For a long time, people have been trying to make whiteboards smarter by pairing widescreen monitors with digital pens, essentially using a large-screen computer to serve as the meeting room staple. If interactivity isn’t your goal, though, that kind of solution feels a bit overkill. If you simply want to be able to keep a record of everything that gets scribbled on the board, you can ditch the expensive investment by getting one of these Equil Smartmarkers instead.
Armed with an array of sensors, the marker can figure out everything you write, which it automatically recreates in digital form. You can access all captures from the accompanying app, which is available for iOS, Android, and desktop platforms.
The Equil Smartmarker measures 6.3 x 1.1 inches (length x diameter), not that much bigger than the dimensions of regular dry-erase markers. Since it comes with onboard electronics, it’s not designed for disposable use like traditional markers, with a refillable ink chamber that you can simply top up once the pen runs dry.  It can capture anything you use the pen to write on any surface, whether you’re doodling brainstorming mind maps on the office whiteboard, jotting down appointments on a wall calendar in your cubicle, or writing your ex-girlfriend’s phone number at a public bathroom stall. Yeah, you’re still kind of bitter about that one.
The pen can record any single session up to 16 feet wide, so even gigantic marker pen murals you labor at during weekends can be saved in digital form. Just make sure to stock up on ink refills because you’ll definitely need it for something that big. It comes with an onboard rechargeable battery good for up to 8 hours of use.
Slated to launch in the next few months, the Equil Smartmarker is priced at $700.