A PEN THAT CAN E-MAIL YOUR JOHN HANCOCK TECHNOLOGY CAN BE SO IMPERSONAL. All those pixels and protocols, with nary a human word or touch to be found. But that could change--at least a little--if the E-Pen lives up to its advance billing. This wireless innovation, developed by InMotion Inc. in Mountain View, Calif., allows handwritten notes, drawings, signatures, and the like to be sent electronically through a whole host of small portable devices, including cellular phones and handheld PCs. All this from a product that looks and feels just like an old-fashioned Bic. The E-Pen uses standard ink and writes on regular paper. What gives E-Pen its 21st century pizzazz is a tiny device in the pen that sends a digital image of what's written to a receiver in the portable device. The message is stored and all the user has to do is E-mail it. The E-Pen should be ready to come to market next Christmas, at an initial price of $200. In the meantime, the company is talking with manufacturers, such as Motorola Inc. and Nokia Corp., about developing pen-ready products. InMotion is also speaking with penmakers. By Linda Himelstein EDITED BY IRA SAGER RELATED ITEMS PHOTO: InMotion's E-Pen

Updated Dec. 3, 1998 by bwwebmaster
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