I’m part Techophile and part Luddite. On my desk I have a laptop computer and a dip pen and inkwell set. I’m addicted to email, but I have a nice collection of pens to select from when I write a handwritten letter.

Of late, when it comes to writing, I’ve been leaning toward the arcane. I’ve decided to set aside the computer in favor of the rollerball and spiral notebook—at least for rough drafts.

But now I’m eying a new toy that may help to synthesize my techie and Luddite natures.

For Christmas I got my better half a LiveScribe Pulse pen. It’s a digital pen that when used with special paper records whatever a user writes. It also used a microphone and built in MP3 recorder to record audio in sync with what is written. I got it to help her with school, which is really what the pen is designed for. When used to take notes for class, one only needs to touch a section of the text to hear what was said as the words were written.

The features that I’m most interested in are it’s ability to translate what is written into computerized text, or even to search through handwritten text for words or phrases.

I’m always wary of such devices, as early generations of these fusions of technologies often have all the grace of a hippo in a tutu. But the reviews of this pen have been largely positive, and my sweetie’s experience, so far, has fallen in line with expectations.