

Tapping the printed controls activates various functions of the pen options include Nav Plus crosshairs, for navigating through the pen’s menu and for selecting and using applications audio controls playback speed settings bookmark controls and record/pause/play buttons. The pen comes packaged with a 50-sheet starter notebook containing perforated, lined dot-paper with various controls printed at the bottom of each sheet.

While you’re scribbling your notes, the pen records audio that’s linked to whatever you’re writing. By tapping a Record button on a printed page, you start recording a lecture or other spoken words as you write. Instead of requiring you to cycle through your recorded audio to find the clip you want, the Echo ties audio to your written notes. The coolest thing about the Echo (and the Pulse before it) is its ability to record and play back audio–with an innovative twist. It also adds a few new features to the mix. The new Echo pen packs more memory (4GB for $170 or 8GB for $200) and a sleeker, more-ergonomic design than its predecessor, the Pulse. Those early-adopter students, journalists, and stenographers can rejoice: Livescribe’s second-generation smartpen, dubbed the Echo, has arrived. The first-generation Livescribe Pulse smartpen attracted a cult following among students and heavy note-takers, thanks to its innovative approach to digitizing, organizing, and tying audio to handwritten notes.
