The ability of smart pens to automatically sync everything written with one to a mobile device or computer in easy-to-read text can be very handy –- especially if the paper something is written on becomes lost.
Smart Scribe is another entry in the growing product category: an e-pen that can record handwriting and drawings. One thing that separates it from some rival products is that it can work on a whiteboard. Smart Scribe recognizes what users write by their handwriting and automatically converts it into digital information, sending what’s written to a computer or mobile device via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
In addition to the Smart Scribe pen, there’s a Smart Scribe whiteboard/blackboard, a felt-tip pen-shaped holder for chalk or a whiteboard marker, that recognizes the writing from a teacher’s handwriting and converts it into digital information.
The Smart Scribe products ship in December. Future pricing of a Blackboard Base box including the chalk holder and AC charger with detachable USB to Micro-USB cable for charging and data transferal is $200, but Indiegogo backers can get one for a $160 pledge. Future pricing of a Pen Base Box including the pen and cable is $220, but Indiegogo backers can get one for a $175 pledge. Smart Scribe’s creator hopes to raise $30,000 by June 20.
The whiteboard/blackboard is a nice smart pen feature. But the pen itself seems much too think to comfortably write with –-especially when compared to earlier smart pens including Livescribe and Mimoto.