The Pulse smartpen is
available for preorder at www.livescribe.com and will arrive on doorsteps in
March. Key features with every Pulse smartpen purchase include:
-- Pulse Smartpen - With a sleek, ergonomic design and charcoal blue anodized
aluminum housing, the smartpen weighs in at just 1.3 ounces. Pulse is available
in two models. Priced at $149, the 1GB model provides storage for recorded
audio (over 100 hours), digital notes (over 16,000 pages), or add-on
applications. At $199, the 2GB model doubles the storage capacity and provides
more flexibility for downloading future applications.
-- Paper Replay(TM) - Pulse's core application enables users to record and sync
audio with whatever they write, so they never miss a word. With Paper Replay,
users can tap on their notes written on paper to hear exactly what was said.
They can also fast forward, rewind, jump ahead, pause, and even speed up or
slow down their audio recordings using controls printed on the bottom of each
page.
-- Smartpen Technology - The Pulse smartpen is a sophisticated mobile computer
that includes: a high speed infrared camera with a Dot Positioning System
(DPS); rechargeable lithium battery; high contrast display for easy
indoor/outdoor viewing; dual microphones for clear recording and noise
cancellation; an embedded speaker and an audio jack for Livescribe's 3D
Recording Headset.
-- Dot Paper Notebook - The nearly-invisible micro dots printed on notebook
pages tell the Pulse smartpen exactly where a user is writing or tapping. The
Dot Positioning System enables not only printed controls for recording and
playback on each page, but also paper-based applications including a
full-function calculator on the inside front cover of every notebook.
Additional notebooks will be available for purchase at prices comparable to
ordinary paper notebooks. Users can also print dot paper for free on qualified
laser jet printers beginning in April.
-- 3D Recording Headset - Livescribe has created a revolutionary 3D Recording
Headset. Each earbud has an embedded microphone that creates a new standard in
recording quality in large rooms or noisy environments.
-- USB
-- Livescribe Desktop Software - The digital hub for notes and audio,
Livescribe Desktop allows users to store, replay, and search for words within
their handwritten notes on their PC.
-- Livescribe Online Community - Every registered Pulse user receives 250MB of
online storage to upload and share notes and audio as interactive Flash movies
or PDF files. Users can choose to share with the Livescribe community, selected
contacts, or other sites like Facebook. Text and audio transcription services
will also be available online.
-- Additional Applications - Users can customize their Pulse with additional
applications - ranging from language learning to productivity tools to games -
via download from www.livescribe.com.
Developer Program Makes Pulse Smartpen Even Smarter
Livescribe also announced the launch of the Livescribe Developer Program,
inviting developers to build innovative, paper-based computing applications to
enhance and broaden the functionality of the Pulse smartpen. The program
provides a suite of tools and services for users, casual developers and
professional developers to create, publish, share and sell their applications.
Members will have access to developer tools, technical documentation, starter
guides, sample code, community forums and technical support.
Some of the applications already underway by developers for Pulse include
foreign language translators, productivity tools, games, interactive books,
transcription services, and specialized educational aids:
Languages
-- Binary Labs is developing a complete Spanish translator for Pulse, providing
a powerful tool for people that want to learn or communicate in Spanish.
Consumers simply write words in English to hear and read the Spanish translation
on Pulse's OLED display screen. Users can also look up Spanish verb
conjugations and Spanish idioms.
Productivity
-- Living Paper will develop the Elephant Calendar, best known for its
paper-based personal organizer, into an interactive digital organizer that
works with Pulse.
Entertainment
-- Stiletto Ventures will offer several games and entertainment applications
designed to provide Livescribe customers with an engaging, interactive paper
experience.
Interactive books
-- J-PEA will make the Bible, the most widely distributed book in the world,
interactive by printing it on dot paper. Readers tap on pages with their
smartpen to hear verses read to them, hear pronunciations, read definitions of
specific words, or jump to cross-referenced verses.
-- Audio Tutor will create the first interactive birding journal. The
dot-enabled field journal provides bird visuals and information, in both text
and audio. Consumers can also record their birding expeditions through
handwriting, drawings and audio recordings.
Transcription
Livescribe provides several options to help consumers easily transcribe
handwriting and audio into digital text:
-- Living Paper will provide ink to text transcription services.
-- Vision Objects will provide handwriting recognition software that converts
handwriting captured by Pulse into digital text.
-- Winscribe will offer integrated workflow and speech transcription technology
for Pulse.
