I know a lot of people who only use an electronic diary begrudgingly. They prefer the feel of pen and paper but the need to share diaries in the office or at home (my partner and I keep shared calendars for our social event and all the kids' activities) has forced them to an electronic solution. Moleskine, famous for their very expensive notebooks, teamed up earlier this year with Livescribe to deliver their Smart Writing Set, that combined a Livescribe Pen with a Paper Tablet and app. Later this month, they'll be adding a Smart Planner to the range.

Dear Lifehacker, Can you tell me what is the legal status for using a Livescribe smartpen in meetings, etc? The pen uses a specific note pad to take handwritten notes and it can also record what is said for later reference. I read somewhere that it's against the law to record conversations without permission. Should I be worried, and has anyone ever been charged for using one?

Livescribe's latest addition to its smart pen range, the Livescribe 3, ties in tightly to the iOS platform. Here's what we like and what we don't like about it.

Our competition to win a Livescribe Sky wifi pen closes tomorrow -- don't miss your chance to enter! Head to the original post for all the details.

The Livescribe digital pen has long been a Lifehacker favourite for its ability to record audio while linking it to the notes you write at the same time. The newly-released Livescribe Sky wifi adds Wi-Fi sync to the device, meaning your notes and audio are instantly uploaded to the cloud for easy access wherever you need them.

The Livescribe system is quite popular. Many or our journo mates use them and they're starting to pop up in schools and other places as well. Livescribe's Echo smartpen now sends your notes straight to Dropbox for sync and backup.

We're big fans of the Livescribe here at Lifehacker, so this deal is worth noting if you happen to fall into the "like Apple and need a good audio transcribing system" quadrant: David Jones is offering a 4GB Livescribe for $99 to anyone who purchases a Mac through their stores between now and May 1.

The Livescribe intelligent recording pen is already one of Road Worrier's essential technologies to take on the road. How does the new Echo design measure up against the original?