Moleskine's digital notebook keeps handwriting relevant

Long gone are the days that I'd practice my cursive for hours on end. Now, as my fingers canter clumsily across the keyboard, I regularly wonder whether bothering to develop this skill in the first place wasn't just a complete and utter waste of time.

Fortunately for people like me who love to narcissistically watch an inky blue trail spreading over paper in their own scrawl,

Moleskine -- the maker of fancy folios for hipsters -- has created a Livescribe-compatible version of its notebook. Using a Livescribe smartpen and the Livecribe+ app, one can now jot down missives, snatches of song lyrics or hand-drawn maps on the page and have them reappear identically on one's smartphone or tablet.

Each page of the Moleskine notebook features a dot pattern that is sensed by the pen as it moves across them allowing the pen to transmit your writing directly to your device with speed and accuracy. Livescribe smartpens also allow you to record audio, meaning that this can be stored next to your written ideas for later. In the age of cut and paste, you'll be glad to know that you can convert your handwriting into editable text, so that your words can be pasted, tweeted or texted elsewhere.

I personally suspect that this mixture of the analogue and the digital will increasingly appeal to people -- allowing them to retain the tactile experiences they enjoy so much in life, while simultaneously taking advantage of the efficiency of technology.

It's a fine balance to strike, but despite having at least two digital devices that could be used for taking notes with me at all times, I have been reluctant to give up my Moleskine with its elegant ivory pages and soft-touch cover even now. I know I am not the first or only to feel this way, and I won't be the last either.

The Livescribe Moleskine notebooks are currently on pre-order from the company's US website for $30 (£18) and are due to ship at the beginning of November.

This article was originally published by WIRED UK