Livescribe has two models of smartpens – Echo and Pulse. A smartpen is a computer in a pen with advanced processing power and substantial memory for handwriting capture, audio recording, and additional applications.

Dot Positioning System (DPS) is a technology that enables interactive “live” documents using plain paper printed with micro‐dots. The smartpen’s high‐speed infrared camera reads the dot‐ pattern, which enables a wide range of paper‐based applications. Livescribe’s dot paper notebooks and paper‐based applications are provided by the company and partners at prices comparable to standard paper products. Dot paper may also be printed on some certified home or business printers for free. More information about dot paper is included in the “Dot Paper” section of the FAQ.

The camera located at the tip of the smartpen takes a continuous series of photographs of 6 x 6 dots, spaced 0.3mm apart, creating images of 1.8 x 1.8mm grids of 36 dots. The camera takes 72 snapshots per second, sufficient to capture and recreate handwriting. Each picture of these dots is decoded by software in the smartpen to provide an (x,y) coordinate pair, telling the smartpen exactly where the pen tip is on any given page. The smartpen's location, derived from the (x,y) coordinates, is interpreted by smartpen software, and mapped to an "application" in the smartpen. The camera does not see ink written by a user, nor does it see artwork on a page. Rather, the smartpen tracks and remembers where ink is written, and knows the coordinates of items such as buttons.

Students and professionals deal with information overload on a daily basis. Livescribe’s smartpens combine all four modes of communication — reading, writing, speaking and listening — in the simple, low cost, and convenient format of pen and paper. Pulse and Echo solve the burden of information overload in their ability to capture information, and make it easily accessible and shareable. In the case of taking notes during a discussion or lecture, the smartpen records the conversation and digitizes the handwriting, automatically synching the ink and audio. By later tapping the ink, the smartpen replays the conversation from the exact moment the note was written. Notes and audio can also be uploaded to a computer where they can be replayed, saved, searched and sent, so users never miss a word.

Smartpen: a Montblanc‐size computer with advanced processing power, audio and visual feedback, as well as substantial memory for handwriting capture, audio recording, and additional applications. • Application Store and Software Applications: a breadth of solutions that leverage audio/ink capture, handwriting recognition, and Internet connectivity to enhance personal productivity, learning, communication and self expression. These software applications are available through Livescribe’s Application Store (currently in beta), a sleek, user‐friendly online store that works together with Livescribe.com as well as the Livescribe Desktop software and provides users with a quick and simple experience in downloading free and paid applications for their smartpen. • Livescribe Desktop and Online Community: allows users to backup, search, and replay notes from their computer. Users can also upload and convert notes to “pencasts,” interactive Flash movies that can be embedded in a blog or homepage and shared via links or Facebook. Users can also share their notes as Adobe PDF files. • Dot Paper with Dot Positioning System (DPS): technology that enables interactive “live” documents using plain paper printed with micro‐dots. The smartpen’s high‐speed infrared camera reads the dot‐pattern and enables a wide range of paper‐based applications. • Development Tools: Livescribe offers a full suite of easy‐to‐use tools for creating, publishing, sharing or selling new applications and content. The tools are designed for both end users and professionals. For more information, go to www.livescribe.com/developer.

Both Echo and Pulse are fully compatible with Livescribe’s platform, capture everything consumers hear and write and provide quick access to information. Echo has a sleek, ergonomic design with a rubber grip and is available in 4GB and 8GB models, recording more than 400 and 800 hours of audio respectively. The Pulse smartpen is a modern titanium color and available in 2GB and 4GB models, recording more than 200 and 400 hours for audio respectively.

Both Echo and Pulse operate the same way one would use a regular ballpoint pen. To start a Paper Replay session, one must tap on a “Record” icon located on the dot paper. To stop recording, simply tap on “Stop” on the dot paper with the smartpen.

The smartpen records audio in a high quality AAC format. Users can export audio from the Livescribe Desktop into different formats to use and share in other ways. The Mac version of the Livescribe Desktop exports to AAC and the Windows version of the Livescribe desktop exports into MP4 or WAV.

If you are writing and recording audio at the same time, the smartpen can operate for over five hours before it needs to be recharged. If you wanted to record just the audio or your handwritten notes, the smartpen can record audio for over six hours or your writing for over 12 hours

Echo uses a standard micro‐USB cable to transfer notes and audio to Livescribe Desktop. Pulse comes with a USB mobile charging cradle that, once connected, easily transfers notes onto the computer. Simply place the smartpen on the cradle. The Livescribe Desktop software will recognize the hardware and transfer the audio and ink from the smartpen into a digital notebook on the computer.

Once users have transferred their notes and audio from their smartpen to Livescribe Desktop, they have the option to keep their Paper Replay sessions in their smartpen or delete them manually to create more storage space. They can still keep a digital archive of their notes on the Livescribe Desktop application.

If you are using multiple computers to manage your smartpen and notebooks, be sure to dock your smartpen and transfer your data to each computer on a regular basis. Every time you archive a notebook, be sure to archive that notebook on your other computers.

Once you purchase and download an application, it is available for you to download as many times as you want.

The 4GB and 8GB Echo smartpens come with a micro‐USB cable, starter notebook, ink cartridge refills, two caps and PC‐ or Mac‐compatible Livescribe Desktop software. The Livescribe Desktop must be downloaded and installed from www.livescribe.com/install.