20
magazinei
innovations
The notebook that never runs out
Following the success of its re-usable whiteboard on a roll, which sticks to a wall or
other vertical surface without the need for glue, tack or pins, Dragons Den winner
MagicWhiteboard is now planning to launch a reusable, wipe-clean Magic Notebook
that will never need to be thrown away.
The Magic Notebook is available in A4 and A5 versions,
each of which has 60 perforated pages that can be wiped
clean and used again. The pages are perforated so that you
can tear them out and put them through a laser printer
to create your own re-usable forms. Once again, Magic
Whiteboard is exploring alternative funding to finance the
project, this time via the crowdfunding site Indiegogo.
The estimated 10% of professionals in the creative
industries who suffer from some form of dyslexia
are the target for a literacy support solution
developed by Texthelp.
Read&Write 6 Gold for Mac aids reading, writing,
editing and studying with a variety of tools accessed
via a floating tool bar at the top or side of the screen.
Useful features include text-to-speech
functionality that reads on-screen content from
software applications, web pages and PDF files, as
well as graphics or video featuring embedded text,
highlighting each word as it is spoken; and a screen-
masking feature that helps Mac users who have
difficulty focusing on the screen or who need a visual
tracking aid to support their reading by covering active
or non-active parts of the screen.
Reading tools include a Dictionary, Picture
Dictionary, Speech Maker, Translator, Spell Checker,
Word Prediction tool and Verb Checker. Dictionary
definitions are provided with a sample sentence
showing how the word is used in context and
alternative suggestions. All can be read aloud to
increase word comprehension.
028 9442 8105 •
Literacy support
for Mac users with
dyslexia
Moleskine bridges the
paper-digital divide
Moleskine has brought its premium
notebooks into the twenty-first century with
a new range that enables users to capture
handwritten notes and drawings digitally.
Livescribe Notebooks by Moleskine are
designed for use with Livescribe smartpens
combining a ballpoint pen and clever
technology that enables them to capture
handwriting digitally. Notes and drawings can
be streamed wirelessly to a computer, tablet or
mobile device in real-time or they can be stored
and downloaded later.
To help with organisation, recorded notes
can be linked to audio recordings. They can also
be tagged or flagged by tapping on-page icons
with the tip of a smartpen.
Livescribe Notebooks by Moleskine have
all the design details and quality Moleskine
products are famous for, plus an expandable
inner pocket containing two bookmarks printed
with smartpen buttons and controls.
They are compatible with all available
models of Livescribe smartpen, including:
n
the Livescribe 3, which connects to an iOS
device via Bluetooth, sending each pen stroke
in real time to the associated app;
n
the Livescribe SkyWiFi smartpen, which
sends notes and synced audio direct to
Evernote viaWifi; and
n
the Echo smartpen, which uploads notes and
audio to a computer or laptop via a wired
USB connection.
•
...on
test...
Caps off to The Pencil
Another stationery product that like
Livescribe Notebooks by Moleskine
(see left) straddles the paper and
digital worlds is The Pencil by
Staedtler.
An extremely useful addition to a
pencil case, desk tidy, handbag/briefcase
or jacket, the pencil has an HB lead at
one end and
a stylus for a smartphone
or tablet touchscreen at the other. This is
much more accurate than a finger for data
entry or device navigation, especially when
using smartphones with smaller screens. It
also means that you can use your device
even when wearing gloves – an important
consideration with winter coming.
The Pencil’s other stand-out feature is
the accompanying multifunction cap. The
size and shape of a fountain pen lid, this
has a number of important functions: it
acts as a cap to protect the lead; its clip
holds the pencil securely in a jacket or
shirt pocket; it has an integrated rubber
beneath the end cap; and, with a twist, it
turns into a pencil sharpener. It can also
be used as an extension for a pencil stub.
Perhaps even more than the
smartphone stylus – there are loads of
those on the market – this elevates The
Pencil into a premium product and goes
some way to justifying the price tag of
£39.95 for a set of three pencils plus cap.
