Using the 3-D Recording Headset with the Livescribe Sky Wifi Smartpen

Last week I used the Livescribe SKY WiFi to create some eLearning materials for one of the graduate courses that I teach at the college. After I had created the materials I noticed that when using the pen to record it does pick up a bit of the pen moving across the paper which adds some scratchy audio to the materials.  So this weekend I decided to see what would happen if I recorded a session with the Livescribe SKY WiFi but this time compared the audio with the built-in microphone as compared to the 3-D Recording Headset. It is quite evident that when using the 3-D Recording Headset that you can get a much cleaner audio recording which removes a lot of the scratchiness you hear when using the Livescribe SKY WiFi pen with its built-in microphone. You can hear it for yourself by clicking on the image of the Sticky note. The first sentence was recorded using the Livescribe SKY WiFi with its built-in microphone and the second sentence was recorded using the 3-D Recording Headset. I think you will agree that the second recording has much better sound quality. I know that in the future, I will use the 3-D Recording Headset with my Livescribe SKY WiFi pen when creating eLearning materials for my classes. Click on the note to hear the difference

Livescribe Sky WiFi- Totally Liberating

Over the last couple of years I had the opportunity to demonstrate the Livescribe Pulse and Echo Smartpens to lots of educators who are interested in learning about new technological for the classroom. Today I had the opportunity to demo the Livescribe Sky WiFi pen for the first time to students who are majoring in education. It was really exciting to be able to demonstrate the Livescribe Sky WiFi smartpen and watch how it magically synced to my Evernote account. The students were really amazed how easy it was to use and the pen's ability to record a lecture. They were also amazed that you could and listen to the recording via the paper replay or on the web in Evernote. If you haven't taken a look at the Livescribe Sky WiFi pen, I suggest you do and find out how liberating it is to sync and archive your notes over WiFi. You will be glad you did!

Livescribe Sky WiFi Smartpen Soars to the Clouds

On Monday, Livescribe will release a new and improved digital smartpen called Livescribe Sky WiFi which will forever change the way we take and access our notes. While I have been a big fan of the Livescribe Smartpen the one downfall was the synching which you needed to do with a USB cable. But that all changes with the introduction of the Livescribe Sky WiFi which lets you sync your notes directly to Evernote via WiFi. This truly is a huge paradigm shift- giving me access to my notes on just about any device that has a browser or the Evernote app installed. Similarly, I can now log into Evernote from any computer and instantly have access to my notes which is very powerful. This feature is a truly a game changer for taking notes, and will give students access to their notes from anywhere they are connected to the web.

Getting started and setting up the Livescribe Sky WiFi to sync with Evernote was a cinch. I simply turned on the Livescribe Sky WiFi and tapped Scan for Networks icon which was printed on the inside cover of the Livescribe Starter Notebook. The Livescribe Sky WiFi immediately located my protected WiFi network and I was able to type in the password key to access it on my pen. Once connected to my Wifi network the Livescribe SkyWiFi  prominently displays the Wifi icon on the OLED display to let you know you are connected. Logging onto the Livescribe web site from my computer, I was able to setup my pen to access my Evernote account. The website and directions were well designed and it guided me through the process. Since I did have an Evernote account I was able to log in with my credentials to link my Livescribe Sky WiFi pen. For students who may not have an account there is an opportunity during the setup process to sign up for a free account. Once I completed the setup, I was ready to try the Livescribe Sky WiFi out. I opened the Livescribe Starter Notebook and wrote down a couple of ideas and then tapped the tip of the pen on the Sync Now icon. Once I did that I was able to watch the display as it moved through the syncing process  Once the synching was complete the OLED display read Done Syncing. Now for the moment of truth, I opened up Evernote from my laptop and lo and behold there was my note sitting in my Evernote account in a notebook configured A5 Wifi Starter Notebook. Audio recordings made during the note taking process show up in the note as green ink. When you are ready to listen to you note simply click on the note from within Evernote and the Livescribe player will open in your browser to access and listen to the recording.

