EPOS Reintroduces Digital Pen Technology
By Doug Olenick -- TWICE, 12/4/2006
New York — After an additional year of tinkering, EPOS has rescheduled the availability to OEMs of its ink-pen-based computer input device to early 2007.
The technology, called the Digital Pen, was developed by the Israeli-based EPOS and shown at the 2006 International CES with the intention shipping it by mid 2006. However, CEO Oded Turbahn said while that announcement was premature the company is now set to launch two versions of the pen during the first quarter of 2007.
The first product expected to be made available features a pen with integrated digital acoustic and infrared transmitters and a receiver that clips onto the side or top of a standard letter size piece of paper and is connected to a PC or notebook via a USB cable. The pen's position is continuously transmitted and relayed to the computer where the writing is displayed using an EPOS created software application called Pen and Ink. The document can then be saved in a Pen and Ink document format, which is transferable to Microsoft Word and other familiar formats.
Turbahn said the OEMs can work out deals with third party writing recognition software makers so the handwritten notes can be translated into text.
The pen uses standard ink replacements and the battery is good for 200 hours of use. It is expected to carry a sub-$50 price point.
The next iteration will not require attachment to a computer, but will instead store the handwriting data onto a USB flash memory drive that is integrated with the receiver portion of the kit. The flash drive/receiver is then connected to a computer and the data downloaded.
Turbahn would expect it to sell for under $80.
EPOS intends to let the OEMs handle all marketing and distribution issues citing the fact that EPOS is too small to take on such tasks, plus those areas are outside its area of expertise which is positioning technology.
EPOS is now working to bring its positional technology to other product category, including computer touchscreens and an interactive whiteboard for presentation purposes. The acoustic positional technology could be placed on the perimeter of a display to track the stylus as it crosses the screen. Turbahn said this could greatly reduce the cost of touch screen manufacturing.
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For students and teachers who want to create mathcasts (screencasts with writing and voice solutions to math problems) this device should be fantastic.
And if the 2nd generation EPOS device enables people to capture writing electronically without a PC and then upload the writing to a PC where it could be replayed in real time this would speed mathcast creation and enable people to share notes with others in a replayable format.
See math247.jot.com/WikiHome/Library/Mathcasts%20By%20Students to see mathcasts by students.
Tim Fahlberg - 2007-21-2 18:05:00 EST -
When Logitech had a similar product, the only drawback was that the handwritten text was saved as one block of text which was not able to be manipulated, thus it saved for reference but still needed to be re-keyboarded. Does anyone know if this Epos product will allow the user to manipulate the text once it has been transferred to the PC? Thanks!
Barbara Wright - 2007-8-1 11:12:00 EST -
I think the idea of this is fantastic. The other brands that are out there for this type of use are expensive and unconventional. I cannot wait for it to come out. I like the idea that you can use it without "special paper" like the others too.
Tom - 2006-28-12 12:25:00 EST
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