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Boston-based startup creates reusable notebook that’s analog and digital – Metro US

Boston-based startup creates reusable notebook that’s analog and digital

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Provided by Rocketbook

In this digital age, there are still those analog diehards who prefer the feel of pen and paper.

Those who count themselves part of that community have probably gone through countless pens and notebooks in their lifetime. The pens are long gone and the notebooks are probably gathering dust or tossed out to save room.

But what if you could use keep using the pen and paper, but just need one notebook forever?

That’s the idea behind the Everlast Notebook, a reusable notebook created by Boston-based startup Rocketbook that combines classic pen and paper feel with cloud-based technology.

“Our attitude is to keep what people love about the writing experience, the pure paper-and-pen, then later on … give digital life on top of that, without introducing weird hardware that isn’t natural to adopt,” said Joe Lemay, CEO and co-founder of Rocketbook and an MIT graduate.

The Everlast Notebook comes with its own pen — from the Pilot Frixion line — which adheres to the specialty writing surface.

Using the smartphone app, the notebook’s pages are photographed then uploaded into the cloud-based service of choice, including Dropbox, Google Drive, Slack or an email account.

The Pilot pen doesn’t smudge on Rocketbook’s synthetic pages when wiped with something dry but comes right off when a moist cloth is applied. The feel, the company said, mimics that of a ballpoint pen on paper.

In testing, the Everlast Notebook survived more than 1,000 uses. That this notebook could be “endlessly reusable” appeals to both environmentalists and minimalist, Lemay said, who want to reduce clutter while staying devoted to old-school pen and paper.

“It truly is a notebook that, so long as you take care of it, it can really last indefinitely,” he said.

All of the materials in the Everlast are recyclable and BPA free, an additional environmental benefit, Lemay said.

“Who doesn’t have a stack of notebooks from college collecting dust?”Lemay said. “We’re breaking that paradigm.”

While the creation mixes new and old technology, the funding effort is strictly 21st century.

TheEverlast Notebook received $1.8 million through its Kickstarter campaign, 70 times the initial fundraising goal of $26,000.

Rocketbook also usedIndiegogo’s InDemand platform after its Kickstarter closed at the end of January, which allows the company to take more advance orders after theoriginal funding campaign ends. Through Indiegogo, the Everlast Notebook received another $430,000.

This isn’t Rocketbook’s first crowdfunding success — the startup debuted with itsRocketbook Wavein 2015, a cloud-connected notebook that is “erased” whenplaced in a microwave oven.

But The Wave is only guaranteed reusable up five times, Lemay said. He developed the Everlast to continue pushing the boundaries of what a paper notebook can be.

“It all comes from our attitude and impression that the notebook industry just isn’t innovating,” he said. “We’re going to continue to innovate, explore new materials, new writing surfaces, looks, feels and digital applications to change people’s expectations.”

Advance order for the Everlast, whose $34 cost includes the notebook and pen, will be shipped by May. Otherwise, the product will be through sites like Amazon by early summer.