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Adding a personal touch

Sending handwritten messages in a language of your choice through e-mail and sharing notes is now possible with the e-pen.

NOT LONG, ago sending letters to near and dear ones was a tedious process. It took days for the message to reach the other end and so did the response. Thanks to the WorldWide Web, sending mails have become easier and faster, for the messages can be transmitted in a jiffy through e-mails. Though the message can be put across quickly, personal touch is missing. Some would argue that there is nothing like sending a handwritten message to loved ones, especially on occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. Despite the advantages of e-mail it is not always possible to send messages in the language of one's choice.

Can one send instantaneous written messages in the mother tongue? Yes. Now you can, with the e-pen, which instantly registers whatever is written and displays it on the screen. Later it can be e-mailed in one's own handwriting.

The city-based Consolidated Cybernetics Co. Pvt. Ltd. has integrated the e-pen with its medisoft software and offers it to hospitals. "Sometimes, writing is easier and more convenient when a person is not in a position to use the keyboard," says P. R. Rangaswami, its MD.

"Doctors can write prescriptions with the e-pen and enter notes even in the operation theatre and all this is recorded in the computer," he explains. Apart from giving a personal touch to the e-mails, the e-pen can make work much easier, especially if one is not comfortable using the keyboard. "This facility does not require any special software. Everything can be written on to a notepad format and sent as a text attachment."

Charts, maps, graphs, technical drawings, diagrams and flow charts can be captured by the e-pen. How does it function? The e-pen registers the handwriting and converts it to digital ink. Drawings and handwritings are transformed into digital ink by using optical and ultrasonic technology. It is slightly heavier than the normal pen and operates on a standard three-volt battery using a standard pen refill.

The e-pen software can be installed on a PC, and for writing, the receiver should be clipped on a piece of paper. Some options like erase, undo, redo and send can be integrated with the software.

M. ALLIRAJAN

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