Livescribe will play an integral role at the annual JavaOne Conference in San Francisco from May 6-9, as one of only three companies selected by Sun Microsystems as a JavaOne Show Device. In addition, Livescribe will host a developer competition at JavaOne, giving developers a sneak peek at Livescribe’s Java API and pre-release versions of early development tools, which will be made publicly available in the second half of 2008.

WHAT: Livescribe’s developer competition allows developers to get a sneak peek at Livescribe’s Java API and learn to create innovative and compelling Java-based applications for Livescribe’s new mobile computing platform. Developers will compete in categories including innovation, utility, fun, and education. Winners will be awarded one 2GB Pulse smartpen and will be featured on www.livescribe.com.

WHERE: Moscone Center, San Francisco - Booth #1223

WHEN: Interested participants of the Livescribe developer competition must wait until 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 6, to register and receive access to Livescribe’s JavaOne developer tools specially created for the conference. Entries are due by 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 8, and will be judged by both Livescribe and Sun representatives. Applications will be accepted online at www.livescribe.com/developer.

The winners of the Livescribe developer competition will be announced during James Goslings’ final keynote address on Friday, May 9.

WHY: JavaOne brings together industry leaders and developers in a single, comprehensive event that offers compelling visions of the technology future in terms of trends, challenges, and opportunities. Livescribe’s participation in the conference marks the first time the company has opened its doors to Java developers from around the world to create new, forward thinking applications that advance Livescribe’s mobile computing platform.

Greetings,

I would like to thank the thousands of readers, writers, bloggers, callers, developers, scribers and buyers for your support and interest in our Pulse smartpen and platform.

We have been overwhelmed with requests for information and preorders for Pulse that have far exceeded our early projections.

As this demand has accelerated in the past month, we have continued working towards our first shipment date of March 31st, and have struggled to determine how to address preorders that far exceed our early production ramp. We noted Amazon’s approach to handling shipment for their high-demand Kindle e-book, and ongoing Wii shortages, and have compared this to our own challenge, as a new company, to address our backlog.

In retrospect, our hiatus in our communication is long overdue. I apologize for this. As I considered posting a blog entry numerous times, new concerns regarding growing demand arose, as well as meeting our growing backlog. Perhaps we were overly cautious in not wanting to send an ambiguous message.

The time for ambiguity is past.

I am delighted to announce that we will begin shipping in limited volume on March 31st, as targeted.

To address our backlog, we will open the Livescribe Store only to our preorder list of customers, enabling you to immediately place a credit card order on Monday. At that time, we will provide you with an estimated shipment date based upon when you first preordered your smartpen. If you are already on our preorder list, look for an email on Monday, March 31st with instructions on how to complete your order.

Thanks again for you patience! We look forward to welcoming you to the Livescribe community.

Best regards,

Jim

Thanks to everyone for their fantastic ideas. From the construction project manager to the flight instructor to the stock trader to the claims adjuster what we see is that the uses of the Pulse smartpen are endless. Your entries demonstrated just how impactful Pulse can be in the context of work, personal productivity, and even relationships.

With over 100 responses, it was difficult to choose just two winners. Congratulations to Jarrod and Ana. Jarrod, you made us laugh and humor goes a long way over here. Ana, having gone to law school I feel your pain and hope the Pulse smartpen will help you in your second semester.

Thanks again for your thoughtful ideas.

Sasha
Chief Operating Officer

Jarrod says:
Every time I sense a new lovers’ quarrel emerging between my girlfriend and me, I’d start taking notes.
You think I said what? Well, let’s just see what the notes say.
What’s that, honey? You think I wrote it down wrong? Hmm… if only we could somehow replay the-HA!
Livescribe Smartpen: Never lose another argument.

Ana says:
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 …