Taking It All In

There is no room for gratuitous technology in libraries, but sometimes gadgets can be great additions to our practices. These three items are actually powerful tools that can increase efficiency, promote communication, and still manage to satisfy some gadget lust.

$149 for 1GB, $199 for 2GB

There is an art to taking notes. More specifically, there is an art to taking notes while still listening and not missing points. The Livescribe Pulse turns this art into a science by combining a digital pen with audio recording technology. As with other pen-based computing systems, the Livescribe Pulse uses special paper with microdots that lets the pen's camera record movement across the page. The special feature of this pen, however, is that the recorded writing or drawing is automatically synchronized with the audio captured at the same time. Every pen stroke becomes a bookmark to what was being said at the time; during playback, simply tap on a word or bullet point to go to that section of the audio recording.

In terms of note-taking, someone recording a meeting can develop an outline of bookmarks (or even draw descriptive cartoon bookmarks) secure in the knowledge that the discussion is being captured. The combined files, containing content retrieved from the written page and synchronized audio, are downloaded to a Windows computer via the pen's charging cradle using the Livescribe Desktop software. Recorded pages can be viewed or printed locally through the software, or can be uploaded to the Livescribe community site for public or private sharing.

The company behind this tool is hoping that a community of developers will emerge to extend this pen computer into new areas. But even without enhancements, the Livescribe Pulse is a more than adequate way to record and share meeting notes, including both the written and audio records.

The technology behind the Pulse grew from the Fly Fusion computer pen, but this more business-appropriate model has abandoned the sometimes glitchy handwriting recognition capabilities in favor of voice recording. For such a small device, the audio is actually quite impressive. Whether using the microphone and speaker on the pen or the included ear buds/microphone combo, the Pulse was able to record meetings in large conference rooms with a pretty high level of clarity. When using the ear buds in the ear or on the included neck lanyard for the many occasions at work when wearing headphones is inappropriate, the Pulse records in an enhanced stereo mode that re-creates the original aural experience in simulated 3-D.

For Librarians: From an instructional standpoint, this tool would be a wonderful addition to a school or academic library. Students who struggle to take notes in class can practice note-taking skills secure in the knowledge that the full lecture is also being recorded. These students will be able to develop a better understanding of note-taking in general, using their notes like bookmarks to remember what was said. The Livescribe Pulse also delivers as a computer through its single-line display, with calculators, a translation program (you write hello, it says “ni hao” in Mandarin), and more programs waiting to be developed. Imagine writing a word and getting back a definition and pronunciation; there are many possibilities awaiting discovery. For now, however, the Livescribe Pulse is an excellent tool for recording and sharing notes, providing support for learners with special needs, and having a way to grab digital content quickly. With handwriting as bad as mine, the lack of handwriting recognition is a nonissue, yet the device is at the same time geeky yet familiar enough to be attractive to both the computer-based and the pen-and-paper crowd.

$179.95, available in black, pearl, or latte

The Chumby is hard to describe. The device's site refers to it as an improved alarm clock, but that falls short. A colleague looked at the Chumby sitting on my desk at work and laughed at me for having a Wi-Fi-enabled Pet Rock. Perhaps this is the best way to introduce this gadget: think of it as a digital Pet Rock with a 3.5" LCD touch screen, speakers, USB ports, Wi-Fi, and soft leather sides in your choice of black, pearl, or a tan-and-white combination called latte.

The Chumby sits there, a constant companion ready to provide news, weather, RSS feeds from blogs, or even Internet radio stations. But beneath its soft, quiet exterior, the Chumby has some secrets. Aside from an accessory tab for attaching purely decorative charms (you get three with your device), its 350Mhz ARM processor with 64 MB of SDRAM is as powerful as the first Apple iMac computers released in 2000. Also packed into the small case are two USB 2.0 ports and some surprisingly nice speakers along with a built-in accelerometer that is being used by developers as a way to interact spatially with games. With an open source Linux back end and open hardware specifications, the Chumby's hardware and software can be extended to meet new challenges in just about any way imaginable. Development work takes place on two levels: users can plug in a USB keyboard to modify the Chumby software directly, or functionality can be added through downloadable widgets. Though direct hacking of the system will require Linux knowledge or plenty of time with the helpful guides on the web site, a web developer with a basic knowledge of Flash should be able to get started with a simple widget.

