in [insert tax software product here]. I could write a check and it would go right into [insert personal software product here].
During the day, when I’m not at home playing with my SmartPen, I would use the pen to help me develop software. I would draw a class model and generate code from it. I would write some code in a meeting without turning on my laptop. I’d write code at lunch, or in the gym, or whenever it comes to me (except the shower — is there a waterproof version?) It would be great if I could print out some code and make some changes to it and then merge in those changes. That would be great for code reviews! Of course, I could take notes during meetings and conference calls, store all of the data in my gmail account and search it forever… and then I could answer the question I hear every day, “why did we decide to do it this way?” Imagine being able to retrieve conversations days, weeks, months or years later. It’s like TiVo for real life!
I am a high school student and I am having a difficult time in Spanish class. I have a hard enough time understanding the english language and it’s my native language never mind trying to understand Spanish. What could I say I hate it it is hard, hard, hard………. Teacher speaks Spanish 60% of the time and I miss a lot of important information. I get so overwhelmed that I just stop taking notes sometimes and just give up. My mom bought me a small tape recorder to record lesson, but tape runs out before class is over and teacher hates seeing me fumble with it. The teacher just shacks her head at me in discust. I would like to show her that I can do it and with the smart pen I believe I will be able to do it. I would use the Smart Pen to take Spanish notes, hear correct pronunciations of words and not worry when I miss a word or two. Knowing I could go back and review what the teacher said would give me comfort and I wouldn’t have to constantly ask her to repeat what she said, (she gets very annoyed) I would have it recorded. I would also use it in my Living Environment Regents class. I will be taking a regents exam at the end of the year. The pen would help me prepare for it. I would load all notes onto my laptop and review them as needed.
I can’t wait for it to be available, I have been saving my money for the last month and have $100 so far, hopefully I will have the rest by the end of January.
Thanks for creating something so usefull for struggling students.
Well, I know I am one of the most famous Quarterbacks in the NFL, but I am no where near perfect. When your in the NFL, your not always practicing on the field, but you are also practicing in the classroom. In the classroom I watch bunch of videos, take bunch of notes, and learn many new plays.
Well before gameday (Everyday but Sunday), I sit down and read these notes and sometimes I forget what my coach told me. If I had the smart pen, I would just zip back in time and hear exaclty what my coach told me. This makes it much easier to make plays on Game Day. I think this will help every player in the NFL, and that’s why I wanna keep this on the low down, because if I dont than every single player in the NFL will be just as good as me. So, shhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Really, I am a student at the University of Michigan, and as we all know college notes are the hardest notes to take. As they say, your brain only remeber 50 perecnt of what it is told. With the Smart Pen it will make that 100 percent. This will make my life muych less depressing!
Thanks Guys!
Thank you everyone for constantly following our progress and sharing ideas. As we get closer to launch we will keep you updated, you never know what we might surprise you with.
-Livescribe
I’m a software salesperson, and work as part of a team. I’m also a very detailed note-taker - a very serious scribe! I’ll usually leave a sales call with 3 to 5 pages of handwritten notes. If I have 3 sales calls in a day, I may have 15 pages of notes, all of which I’ll want to share with the other member of my team.
Since my handwriting is virtually illegible to the human eye, my notes are useless to anyone but me, so I need to type them into a document, then send the document to my team. Now, my typing is nearly as poor as my penmanship, so in reality, many of those notes never get typed up and shared out to my team. As a result, the team may be less informed when they engage with the prospect. They don’t sell as well, and we close fewer sales.
With the Smart Pen, all my notes will be insantly available to my team, both in document and audio format. They’ll be better informed, and more impressive and productive on every sales call. The bottom line? We’ll sell more as a team, and make better use of our client’s time.
Oh, and there’s one other benefit - that time that I normally spend typing notes at night can now be used in more important ways - spending time with my children and wife!
I would use it on my Mac….will I be able to use it on my Mac?
