#notebook — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #notebook, aggregated by home.social.
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Going back to more analogue techniques and interested in those that use paper notebooks 📓 📒 (note taking):
- What are your favorite notebooks?
- What size are you using? (I am looking at A5 currently)
- Are you using a mechanical pencil? -
Going back to more analogue techniques and interested in those that use paper notebooks 📓 📒 (note taking):
- What are your favorite notebooks?
- What size are you using? (I am looking at A5 currently)
- Are you using a mechanical pencil? -
@ComputerBase startet seine ausführliche Berichterstattung zu dem TUXEDO InfinityBook Max 15 Gerät & testet das Notebook hinsichtlich seiner Verarbeitung, Ausstattung sowie auf Games & Anwendungen:
https://www.computerbase.de/artikel/notebooks/tuxedo-infinitybook-max-15-gen10-linux-test.97114/
Vielen Dank hierfür!
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Roadtrip Ontario to Sasketchwan 2
here my latest journaling hopefully you enjoy reading it:) If you feel for getting in touch do not be shy and just reach outhttps://langnertimon-dqync.wordpress.com/2026/08/12/roadtrip-ontario-to-sasketchwan-2/
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The Moleskine Smart Writing Set Still Works in 2026. Here’s What Changed My Mind.
I’ve tried a handful of smart notebooks over the years, and most of them ended up in a drawer within a month. So when I picked up the Moleskine Smart Writing Set, I wasn’t sold yet. I wanted to know if this one would actually stick or just be another gadget that promises to fix your note-taking and quietly fails to. Six months later, it’s still the notebook I reach for first, more often than my laptop.
This review comes from actual daily use, not a spec sheet skim. I tested the Pen+ Ellipse across meetings, sketch sessions, grocery lists, and one very long train ride through the Czech countryside. What follows is what I found, including where the system genuinely earns its price tag and where it quietly disappoints you.
What Is the Moleskine Smart Writing Set, Exactly?
The Moleskine Smart Writing Set pairs a Bluetooth pen, called the Pen+ Ellipse, with a Paper Tablet notebook printed with an invisible dot grid. The pen contains a tiny infrared camera near its tip. As you write, that camera reads the dot pattern beneath your ink and reconstructs every stroke on your phone through the Moleskine Notes app.
Nothing about the writing experience changes on the surface. You’re using real ink on real paper, with the same tactile drag most fountain pen fans obsess over. The digitization happens quietly in the background, so the notebook still feels like a notebook first and a gadget second.
That distinction matters more than Moleskine’s marketing usually admits. Most smart notebooks I’ve tried, including the erasable, wipe-clean kind, feel like a compromise. This one doesn’t. You get a permanent paper archive and a searchable digital copy, generated from the same physical act of writing.
Out of the Box, and Onto the Page
The set arrives in a slim box: the Pen+ Ellipse, a Large Ruled Paper Tablet, a USB charging cable, one spare ink cartridge, and a quick-start card. There’s no elaborate packaging theater here, which I appreciated. Moleskine clearly wants you writing within ten minutes, not admiring the box.
Setup requires pairing the pen with the Notes app over Bluetooth, then opening a fresh notebook profile in the app. Once paired, the pen remembers the connection, so you rarely repeat this step. The whole process took me under five minutes on an iPhone, though Android users should expect a narrower feature set, since Moleskine has historically prioritized iOS.
A Pen That Feels Like a Pen
The Pen+ Ellipse weighs about the same as a quality ballpoint, roughly 20 grams, and its triangular cross-section rests comfortably between my fingers during long writing sessions. It charges fully in around 90 minutes and lasts through several days of moderate note-taking on a single charge.
One detail stood out immediately. The pen uses a standard ballpoint ink refill, not a proprietary cartridge locked behind a subscription. Compared to some competing smartpens, that alone removes a recurring cost most reviewers gloss over.
The Question That Matters Most: Does It Actually Capture Handwriting?
