Lamy wants to compete against Livescribe and Rowrite with a new product that has been on the market for about six months. It is called the Lamy X NeoLab Smartpen and Digital Paper combo. The new LAMY Safari all black ncode bridges the gap between the analogue notebook and the unlimited world of digital writing. In cooperation with Lamy, Korean tech company NeoLAB Convergence launches an optoelectronic writing system.
LAMY Safari meets 21st century technology: The LAMY safari all black ncode is based on the successful design classic LAMY Safari all black rollerball with its proven ergonomic grip for fatigue-free writing and the distinctive, robust clip for keeping the writing instrument safe. It can be fitted with LAMY M 21 ballpoint refills in blue or black.
The writing instrument is equipped with the ncode technology developed by NeoLAB. In online mode, the writing instrument is connected via Bluetooth to the Neo Studio App on a device. Everything written down is transmitted in real time and is visible on that device. In offline mode, the writing instrument is not connected. However, every word, sketch or drawing is stored in the pen itself, there is a digital copy of all your notes and ideas. The camera has an optimal camera, that is positioned to where you are writing. It recognizes handwriting and pages. The NeoLAB ncode sensor reads the codes from the blank surface – the processor (CPU) contained in the smart pen performs the complex mathematical calculation to locate the pen position on the page. The pen can be used for 11 hours, before it has to be charged with a Micro USB cable.
Sure, the pen sounds really great, and it actually is, but you really need the digital paper notebook to get the most value. The LAMY digital paper comes with NeoLAB’s proprietary ncode technology. Every stroke made on the page is saved – creating a complete digital copy of the notebook with all the options you could need for working on that text in future. Each page contains a tiny pattern – barely visible to the naked eye. These codes hold information unique to each page, including pen position. The dimensions on each piece of paper is 145 x 210 mm, 192 pages of 80-gram.
This device is only available in South Korea, but Good e-Reader has distribution rights to sell it internationally. You can buy it from our online store for $219.99 USD.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
