Livescribe Connect Sends Your Notes to the Cloud

Yes. Yes, yes, yes. We had the chance to play with the Livescribe SmartPen at CES in January (video above), and came away impressed by the paper-based apps they were starting to roll out. The new Livescribe Connect integration though wipes the floor with everything else we've seen.

Want to email a note to a classmate? Just underline the word "email," and then write your friend's email address. Want to send a note or drawing to Evernote, Google Docs, or Facebook? Just underline your desired service on with your Smartpen. Simple and brilliant. Though I never take notes with a pen and paper anymore, I know it's necessary for certain subjects, and some people still prefer it over a keyboard anyway. I've always been a proponent of scanning your notes into a computer after class, but I think Livescribe has matured to the point where it's a student's best option. There is simply no better way to reconcile your in-class luddism with your after-class tech addiction. 

The 2GB Echo Smartpen is reasonably priced at $100, and you can probably get something cheaper secondhand. If you still have a few semesters left in school and you love taking notes by hand, it may be time to seriously consider taking the plunge. As this CrunchGear article points out though, forward-thinkers may want to wait for a wireless version of the pen, as you currently have to connect via USB to sync all of your notes.