Evernote and Moleskine digitise your dead-tree diary

In the raging battle of the note takers, traditionalists and techies can finally find some common ground with the paper pocket partner that'll go digital at the flick of a switch.

This nifty notebook is designed and created by Moleskine and works alongside note app Evernote to translate physical scribbles into digital files. The Smart Notebook works in conjunction with the Evernote app for iPhone and iPad.

''Our goal was to create a notebook that met Moleskin's aesthetic standards, while adding an entirely new level of functionality,'' says Evernote blogger Andrew Sinkov. Watch the video for a brief run-down of what witchery you expect from this crafty couple.

Here's how it works -- use the Evernote 'Page Camera' feature in the app to snap a shot of a page in your Smart Notebook. This will automatically enhance the contrast, remove shadows and correct the skew of the photo. 

The Smart Notebooks contain a special kind of paper of which you get a choice of ruled, or squared. For each, a specially designed dotted paper pattern enables your smart device to digitise the text and images through handwriting recognition.

All being well, you should see your sketchy master plans for world domination digitally appear on your device's screen, ready to be published, saved or uploaded to the social media outlet of your choice.

All this magic will set you back £20 for the small notebook and £24 for the large, while the app is free to download. Each notebook cleverly comes with only three months paid subscription to Evernote Premium, so Moleskine and Evernote can be assured of your return custom should you find it remotely useful.

If you don't see yourself burning through a notebook every three months, then you can just subscribe for £4 a month, or £35 for the year.

Another playful addition, which will take you back to your Panini-collecting years, is the ability to use Smart Stickers to label specific sections of your scribbles -- the app will recognise them and file according to your personal settings.

Camden's creative coffee house dwellers may find this partnership particularly useful to digitise and upload their sporadic moments of inspiration, especially as Evernote is capable of digitally digesting text and graphic content.

This is not the first attempt at digitalising handwritten content, however. Companies such as IRISnotes manufacture tried and tested note-taking gear, such as digital pens and pen scanners, so these might be worth a look if you want a straightforward solution to digitising text.

Our colleagues across the pond have warned that the Evernote technology is by no means flawless, however. Initially, the app struggled to recognise handwriting, but it does its processing over on remote servers so it might not be immediate. An Evernote rep warned that everything needs to be synced correctly to avoid complications.

As it stands, the Moleskine Smart Notebooks are available to preorder in advance of their release on 1 October.

The Evernote app update that contains the crucial Page Camera feature is only available for iOS devices, but Evernote would be mad not to incorporate Android and Windows-powered devices, so hang on if you're using either of the latter.

Fancy digitising your diary, or stick hard and fast to the traditional tools of the trade? Jot down your thoughts in the comments box, or plonk your opinion down on our Facebook page.