Audio Notetaking Technology Comparison

The DRC provides loaners and training for several audio notetaking technology options (Glean, Livescribe smartpen, OneNote) to students who need to use them as a notetaking accommodation. Read below for a comparison of the features of these three unique audio notetaking technologies. 

Glean (Web and Mobile App)

• Available for checkout by eligible DRC students.
• Unique audio notetaking web and mobile app that automatically breaks up recorded audio into visual "chunks" (representing discreet phrases) that can be color-coded, edited, transcribed, and summarized for optimal learning and organization 
• Use the C.A.R.E. process for notetaking --> Capture, Annotate, Review, Engage 
• Record audio in Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge web browser on your laptop or with the free mobile app. Audio and notes are synced between devices via the cloud. 
• Import PowerPoint slides, PDFs, images, and/or screen captures into an "event" (e.g., class lecture) and integrate them with your recorded audio and typed notes accordingly. 
• Adjust voice playback speed (slow down or speed up instructor's speech).
• Have all or selected audio automatically transcribed after recording is done.  
• No need to buy special notebooks or deal with hardware problems that can occur with smartpens. 

Livescribe Smartpen

• Available for checkout by eligible DRC students. (*Visit Smartpen Loaner Program for more information)
• 3 models available: Echo, Aegir, and Symphony. Echo records audio via the microphone built into the pen while the Aegir and Symphony both record audio via the microphone in the user's smartphone. To learn more about the differences between the 3 smartpen models, watch the demo videos below.
  • Livescribe Echo demo video
  • Livescribe Symphony/Aegir demo video
• Records audio and syncs it to notes that are being written while the pen is in record mode (and also when the pen is in playback mode) 
• Requires the use of unique dot notebooks in order to record synchronized audio and digitize your notes.
• Easy to retrieve audio notes just by tapping on a written word, sketch, symbol, etc. - hear the audio that was being recorded at that exact moment in time. 
• A digital version of the notes can be uploaded to the free companion software (Echo Desktop for the Echo pen or Livescribe+ for the Symphony/Aegir pens), where it can be reviewed and organized. Uses handwriting recognition so you can do keyword search of your written notes 
• Alleviates the stress of note taking; never miss anything in class when you record audio 
• Easy to use, but it’s up to you to employ a notetaking technique and structure that works for you.  

OneNote software/app

• Free digital notetaking software for Mac/Windows; part of Office 365.
• Endless canvas with no margins; no need to save document – it is done automatically and syncs with OneDrive 
• Sync your notes between multiple devices (laptop, smartphone, tablet) 
• Create notebooks (e.g., Fall quarter) with sections (courses) and pages (daily lecture notes) 
• Use the "Insert audio recording" feature to record lecture audio that will sync with whatever you type (or write/draw if using a tablet like Surface Pro). Click on what you typed/wrote and hear the audio recorded at that moment in time. 
• Use the “Insert File Printout” (Win) or “Insert PDF Printout” (Mac) to import lecture slides into OneNote so you can take notes on them during class. 
• Convert your handwritten notes to text (works best on tablet computers) 
• Stay organized by clipping webpage articles, inserting photos, creating to-do lists in their appropriate notebook sections  
• No need to buy special notebooks or deal with hardware problems that can occur with smartpens. 

If you would like a consultation and training on one or more of the notetaking technology options described above, please visit Assistive Technology for more information.