Even though most of us type more than we handwrite these days, we're pretty sure pens and paper won't be going extinct any time soon. In fact, it's not just nostalgists who still prefer to handwrite, or hand draw, certain things. For example, grocery lists. Is it really that much easier to type it out? And is a doodle on Adobe Illustrator really as gratifying as breaking out a quick sketch on a diner napkin? We think not. Then, of course, there are love letters. There's just no way for even the most intimate email (or, shudder, Snapchat) to compare to receiving a lovingly crafted letter, awkward penmanship and all, in the mail.
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Naturally, a few innovators are figuring out how to reconcile the analog/digital divide. The latest buzzy note-taking contraption, Mod, tries to offer the best of both worlds — it's a Moleskine-like notebook you can physically write in and later upload to the cloud. "As far as an input device, pen and paper is something you can't really beat in my opinion," Mod's co-creator Jon Wheatley told Fast Company. " [But] when it comes to storing handwritten notes, having them in a digital format is very valuable."
Both points are valid, and at $25 for a handsomely dynamic notepad, we'd be willing to give Mod a try. But how, exactly, do your handwritten notes make its way to the cloud? You actually have to send them, via snail mail, to Mod's facility — they provide the prepaid envelope. Within five days, your notes will be digitized and accessible via apps like Dropbox and Evernote. You can then request the notebook sent back to you for an additional $10.
This paper-to-cloud process has been met with a few doubts: why not just scan your own writing, or take a photo? Well, like most things, it all boils down to one precious commodity: convenience. Do you really want to spend hours scanning? That's so '90s — and not in a fun way. Yes, depending on your personal boundaries, maybe you'd want to keep your most private notes free from third parties. But for artists, students, and writers who depend on on a type of accessible, but indestructible sketchbook or log, innovations like Mod could prove to be really useful. (Fast Company)