Livescribe has really streamlined the process making it now possible to have access to your notes from any device connected to the web. Syncing via WifFi with integration with Evernote really is a game changer for students who need access to their notes. I for one am excited with the new impossibles that the Livescribe Sky Wifi pen has to offer in terms of sharing and accessing notes via Evernote.

Using the Livescrbe Pen to Develop eLearning Assets

Over the past couple of years I have done a number of workshops and presentations on using various tools to create eLearning assets in the ubiquitous Adobe PDF format. It is pretty incredible thinking about just how many ways you can use PDF's in your workshops and courses that you know can be successfully viewed with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

In my workshop: Delivering e-Learning Assets in PDF Format- I showed my participants how I am using Adobe Acrobat Pro Extended, Adobe Captivate 4, Camtasia Studio, and Adobe Presenter to create rich and engaging eLearning assets. Using a combination of these tools it is possible to create some interesting materials that can be shared with the Adobe Acrobat Reader. One of the real take away's from the presentation is that it is now possible to embed video in your PDF's which your users can view with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader 10.

One of the new tools on the horizon is the Livescribe Pulse and Echo Smartpens that makes the process of creating rich interactive PDF's a cinch. Just last week Livescribe added the the Livescribe Connect capability to output their penscasts in an interactive Adobe Acrobat format. Livescribe calls this format a Pencast PDF and it is really easy to create. So now it is easy for teachers to create  instructional videos complete with audio on just about any topic you desire. If you have taken a look at the Khan Academy you will be able to create very similar videos with the same look and feel.  The great thing is - it is so easy to accomplish with the Livescribe Smartpens. Open a page in a notebook - click the Record button and when you are finished recording plug the USB cable into your computer to upload your work to the Livescribe Desktop Software. Once your pencast has been uploaded on your computer simply drag the page under the Connector panel to the Computer option. This will automatically save the file in the Adobe Acrobat PDF format that can now be viewed by anyone who has the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Here is an example of what you can do with your Livescribe Pen to create an interactive instructional video. Click here to view or on the image below to view the Pencast PDF.

Using Livescribe Connect with my Echo Smartpen

Last June, at the ISTE 2010 Conference I had the opportunity to meet with Jim Marggraff where he showed me what was in store for the Livescribe line of smartpens. Well today, Livescribe released Livescribe Connect which provides users with a host of new features and connectivity. One of the most exciting features from my perspective is being able to create an Adobe Acrobat Pencast PDF which is able to be played with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. In fact today, I found out that the Acrobat Pencast PDF  works just fine with Adobe Acrobat Professional Version 9.4 which is on my Dell computer. In order to use the Livescroibe Connect features you will have to update the Livescribe Desktop software and your pen's firmware. The update went without a hitch and now the moment of truth was about to take place. I turned on my pen and did a short recording on a sticky note which I wanted to send to my Facebook page. After the recording was completed I used the convention of drawing a short line from left to right and back again and then was prompted to write the command- which I did by writing "Facebook" above the line. I was then prompted to select the page by tapping it and I finished the session by double tapping on the page. Now the LED screen on the pen prompted me to dock my pen which I did and within seconds my sticky note appeared in my Facebook page. Now anyone coming to my Facebook page can play and listen to the pencast right with the browser. Livescribe Desktop software supports a number of connectors which I'm sure you will find very handy. These include: Google Docs, Evernote, Email, Facebook, Mobile, Computer, and MyLivescribe. So if you have a Echo Smartpen then rush right over to the Livescribe website and update your software and pen so you too can take advantage of  Livescribe Connect- I'm sure you will enjoy the functionality just as much as I have!

From Livescribe Desktop to Evernote

Today I learned of an exciting synergy between Livescribe Desktop Software and Evernote. Ever since I got my iPad I find that I  been using Evernote more and more to store my notes and ideas. Working with the iPad makes you think about your workflow and having access to your notes and clipping wherever you may go. That is why I was so excited to learn about the ability of sending your Livescribe notes to Evernote from the Livescribe Desktop Software. So today I upgraded by Livescribe Desktop Software and gave it a try. The software worked as planned! Within minutes I was able to share my Livescribe notes and view them in my Evernote account. The the integration is seamless and easy to use. So give it a try and let me know what you think.