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Improv Electronics Boogie Board Sync hands-on (video)
Either Improv Electronics loves trees, or note taking. Perhaps both? What we do know for sure is that its latest offering to the list maker is here at CES, and we just got some hands (and pen) on time with it. The Sync is a 9.7-inch slate containing the company's own eWriting technology. More than that, it also has a microSD card slot, USB and Bluetooth. That last addition is where the money is with this particular model, allowing you to wirelessly... sync with other enabled devices (i.e. second screens, desktops and iOS / Android devices). This means you can scribble away on the Sync, and have your scrawls appear at presentations and beyond. Of course, any note taking device wouldn't be complete without some Evernote integration, and luckily enough, it's present here. So, once you're done transferring inspiration from brain to slate you can grab it as a an image, and store it in the cloud for later. The models themselves were still prototypes, but they looked and felt solid and comfortable to use. As with the other models in the line, there are little ergonomic touches that please the eye and hand alike. There's a mount on the side for the all important stylus, and the screen itself -- wile utilitarian in nature -- is easy to look at, and text, words and drawings appear clear. The SD card functionality means you can save your notes for later upload, and the mobile app functionality is also set to continually improve, with real-time second screen coming to mobile and tablets, as well as on desktop. The Sync will be up for grabs sometime around the holiday season this year. For now, sync with the gallery and video past the break. Steve Dent contributed to this report.
Improv Electronics still hates paper, announces two new Boogie Board LCD eWriters
Improv Electonics' Boogie Boards will continue to lay waste to old-fashioned notepads this year, with a couple of new models joining the company's catalogue. If their current eWriters are a little too big for your liking, you'll be pleased to hear about the Boogie Board Jot 4.5 (stage left), a smaller and lighter entry to the range for quick scribbles, with a couple of holes in the rim for pinning the slab to a corkboard (or something similar). The Boogie Board Sync 9.7 (stage right), however, is bigger and significantly more functional. It'll save any notes you wish to keep to its SD memory, and will also be able to send them to other devices via Bluetooth. Improv Electronics says it'll be compatible with Evernote, OCR and Adobe Illustrator, and some free software will allow it to function as a virtual whiteboard, among other things. Both new Boogie Boards will be bringing their reflex LCD screens to stores all the way off in Q4 2013, and currently, we don't have any info on how much paper you'll be trading in to bring one home.
Boogie Board Jot eWriting pad hands-on (video)
It's been quite some time since we've heard from Improv Electronics, maker of writing tablets such as the Boogie Board Rip. The company was on hand at CEA today to tease its latest device, the Boogie Board Jot, which like the Rip sports a reflex LCD display that doesn't require power to record your scribbles. In fact, the device only uses energy when you hit the eraser button, which means the battery should get you through some 50,000 erases. Unlike the Rip, this model has no on-board storage, which explains the cheaper $40 price. Another new feature is the redesigned stylus, which acts as a stand for the device when docked in the onboard slot. Improv Electronics will launch the Jot in September, but you can catch some of those back-to-school vibes in our hands-on video below the break. %Gallery-159190%
Boogie Board Rip goes on pre-order, no more tearing through notepads
The Boogie Board Rip is now available to pre-order for all your digital sketching needs. The latest stylus-friendly writing tablet from Improv Electronics adds the ability to save notes and sketches, then port them across to your computer as PDFs. Its reflex LCD only uses power when it's wiping the screen, meaning it should squeeze out a week of typical use between charges. You can reserve yours now from the maker in the US and Canada, but at $130, it's pricier than previous storage-free Boogie Boards. Europeans longing for a digital sketch pad can lay a claim to one next week, with the scribbling slate set to ship on November 1st.
Boogie Rip eWriting pad stylus-on (video)
Hey, remember that new product from Improv Electronics that we told you about yesterday? We managed to sneak in some time with the device today at IFA, and we have to say, we like what we see. The Rip (that's "Record. Image. Preserve.") is the latest addition to the Boogie eWriter line, devices that let you scribble notes and drawings and can be wiped away with the press of a button (think a more legible Etch A Sketch). The Rip ups the ante with the addition of a microUSB port, which lets you transfer notes as PDFs to your computer. Improv was careful to point out that the device is currently in prototype mode, so we won't hold too much against the company for the product's plasticy feel -- though, if its predecessor is any indication, the final version likely won't be too far from this one, and the company confirmed that the final version will have the same charcoal color. And while the product is indeed plasticy, it certainly feels sturdy. More after the break.%Gallery-132358%
Boogie Board Rip eWriting pad lets you jot down notes, save and export them too
It's been a few months since Improv Electronics updated its line of Boogie Board eWriters, and tomorrow at IFA the company's set to show off its latest variant, dubbed Rip ("Record. Image. Preserve."). The 9.5-inch pad is slightly improved from Improv's previous iterations, as it'll allow you to actually save any scribbles you've jotted down. Better yet, you'll be able to export your doodles to a computer via its onboard micro-USB port. On the device you'll find an erase lock to ensure your notes don't get deleted, along with a stylus holder in case you're prone to misplacing things. Similar to IE's other Boogies, the Rip's reflex LCD uses power only to erase what you've written, meaning you'll get about a week's worth of battery life per charge. There's no word on pricing yet, but we'd imagine it'll be a bit easier on the pockets than a Wacom Inkling -- we shall find out when it ships out on November 1st. Full PR past the break.
Improv Electronics updates Boogie Board writing pad lineup, gives notes more ways to get down
Love doodling but hate wasting paper? Improv Electronics' latest suite of optimized Boogie Boards may delight you -- just don't also try to go water skimming with one. To jog your memory, these dry-erase board killers let you scribble down your thoughts with a stylus or your fingers, by way of pressure-sensitive reflex LCDs. To start, there are two 8.5-inch flavors including a $45 binder-affixing slate for students, and a Brookstone exclusive fitted with an acrylic case available in black or red hues for $40. Next up, the $60, 10.5-incher has about fifty percent more surface area -- for doodles of epic proportion, and "charm loops" to step up the note-jotting style game. Lastly for owners of the original Boogie, there's a $20 cork board-sporting Message Center dock that's great for wall-mounting (and making your whiteboard feel inadequate). To sweeten the deal, each item comes with a stylus. If your writing bug is finding itself piqued, you'll find all the pre-order info in the PR after the break.
Improv Electronics shows off color-changing iPod touch cases, details upcoming Boogie Board 'Recorder'
We haven't heard much from Improv Electronics since it first introduced its reflective LCD-equipped Boogie Board "writing tablet" last January, but the company's now back at CES with some new products and some new promises. The first of those is a new iPod touch case based on the same reflective (or "Reflex") display technology, which allows the case to change colors without the need for any power -- the company says it'll last "several years" before it finally dies out. Look for those to launch around the middle of the year for under $50, with iPhone cases expected to follow. The company's other upcoming product is a "Recorder" version of the existing Boogie Board, which we managed to check out in a very early prototype form but weren't able to photograph (though it admittedly wasn't much to look at). It will apparently be much like the current Boogie Board, but pack two buttons up top -- one to erase and one to save what you've written or drawn, which you'll then be able to transfer to your computer via USB. Look for it to launch in the third quarter of the year for "under $100." Update: Video after the break! %Gallery-113158%
