The LiveScribe Electronic Pen

by Marc G. Snyder

Whenever a new piece of technology becomes available, my sense of excitement must be tempered with a small dose of necessary caution. As a solo-practicing attorney specializing in personal injury and criminal defense law, I am always looking for new and innovative ways to improve my ability to get the job done.  When it comes to the LiveScribe Pulse electronic pen, I am certainly happy that I did.  While this product has room for improvement, this electronic pen can truly change the way you work.

As with many advances in personal technology, a product's purpose is easier to understand through actual use then by reading someone else's explanation.  This is especially true with the LiveScribe.  The bottom line is that you must see this product in action to truly appreciate what it can do.  I recommend checking out their website for an excellent summary of the pen's most useful features.

The LiveScribe pen records your handwritten notes while simultaneously recording the audio source that you are listening to.  What this means, essentially, is that every stroke you make with the pen is recorded into the pen's internal memory.  At the same time, everything that is heard while taking your notes is recorded into the pen's memory along with those notes.  Upon playback, you have can not only retrieve your handwritten notes, but also listen to the audio that was taking place while your notes were being recorded.

Once you use the pen a few times, its operation becomes second nature.  When you have finished taking your notes, the next step is to get those notes into your computer so you can work with them.  The package comes with a USB docking station that magnetically holds your pen and transfers both the notes and the audio from the pen to your PC.  After the syncing between the pen and computer is complete, the LiveScribe software allows you to use your handwritten notes and corresponding audio in various and interesting ways.

You may be wondering whether you need to use special paper in order to make this thing work.  The answer is yes and no.  The company sells its own pads, notebooks and journals, all with proprietary small dots that allow the pen to do its thing.  Other than being able to see the dots if you really look up close, the paper is no different than a regular pad that most of us are used to writing on.  In fact, the company provides instructions on how to create your own LiveScribe compatible pads by using your own paper and printer.

The actual operation of the pen is simple.  When you are ready to begin taking notes, you press a button on the pen and then tap a record button that is located at the bottom of every piece of notepaper.   The pen's built-in camera records your notes, allowing the pen to know and record where the pen is at all times. While too complex to be explained here, suffice it to say that the pen then synchronizes the recorded audio to your actual notes, allowing you to retrieve both the written notes and their corresponding audio after syncing the pen with the computer.  One of the most impressive feats of the pen is the ability to choose any point within your resulting notes and immediately hear the audio that was taking place at the very time those notes were recorded.  It is truly amazing to see this in action, and the real world applications are many.

LiveScribe provides software for both the Windows and Macintosh platforms.  The software allows you to view your notes on your computer in many different formats, while also listening to the corresponding audio.  You can then edit the notes, combine various notebooks together, and save your information for a later date.  Although now available for the PC only, a related program is available that will translate your handwritten notes into typed copy, completing the "note taking perfect circle" that many of us seem to be looking for.

If I have one complaint, it is with the actual build of the pen.  Though solid, the LiveScribe is much bigger than a standard pen, which takes some getting used to.  The extra size, I assume, is needed to provide room for the small OLED screen that displays various information, including the time, the status of your recording, and a counter that lets provides some additional information.  The pen also has a stereo microphone and a loudspeaker, which allows the user to listen to what has been recorded directly from the pen. A small earpiece is included for times when a more discreet listening environment is necessary.

The uses for the LiveScribe are many.  Suffice it to say that in any situation where note taking is required, this pen will make the process easier and more effective.  I use it during client meetings, depositions, and even in trial.  Being able to not only take notes, but also to record what is being said has made my job much easier.  One use deserves special mention.  Being a so called "techno lawyer," I have found myself wanting to use my laptop in many situations where it was probably a better idea to use a pen.  The laptop, unfortunately, creates a barrier between you and whomever you are meeting with.  Even today, many people see a computer in front of you, and assume that you are not paying attention to what they are saying.  The LiveScribe has relieved me of my need for my laptop in many of these situations without having to resort to using plain pen and paper.  Needless to say, a pen, even a large one, is much less intrusive than a computer in situations where discretion is preferred.  In trial, the bottom line is that I am much more comfortable using what appears to be a normal pen and paper, over a laptop computer.

In the end, the LiveScribe electronic pen is a pretty amazing product.  I have only covered a few of the many uses that this pen can accomplish, but I hope that its many possibilities are becoming evident.  As someone who now uses this pen quite often, I am confident in recommending it to anyone who spends a lot of time taking notes.  As an attorney who spends hours a day taking notes in one form or another, the LiveScribe pen has become an indispensable addition to my workday arsenal. 

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Marc G. Snyder
The Law Office of Marc G. Snyder
1829 Reisterstown Road, Suite 100
Baltimore, MD 21208
(410) 653-0065 Office, (410) 653-3024 Fax
Tweeter: @marcsnyderlaw
www.marcsnyderlaw.com
 

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