Logitech's io2 Digital Writing System

Logitech announced that it's easier and more efficient than ever to turn handwritten notes into action. The company unveiled the new Logitech ioTags feature, part of a software update to the Logitech io2 Digital Writing System, which allows people to use basic handwritten symbols to identify tasks, calendar entries and e-mail as they take notes with digital pen and paper during a meeting. When they return to their desk and dock the pen, the marked portions of the notes are automatically converted to text and imported into Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes.

Other enhancements to the Logitech io2 software include providing users the ability to search digital pen documents using Google Desktop Search, and the capability of editing and searching io2 Digital Pen notes imported into Microsoft Office OneNote 2003.

"We all sit in meetings, often taking several pages worth of notes, and writing down action items that may get lost in the daily shuffle -- or, at the very least, need to be typed into a computer," said Chris Bull, general manager for the digital writing group at Logitech. "With ioTags, people can very simply identify different portions of notes to be put into their to-do list, calendar, or even an e-mail. When they get back to the PC, it all just happens automatically -- their handwritten meeting notes are instantly synchronized with their productivity applications."

The Logitech ioTags feature gives io2 Digital Pen users the freedom to define where different portions of their notes will be sent when the pen is docked. To designate an ioTag action while taking notes, a person simply draws the symbol for the type of note to be created; the symbol is always a predefined uppercase letter within a circle. For example, the letter T with a circle around it denotes a new task. Next to the symbol, the person writes out header information for that task, such as a title and completion date. The lines following the header appear in the body of the task. By simply drawing a vertical line from the symbol down to the end the section, the user can indicate the length of the notes to be included with the task. When the pen is docked, a new task window opens in Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes and automatically becomes populated with the converted text. The user then edits the task or saves and closes it. The ioTags software works with current versions of Microsoft Outlook including versions 2000, 2002 and 2003. It also works with Lotus Notes beginning with version 5.0.

Within the Logitech io2 software settings, users can create new ioTags for a wide variety of functions within the Logitech io2 software. One could, for example, set up an ioTag to indicate that a block of text should be sent directly into Microsoft(R) Word(R) software, or a drawing should be automatically converted into a jpeg file. While ioTags automatically converts handwriting to text, the entire content of the original handwritten notes will be uploaded and stored as a digital pen file.

The Logitech io2 plug-in for Google Desktop Search allows Logitech digital pen files to be indexed and searchable using Google Desktop Search. This provides digital pen users the ability to quickly retrieve information from their handwritten notes. By typing a searchable word into the Google Desktop Search engine, people can now retrieve any file containing that word, including a handwritten note from the Logitech io2 Digital Pen.

Microsoft OneNote 2003 software customers can more effectively search, retrieve, and edit their handwritten notes with the new Logitech io2 software. When digital pen users export a handwritten note into OneNote, it is automatically translated into text while the handwritten image of the file is preserved. Previously, only an image of the handwritten note was exported. Because recognized text is stored within the file, OneNote customers can search and edit any notes taken with the Logitech io2 Digital Pen.

The updated Logitech io2 software is now available for new and existing Logitech io2 Digital Writing System customers at www.logitechio.com. The updated software will be included in the retail version of the Logitech io2 Digital Writing System beginning in late October in the U.S. and Europe. The suggested retail price for the Logitech io2 Digital Writing System is $199.95 in the U.S.