Livescribe notebook

To get the full benefits from the Livescribe Smartpen you will need the Livescribe notebook.  This livescribe notebook has paper, which is encoded with microdots.  The microdots are how the smartpen links the text to the audio files. 

Livescribe notebooks include a variety of controls at the bottom of the page.  There are areas that can create and navigate bookmarks in the audio, and control playback speed and volume.  Included is a four-arrow control that must be used to navigate the smartpens functions.  Livescribe makes the printed control available on a sheath used to protect the Pulse.   A more convenient way would be to have an integrated scroll wheel or some other means of navigating the smartpens user interface.  This way you would not have to use the printed surface.

Once a “sessions” is recorded, (which can consist of written notes, audio or both) they can be transferred to a PC.  You will need to use the docking cradle to download your sessions.  Currently Livescribe Desktop software is a Windows-only (a Mac version is slated for development) application.  You can use this to play back recorded audio or audio-synchronized note-taking sessions.  It will also allow you to search for text in the notes, or copy whole pages to the clipboard.  To bad, there is no character recognition function to turn written words into editable text.  It seems such software has been a mixed bag in previous smartpen offerings. 

With the Livescribe Desktop, you cannot save pages as PDF either.  However, there are several quality free PDF print drivers so you can work around that with ease.  One option is the software allows uploading your files to Livescribe’s website to share.  There they can be shared as a PDF or Flash movie.

Livescribe gives each smartpen owner 250MB of online storage.  There Livescribe users can store or share documents and creating a community around them.  LiveScribe has in essence created a new form of media that it has dubbed “pencasts”. 

As impressive, as the Smartpens note-taking function is it is still in its infancy.  It is just the birth of what Livescribe aims to turn into a whole ecosystem of pen-based applications.  

Livescribe includes some intriguing demos on their website.  One of them allows you to draw your own playable piano. In addition, one can recognize a few words and display the translation for them in a number of languages on the device’s display.

Livescribe has plans to make a range of content and software development tools available.  Currently they will appeal to different kinds of developers, including Java coders.

Pick up a extra Livescribe notebook today and join in on the fun!