Logitech io2 Pen Gets Software Update

Most major feature of new io2 Pen software update, called ioTags, allows users the ability to define tasks such as email on paper with handwritten symbols.

Existing users of the Logitech io2 Digital Writing System will be interested to take note of the new software update the company announced today which allows basic handwritten symbols to be used in note taking for identification with specific tasks such as tasks, calendar entries and email through Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes.   Called ioTags, this new software feature allows users 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 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 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.   New ioTags can be created as well for other functions within the software. Other new features of the io2 software include providing users with the ability to search digital pen documents using Google Desktop Search, and the capability of importing handwritten text into Microsoft 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."