I’ve long been a fan of the Livescribe Pulse Smartpen, but some of the winners of the recent developer competition for the gadget have taken the device to the next level. The winning app, Audible Healthcare, allows doctors and nurses to communicate with patients who don’t speak different languages.
I have to confess – I was one of the judges for the developer competition, so I’m not really surprised that Charles Caraher’s app was voted the winner overall. By using the pen on a pre-printed list of health phrases, he has essentially made the smartpen a must-have gadget for medical practitioners.
The full list of winners is in the press release below. I’m just glad I can now play Sudoku when I’m supposed to be taking notes…
Livescribe Announces ‘Application Challenge’ Winners
Winners Take Home Over USD$10,000 in Cash Prizes for Innovative
Education, Productivity and Entertainment Applications
OAKLAND, Calif. – April 28, 2010 – Livescribe Inc. (www.livescribe.com) today announced the winners of the first Livescribe Application Challenge, a global developer competition launched in December 2009 to support the creation of original applications for the Livescribe Pulse smartpen. Livescribe received more than 45 education, productivity and entertainment application submissions from developers around the globe. A panel of expert judges selected one of two Grand Prize winners and more than 50,000 votes were cast by the Livescribe community to determine the People’s Choice winners.
The six Application Challenge winners, also featured in this pencast, are:
Expert Panel Grand Prize Winner (USD$5,000):
Audible Healthcare by developer Charles Caraher
Audible Healthcare for the Pulse smartpen allows doctors and other healthcare professionals to communicate with patients that speak different languages. The user taps their Pulse smartpen on a pre-printed list of health-related phrases for the patient to hear in their native language, making communication simple.People’s Choice Grand Prize Winner (USD$5,000):
nodewave MasterMind by developer Michel Bagnol
Nodewave MasterMind brings the award-winning, brain-crushing game that has challenged players to break the code since 1971 to the Livescribe Pulse smartpen. Play with up to 8 of your friends at once using the multi-player mode. Challenge yourself by increasing the level of difficulty and put your skills to the test.People’s Choice Category Winners (USD$500 each):
Education Category– We had a tie in our education category and will honor two winners
o iDK Words/Thesaurus by developer Phil TrevinoiDK Words is a thesaurus for the Livescribe Pulse smartpen. When prompted to “Print a word,” users will need to write a word in their Livescribe notebook. The smartpen will display a list of synonyms for that word.
o SpellingMe by developer Brad Rippe
The SpellingMe app for the Livescribe Pulse smartpen tests students on vocabulary words for grades 1-5. Each test consists of 16 grade-specific words. Users are prompted to spell a word and the smartpen will provide feedback on whether they succeeded in spelling each word correctly. When a test is complete, the application displays the number of correct and incorrect words. As users master each level, they can move up to the next grade level test.
Entertainment Category
Sudoku by developer Chris RogersClassic Sudoku logic puzzles are now available for the Pulse smartpen. This apps’ developer combined the instant feedback of electronic Sudoku games with the notation freedom of the Pulse smartpen.
Productivity Category
SwissKnife All-in-One by developer Michel BagnolTurn your Pulse smartpen into the ultimate productivity tool. The SwissKnife All-in-One application includes a stopwatch, ruler, counter and metronome in one easy-to-use application.
“Thanks to the efforts and innovation of our Developer Community, we’ll be adding a host of new clever and innovative applications that tap the power of our smartpen platform over the next several months,” said Byron Connell, chief marketing officer, Livescribe Inc.
Connell continued, “Through the Application Developer Challenge we’ll more than double the applications available in our Beta Application store. I’m especially impressed by the winning applications that turn Pulse into a language translation device to help doctors communicate with patients in their native language, a robust thesaurus, a spelling coach and a multi-tasking stopwatch, measurement tool and metronome. When you need a break, the classic games to test your wit are also great fun.”
The winning applications, as well as several other apps entered as part of the Application Challenge, are now available for purchase in the Livescribe Beta Application Store. With over 60 paid and free applications now available, the App Store extends the functionality of the Pulse smartpen beyond its core Paper Reply feature (recording and linking audio to handwriting). Applications range from productivity and reference tools to games, travel aids and more. Other applications from the challenge will be added in the coming weeks.
Livescribe Application Developer Challenge
Developers competed to win several cash prizes totaling over USD$10,000. One Grand Prize winner was selected to receive USD$5,000 cash by a panel of celebrity judges made up of technology media from around the world: Nick Broughall, editor of Gizmodo Australia; David Hollingworth, editor of Atomic Magazine, Australia; Harry McCracken, founder and editor of Technologizer, U.S.; and Shane Richmond, and technology editor of The Daily Telegraph, U.K. An additional USD$5,000 Grand Prize winner and three USD$500 category winners were selected by Livescribe fans.Availability
Applications are available for purchase from the online store in the U.S., Canada, Australia and the U.K.