In honor of the US Veteran’s Day holiday, we asked Livescribe customers and military members Angela Ali Shah and John Owen to share their stories. What follows is the account of how they first discovered their Livescribe smartpens and how they’re using the technology today.

Written by Angela Ali Shah, Army Reserves

My smartpen’s name is Excalibur. It is not like your typical pen that has a plastic tube filled with ink and writes on standard paper. No, with Excalibur I can make magic – types of magic I thought were only possible in movies like Harry Potter. Whether I’m at home studying for my next exam, or at one of my two jobs, the smartpen’s capabilities are endless. In fact, it’s the closest thing I have to a personal assistant in school, in the military or in my home life.

I work as a public affairs specialist for the military, a demanding position where deadlines are critical. Through this job, I have the chance to tell soldiers’ stories to the public and it’s really something I love. My Livescribe smartpen, Excalibur cuts my writing time in half. You heard me right, the smartpen cuts my time in half! Priceless.

I also work at a local Best Buy. Recently, a woman came into the store looking for something that would aid her students with special needs. When I explained to her everything the Livescribe Echo has done for me, she left with several smartpens, and was very excited to take them back to her students. It wasn’t because I was a pushy sales person, but simply because the smartpen can do so much! This story still fills me with warmth and excitement because I feel like I’m helping those kids in some small way.

In addition to my day jobs, I also take classes and am a full-time student. As a mom who hasn’t been in school for the past five years, the daunting reality of notes, quizzes and papers has quickly caught up with me amidst getting my son to preschool and the other demands of parenthood. With Excalibur, now I can brainstorm my next paper while recording every word or idea that comes to mind. I don’t forget any great ideas or points in my rush to write things down.

When it comes to taking notes and tests, my smartpen has proven to be even a better sidekick than my smartphone. Even when I catch myself doodling in class, I know that the entire class is being recorded.

I hope everyone has the chance to try this amazing smartpen at some point. I know that as a Public Affairs Specialist, the Livescribe Echo is invaluable to me – not only for my job, but for my everyday life!

Contributed by John Owen, Navy

After hearing about Livescribe smartpens on the radio, John Owen originally purchased a Livescribe Pulse smartpen for use in grad school classes between military deployments. “What I really appreciate most about the smartpen is it does exactly what it says it will do – and it does its job extremely well,” said Owen, now the owner of two smartpens – a Livescribe Echo and the original Pulse – to ensure he always has one on hand.

While in grad school, Owen used his smartpen to record lectures and share notes with classmates. Now, as a member of the Navy, Owen is always looking for ways to communicate with his friends and family back home when he’s deployed. Sending email is efficient, but Owen likes that the Livescribe’s audio function adds a personal touch to his messages.

Owen concluded, “I’m always finding new uses for the smartpen and would definitely recommend it to others – especially college students.”

*Featured image used under Creative Commons. Link.