Hatrack River Forum: Has anyone used a FLY Fusion computer pen?

This is topic Has anyone used a FLY Fusion computer pen? in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :

I saw a commercial for one of these today and I thought "Well sure, but I've seen things like this before and they almost never work."

If you didn't click the link, it's a pen that has a little camera on it, and you use it on special paper so it records everything you do and digitizes it on a screen, then turns your writing into text if you want it to. My handwriting is rather messy, and I've yet to find something like this that can accurately turn my school notes into text with few enough errors to justify using it over just typing the notes myself, but for the love of all that is holy I would love to be able to get something that would, it'd save me a lot of time.

Has anyone here used it, and if so, what sort of experience have you had with it? It's marketed as a kid's toy and learning tool, as it does a lot of other stuff than just digitize your writing, but that's what I want it for, and is my chief interest.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

I own one. In fact, I got it as part of the BzzAgent campaign, thinking I'd give it to my kids. But it turns out that it doesn't really do much without a computer, and theirs is currently nonfunctional . . .

So mine is still in the box. [Wink]

Posted by JonHecht (Member # 9712) on :

I was thinking "I wish that did calculus for me"

Oh, have you checked out the wikipedia page? It is advertisement.

I've tried editing a few times, but it comes back.

Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :

I did check the Wikipedia page, but it wasn't very helpful. Amazon's customer reviews were somewhat mixed.

I write 10-15 or so pages, front and back, at every class, and if this thing actually works even near as much as it's hyped, it'd save me a lot of time from having to type out all those pages, I could spend that time just organizing the notes and still come out ahead.

riv -

I don't suppose if you get a chance in the next couple weeks you'd whip it out and write a paragraph with it? Consider it a really cheap <redacted> present to me!

[ November 25, 2007, 02:18 AM: Message edited by: Lyrhawn ]

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

*wince* Are you trying to encourage me to try it? Then try not using that word. [Razz]

First I have to remember where I put it . . . and I'm going to be out of town all week. Remind me next weekend, and I'll see what I can do.

Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :

I fixed it! And thanks.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Lyrhawn:
I fixed it!

Thank you. For future reference, I have no particular objection to the constituent words. (Although I don't celebrate one of them, obviously.) I very much object to the notion that they can or should be combined or conflated.

Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :

Sounds like the worst of all worlds. I hate writing by hand. I wouldn't write at all, probably, if I didn't have a computer to do it on.

Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :

I find it easier to take notes in class by hand, but when I organize them later I find it much easier to use a computer, because I can add in more information much more easily. Other than class, I don't like writing by hand, it's tedious and I don't like my handwriting.

riv -

Perfectly understandable, and I apologize retroactively. [Smile]

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Accepted. [Smile]

It sounds like you are the target market for the pen. Assuming it works well, and I'll do my best to test it next week.

Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :

I saw this at Price Club for about 60 or 70 dollars. Thus, I am also interested in how well this thing works [Smile]

I'm also a bit curious how well it interprets mathematical equations but I'm not sure if that is something you can easily test. Thanks

Posted by JonHecht (Member # 9712) on :

Just have her write down some derivatives.

Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :

Good point, I could just give some examples (Mucus, you are not awake enough)

Ok, maybe try:
* the general form of the recurrence relation here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recurrence_relations
* the derivation of Bayes' theorem here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayes_theorem here
* the equation for the average complexity of Quicksort http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quick_sort
And just post what the output looks like

To break it down, it would be cool to get some idea of what the thing does with basic stuff like math symbols (plus, minus, equals), fractions, super scripts, subscripts, and symbols such as sigma, omega, unions, givens.

Many thanks if possible

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Once upon a time, I knew what all that meant . . .