Plaud Launches New AI Pin and Meeting Notebook for Desktop

Hardware maker Plaud has launched a new AI notebook called the Plaude NotePin S, along with a desktop app that helps you take notes for digital meetings, ahead of this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The company first released the pin-style notebook in 2024, which my former colleague Brian Heater really liked. The new pin brings a physical button that lets you start and stop recording. In addition, during recording, you can press the button to mark a specific point – just like you can do in the recently released Plaud Note Pro.

One nice thing about the $179 Plaud NotePin S is that you get a clip, a lanyard, a magnetic pin and a wristband in the package. This means you can wear the device however you want. The company is also adding Apple Find My support for the pin, so you can easily search for the device if you can’t find it.

The basic specifications of the device remain the same from the previous generation. There is 64GB of built-in storage with a battery capacity of 20 hours of continuous recording. The device has two MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) microphones that can capture clear audio within a range of 9.8 feet. Users will get 300 minutes of transcription per month for free and

Compared to the Note Pro, this device has a shorter recording range and shorter battery life. But it is smaller in size for carrying using any of the aforementioned accessories. The company said the pin is suitable for people who are constantly on the go.

This is Plaud’s fourth device and the company has sold more than 1.5 million devices so far. With these devices, the focus was on personal encounters. However, Plaud also wants to take on meeting planners like Granola, Fathom, and Fireflies with a new client that works on meeting apps. The company said the app can detect when a meeting is active and prompt you to record the transcript.

The Mac app takes notes using system audio to record the meeting and then structures the transcript into notes using AI. The company introduced multimodal note-taking inputs with its app that lets users add images and typed notes along with audio transcription last year. Plaud brings this functionality to its desktop app as well.