I have Repetitive Stress Injury/Ulnar Tunnel Syndrome caused by both frequent computer use as well as taking impeccable notes in class. Writing for just ten minutes can be pretty difficult, especially when I insist upon meticulous notes and often upon recopying them into my computer. Typing notes would be little bit easier than writing, but because I’m a graduate student in a physical science, it is far too tedious to copy down intricate equations into a computer in real time.
The Smart Pen would help me take more succinct notes that didn’t require too much of my effort. I could concentrate on getting all the formulas right and not on the interpretation of those formulas. Also, they would offer an easy way to catalog my notes so that I don’t have to go back and retype them all into my computer. Additionally, the wide base of the pen would afford me a more comfortable grip, something I’ve come to depend on in all my writing implements.
I’m a neo-Bohemian who’s an altruist at heart and the old-skool pen-and-ink just ain’t cutting it for me anymore. Oh, I should also add I’m fanatical about saving time, and it makes me sad to see notes on paper that are laborious to scan. And I have lots of them.
Gosh knows every idea that gets forgotten is like an abandoned pet, and like Pokemon, I wanna catch them all. I reckon the Livescribe shalt be my Indiana Jones’ bullwhip in this crusade of creativity, and from flowcharts to doodles to video tutorial notions (I do those too… Second Life education) to pithy quips, I need to have them.
I hope the Livescribe will save another longtime dilemma of mine: let me tell you, it’s a sheer pain to hold a voice recorder in one hand and a pen in the other. By combining both into one, I can sing a ditty while scrawling poetry, or maybe practice my voiceover skillz while penning a script. And my other hand is free so, AT LAST, I can eat comfortably and write and record *at the same time*.
I promise to use my Livescribe to do good unto others, and I’ll post it on YouTube to share my joy with the world.
While I’m at it, I’ll make a font with Livescribe too. After watching that Helvetica movie, I’m severely inspired.
I make a video about the smart pen technology I’ve seen so far and what I would do to improve them:
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1051447/brainstorm_guy_01_smart_pens/
thanks for watchin
I don’t think I have any innovative uses to add, but I’d just like to pipe in my voice as well.
First, I’ve *tried* to go paperless. I have a tablet and an iPhone, but I still have tons of notepads (legal pads and 4X6 top spiral notepads). I can’t get away from the initimacy of paper. I know what I find useful when it comes to my own habits. So, my situation:
I feel like I’m in meetings 25% of my time and trying to keep straight what was told to me, I’m learning, is beyond me, even though I’m an avid note taker. At this time, I take notes mostly as a way to concentrate on what I’m hearing and maybe review later that day or week, but after an x amount of time I just don’t have a desire to look at it again… because I know the correlation between time and memory has made those notes relatively useless. Being able to digitally archive (and hopefully search) my audio and text notes would make a “digital notebook” application like OneNote much more useful.
Speaking of OneNote - I have a tablet, I’ve used it to take notes for classes, and it’s just not a useful enough format. The great thing about OneNote is being able to insert text anywhere, move blocks of text into any area. I don’t like converting the handwriting to text though. It’s too much of a hassle to go through and make sure the conversion went well. I can see how uploading my notes and keeping them handwritten (though hopefully still indexed and searchable) will be perfectly useful in audio format… But in reviewing my notes, I’d want to be able to move blocks of text around (though still have that linked to audio) and insert blocks of text (expand my notes, add useful keywords for searching).
When I was taking classes, I prefer to print out my prof’s presentations and write notes directly onto those handouts. I know about printing the dot matrix on blank paper, but I’d like to be able to print those handouts and still have a dox matrix on it so that writing on top of an image (say colored image) would still work (though I assume if I upload my notes, the handout I printed wouldn’t get uploaded either… So I’d want to have a way to merge the original handout I printed with the notes I wrote on it). Also, I’d probably have additional paper on the side during the lecture, so if I wanted to take notes that just wouldn’t fit on the handout, I’d write it on there. So when I convert to digital form, I’d want to be able to inject the notes I had written on the “side sheet” between the slides on the printed handout… which would also make sense for the audio syncing. Sounds pretty complicated since the audio would sync up with notes on different sheets of paper… since it raises questions such as as when does the audio switch from one sheet to the other (first penstroke?)… the solution, of course, would be to inject that space within my handout before I ever print it but I wouldn’t know ahead of time when I’d want to write more or less per slide, and using a separate sheet would be more space (hence tree) saving.
