IOGEAR, renowned maker of underwhelming PC gear like switches and adapters, makes a half-decent grab for attention with its Digital Scribe pen. It has a straightforward mission — to take your handwritten notes into the digital domain without having to retype or scan every piece of paper.

Cool idea, and the pen does apparently put every word, drawing, and hastily dashed-off map on your monitor within seconds of jotting them down, as if by magic. But, yes, there's a catch. To work, the pen needs an accessory: a sensor that clips onto the top of your notepad, which works with the pen to create the notes. The sensor is tethered to your PC via a USB cable, so you'll have to stay in close range of your computer in order to enjoy the pen's benefits.

At least those benefits include optical character-recognition software for translating your scrawl into digital characters, and it works in 10 languages. We'd prefer something more standalone, or at least some wireless technology in the sensor, but the Digital Scribe strikes us as vaguely more practical than the Fly Pentop Computer or LiveScribe's SmartPen. It's available now for 100 bucks.
— Peter Pachal

Via IOGEAR