This is where I want to introduce a term I’ve been using internally at WE AND THE COLOR while testing hardware like this: the Ink Latency Threshold. It measures the practical gap between the moment your pen tip touches paper and the moment the app renders that stroke accurately on screen.
For the Moleskine Smart Writing Set, that gap sits close to instant during live syncing, assuming Bluetooth stays connected and the app is open. Offline capture works too. The pen stores up to 100 pages internally and syncs everything once you reconnect, which saved me during a flight with no signal.
Handwriting recognition, or OCR, is a separate question from capture accuracy. Capture is nearly flawless: your strokes appear exactly where you drew them. OCR, which converts those strokes into editable typed text, is noticeably weaker with cursive or fast, sloppy handwriting. My rushed meeting notes came through with maybe 80 percent accuracy. My slower, deliberate writing hit closer to 95 percent.
For Sketches, a Mixed Verdict
As a design editor, I care about line weight and pressure sensitivity more than the average buyer probably does. The pen tracks pressure reasonably well, translating thicker strokes into bolder digital lines. It won’t replace a proper drawing tablet, but for quick concept sketches or annotated diagrams during a client call, it holds up.
Six Months In, the Verdict Shifts
Daily use revealed patterns that a two-week review cycle simply can’t catch. Here’s what actually changed in my workflow, for better and worse.
Where the System Earned Its Keep
Meeting notes became searchable. That single feature justified the purchase for me. I can type “brand refresh” into the Notes app and pull up every handwritten mention across four months of notebooks. Before this, my notes lived in a drawer, essentially unsearchable and often unread again.
Sharing also became painless. A photographed page and a digitized page are not the same thing. The digital version can be exported as a clean PDF, edited for typos, and dropped straight into a project brief, without the glare and shadow you get from snapping a photo of a notebook page.
Where It Let Me Down
The Paper Tablet format is a real limitation. Moleskine sells its Smart Writing System paper in a narrow range of sizes and layouts, and you’re locked into their proprietary dot pattern. Regular Moleskine notebooks, even the classic ones sitting on the same shelf, won’t work with the pen.
I call this the Ecosystem Lock Test, a quick check I now run on every connected hardware product: can you use it with anything outside the brand’s own catalog? The Moleskine Smart Writing Set fails that test completely. You’re buying into Moleskine’s paper ecosystem for as long as you use the pen.
What You’re Really Paying For
Pricing varies depending on the bundle, but expect somewhere between $179 and $199 for the Pen+ Ellipse and Paper Tablet combined, with additional Paper Tablets running around $30 each afterward. That’s a meaningful ongoing cost if you fill notebooks quickly.
Compare that to a $3 disposable notebook, and it sounds absurd. Compare it to what professionals already spend on note-taking apps, cloud storage subscriptions, or a dedicated tablet, and the math shifts. For someone who already buys Moleskine notebooks out of habit, the upgrade cost is smaller than it looks.
FeatureDetailsIncluded in the setPen+ Ellipse smart pen, Paper Tablet, USB cable, ink refillTypical priceAround $179 to $199 for the full setPen weightRoughly 20 grams, similar to a standard ballpointBattery lifeSeveral days of moderate use per charge; 90 minutes to fully rechargeOffline capacityStores up to 100 pages before requiring a syncInk refillsStandard ballpoint cartridges, not proprietaryCompatible paperMoleskine Paper Tablets and Smart Diary/Planners onlyHandwriting recognitionStrong stroke capture; OCR accuracy drops with cursive writingBest suited forNote-takers, sketch artists, students, and meeting-heavy professionalsSo, Who Is This Actually For?
If you already write by hand daily and hate retyping notes afterward, this system solves a real problem. Writers, architects, and consultants who sketch during client meetings will likely see the fastest return on the investment.
If you’re buying it purely as a novelty, the excitement can fade within a month, the same way it does with any new tool you haven’t built a habit around yet. The Moleskine Smart Writing Set rewards consistent use. Used sporadically, it becomes an expensive notebook that occasionally forgets to sync.
