A pen that listens
$149-$229 • www.livescribe.com
Livescribe's Pulse smart pen is a standard writing instrument combined with a digital audio recorder. By using special dot-embedded paper, notes you take at a lecture, for instance, are synched with a recording of that talk. Touch the pen to a scribbled word and you'll hear the recording.
With the Pulse smart pen, students, lawyers doing depositions and harried reporters don't have to worry about capturing every word.
Written notes and audio recordings can be uploaded to Livescribe's website, where the information can be used on other computers, converted to PDFs or shared with others.
Livescribe now makes paid and free apps to do specific tasks, like playing simple games or helping with other languages, but they are not always practical.
For example, the language translation apps offer useful phrases for travelers, but to use them you need to tap the pen on the printed control panel in the notebook. Not so convenient while you're trying to tell an impatient front-desk employee that you need a room.
The Pulse smartpen is a clever and useful device. But apps that are compelling on smart phones don't add much to the smartpen.
A POCKET DARKROOM THAT RINGS
$200 • www.htc.com
HTC has created a phone for people who like to take pictures with a phone. Modestly named Droid Incredible, the phone pairs an 8-megapixel camera with a bright 3.7-inch Amoled screen.
Amoled screens -- for Active Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode -- are known for their bright colors and fine detail, as well as for low power consumption.
