JavaOne 2008 : The Killer-App - A Java Pen
posted Saturday, 10 May 2008
 | My Java Gadget of the Year. I found my Java gadget of the year - it is an ordinary 'tool' that has been with us for 1300+ years and maybe longer if we consider a reed pen the original pen back in 3000 BC. This year Livescribe re-invented the pen and morphed it into 21st century device. I will tell you that I think that the history of the pen has taken an abrupt | technological leap that may change the way we look at pens and how pens are designed in the future. Listen to this keynote (around minute 56) you will see that the pen supports Java ME CLDC and runs on a Samsung ARM 9 (32 bit, 150Mhz) processors with an OLED display, high speed infrared camera (70 images/sec), 1 or 2 GB of NAND |
storage, embedded speaker,dual smartpen microphones, 3D recording headset and a USB port. Are we really talking about a pen ? Yes... and more. What's more is that this pen transcends simply recording what is written. Not only can you record what you write and what you say as you are writing but it can be downloaded to your computer (currently Windows - later Mac). You can do word searches on the text or create flash movies of what you wrote and said. Users can also select from software - such as to translate the words they write - for example if I select English-to-Spanish and I write the word "one" - the audio will replay with "uno" (Spanish word for one). They have some examples of the translation. Another piece of software allows you to draw a piano keyboard and then play music by selecting the keys. Software is yet another aspect of the pen.
Of course, I had to get one. It is very cool. | 
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