New Product from Leapfrog

LeapFrog announced a new product Demo 2008 called Tag which is a touch reading system that takes advantage of Anoto Functionality; the same technology used in the FlyPentop Fusion. Using Anoto Functionlity, LeapFrog can print their books with very small microdots on the page that give the paper interactivity. LeapFrog will be shipping this product in June 2008 and can open doors to reading by creating a very engaging and interactive environment. To see the live demonstration from Demo 2008 click here.

Fly Fusion Pentop

I have been a big fan of Anoto functionality and its implementation in the Fly Fusion Pentop Computer which was recently released by LeapFrog. One of the features which I was most interested in looking at was the ability to transfer your handwritten notes and transfer them into Microsoft Word as a text file. Unfortunately, the Fly Fusion Pentop only works with the Windows operating system. Once you install the Fly Fusion Pentop computer software you are ready to give it a try. Simply click on the Fly Notes icon and open your Fly Notebook and begin writing. I have tried the Fly Fusion Pentop with both print and cursive and it worked quite well. It is important to note that you must use the Fly Fusion Notebook when using the pen. Once you have written your notes you simply plug your pen into the computer with the supplied USB cable and your notes are downloaded to the Fly Fusion Pentop application. Once downloaded you can transfer them to Microsoft Word with a click of the mouse. The handwriting recognition worked exceptionally well. This is certainly a viable alternative for note taking and a way for students to catalog and store their notes digitally. One of the advantages of this system is the ability to search your notes on the computer and to be able to convert them to text for further editing. Give it a try and let me know what you think. At $79 dollars this is a very worthwhile tool and one that has lots of application in the classroom.