Livescribe 3 is an intelligent note-taking
companion for mobile devices. Now available
in the UK, it instantly transfers handwritten
notes from Livescribe dot paper to the screen
of an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
To start writing users simply twist a ring on
the elegant black and chrome smartpen and
watch their words and diagrams appear on the
free Livescribe+ mobile app.
The new addition to Livescribe’s line of
award-winning smartpens is designed as a
premium writing instrument, combining the
look and feel of a quality ballpoint pen with the
intelligence of a mobile device.
The Livescribe 3 smartpen captures
everything written on Livescribe paper as soon
as it starts up, and then transfers that content
to an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch when the
Livescribe+ app opens.
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Use the built-in microphone on a tablet or
smartphone to create interactive “pencasts”
that synchronise recorded audio with written
notes.
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Convert handwriting to text to create tasks,
reminders, contacts and calendar events.
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Add photos and text memos to notes to add
context and clearly communicate details.
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Share written notes, photographs and
diagrams as PDF files over Mail, Messages
Evernote, Dropbox and other apps.
Livescribe 3 is compatible with Bluetooth
Smart Ready iOS devices, including the iPhone
4S or later, third-generation or later iPad, iPad
Mini, and the fifth-generation iPod touch
or newer. The free Livescribe+ mobile app
is available from the App Store for devices
running iOS 7.
Livescribe 3 smartpen come in two versions:
the standard edition at £129.99 or the Pro
Edition at £169.99. The latter includes a leather
portfolio and a year of Evernote Premium
service.
Livescribe smartpens are available in the
UK from Apple,
Amazon and other
leading retailers.
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a file to folder, sending it to a network
PC, importing it intoWord and other
applications, emailing it as a JPEG or
converting it into a sticky note. There is
also the option to convert a note into
editable text using OCR software, though
the bundled package failed dismally in its
attempts to decipher my handwriting.
Additional functionality
So, Digital pen 2.0 works and works well.
But is it worth having? That depends
very much on your requirements and
what tools you already have. The note-
taking function is not something that I
would make much use of, but there are
occasions when it would be useful to be
able to email a sketch or drawing to the
art department, say, or draw a quick map
with travel directions – though it must
be said that all this can be done more
easily with a smartphone camera.
However, in its favour, the digital pen
offers more than just this, especially for
Windows Vista/7 users. In PC mode, when
the pen and receiver are connected to
a computer either by USB or Bluetooth,
Winter 2013/14 | P2P Magazine |
27
Premium smartpen
you can use the pen to control the
mouse or to write notes directly to a PC
screen.Windows Vista/7 users can also
write into website forms, email and word
processing applications, and use the Start
Inking button in Microsoft Office 2007 to
add handwritten notes, annotation and
signatures to documents. Bundled Photo
Sketcher software lets you annotate
and draw over any JPEG file. Thanks to
Bluetooth connectivity, you can also use
Digital pen 2.0 to make handwritten notes
and drawings directly on a Blackberry,
Android or iOS smartphone/tablet.
In other words, the £119.95 digital
pen has a lot to keep you entertained.
I’m not convinced it is an effective note-
taking tool for business – in my tests, the
handwriting recognition software didn’t
function well enough for that – but for
the occasional note or annotation it is
more than adequate. However you use
the Staedtler Digital pen 2.0, you are
sure to have a lot of fun investigating its
possibilities.
0845 6005930
MOO reports greater business use of Luxe Notecards
to send personal notes to customers.
Where devices like the Staedtler Digital pen 2.0 sit in
the communications hierarchy, it is hard to say.Would
a handwritten note digitised and sent by email have
as much impact as one sent through the post?Would
it even have more cachet than a text email?
What’s not in doubt, says online print business MOO, is
that handwriting still trumps the keyboard when it comes
to business relationships, perhaps due to its rarity value.
In a recent survey, almost eight out of ten Brits (78%)
said that receiving a personalised letter makes them
feel valued. In comparison, less than half feel the same
about an email (46%), with even fewer appreciating a
text (39%) or tweet (25%). One third
open handwritten envelopes before other
postal communications.
Four out of 10 respondents said that
sending a handwritten note or letter at
work builds better business relationships
than an email or printed letter, with 20%
saying handwritten communications
reflect well on a company’s reputation.
More than a third (37%) believe
handwritten business communications
have more gravitas.
Even so, in an average month, more than
half (58%) of Britons don’t send any form
of handwritten business communication,
up from 50% five years ago. A third (33%)
say it’s because they don’t have enough
time, although it may also be due to a lack
of confidence, with 35% of 18-24 year olds
admitting they weren’t confident in their
letter-writing abilities.
Teresa Pereira, VP Brand and
Communications at MOO, said: “Even
though we’re living in a digital world and
so many of the ways we communicate
are instantaneous, we still love to
receive handwritten notes. It’s that
personal touch: it means the sender has
taken the time to think about us and
that makes us feel valued. In business,
sending a handwritten note helps build
relationships. It helps a business stand out
in the mass of daily communications that
we all get.”
The power
of the pen
