It may be one of the great mysteries of life: the best ideas always come when you don’t have a pen and paper handy.

“It’s okay, I’ll remember this,” you say to yourself, only to blank on it later. Or maybe you jot down that brilliant idea or design on a sticky note, but you can’t for the life of you find it later. Sure, these days most of us carry a smartphone with us, so we can type a note. But there’s something to the idea that the pen is mightier than the keyboard. In fact, studies say that jotting down a thought keeps your brain sharp, increases creativity, and helps you retain information better than if you typed it.

But don’t go digging for an old-fashioned pencil.

Soon, you’ll be able to digitize your notes, sketches, and annotations on the spot with Phree, a Bluetooth®smartpen developed by OTM Technologies. While there are other smartpens on the market, they require that you write only on certain materials. With Phree, you can write on nearly any surface—your hand, steering wheel, tabletop, fridge door—and yes, you can even feel free to write on the wall.

Using what the developers call the world’s smallest 3D laser interferometer, the sensor shoots a laser beam onto your writing surface, converting it into a motion signal and translating it into digital notes that are rendered on your screen. The pen connects with any Bluetooth enabled smartphone, tablet, laptop, or TV and is compatible with software such as Evernote and Google’s handwriting keyboard. It also doubles as a mini-smartphone: check the time and receive messages on the small side screen, and take calls using the built-in microphone.

Go ahead, express yourself! Anywhere, any time, on virtually any surface. The Bluetooth Smart technology connection makes sure your brilliant ideas are captured for posterity.

Visit omtech.com to learn more and pre-order now for a 20% discount (cost without a case: $198).

(Credit: IVT)