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 When I attend a meeting where a lot of information is shared, capturing good notes is critical. However, there's always the fear that I either missed something or took unclear notes.
Then I discovered the LiveScribe Pulse SmartPen. The pen (and associated software) does three things. First, the pen writes like any other pen. Second, the pen records the audio of meetings, and syncs it with your handwritten notes. Third, the written notes and related audio are all stored in an application on your computer that is searchable (yes, it reads your handwriting).
The Pen
The LiveScribe Pulse SmartPen comes in two versions (1 ang 2 gigs), varying only in the amount of memory in the pen. Since 1 gig holds nearly 200 hours of recorded info, and you can empty the pen as needed (long-term storage is on your computer), it's hard to imagine needing more than the 1gig version.
You'll need to use special paper to get the most of of the pen. The paper has small dots (which we can't see, but the pen can), as well as "controls" to start and stop recording, among other things. You can get the paper as spiral notebooks, or moleskin-style notebooks.
The Pulse SmartPen comes with a USB dock (which also charges the pen), earbuds that have microphones embedded in the buds, and a spiral bound starter notebook.
Recording and Playback
When a meeting starts, you tap the "record" button on the page you will be using to take notes. The pen will record audio until you tap "stop." Then, you take notes as usual. When finished, you can just tap on any note and hear what was being recorded at the exact moment you were writing that particular note (the pen has a speaker, or you can use the included earbuds). It's also easy to move forward or backward in a recording. If you come back a day, week or year later and enter more text on the same page, it is automatically synced to that page on the computer when you sync.
LiveScribe Application
The LiveScribe Application (for PC and Mac) is where you do long-term storage of your notes and associated recordings. The application is a free download. Just launch the app and place the pen in its dock, and syncing automatically starts.
The app keeps your notes and recordings in named notebooks (to match your "real" notebooks). You can search across any or all notes stored. It also allows you to click on any page and then click on any note in that page to hear what was being recorded as you wrote that portion of the notes.
An add-on application allows your handwritten notes to be converted to typewritten notes. There's also an online area (free) where you can share your notes with others.
The LiveScribe Pulse SmartPen has made our lives much, much easier. We always use it to capture project meetings and notes. Once captured, we can share the resulting document with others on our team who will be working on a project, so they are up-to-speed. We often also share the document with the client, so we all have a record of the meeting, which helps keep us all on the same page in terms of expectations.
I also use the pen with many phone conversations. I just take the call on speaker, and record my notes/conversations as usual. Later, it's easy to refresh my memory around the discussion details.
For students, the pen is something of a miracle. Imagine having your notes AND all the lectures stored together. If you are fuzzy on how the prof explained something, just tap on that portion of the notes to hear it again.
Of course, as with any recording device, it is wise to let people know you are recording the meeting. If is it inappropriate to record the audio, no worries, you can still use the LiveScribe Pen to capture your handwritten notes.
Where to Buy
Amazon, Target, and the LiveScribe website.
The 1gig version lists for $149, while the 2gig version is $199.
UPDATE: LiveScribe has introduced new, larger capcity versions (2gig and 4gig). Learn more here.
Watch videos showing how the SmartPen works.
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