Livescribe Echo SmartPen

The Livescribe ‘Echo’ Smartpen is seriously every student’s dream come true. Designed to optimise the note taking experience, the Echo pen allows users to digitally capture visual and audio information, and even throws in some fun post-note taking features to really get the party started. So, let’s talk specifics, we’ll start with looks. The Echo pen is a 0.5 by 0.6 by 0.8 inch pen, which does make it a bit of a chunky number. It comes with a ball point tip, which unfortunately doesn’t really scream luxury writing device, but because of the sheer innovation of its recording features, we’ll let Livescribe off. There is a slim OLED screen that allows you to navigate the pen’s features whilst conveniently displaying the time, allowing you to meet all those important deadlines without having to look up from writing. Add a micro-USB point, and of course a power button and that pretty much makes up the exterior of your exciting new Livescribe SmartpenNow onto the real attractions – the smart pen’s innovative visual and audio recording features. The Echo pen comes with an inbuilt high-speed infrared camera located near the ballpoint tip. This camera has the ability to take up to 70 photos of your writing per second, capturing anything you write on the specific Echo pen notepaper supplied by the company. This is a great feature because it allows users to connect their Echo Pen to their PC and download photos of their writing, essentially backing up all notes quickly and painlessly. In conjunction with the photo taking capabilities, The Echo pen comes complete with an inbuilt microphone, allowing users to record the audio going on around them as they write.  Sound just like your average, run of the mill Dictaphone? Think again. The Echo Pen’s voice recording feature allows users to access exactly what was happening orally at any point in their notes by tapping a spot on the paper and simply clicking play.But the fun doesn’t stop there,  the Livescribe Echo Pen allows users to partake in ‘pencasting,’ a phenomenon specific to smart pen users. Pencasting involves uploading text and audio recordings to make entertaining video type documents. These recordings can then be uploaded to your favourite online storage space and sent via email, so no more laborious copying out of notes out if you miss a lecture. The Livescribe Echo Smartpen truly is an exciting addition to the writing world. Although maybe a bit chunky for comfortable scrawling, the Echo pen delivers a fun and interactive writing experience unrivalled by any gadget to date.