The Confidential Resource » Notebooks

18th Century PDA

Richard McEachin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:00:47 +0000

If Moleskines are a throwback to a time before PDA’s, then 18th century version of the PDA is the pocket notebook made of sturdy brass stock with 4 old ivory pages and a pencil can be written on with pencil, smudged off with your finger, and used over and over again. It closes into a 1-1/8 inches by 4-1/2 inches by 3/16 inch thick package. It seems like an 18th century version of the Magic Slate.

Three Dimensions of Note-taking

Richard McEachin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:00:35 +0000

I have written previously on taking notes using audio, images, and handwritten notes. Quite a while back I wrote about video notes using a simple camcorder called the FlipUltra.

Kodak Zi8

Now the Kodak Zi8 seems like a better pocket-sized point-and-shoot video camera. The digital image stabilization provides better video than the Flip. It has some hardware and software advantages over the Flip. It needs SD or SDHC memory cards which I see as an advantage even if it makes the Zi8 cost more.

Three Dimensions of Note-taking

Richard McEachin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:00:36 +0000

I have written previously on taking notes using audio, images, and handwritten notes. Now I am contemplating taking video notes using a simple camcorder called the FlipUltra. This seems like a briefcase-friendly device for this purpose. The problem with the alternatives is the size and weight of the device. This simple plug-and-play device is good for conducting interviews, taking street scenes, and other recordings that use-up less than 60 minutes of recording time. Using the FlipUltra should be a lot easier and give better results than using my point-and-shoot Lumix camera and of course, longer recording time.

Flag, Pen, & Bookmark

Richard McEachin — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:00:46 +0000

Here’s an interesting gadget to use when you’re sorting through a lot of documents or other written material.

Find the Bookmarker here.

Pen-Sleeve

Richard McEachin — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:00:10 +0000

This interesting thing is really handy. The Pen-Sleeve is a great gadget that allows you to keep a pen where you need it.

The Best Pens at the Office Supply Store

Richard McEachin — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:00:15 +0000

Top 5 Pens Off The Store Shelf

the best pen they can run down to the store and buy right off the shelf.

Open Channel D

Richard McEachin — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:00:42 +0000

The Pen Communicator from the Man from U.N.C.L.E. TV series would connect agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin with U.N.C.L.E. headquarters in New York City if they said the phrase “Open Channel D”. It also included amnesia inducer and electronic scanner functions.

Now we have the Pulse smartpen that records conversations and indexes them to what you write using special notebook paper. It doesn’t take much imagination to think of ways one might use this during investigations.

The Commonplace Blog

Richard McEachin — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:00:42 +0000

The Commonplace Book is a written scrapbook filled with things one learns, but doesn’t want to forget.

The name, commonplace, is a translation of the Latin term, locus communis, which means argument or theme for general application. The theme of my Commonplace Book is the concepts and facts that I have learned and the books I have read.

The Confidential Resource is a modern analog for a Commonplace Book with the theme of Sources & Methods for the Investigator.

Three Dimensions of Note-taking

Richard McEachin — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:00:19 +0000

Steve Osborne’s article, Ultimate Note-Taking: Capture Text, Audio and Visual Notes, provides some good pointers on taking good notes using audio, images, and handwritten notes.

Moleskine & Customer Service

Richard McEachin — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:18:53 +0000

A few weeks ago I sent Moleskine a picture of a small defect in a large notebook. It’s still usable, but the cover material was not properly affixed.

Today, I received a replacement notebook mailed from Italy. A lot of companies could learn from this simple form of customer service. This company understands that while building their brand is important, building a relationship with the customers is more important.