Other thoughts: Drafts for a paper… print it out, use the correct editing symbols and when you upload it the changes automatically get made. Hehe. But anyway, I also can’t get away from the intimacy of editing paper vs an electronic document. It’s just easier to read and consume paper in an intellectual way for me, but then there’s the need to capture whatever creative juices begin to flow - so being able to mark up a paper and talk about each idea then take that back to a computer and THEN write would be lovely. Otherwise I can find myself staring at a blank screen for hours.
I’d want password protection for some of my notepads, when it comes to accessing the audio. I can write fairly obscure notes, but the linking audio would be something I’d like protected. Since there’s a built in microphone, it’d be nice if voice recognition would be part of a future iteration - nothing extensive, but enough to learn pass phrases and the like…. otherwise writing a password without using ink is also an unlocking option. I think an audio diary would be easier to maintain than a written one. And I could just prepend thoughts with a few keywords or a diagram in order to access them later.
I’d love to have a custom dictionary, or flash card sort of app. I’d probably have words I’d want to build up in general and once the list was long enough, I’d want to digitize it and print it out in some meaningful order with enough space to write in more words (and continue). Be great for someone learning a language, but also for someone just trying to expand their vocab. But that takes me to my next point - expanding these written/audio lists by printing out iterations… Using this dictionary example, I’d still want my initial words linked to audio even when I print out the new sorted list. In my mind, that seems quite possible, it’s just a matter of adding (or replacing) text references to an audio item. This would be useful if I wanted to print out my class notes, say the handuot and expanded notes to study away from a computer.
The possibilities are endless!
Hi,
18 years ago a Livescribe would have come in really handy! That was when my oldest daughter, then 2 years, made a beautiful picture of a Potatoe Man. I would have loved to have had a recording of what she said, and what we, her proud parents said when we say her marvelous creation. So many drawings over the years! It would have been so lovely to have heard the children’s thoughts as they doodled away!
The way I would use it is course for lending it to my friends and relatives to use with their grandchildren and perhaps some day for my own.
My daughter is a composer. I would give it to her for when she is writing her music and singing at the same time - dum dum de dum
WOW!!! Incredible ideas, for using the LiveScribe digital pen
system, are shared here! My ideas for the pen will not be viewed
as important as those expressed presently.
My desire for the pen usage is a bit different! I’m considering
the pen for interfacing with a personal robotics system. I would
like to have an interface which allows command entry by hand
written notes and through digital translation of a path drawn on
printed dot paper having a floor plan superimposed onto it.
With the SDK, it would be possible for some commands to be dynamically
uploaded to the internal computer system directly from the pen, due to
the onboard computer system understanding auditory tones for
certain commands. This keeps the embedded computer system simple
and uses more of the read only memory command structure. Power
requirements remain the same because there is no need to increase
computer memory and processing power.
With this architecture, instead of needing to translate a flow chart
AI structure into commands to store in the on board computer, the
LiveScribe can present the chart in its digital form for direct
translation. Time required for program updates and debugging could be
reduced considerably.
Being able to draw a path for the robot to take, or being able to
draw out commands, seems like a natural interface solution.
There is a possibility of attaching the pen to the robot itself for
dynamic calibration of the drive electronics. While providing myself
with visual feedback of the steps executed by the on board systems.
