That
pen you carry around in your pocket can be really useful, if you have a piece
of paper handy or like scratching out notes on your hand. It’s about to get a
whole lot more useful with the introduction of Phree, a smart mobile input pen
that allows you to dial and answer calls, send text messages and doodle on any
virtual surface.
By Maya Yarowsky, NoCamels
Engineered and designed by the Israeli team at OTM
Technologies, Phree has surpassed its $100,000 Kickstarter funding goal with 39
days still to go. Currently, the smart pen has already raised a
cool $295,085 from over 100,000 backers.
The Phree virtual input device allows you to write on any
surface, automatically communicating the text and/or numbers into your
smartphone, computer, smartwatch or television. Write on a tabletop, notepad,
chair arm or the back of your hand (without feeling a tinge of guilt about ink
poisoning) and watch it instantly appear on a screen connected via Bluetooth.
Not only does the Phree pen allow you to write out numbers and letters, it can
identify handwriting patterns, recognize emojis, notice a number of different
languages and it works as a Bluetooth headset for when your hand gets tired and
you’re ready to do some talking. Furthermore, Phree is compatible with all of
the major productivity apps like Office, OneNote, EverNote, Acrobat, Google
Handwriting Keyboard, and Viber.
The
technology behind Phree is just as impressive as its abilities, and its slick
design. The Israeli engineers behind OTM Technologies developed a patented tool called
Optical Translation Measurement (OTM) that is able to precisely track hand
movements using a 3D laser interferometer sensor that translates motion into
figures relative to any physical surface. There is a delicate sensor at the tip
of the pen that not only detects what you are writing no matter the surface –
it is sensitive enough to determine your handwriting patterns and even has the
potential to be used as a biometric identification tool!
Phree was
designed by OTM’s Chief Designer Elisha Tal to be a user-friendly addition to
the run of the mill stylus. The pen has a small screen that allows users to
receive calls and even read texts, which they can then respond to immediately
using the pen. In addition, they can select which application they want to
input and even tell the time. The screen on the body of the pen is what really
makes it stand out against other smart pen competitors like the Livescribe
series, but it may also be the clunckiest and least attractive part of the pen.
Having
already raised its $100,000 funding goal, Phree is no longer available for
pre-sale and is currently sold for $189, including a case, in an Early Bird
deal. The pens come in four colors: black, graphite, silver and gold, each with
the same OLED touch display.
The Phree
pen may indeed be a “freeing” tool for those who are just too lazy to get their
phone out to answer a text, but we have to admit that seeing someone blindly
write on a surface without a clue as to what they are writing seems like a
recipe for an awkward encounter.