Tristan Roddis, Barcamp Brighton, October 2010
Writing Implements from the future...
available now!
This is a talk about the Livescribe Pulse smartpen: I think it
is a genuinely novel, impressive and useful tool.
Demo
Demonstration of the core function (writing and recording at the
same time, then tapping text to play back)
Pen
2Gb memory allows well over 100 hrs recording timeOLED
dimensions 96x18pxPrice: approx 110Only a pen in as much as the
iPhone is a phone: better to think of it as a small programmable
computer with various inputs and outputs, which happens to contain
an ink reservoir.
Paper
Anoto dot paper. Varying pattern means areas can be uniquely
identified (like a GPS)Pattern algorithm is unique enough to create
a sheet of paper the size of EuropeSub-areas are licensed to
partners like LiveScribe to develop applications
Desktop
Dock via USB and writing and recordings are synced to
computerOption to upload to Livescribe servers for backupDesktop
will 'OCR' handwriting to allow searching (If you write neatly
enough)
Controls
Most of the surface is open paper but special regions of paper
are marked as being controls.Interacting with these triggers other
events (e.g. calculator, check battery status etc.)
Piano demo
Gratuitous and largely pointless demo, but it demonstrates the
flexibility of what you can do
SDK and emulator
SDK available Mac/WinEmulator available Windows onlydesktop SDK
also in beta Linux users are out of luckGood documentation and
helpful forum
Let's create a penlet!
Demo penlet creation and deploymentMention 'paper apps'Mention
ability to recognise characters on the fly
Apps
Yes, there is an app store for your penRecent developer
challenge gave away > $10,000Summary: I am genuinely impressed
with the implementation of the idea: feels intuitive; no
appreciable bugs or annoyances other than when the battery charge
is v.low
P.S. Kuru Toga Pencil
Kuru Toga is new mechanical pencil design: as the pen is raised
and lowered on the paper, small gears rotate the nib fractionally
to keep it sharpGiven that the graphite pencil has been used since
approx 1500 (and mass produced since 1660s), and that the
mechanical pencil has been around since 1791 (and mass produced in
1910s) it's impressive that anyone has revisited the design to try
to improve it!
Thank you
Questions?
[email protected]