By storing the captured images, comparisons can be made charting
mechanical wear and drive sensor errors. Not to mention, allowing
my robot to express its own artistic flare! :o)
Well, this might be a bit silly but here goes. You probably know about language ability of some apes (sign language) and that some experiments have been done with primates and paining. So the idea would be to give a chimpanzee a LiveScribe (fortified if possible) and see if any sounds he/she makes is consistant with the drawings made. That is if for one drawing/line the chimpanzee would make the same sound and then try repeating it back. So I would give the pen to a primate behaviourist.
I would make animated cartoons for my kids with the LiveScribe. What about good-night stories made of pictures for when Mom or Dad is working overtime. Of course with the parent telling the story.
We are planning to use this pen as a tool to facilitate the collaborative development of products and services. Can’t wait to try it out!
My 12 year old daughter has reading / learning difficulties. It’s my hope that the pen may help her grasp the concepts of reading / word formation using a more concrete style of learning - being able to feel the development of words (writing) and also to see and hear them.
A Time-Travel Fantasy: Parallel Journeys in the Academy & Technology
I attended a rigorous college preparatory boarding school during my high school years in which I essentially studied college subjects and earned college credits before actually beginning college. Subsequently, I pursued and completed a dual major during my undergraduate studies. After graduation, I did full-time research for a law professor to assist him in creating a book and a new and unique law school course.
I attended another university and was the first person there to embark on a triple degree program resulting in me earning a law degree, masters in accounting, and an MBA in four years. I then began working in the law and concurrently in adjunct law teaching. Soon after, I earned a second law degree in an intense one-year master of laws in taxation program.
After graduating from the LL.M. program, I started teaching law full-time, and created the very first course about the taxation of Internet Commerce (i.e., e-commerce websites) to be taught in a law school in the United States. I taught law for almost a decade….
When I think of the hundreds of pages of notes that I have created as a student after studying 6 disciplines, earning 5 degrees, and then doing the countless hours of research to create or assist in creating 2 new & advanced law school courses, studying for and passing 2 different state bar exams, and then as a professor creating the hundreds of pages of lesson plans for about 10 law school courses that I taught over almost 10 years as well as the researching, writing and publishing, and the countless hours of legal research and writing that I have done in representing clients…, I am truly flabbergasted and excited by the power of the Livescribe Smartpen. I was able to accomplish all of these things without the pen, imagine how much more I could have accomplished with the Livescribe Smartpen.
I have been on a technological journey for the past 25 years in which I have been looking for and researching innovative technologies to simplify my academic journey. During this time I have researched and purchased several devices including the miniscule Olympus Pearlcorder L400 microcassette recorder, the CrossPad, the QuickLink pen, and a Sony digital voice recorder.
While researching the latest digital audio recorder pens, I learned about digital pens that record handwriting such as the Logitech io and the Epos digital pen. However, when I came across the Livescribe Smartpen, I felt I had found the Holy Grail, so to speak, and became very excited about the future of these technologies.
I wish that I could go back in time with a Livescribe Smartpen. It would have made my journey as a student and teacher over the past 25 years much easier.
Going forward, I would use the Livescribe Smartpen to assist me in completing the research and writing that I have been doing over several years on a series of legal history books that I will be writing and publishing, in studying for the CPA exam, and in pursuing and completing my doctoral studies.
Great Pen.
I wonder some day we’ll forget how to write alltogether and we’ll depend totally on technology.
What will happen to handwriting, calligraphy so on and so forth. I read somewhere that tech people who use pc a lot to write emails, cannot write a page of text with correct spelling without help of word processors. They are too dependent on spelling check that they are forgetting the actual writing habit.
God knows where this tech will lead us. I am nor pessimistic but naturalist.
Ok so let’s face it, I suffer from RMS. Not the RMS you talk about, another type of RMS, the Resting Mind Syndrome, or better SMS as in Sleeping Mind Syndrome.
I am a pharmacy student and a symbian-addict / blogger. Between hospital internship in the morning, afternoon courses, night studies and midnight blogging on http://dotsisx.blogspot.com and http://www.symbian-guru.com, I am not getting half of the daily sleep I need. Thus, I keep napping in courses and always miss out on important notes. I even find myself taking a 1-5sec nap sometimes, quite ridiculous, because by then I missed out the explanation and I didn’t sleep enough to keep me awake later on.
