August 16, 2009 46 Comments

I Love the Livescribe Pen

This is NOT a sponsored post.

You can blame Nick Saber for my passion and appreciation of the Livescribe pen. I have the Livescribe 1GB Pulse Pen (amazon link). It lets me write in a notebook (feels like a Moleskine but loaded with features) and see those pages on my computer. I can even upload them to the web (though I’m not using that feature). Here’s a quick video:

It’s changed how I write notes, and has helped me blend my offline writing and my online organization skills. For $150 US, it’s affordable enough to try out, if you’re interested.

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  • http://uptownuncorked.com geechee_girl

    I have pen envy now. :) I have purchased enough gadgets this month (cough) but this on my list for next month now.

  • http://www.netwitsthinktank.com frank barry

    That thing is cool. Does it convert your handwriting into text for use in something like MS Word?

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    Yes, for another $30 for some software.

  • http://blog.eyeviewdigital.com EyeView

    I love the idea, but I'm struggling to see the application in my life. My handwriting has seriously deteriorated in the years since leaving full-time education and I was never very good at drawing things. These days I type way faster than I write, although I appreciate that not every situation allows for a keyboard and screen.

  • http://www.sundaynightsuccess.com Jeremie

    I love my livescribe pen, I can never, ever lose my notes again.

    I have used it to take notes while interviewing people, then, when I need more info on an answer I wrote down I can listen to that specific section of the interview to remind myself.

    Even cooler I had a blog post I wanted to write about my planning process, but I couldn't get it into words, the post just wasn't working. So, I pulled out my livescribe and recorded a pencast that allowed me to explain the process while the visual plays out on my blog:

    http://tinyurl.com/lhsoxr

    I highly recommend the pen as well, I think it is creating a new form of media that will start to spread more and more.

  • philgerb

    Thanks Chris! I was one of those Tweeters who asked you about your pen. Wicked cool pen…and thanks for sharing how awesome it is. I'm going to buy one right now!

  • http://www.smartstartcoach.com/ linda m lopeke

    I also own this pen and think it's one of the most amazing inventions ever! What a timesaver. Makes a great gift too.

  • philgerb

    Can you share what the name of the software is that you're using with your Pulse pen please? I tried to Google it and found nothing useful. Thanks Chris!

  • assistivetek

    Hi Chris:

    I have been a big fan of the Livescribe Puluse SmartPen and use it in the work that I do with students with learning disabilities. Here is a link to show your readers how PaperReplay works

    http://assistivetek.blogspot.com/2008/05/my-liv…

    Regards
    Brian

    http://assistivetek.blogspot.com

  • David

    Interesting. Although I consider myself a 100% digital guy, I still use the old notebook for, well for notes. The closest I've ever gotten to ditching is by using Calligrapher on the old Pocket PC's, but I'm using iPhone now and taking notes isn't practical for me.

    I've seen these pens before, thought they were clever but never wanted to have notes in 100's of image files that were not searchable or couldn't be edited.

    Your post prompted me to look a bit deeper and I quickly found that VisionObjects make an OCR software package specifically for Livescribe: http://bit.ly/NAVCM Hmm, even more interesting!

  • http://www.facebook.com/crowdsourcer Mike Martoccia

    Great Vid Chris. I too love my pen and find it a critical in my world of crowdsourcing. Working with clients and ensuring I get all the facts is crucial to crowdsourcing an effective contest. However, over time I've found the pen to be rather limiting. Several things need to happen to bring it forward.

    1) It needs to go bluetooth. It needs this for easy syncing between devices albeit your phone or laptop. This two would allow for it to record conference calls which is becoming a mainstay in terms of tomorrows workforce.

    2) It needs to move beyond its own walled garden. Livescribe does offer an API bit it needs to be opened so that the information is available to third parties i.e… Evernote.

    The pen is cool if you have it with you and the notebook or your PC/Mac. Any other time its useless (unless you access their portal). I would like to see this: I would like both companies to host a competition on TopCoder or some place similar to build out this mashup. This is the next step, I am bored and tired of the manual work needed to make these two wonderfully paired items talk. Loyal follower -mmartoccia.

