Urban legend: The billion dollar pen

There is a joke that keeps on making the rounds, about how NASA discovered that normal pen does not work in space, and then spent a huge amount of money in research and developing a pen that works in space; and what did the Russians do ? Well, they did not waste money like this, and instead used a normal pencil.
Well, as the linked article (link) shows, this is an urban legend with no basis in truth. Read the complete article to find out:

The story goes like this: in the 1960s, NASA astronauts discovered that their pens did not work in zero gravity. So like good engineers, they went to work and designed a wonder pen. It worked upside down. It worked in vacuum. It worked in zero gravity. It even worked underwater! And it only cost a million dollars! The crafty Russians used a pencil.
This story, like most modern urban legends, has proliferated on the Internet, but it has also been passed by word of mouth. I’ve even heard a well-known space historian tell the story while talking about his new book, getting the expected laugh from his audience when he held up a Number 2 pencil for the punchline. And, of course, the story has also been embellished, with the cost of the writing device getting ever higher, from a million dollars to a hundred million dollars to a billion dollars in some variations. Undoubtedly at some point the cost will equal the mythical trillion-dollar price of a mission to Mars.

Wacom Cintiq 12WX 12-Inch Pen Display

All over the world, creative professionals use sketchbooks to express their first ideas. This is why the Cintiq 12WX was developed as if it was a sketchbook: With a smooth, flat surface. And with a light weight that enables you to use it on your knees and to show it around to others. As you would do with paper ? digital paper.No matter whether the Cintiq 12WX is on your desk or in your lap ? just plug in and visualize your thoughts immediately with Wacom's patented pen technology on a high-resolution LCD monitor. Which can be part of a multi-monitor environment, too.Tap the full potential of your creativity: slim, light and durable, the Cintiq 12WX enables you to work wherever you feel inspired. It fits into everyday laptop bags.

Technical Details :
* Box Contents - Cintiq 12WX Pen Display, Video Control Unit, Grip Pen, Pen Stand, Five replacement Nibs.
* 12.1 diagonal WXGA (1280 x 800) wide screen display.
* 1,024,000 pixels.
* 16.7 million colors.
* 0.204mm x 0.204mm Pixel pitch.



FEATURES :
- Using the pen directly on screen takes advantage of natural hand-eye coordination and provides the feel of natural media, but with all the benefits of a completely digital workflow.
- With "pen-point" accuracy, fast cursor control, and 1,024 levels of pressure-sensitivity on the pen tip and eraser, Wacom pen technology gives you superior control over your workflow.
- The Display Toggle offers increased flexibility in multiple-monitor environments allowing you to easily switch between screens or maximize pen control on different displays.
- Ten programmable Express Keys provide quick access to modifier keys, keyboard shortcuts, and pop-up menus.
- Two finger-sensitive Touch Strips serve as natural ways to zoom, scroll, or change brush size.
- The Grip Pen has a contoured, cushioned barrel to reduce grip effort by 40 percent.
- A smooth, flat surface allows your hand to glide easily over the display while a sloped bezel on the front and sides provides a comfortable rest for your palm.
- Thin, light, and durable, the Cintiq 12WX offers a pen-on-screen experience that rivals a pen-on-paper experience.

Livescribe 2GB Pulse Smartpen (APA-00002)

The Pulse smartpen records audio and links it what you write. Missed something? Tap on your notes or drawings with the tip of your Pulse smartpen to hear what was said while you were writing. The Pulse smartpen automatically captures everything as you write and draw. Transfer your notes to your computer, organize them, and even search for words within your notes. Find what you want in seconds.

What You Get:
The Pulse smartpen (1.3 ounces, anodized aluminum housing)
2 GB of memory (actual user available memory will be less)
Livescribe Desktop software (download)
3-D Recording Headset
100 sheet dot paper college-ruled notebook
USB mobile charging cradle
Smartpen case
3 black fine point ink cartridges + 1 stylus cartridge
Demo card and interactive stickers
Interactive Getting Started Guide



Customer feedback;

1. Okay so what do I use it for? I take it to hearings and depositions (I am a lawyer, remember?). These are public events under Florida law and there is no reasonable expectation of privacy.This is important since the pen doesn't just record the strokes of the pen, it records everything being said. And it records it very well. Here is the cool part, touch a word in your notes and you will hear whatever was happening at that time. My favorite demonstration to date is to touch a word from a contested trial where I got to ask a witness if he had ever told people that he spoke to the dead and that they spoke back to him. The guy nearly came across the table at me, a point also recorded. Now an aside to lawyers, law students and pro se litigants-do not ever ask someone this question unless you have an email from the witness attesting to his ability to commune with the formerly alive.
The recording capacity of this pen is astonishing. The manufacturer suggests that the 2GB pen will hold 200 hours of audio. I have no reason to doubt it, since constant use has barely tapped its capacity.
There are lots of other features in the pen. It is possible to draw a keyboard and play notes (musical notes) on it. My daughter, a music ed major, particularly enjoys this. There is even a cute animation demo built in whose 3-D sound as heard through the earbuds is astonishing and mildly amusing. So who could use this pen other than trial lawyers? Students seem to be a logical group. Perhaps physicians and nurses could use it. Did the patient really say he had a condition or did he say something else? Livescribe needs to produce industry specific paper for just such uses, or to allow outside vendors to create it.

2. I use it for work meetings constantly and it works great. Here are some pros and cons:
- Works well in meeting rooms and offices, even when a speakerphone is being used. Records all the discussion in the room. Includes an external speaker - microphone that plugs in for better audio quality.
- Can upload the pages directly to your PC and then word search the written text. It even prints as pdf file...
- Pen has a nice build and not too heavy but the pen cartridge moves and rattles a bit.
- Ink cartridges run out quickly although they provided replacements, including different colors.
- Read the manual, there are some quirks on the way it knows and handles the notebooks.
- I haven't tried it yet but you can print your own dot paper on a compatible printer.
- You can sometimes hear the pen noise while writing (using the installed microphone) but again you can plug in the external speaker/microphone supplied to avoid the noise.
- Got it as a gift from Costco and comes with 4 college ruled generously supplied dot paper notebooks.
- Had to update the software from the internet but couldn't do it from work since it was blocked by company network. Tried to get this corrected using Internet Explorer options but worked find from home Cable Network.
- Doesn't come with OCR software but Vision Objects sells myScribe it separately on the web for 29.00 and integrates directly with the Livescribe software...you would think they would bundle this since it works so well. The OCR software dumps directly to MS Word.
- Livescribe pen software works OK but is a little limited. For example, you have to delete one session at a time from the pen. The interface is not intuitive so did I mention...read the manual.
- The pen is little buggy...lost its brain on date and time...had to reset a few times. Can update the firmware right from Livescribe so thats a nice feature.
- I really like the product and will be looking for the new and improved model once they work out a few bugs.