The Multimedia Enhanced Journal is a new product that
seeks to combine the best of two worlds.
Offering what the advertising states is the ultimate in
personalization, the ME Journal has a QR code on the corner of each page which
the user can scan to upload up to 50MB of content per page to the ME website
into a personal account linking the written word on the journal page to a
wealth of media online. An option to enter the code numbers manually is also
offered.
A QR (Quick
Response) Code is a type of bar code easily read by handheld devices to store information or links to
goods and services.
This first struck me as an odd combination -- an effort to
link two disparate groups with nothing in common. Like hitching up a horse team
to move a Cadillac.
Would those who admire fine paper and the experience of
moving ink across a page be interested in digital uploading, bits, bytes and
bandwidth?
Could a person used to instant digital access 24/7 and ever
evolving faster devices be lured back to paper and pen?
Weren't these groups mutually exclusive? Did such a person
exist?
Oh wait.
I'm so wired, I lose track of how many ways I have to
interact with the world wide web. I have what can only be called a woodcase pencil
obsession. I love fountain pens and am seriously fussy about paper.
Okay. They're out there, these people with a foot in each
realm. Can the ME claim them?
THE BOOK
Slightly larger than the small Moleskine, with a firmer cover
that still feels a bit flexible. This journal looks and feels like business
with a touch of elegance.
Surprisingly, it will lie open. almost flat, even in the
middle pages.
The title (front) and company (back) are inscribed unobtrusively.
The first page contains instructions so help is at hand.
THE PAPER
85g Clairefontaine. Need I say anything else?
The only complaint I've ever read about Clairefontaine paper
is it can be BLINDINGLY, BLAZING WHITE. The ME Journal has lined ivory paper --
a nice mellow cream.
My only objection is LINES. I always use blank pages. I'm
strangled by lines, but that is a quirk of mine.
THE APP
The APP is free, fast and user friendly.
THE WEBSITE
The user must sign up for a free account. Other than the
50MB limit per page, I couldn't find a space limit or lurking offers to sell
more space.
The website is clear, uncluttered, relatively fast and user
friendly.
THE SYSTEM
So, will it work?
I'm hampered living in northwestern Montana, as I'm often
without either Wi-Fi or cell signal. I'm not used to being able to call on
those at will. I don't take them for granted as some do.
My current travel journal is a soft cover, pocket Moleskine.
Obviously, I've been making it a multimedia experience for
quite a while. Adding video and audio are enticing prospects.
Will the tidy, more efficient ME replace it?
One thought -- We're planning a wedding at my house, and it occurs to me what a nice gift the ME Journal would be.
Suppose the wedding party wrote something on the pages about the day, then uploaded pictures, video and whatever via the QR codes then gifted the book along with the free account and password for each book so the lucky recipient could page through the book and view the special day at leisure.
I think that's a good idea.
As always, possibilities are limited only by imagination.
Purchase link is on the website. "ME Journals are available
in large (6 ¼ x 9 ¼”) and pocket (4 x 6 3/8”) sizes in three colors—black, red
and raspberry—in a firm, leatherette cover that’s perfect for on-the-go
writing. Each journal has a bookmark and elastic closure."
DISCLOSURE -- I received the ME Journal from a contest on Rhodia.com.
I always like to see other folks' daily carry. Here is the
rest of my travel journal set.
Hi and thanks for this post. Like you, I also received the ME Journal from the recent Rhodia.com contest and have been experimenting with it to see what works best for me, a writer and social media buff who also loves to put pen to paper. Looking forward to using it to combine analog and digital together effectively in the weeks to come.
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