  • dmcclellan

    The Livescribe has become an essential tool for me as a freelance writer and editor. I can do interviews, both in person and by speakerphone, and retrieve the quotes I need with a tap on the relevant sentence in my notebook. For more in-depth interviews it's easy to use the Livescribe software to type up a transcript. It's fantastic!

  • http://www.sitesketch101.com holas84

    Thanks for letting me know about this. I wasn't familiar with these pens before now but I'm definitely going to consider getting one now. It sounds great. Thanks.

  • bradjward

    +1 for the Livescribe 1GB here. Had mine for about 2 weeks and love it!! Favorite feature…. the Piano. :)

  • Boris

    HI, I am looking at this for a while. I find the idea of being able to take minimal essential notes and meetings and record the whole thing very interesting, as I could review later everything that was discussed and I would have the ability to focus better on the conversation.
    Questions:
    - How good is the audio quality for a regular meeting with 3-10 people?
    - How do you approach the recording? Do you ask people for approval? What is their typical reaction?

    Cheers,
    Boris

  • justinlong

    I love this thing too. Had one since Christmas last year. Have gone through numerous journals and notebooks. I have the 2GB version and its fantastic.

  • justinlong

    However note that you can search all of your journals even without the software. Just can't export them as text (but can as JPEGs).

  • justinlong

    Go to livescribe.com and you'll see the software there. It's proprietary to the pen.

  • whitneyhoffman

    I have had one for over a year; I bought a second one for my kids at Christmas last year. I got to interview their educational advisor, Andy Van Schack from Vanderbilt University on the LD Podcast last year- it's amazing how great this works for me taking notes in meetings, at conferences- it's simply amazing.

    The ability to “pencast” and share out information when necessary is great as well. I am a huge fan.

  • http://www.sixdayweekend.com/ Sean Morrissy

    Gees, I can't believe I've never heard of that before. For $150 you can't really go wrong. I still use notebooks for all my note taking, but this could be an interesting way to change things up.

    Sean

  • http://www.espanole.es/ Spanish in Valencia

    Hi all can you share with me how useful it will be?. Is it worthful?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Steven-Buehler/506949728 Steven Buehler

    I already have something that works just as well for less money. It's called a scanner.

  • timpiazza

    Steven, a scanner doesn't come close to doing what the LiveScribe pen does. It's like this. There's an audio recorder in the pen. It records the entire meeting. As you take notes on the special notebook, your recording get a time stamp to each entry so that later, you can review your notes, and when you ask yourself “why did I write this down?” you click and replay the audio at precisely the point when you made the note. If you have ever tried to record a 12 hour presentation so that you could go back later and make notes, you'll realize what a huge time saver this is!

    Tim Piazza
    http://www.bzzmatters.com

  • http://thepaisano.com Paisano®

    I was blown away by LiveScribe when I first saw it and wrote about it in January 2008 http://thepaisano.com/pen-20/

    Amazing technology that will only get better. I love when new technology doesn't just replace old ways of doing things but also improves upon it. We will always write things by hand at certain places and times, so why not incorporate computing power and someday social networking capabilities? Hey, my pen is following your pen… let's share notes…not during class of course. That's virtual cheating ya know. :)
    I'll just block ya if you keep trying, bub.

    Great stuff

  • cathyvon

    I sooo love this pen. I really had to take time and figure out if I really needed this pen (yes I am a tech/electronic geek and buy everything ;-)). I am so glad I did, it is invaluable during interviews and going to conference, town hall meetings, etc. I also like that it I can print the paper myself and not have to rely on buying their notebooks.

    I do need the text converter so will be checking out your link.

    Thanks Chris for getting the word out on this pen.

    Cat

  • http://www.targetstarsblog.com latoshajohnson

    I do a lot of article writing and this pen definitely plays a large role in helping me gather my thoughts. I was fortunate enough to win it as a prize and now I don't know how I ever lived without this pen!

  • HostWisely

    Nice post!
    This has a relevant video in here.
    Thanks for posting this informative article.

    http://hostwisely.com

  • claudiap

    This pen is great. But LiveScribe could make a simple decision to integrate with the the full version of Vision Objects' MyScript Notes, which offers multi-language handwriting recognition support. It also offers a trainer module, so it improves its ability to recognize your handwriting with time. Currently, the liveScribe Desktop software can synch with MyScript for LiveScribe, which is a “Lite” version of the handwriting recognition software. The only change LiveScribe would have to make is in a line of code. For some reason, LS only thinks people want the audio capabilities of the pen, but as a novelist, I really ONLY care about the OCR capabilities.