So how would I use the SmartPen? Basically like it was meant to be used! To keep voice records of my notes while I go roam with my RMS!
I would also use it to take notes while reviewing a mobile device or software. Usually I write down my ideas on a paper but, days later, while typing the review, I wonder what I actually meant by that particular phrase. So having a voice transcript along with notes, organized would be a most welcomed improvement!
ps: i just found out about the smartpen from gizmodo, and i hope it’s not too late to write my entry (says january 29th on the site, we’re the 28th so i hope i am safe). i would really like to try out the smartpen as i don’t think it will be available in lebanon, where i live.
Oh, cross stitching. I usually have a clipboard with a printout of a pattern - usually a few pages long, with one page holding all the symbol-floss chart. I’d love to just tap on a symbol within my pattern and hear the floss the symbol represents instead of flipping pages and looking up the symbol.
As a college disability coordinator, I assist student in utilizing assistive technology to access classroom and online materials, programs and services. The Livescribe Smartpen could provide lecture notes to students with disabilities in several formats in near real-time in audio, text or braille by recording the lecture, providing a text transcript suitable for screen reader users (which can easily be converted to braille) and eliminate the carbon copies, photocopies and re-writes. I see many applications of this technology to assist students who are blind or visually-impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, mobility-impaired, learning disabled.
Hi, my name is Hilary and I’m an evil genius. Today I’d like to tell you how the Pulse pen changed my life. If you’re an evil genius like me you’ll want to listen to my story. Being an evil genius is really hard work. I used to come home from a long day at my secret volcano lair completely exhausted from wringing billion dollar ransoms out of world leaders.
It was during these moments, when I used to use a normal pen, that I would often find myself making silly mistakes… but that won’t happen now that I use the Pulse pen. Now, when I’m drawing up plans for my planet sized space station, I won’t forget that the torpedo sized ventilation shaft should not lead directly to the main power core. And because I can record 100 hours of speech, I will no longer have to remain in the room as I narrate my nefarious schemes to the secret agents sent to kill me. Really, the Pulse pen has made my job of being an evil genius so much easier. Thanks Livescribe!
P.S. I’m not really an evil genius, just a college student… but since I’m headed for law school next year I know that it will only be a short time before I proceed with my plans for world domination.
I’m a polite, old-fashioned girl working in the cutthroat cowboy world of hedge funds, where everyone has a fast car, a fat wallet and dreams of riding off into the sunset with a cool million in the saddlebags.
With the Livescribe Smartpen, in meetings with financial hot-shots, I’d be able to record every word and go back later to listen for essential details as to whether he said 56million or 66million as well as nuances I may have missed. I can be out of the office all day without needing to find a wall outlet to recharge and my posse would still get the benefit of hand-written notes and diagrams, but without waiting for our assistant to scan them. In such a time-sensitive industry, the faster I can get well-organized, well-documented data to my team, the better decisions we can make. (And using the Smartpen means I could stop carrying a bulky, ugly laptop case.)
The Smartpen is going to be the perfect tool for staying on the cutting edge while maintaining the old-fashioned charm and speed of traditional pen and paper. I can’t wait to start using one!
Oki guys I have an idea .
. Think about it .
Why not combine the technology of Irex e-link reader and your live scribe pen.
The potential is huge there is no need for paper any more
Like this you can use it in any field of work .
Blagoja Macedonia .
I work for a biotech company (QIAGEN) that manufactures samples, assays and instrumentation. My group works on products to detect the human papillomavirus (HPV). We have numerous labs where we develop and test other products and are under FDA regulation.
As a technical writer, I can use the Livescribe to record and to rework large volumes of written material from the subject matter experts for the user manuals and other documentation I create. Our scientists can use the Livescribe pen to take and transcribe notes and to communicate with each other within the United States and with our labs in other countries.