Trusting Paper Again
I’ve started ranking digital note tools on what I call the Analog Confidence Index, essentially how much a device lets you trust paper as the primary record rather than a backup. The Moleskine Smart Writing Set scores high here. Your notebook remains the real artifact. The app is a mirror, not a replacement.
The Verdict
The Moleskine Smart Writing Set isn’t a perfect product, and I don’t think Moleskine would claim otherwise. The proprietary paper limits flexibility, and OCR accuracy still lags behind what generative AI transcription tools can now achieve elsewhere. Even so, the core promise holds up under real, sustained use. You write on paper. Your notes become searchable, shareable, and permanent, without forcing you to choose between analog focus and digital convenience.
My prediction for where this category heads next: expect tighter AI integration inside the Notes app itself, likely automatic summarization and smarter tagging, rather than any dramatic hardware redesign. The pen and paper formula already works. Moleskine’s next real advantage will come from what happens after the stroke lands on the page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Moleskine Smart Writing Set work with regular Moleskine notebooks?
No. The pen only reads the invisible dot grid printed on Moleskine’s Paper Tablets and Smart Diary/Planners. Standard Moleskine notebooks don’t include this pattern.
How much does the Moleskine Smart Writing Set cost?
The full set typically runs between $179 and $199, with replacement Paper Tablets priced around $30 each.
Is the Moleskine Smart Writing Set compatible with Android?
Yes, though historically the iOS app has received features first, and some Android users report a slightly narrower feature set.
How accurate is the handwriting recognition?
Stroke capture is nearly perfect. Text conversion accuracy depends heavily on handwriting style, with neater writing performing noticeably better than fast cursive.
Can I use the pen without my phone nearby?
Yes. The pen stores up to 100 pages offline and syncs automatically once reconnected to the Notes app.
Do I need special ink refills?
No. The Pen+ Ellipse uses a standard ballpoint ink cartridge, so you’re not locked into an expensive proprietary refill system.
Browse WE AND THE COLOR’s Technology, Graphic Design, and Illustration categories for more.
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#amazon #Moleskine #MoleskineSmartWritingSet #notebook #smartWriting -
Google skips Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 with its August security patch
Google released the monthly update for its Pixel phones on August 4. …
#NewsBeep #News #Mobile #Android #Android17 #Augustupdate #benchmarks #CA #Canada #CVE-2026-0163 #Google #GooglePixel #graphicscard #laptop #netbook #notebook #pixel6 #Pixel6Pro #Pixel6a #pixel7 #pixel7pro #pixel7a #Pixel8 #processor #reports #review #reviews #securitypatch #smartphone #softwaresupport #Technology #test #tests
https://www.newsbeep.com/ca/852925/ -
Google skips Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 with its August security patch
Google released the monthly update for its Pixel phones on August 4. …
#NewsBeep #News #Mobile #Android #Android17 #Augustupdate #benchmarks #CA #Canada #CVE-2026-0163 #Google #GooglePixel #graphicscard #laptop #netbook #notebook #pixel6 #Pixel6Pro #Pixel6a #pixel7 #pixel7pro #pixel7a #Pixel8 #processor #reports #review #reviews #securitypatch #smartphone #softwaresupport #Technology #test #tests
https://www.newsbeep.com/ca/852925/ -
Another dev journal progress update on v2 of my Open Research Notebook software. This episode– themes and annotations!
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Another dev journal progress update on v2 of my Open Research Notebook software. This episode– themes and annotations!
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Good #morning to readers; #Kyiv remains in #Ukrainian hands.
Numbers can’t capture the lived #experience of a #defenseless Kyiv. Our team wrote a #reporter’s #notebook on sprinting to #shelter, hiding in hallways, and lingering #trauma
https://www.counteroffensive.news/p/my-trauma-living-in-defenseless-kyiv
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Good #morning to readers; #Kyiv remains in #Ukrainian hands.