    So, Chris, maybe you have enough weight to ask them to change just this one thing–it's a line in the registry that allows the Desktop s/w to recognize the Notes files instead of the “Lite” version files. I'm leery of messing with regedit myself. Personally, I'm fine with paying extra for the more robust version of MyScript. All LiveScribe has to do is enable the Desktop integration and let customers choose which version of the handwriting recognition software they then want to buy from Vision Objects.

  • http://twitter.com/Nat_Mich NatMich

    Lol, this looks awesome! Maybe it will help bring back handwriting -my cursive writing has almost gone extinct :P. That said, there are a lot of times when I want to take notes or do writing in the outdoors/beach or in places where I don't want to risk damaging my laptop. Also I love that you can audio record about diagrams and drawings… maybe there's even a future drawing tutorial or diagram learning potential that could come out of this? So cool!

  • http://thefoush.com/ Rahaf

    Wow, you've totally convinced me. I must have this pen. If nothing maybe it will make people actually accountable for what they say in meetings instead of the usual “he said, she said.”

    Thanks Chris, and I hope the push for your book goes well. I'm waiting for the Kindle edition but am primed and ready to buy!!

    Rahaf

  • karendavis

    Wow, you have tapped into some serious product love.

    Me too. What blows me away is that once the data has been transferred from the pen to my PC, I can search for keywords and Livescribe finds them in my (often very messy) handwriting, as well as the meeting dialogue that was going on at the time I was writing. I have never lost a to-do list or a meeting note since I got this product.

  • http://www.planterguy.com/ Guy Walker

    I love the livescribe pen too.. Its great I tell all my friends about it.

  • http://www.trishalyn.com TrishaLyn

    I'd love one of those if I could make a font out of my handwriting :)

  • http://www.2dolphins.com/ Rob O'Daniel

    I'm still holding out hope that more innovative products like this, the
    LeapFrog FLY – and maybe the forthcoming Apple “iTablet” – can save handwriting.

    I've been teetering on the edge about one of these Livescribe pens for my wife and I do think I foresee a Christmas gift in the works…

  • suzannegriscom

    Ahh, the LiveScribe pen. I, too, am a devotee of The Pen. As a writer, editor and writing coach, the combination of discrete audio recording paired with the real-time recording of notes in ink allows me to get more information in one sitting from a client than just taking notes by hand or recording the audio. Plus, I can send the recordings back to my clients for them to use. It is a truly fantastic tool. And about time, too!

    If something like this had existed when I was young, school would have been a whole lot easier, and more fun.

    Cheers!

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  • http://www.zoombits.fr/accessoire-jeux/ joystick

    Had one for a few months, very useful. BUT – incredibly annoying to write a page full of notes and then realise you forgot to turn it on! Then can't upload those notes. Has happened to me several times now – hard to remember to always boot up your pen!

  • http://www.zoombits.fr/accessoire-jeux/accessoire-psp/sony-psp-2400mah-batterie-lite-slim-line/8260 psp batterie

    The pen works exactly as advertised. I needed something that transferred my notes reliably to the pc, and this does that. The search feature actually found words written in my chicken scratch. The voice recording is VERY well done.

    I just need a case that holds the pen, notebook, and headphones now.

  • Grace

    Do you know how to download just an audio recording? I used the pen to record a meeting, but took no notes on the Pulse notebook. I now can't find the audio recording for this session. I have re-loaded the pen into a new file and it is still not there. Can you help?

  • http://www.memorybits.co.uk/ micro sd

    I actually take the time and find out if I really need the pen (yeah I'm was a technical / electronic geek and everything to buy ;-)). I am so glad I did it during the interview is priceless, and am going to the conference, town hall meetings, etc. I also like that it I bought myself and not rely on paper can print their notebooks.

  • Guest

    Ok, what you do it turn the pen OFF. When you turn it back on, simply hold the power button! You will hear a chime and voice recording (Without recording writing) will be running!

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  • http://www.johnphung.com John Phung

    Thinking about picking up a livescribe pen myself.

    Just curious, after almost 2 years, are you still using it?

    Thanks