Specialized Education Tools
-- The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute will develop applications to
assist visually-impaired students with learning through Pulse.
-- ViewPlus will produce embossed color images with their Emprint(TM) SpotDot
Braille Embosser that works with Pulse.
By providing an open platform, building a strong developer support program, and
offering targeted distribution channels, Livescribe will provide an attractive
business opportunity for developers. Software developers interested in
designing applications for Pulse should e-mail developer@livescribe.com.
What Developers are Saying about the Livescribe Platform:
"We are proud to have been selected as one of the first third-party
developers to create a Livescribe application. We have designed a Spanish
Translator with unique features that will appeal to students and business
people alike." - Frank Jensen, CEO, BinaryLabs
"Living Paper Inc. has partnered with Livescribe to introduce a new
version of the Elephant Calendar which will take advantage of all the advanced
capabilities that Livescribe's Pulse smartpen has to offer. Livescribe is
creating a new industry where companies such as Living Paper can build a truly
successful business, offering services that will add value to the device and
its platform."
- Martin Stein, President, Living Paper
"We are very excited to have the opportunity to offer Livescribe's
cutting-edge technology to our clients. We look forward to the integration of
our transcription services and workflow solution with the new paper-based
mobile computing platform that Livescribe brings to this wide open
market."
- Matthew Weavers, CEO of WinScribe
"Livescribe has launched a new era in publishing. People want the benefits
associated with electronic texts, but they don't want to give up their books.
Books are inexpensive, lightweight, durable, easy to navigate, and easy to
annotate. With the Livescribe smartpen, you can have the best of both worlds.
Our first book, The Active Bible, is a great example of what's possible. With
the Active Bible you just tap on a word to hear it pronounced or to read its
definition or to instantly jump to a cross-reference."
- Regina Van Schaack, Founder, J-PEA Publishing Group
"Livescribe's Pulse smartpen is a revolutionary new product, and we see a
virtually limitless number of applications for this platform. We are excited to
be leveraging our experience in technology and entertainment to develop
interactive games." - Matt Ivester, Co-Founder, Stiletto Ventures
"Vision Objects is proud to have shared its expertise in handwriting
recognition with Livescribe in the development of this innovative smartpen,
combining for the first time voice recording, handwriting recognition and
search capabilities. As a third party developer, we will also offer
Livescribe's customers additional software to help convert written notes to
text. Livescribe's Pulse smartpen is the perfect tool for students and
professionals who take notes on a regular basis." - Stefan Knerr, CEO and
Founder, Vision Objects.
"Who would have thought that a pen would wind up being the answer to the
age-old problem of better graphics for the blind. Ironically enough, Pulse has
enormous potential for improving blind people's access to spatial information
such as charts, graphs, tables, and even maps."
- Joshua A. Miele, Ph.D., associate Scientist at The Smith-Kettlewell Eye
Research Institute
"The combination of Livescribe and ViewPlus products should lead to
innovative new accessible maps and diagrams for people who are blind or
dyslexic. I am pleased that the ViewPlus Emprint SpotDot color Braille printer
can produce embossed color images useable with Livescribe's Pulse
smartpen."
- Dr. John Gardner, Founder and President, ViewPlus
"AudioTutor International will soon release a new generation of its
SongWand product for birding by ear on Livescribe's Pulse smartpen. To birders,
the SongWand II Field Notebook using the Pulse smartpen could become as
essential to birding as a camera and binoculars. With Pulse's 3D Recording
Headset, this package brings an entirely new recording and identification
capability to birdwatchers." - Dan Kimball, CEO, AudioTutor International
About DEMO
DEMO is the premier launch venue for new products, technologies and companies.
For more than 16 years, DEMO has established a reputation for identifying and
presenting to an elite audience the products most likely to have a significant
impact on the marketplace and market trends in the coming year. Each product is
carefully screened and selected by DEMO's Executive Producer, Chris Shipley, one
of the top trend spotters in the personal technology product industry. DEMO
takes place Jan. 28-30 in
About Livescribe
Located in
About Anoto Group AB
Anoto Group is the world leader in Digital Pen and Paper technology and
inventor of the first commercialized Digital Pen and Paper system allowing
quick and reliable transmission of handwritten text from paper to digital
media. Anoto works with a global network of partners focusing on user-friendly
forms solutions for efficient capture, transmission and storing of data for a
variety of business segments including healthcare, banking and finance,
transportation and logistics, government and education. The Anoto Group has
around 100 employees, offices in
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