Numbers can’t capture the lived #experience of a #defenseless Kyiv. Our team wrote a #reporter’s #notebook on sprinting to #shelter, hiding in hallways, and lingering #trauma
https://www.counteroffensive.news/p/my-trauma-living-in-defenseless-kyiv
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Das neue Chuwi #MiniBook X U300 bringt frischen Wind in die Nische der Mini-#Laptops. Mit einem Intel #RaptorLake U300 gibt es ein spürbares Leistungs-Upgrade. #Chuwi #Notebook https://winfuture.de/news,160454.html?utm_source=Mastodon&utm_medium=ManualStatus&utm_campaign=SocialMedia
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Das neue Chuwi #MiniBook X U300 bringt frischen Wind in die Nische der Mini-#Laptops. Mit einem Intel #RaptorLake U300 gibt es ein spürbares Leistungs-Upgrade. #Chuwi #Notebook https://winfuture.de/news,160454.html?utm_source=Mastodon&utm_medium=ManualStatus&utm_campaign=SocialMedia
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Talk Python podcast: Marimo Pair - a canvas for AI agents
a powerful solution for pepping up computational notebooks with KI agents and NOT having to expose the entire file system!
👉 of course strict compliance to data protection still required, specifically if working with person identifiable and IP-restricted data, https://www.vischer.com/insights/part-31-ai-tools-what-about-data-protection-2026
Episode webpage: https://talkpython.fm/episodes/show/555/marimo-pair-a-canvas-for-agent-developers-collaboration
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Talk Python podcast: Marimo Pair - a canvas for AI agents
a powerful solution for pepping up computational notebooks with KI agents and NOT having to expose the entire file system!
👉 of course strict compliance to data protection still required, specifically if working with person identifiable and IP-restricted data, https://www.vischer.com/insights/part-31-ai-tools-what-about-data-protection-2026
Episode webpage: https://talkpython.fm/episodes/show/555/marimo-pair-a-canvas-for-agent-developers-collaboration
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Das neue #Chuwi CoreBook Air Plus bringt ein 16-Zoll-Display bei nur 1.35 kg Gewicht. Unser Test zeigt, was das mobile #Notebook mit AMD-Prozessor für rund 550 Euro leistet. https://winfuture.de/videos/Hardware/Chuwi-CoreBook-Air-Plus-16-Zoll-Notebook-im-Praxistest-28915.html?utm_source=Mastodon&utm_medium=ManualStatus&utm_campaign=SocialMedia
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Das neue #Chuwi CoreBook Air Plus bringt ein 16-Zoll-Display bei nur 1.35 kg Gewicht. Unser Test zeigt, was das mobile #Notebook mit AMD-Prozessor für rund 550 Euro leistet. https://winfuture.de/videos/Hardware/Chuwi-CoreBook-Air-Plus-16-Zoll-Notebook-im-Praxistest-28915.html?utm_source=Mastodon&utm_medium=ManualStatus&utm_campaign=SocialMedia
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TUXEDO Stellaris 16 - Gen7
Performance From Another Star 💫The Stellaris 16 delivers top-tier performance with excellent cooling in a rigid, portable all-aluminum chassis – balancing power, noise, and mobility.
👉 https://tuxedocomputers.com/index.php?module=search&keywords=10900246%2010900238
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Je fais de plus en plus de journaling avec les années. J'en suis à mon 24 ème journal de poche et ça n'est pas prêt de s'arrêter.
Récemment j'ai découverte cette nouvelle méthode, le "VOMIT System", qui donne de idées de matière pour écrire.
J'ai trouvé ça très intéressant :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8RQsJ0Q3Mo
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Je fais de plus en plus de journaling avec les années. J'en suis à mon 24 ème journal de poche et ça n'est pas prêt de s'arrêter.
Récemment j'ai découverte cette nouvelle méthode, le "VOMIT System", qui donne de idées de matière pour écrire.
J'ai trouvé ça très intéressant :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8RQsJ0Q3Mo