We’ve received some exciting news from Livescribe regarding the planned upgrades to the Livescribe Desktop application. Version 1.4 will be released on November 24 in the US, so Australian customers will be able to download this from Tuesday the 25th.
Firstly, a Beta version of the Macintosh version of the Desktop will be available. This is good news as we’ve had a lot of enquiries from Mac users and we have a number of customers waiting for this release. If you’re a Mac user, Gizmodo has already had a look at the Mac version and seem pretty happy.
The really exciting news is that version 1.4 (due this month) will provide OCR capabilities via a new release from MyScript (a Vision Objects product). The features of MyScript include:
- Send your handwritten notes directly from Livescribe Desktop to MyScript for Livescribe for conversion to text.
- Use your personal dictionary to add names, terms and abbreviations for even more accurate conversion.
- Convert handwriting, shapes, drawings and tables into print.
- Edit the resulting digital text directly in My Script for Livescribe application.
- Edited results can be sent to Microsoft Word or another word processor, to a text file, to your default email application or saved as a picture file.
We’re currently talking to Vision Objects about adding this application to our portfolio. Hopefully we’ll have some news on that shortly.
We installed the trial application earlier today and it doesn’t let you test any of your own content. So we’re installing the paid version and we’ll run some tests on the technology and let everyone know the results.
Finally, Livescribe are giving people the option of printing their own dot pattern paper with this release. I’m sitting on the fence on this one for a couple of reasons – the main one being the type of printer required to print the paper. I’ll also create a post on this on the 25th once we have the new verison.
I’ve read your blog post of the Pulse smartpen and wanted to share some new commercial and demo videos that we just uploaded to the Livescribe YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/nevermissaword
Enjoy the videos!
Comment by Ryan — November 18, 2008 @ 11:07 pm |
Hi – I also uploaded the trial version and of course found that it doesn’t let you convert your own handwriting. To me this seems pretty pointless as a trial given that it’s your handwriting that you want to check for compatibility (one wonders what the use of a 30 day trial is if you can’t access your own material)? Anyway I am very interested in your update on the paid version as I feel that this software will enhance this otherwise remarkable pen even more – BUT I am not prepared to buy it from the Vision Objects suppliers until I get a chance to trial it properly OR I get an honest assessment from a trusted third party such as yourselves.
Comment by Steve — November 25, 2008 @ 10:16 pm |
We’re testing this today and will create a specific blog post once we’re finished. You will get an honest appraisal as it’s taken us a good part of the morning to understand how the two products work together.
Comment by smartsellingblog — November 26, 2008 @ 12:43 am |
If you encounter any issue with MyScript for Livescribe, feel free to contact our support email myscriptforlivescribe.support@visionobjects.com or visit the Livescribe support forum http://www.livescribe.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=49
Comment by Laurent — November 26, 2008 @ 8:26 am |
Hello Laurent – I appreciate your suggestion to contact VisionObjects regarding MyScript. I have actually some days ago written to your support email address as posted within your software package, but to date I have not received any response or acknowledgment of my email. That said, this software looks like it has heaps of potential but it is difficult to trial in the current trial version you offer because of the inability to trial our own handwriting. If I could be so bold as to suggest that you adjust the trial to allow users say 5 – 10 pages of their own handwriting to trial that would assist greatly because at this time you are asking us to make a decision on the product only on a script that your own marketers have written.
Comment by Steve — November 26, 2008 @ 10:55 pm |
Oh dear, I hope that users do not get the wrong idea! The trial version of MyScript for Livescribe is FULLY FUNCTIONAL, but you must send your notes for the LDesktop and not try and open notes from MyScript. This is a one-way process only. Open your notes in Livescribe then click the Convert to Text button to send them to MyScript. This system exists so that the application can work smoothly with the Livescribe base.
This process is described on the download page: http://www.visionobjects.com/handwriting_recognition/pulse/pulse.htm
Adrienne – MyScript Application Support
Comment by Adrienne — November 27, 2008 @ 11:31 am |
Thanks Adrienne for this information. As I’ve indicated in my email to you. I’m holding off any further comments until you provide clarification on a number of points.
Once I have this information, I’ll update everyone via a new post
Comment by smartsellingblog — November 27, 2008 @ 12:27 pm |
Hello Adrienne, Thank you also for the two separate private emails with further questions. I have responded to those. Further to your comment above I concur with the administrator of this blog that I certainly cannot send my notes from Livescribe to MyScript when I click the Convert to Test button. The button seems to activate by changing its color and tone for a split second but nothing else happens, that is my handwritten notes do not transfer to MyScript for conversion. I have also checked to see if the notes appear in the designated Documents folder as .notes and they do not. However I understand that your technicians are working on this problem and I look forward to further clarification. I will also return here to let readers know as soon as I can get the program to work.
Comment by Steve — November 27, 2008 @ 9:15 pm |
As promised I am able to come back now and let you know that the trial program is now fully functional at my end. It appears that the problem is related to how a journal or notebook is named. If the name includes unsupported characters such as ” | : * ? \ / then the package produces a silent application fail, and the files cannot be exported to MyScript application. In my case I had named my notebook and journal in the following format: Notebook commenced 11/11/08 – I have now changed the name to remove the / symbols and the program immediately works as a fully functional trial.
Comment by Steve — November 29, 2008 @ 7:15 am |
I just downloaded the trial version and have found that it could be a really good way of writing absurdist poetry – with a touch of Gaelic.
e.g. My notes:
Thesis discussion
Focus on arts
Small business
Social sci course
school alignment
case studies
audience
(looks like rubbish but it’s all meaningful to me in the context of the audio)
is turned by MyScript into:
‘Theirs diowm
e-
Frowns a Moth.
smith burns
social in wave
school utvgumt
case That’s
andreia
Much more poetic but somewhat off topic.
Now my handwriting is pretty atrocious but the strange and marvellous thing is that Livescribe itself recognises most of my original words when I search for them.
Why can’t MyScript do the same thing?
Comment by John — December 4, 2008 @ 6:43 am |