The Staten Island Advance has some advice on what to buy for the coming new school year. Along side advanced index cards and a pillow that connects to your iPod, it mentions a clutch of smart pens.

• Leapfrog Fly Pentop Computer: No ordinary ball-point, this pen actually has a computer inside it. An optical scanner reads everything you write and can perform many functions. It can solve math problems, translate English words into another language, remind you of your daily schedule, and if you draw a piano, Leapfrog will let you play it. Circuit City, $99.99.
• Wizcom SuperPen Professional Handheld Scanner and Dictionary: Use your pen scanner as you read and study, scanning important information into the pen. Then later download it onto your computer to create study guides. It can store up to 1,000 pages of text. The pen also has built-in dictionaries and a thesaurus. The scanner can also turn text into speech. Staples, $199.99
• Logitech Digital Pen is an alternative to taking a laptop to class. The Logitech digital pen is used in conjunction with “smart paper” which was developed to interact with the pen. The pen records handwriting and sketches, and then will convert notes into computer text, storing up to 40 pages at a time. It looks like a regular pen and lasts eight hours before needing to be recharged. From www.amazon.com, $134.95.