Livescribe Smartpens for taking notes

When it comes to taking notes during an interview, journalists are more likely to use a pen and a steno notebook over a smartphone, tablet or laptop. It’s faster. But trying to write down everything word-for-word is extremely difficult. That’s why Frank Bond, an on-air journalist and producer at the Newseum in Washington, DC, has invested in a Livescribe Smartpen. (He’ll share his thoughts on the device, below as part of the ‘In The Field’ section).

The pen can record what’s being said and keep track of the notes. For example, if you’re trying to write a quote and only get the first few words, no worries. You can take the pen, tap it on the sentence, and the audio from that part of the interview will be played back. Not to mention the pen comes with it’s own apps, so you can even have it email your notes to your computer (because it records your pen strokes).