03-29-2002, 03:50 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 135
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Improving on the Cocktail Napkin
http://research.microsoft.com/msrnews/smartquill.asp
For those of you who may not know, I keep a few scribble books and I do a fair amount of writing with a fountain pen. Yes that's right; I have a Jornada on my belt and write in paper notebooks with fountain pen (I have a Carbonesque Namiki Vanishing Point with a medium nib, seen below, if you were wondering.) My handwriting may not be the best in the world, and it can be a pain to type things up, but all in all I enjoy doing certain things in a notebook, especially outlining and note taking. I still use my Jornada quite a bit, but I tend to use it for things that absolutely must be typed, typing up notes, and PIM functions.
I think in the long run, the ultimate solution for me would be some sort of a tablet computer that combines the best of both worlds: the speed, elegance, grace, and feel of a collage ruled notebook (including the texture, and sensitivity), and the organizational efficenty of a PDA. Needless to say, I think this kind of technology (at a reasonable price) is a long way off. That's the thing about ultimate technologies, they either don't exist, or they aren't in your price range; I'd love to use a Mac, but I simply can't afford one, I'd also like thought based input for my Jornada, but that doesn't exist (yet).
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So anyway, I'm supposed to be writing about this new smart quill pen thingy (above) that Microsoft Research has developed that senses movement and is able to transcribe the motion of the pen into electronic text. Very nifty if you ask me, this is something that could earn a very honored spot in my gear arsenal.
"The pen is slightly larger than an ordinary fountain pen, with a screen on the barrel. If there's no cocktail napkin handy, never fear: it can detect and remember handwriting on the air. The user trains the pen to recognize a particular handwriting style - no matter how messy it is, as long as it is consistent, the pen can recognize it. The pen is then plugged into an "inkwell" that transmits the text to a PC or handheld or to a mobile telephone to be sent as email."
"Williams is convinced the Smart quill could be brought to market by next year at a reasonable price of about $200, about the same as a high-end fountain pen. �It�s the pen for the new millennium,� she says. �All the computing power you need, right in your pocket."
I hope that they really do make this a fountain pen: that would be just too cool. I also would really like that price tag and time line, but something in my gut says that it will be more than a few years and a little more than 200 dollars. We can always hope though.
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03-29-2002, 03:53 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 135
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When I do an off topic post, I'm really not kidding...
Cheers,
Sam
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03-29-2002, 05:08 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 137
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OH MY GOD!!!
I have got to have one of these! I even love the "inkwell"!
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03-29-2002, 05:23 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 135
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jeff Kirvin
OH MY GOD!!!
I have got to have one of these! I even love the "inkwell"!
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Yeah it is really really cool looking, but I'd probably have to go and hurt someone if it was a ball point...
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03-29-2002, 07:17 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 100
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OFF-TOPIC: Improving on the Cocktail Napkin
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Originally Posted by Sam Kleinman
I think in the long run, the ultimate solution for me would be some sort of a tablet computer that combines the best of both worlds: the speed, elegance, grace, and feel of a collage ruled notebook (including the texture, and sensitivity), and the organizational efficenty of a PDA. Needless to say, I think this kind of technology (at a reasonable price) is a long way off...
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Ever looked at the IBM Transnote? Computer + digital notebook - sure looks like what you seem to want has been done already (done and gone, apparently, as IBM seems to have discontinued it!).
Aceze
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03-29-2002, 02:25 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 252
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By electronic text are we talking real text or a graphic of the text.
How accurate is the recognition that you are achieving?
It sounds like it could be a nightmare to use, rather like the variety of the penscanners out there which are a ergonomic nightmare. Your forced to constantly review the text to make sure it is recognised correctly. Why not simply have enough intelligence in the pen so it can describe the writing which is then transmitted to a recognising platofrm (either PDA or PC).
I would also like to have the ability to have it doing it automaitcally in real time. Pause for a second and the text is automatically recognised a la transcriber. I could then review the text on screen rather than having to try to flip over the pen to look at the screen.
Oh and finally why do I want an inkwell. It just complicates the process. What I actually want is a bluetooth connection.
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03-29-2002, 04:34 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 2
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Sony/Ericsson will be releasing a "Chatpen" in Sweden around the end of April. This is a bluetooth pen which transfers the data immediately to a phone or PDA. We have received a sample version but have no bluetooth phone to try it with yet, looks like a million bucks though, very impressive design.
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03-29-2002, 04:41 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 135
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Dan Urness
Sony/Ericsson will be releasing a "Chatpen" in Sweden around the end of April. This is a bluetooth pen which transfers the data immediately to a phone or PDA. We have received a sample version but have no bluetooth phone to try it with yet, looks like a million bucks though, very impressive design.
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I'd like to see pictures and specs if you can provide them 
Cheers,
Sam
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03-29-2002, 04:56 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 16
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Quote:
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this new smart quill pen thingy (above) that Microsoft Research has developed
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Woah there nelly... :wink:
I saw this prototype device in a BritishTelecom laboratory in Ipswitch, UK about three - four years ago!
Along a really cool device called SmartSpace... but I'm not sure if the NDA I'm under has expired.  ops:
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03-29-2002, 05:25 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 135
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by fishd1
Quote:
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this new smart quill pen thingy (above) that Microsoft Research has developed
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Woah there nelly... :wink:
I saw this prototype device in a BritishTelecom laboratory in Ipswitch, UK about three - four years ago!
Along a really cool device called SmartSpace... but I'm not sure if the NDA I'm under has expired. ops: |
I just report what I see. Thanks for the update!
Cheers,
Sam
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