LiveScribe-This Isn't An Ordinary Pen

About three years I was introduced to the Logitech IO2 digital pen which really fascinated me. The Logitech IO2 pen uses a typical pen cartridge but houses a camera which is capable of recording the coordinates of what you have written on the page. If you look closely at the paper you will notice that in the background the paper has very small microdots. Each page has a unique pattern which allows the pen to identify the page it is on. When you have finished writing on the paper you simply place the pen in the cradle which is attached to your computer via a USB cable and all of your written work gets transferred to your computer. Having all of your notes in a digital format in your computer is truly a wonderful thing.

A couple of weeks ago a new company LiveScribe announced that they will be coming out with a the LiveScribe digital pen which takes the digital pen to new heights. Imagine having the capability of the Logitech IO2 pen with the added capability of being able to record a lecture. The LiveScribe pen will have the capability of indexing the writte notes with the lectures voice recording which can be played back at any time. When you open your digital pad you can tap on the text and the pen will start playing the lecture at that point in time. You will be able to skip around the voice file and fast forward and rewind. But imagine the ability for students with disabilities to hae this type of functionality. The LiveScribe digital pen has the potential to be a significant tool for students with disabilities. LiveScribe expects to release the pen this Fall for a cost of around $200. Having used digital pens for the past three years I for one am really excited with the release of the LiveScribe digital pen.