Exactly what the Chumby does depends on the widgets that are downloaded. For some, the Chumby is an entertainment device that offers a mixture of Sudoku, reversi, celebrity news updates, and even access to a Netflix queue. Load a different mixture of widgets, and the Chumby becomes a serious information device with RSS updates from Google News and other sources, stock quotes, a calendar, and weather. These widgets, designed in Adobe's Flash Lite 3, are managed through channels that allow specific sets of widgets to be loaded and run in a loop to meet entertainment, information, or other content requirements. The idea is that the Chumby will be a constant companion throughout a user's day, with multiple channels to address changing needs. I have a morning channel that features a selection of clocks, the weather, and headlines from the New York Times; later in the day, the Chumby keeps me posted on tech blogs, Twitter posts, and new email in my inbox.

For Librarians: Libraries could use a Chumby in a number of innovative ways. It could be a companion at the circulation desk to provide information in passing as patrons wait for service, or a media device to access streaming audio and video. With a bit of Flash development, a library could have catalog access through the Chumby's touch screen keyboard, or offer users a book-of-the-day widget that could be added to a channel. With such an open software and hardware platform, creativity is limited only by the length of the Chumby's power cord. For a soft Wi-Fi-enabled device that just begs to travel around, the lack of battery support is the one major problem I had with my Chumby. Otherwise, it is a delightful device for listening to podcasts or music, reading RSS feeds, and even taking quick game breaks. The Chumby is highly recommended for librarians with a good sense of play who want to add a whimsical element to their technology. A desire for software tinkering or hardware modifications—the Chumby is designed to be transplanted into even cuter and cuddlier cases—is a definite bonus.

$99.95 (from Apple Store)

With all the attention podcasting continues to get, it might just be time to consider graduating to professional-level audio equipment. Despite the compression that takes place during MP3 conversion and preparation for web streaming, there is an audible difference in quality between that cheap microphone you bought and the professional-grade Snowball microphone from Blue Microphones. In addition to being a gorgeous piece of technology that harkens back to microphones from the golden days of radio, the Snowball also manages to pack quite a lot of gadget into its white shell.

But the Snowball's real beauty is that it combines a high-quality condenser microphone with USB technology; the microphone handles all the conversion and outputs directly to 44.1 kHz/16-bit digital audio (CD quality) through a regular USB cable. (With all these electronics, however, the Snowball is not suited for travel. The one time I took it with me in my carry-on luggage, I had an interesting time trying to explain the device to the airport screeners.)

Being digital, the Snowball offers far more flexibility than traditional microphones. On the back is a three-position selector switch that changes the Snowball into a couple of very different tools. In the first position, the Snowball focuses on recording sounds coming from directly in front of the microphone and much less on signals coming from the sides or back. The second position is similar but optimized for recording loud sounds. In the third position, the Snowball turns into an omnidirectional microphone that records everything taking place around the device. Of course, the best part of this tool is that this description is much more complicated than actual usage. For the most part, the microphone is plug-and-play for both Windows and Mac, with the only adjustment being to select number 1 for in-front recording or number 3 for all-around recording. No drivers are needed, though it may be necessary to go into system preferences to make sure the Snowball is the active recording device.

For Librarians: For those just getting started with podcasting, the Blue Snowball is certainly not a must-have gadget. It is much better to get a program started with a $10 microphone to make sure everyone is onboard with podcasting. As audio recording needs mature, however, the Snowball is definitely something to add to a wish list. The sound truly is of a professional quality, or, as I like to explain, it gives everyone that rich radio voice you hear on NPR. My advice: provide a Snowball for sharing among colleagues, because once you get your hands on a Livescribe Pulse or a Chumby, letting them go will be much more difficult.

Blue Snowball bluemic.com

Chumby chumby.com

Livescribe Pulse livescribe.com