My new tech toy: The Livescribe pen

25 April 2013

In anticipation of attending the national conference of the National Association of Professional Organizers last week, I indulged in the purchase of an item I’d been eyeing for a couple of years: the Livescribe smartpen. (That’s a referral link; I’ll get a small commission if you buy from it.)

How smart is this pen? As you take notes on its special paper, it records the audio of what you’re listening to and links it with your notes. So, in replay mode, when you touch the paper with the pen, you hear what was being said when you made that note.

You can also upload the recording and images of your notes to your computer (or the cloud, depending on which version of the pen you buy). When you click on your handwriting in the uploaded images, you hear what was being said as you were writing.

For a 50-year-old like me whose memory isn’t what it used to be? This is all sorts of awesome.

Here’s a video of how the Livescribe Echo, the version I have, works:

I’m a bit of a pen snob and the pen is a little clunky, but nevertheless I am in love. I found the pen very helpful at the conference. I’m finding the prospect of reporting on my favorite session at our next chapter meeting much less daunting because I know I’ll be able to figure out what my notes actually mean.

Its application for me isn’t limited to conferences. I’ve already taken it with me when visiting a client to do an estimate for a team organizing session. Again, I don’t have to rely on my memory to figure out what my notes mean when I look at them later.

I can’t wait to find other situations in which to use it!

I bought the Livescribe Echo, which is the older version of the pen. It requires plugging in a cable to get the data off the pen and onto the computer. The newer version, the Sky, has wifi and uploads directly to Evernote. I chose the Echo because I wanted to make a smaller investment and don’t mind plugging in the cable.

On the advice of a Livescribe-loving friend, I also purchased the 3D recording headset, which produced really clear recordings, even in a noisy conference setting.

With Livescribe, I feel like the future is here. I had a referral discount from my friend and there was a sale going on, so I paid about $100 for the pen and the headset. I already feel like it’s been a great investment!

Tagged with: livescribe, technology