For some people, taking notes in class or a meeting is pure joy. We’ve all seen people like that (maybe you’re even one of them). Others, like journalists, can note entire conversations with no pause using sophisticated shorthand that only they understand. These are the lucky note-takers of the world. Sadly, many others just can’t keep up with a lecture’s speed or catch every word during an interview. Perhaps you’ve experienced this: you sit through a lengthy interview or meetings, take three pages of notes, get home and start to organize your thoughts to write that report, paper, or article, only to realize that you can’t read your own handwriting!
Fortunately, advances in computer support have recently proliferated the use of highly sophisticated technologies even on a small scale like that of the pen! So if you’ve been waiting for that pen that practically does most of the work for you, look no further than the Livescribe Echo Smartpen. Livescribe pens are a series of digital note-taking pens that take that hassle out of recording and organizing notes. The essence of the Livescribe smartpen is a light pen that also functions as a voice recorded and an infrared reader that digitalizes what you write down and later on allows you to turn it into a PDF or text file.
Yes, it is amazing, and we haven’t gotten to the really good part yet. Not only does the smartpen record the audio of a conversation, class, interview, or meeting it also links it to the physical notes you take. So, for example, if you write down “alienation…labor” in a history or philosophy class as a professor lectures on nineteenth century figures, you can come back to that exact section of the lecture by simply tapping any part of “alienation…”
The pen itself can playback audio, but you can also easily translate the recordings to your computer where you can digitalize your notes or share them online. As to the feel of the pen, many online reviewers state that despite its seemingly clunky size, the pen still feels comfortable to hold and use.
The smartpen require a certain kind of lined paper to work, though. The paper is a little more expensive that standard lined paper, but in the end, it might be worth the effort. Replacement ink cartridges are readily available online, and websites like Amazon offer them at a discount.
Of course, using smartpens, as well as similar devices, can bring up ethical issues. Many people feel that using the pen, even in casual situations, is intrusive. Some journalists, for example, might use the pen to record an interview without the other person realizing it. Though in some states such a practice is not illegal, it is still tacky and insincere. Even the smartpen’s manufacturer says, don’t record without permission!
Livescribe Echo Smartpen was recently featured as the number 1 item on Yahoo’s list of holiday gifts under $100. If you find yourself suffering from bad note-taking, now may be the time to call Santa up.
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