“NotePin, My Future Second Brain – But Do I Really Need It?”

Memory glasses for the mind? Or just another shiny gadget?

🟦 This article is for you if…

• You’re curious about AI gadgets but like to pause before buying.
• You’ve seen NotePin on YouTube and thought, “Hmm… kinda interesting.”
• You’re in your 50s (or beyond) and feel like your memory’s not quite what it used to be.
• Voice input on your smartphone often ends in frustration and typos.
• You value peace of mind more than just convenience.
• You already rely on ChatGPT to help you organize your thoughts.

🕐 Estimated reading time: about 5–6 minutes

🟦 Intro paragraph

I recently came across a gadget called NotePin—an AI-powered device that records, transcribes, and summarizes conversations.
It’s not just a voice recorder.
It’s like having a “second brain” in your pocket.
Ever since I saw it on YouTube, I can’t stop thinking about it.
Part of me really wants it.
But another part keeps whispering, “Do you really need it?”

In this blog post, I want to share my honest thoughts—caught between excitement and hesitation—about whether to buy NotePin or not.

🟦 Intro Story

Lately, I’ve been hooked on AI gadgets.
Every time I watch tech reviews on YouTube, I end up thinking, “Whoa… this feels like a cheat code for real life.”
And right now, the one that’s been stuck in my head is something called NotePin.

It looks like a tiny voice recorder—but it’s actually something much cooler.
Think of it as a “second brain” in your pocket.
Or, for fellow anime fans out there, maybe even a support-skill from another world kind of tool.

I genuinely want it.
But at the same time, there’s this little voice inside me asking:
“Will you really use it, though?”

So today, I’m sharing my inner tug-of-war—between craving this shiny AI gadget and questioning whether I actually need it.

🟦 Chapter １：My First Assistant Is ChatGPT. Could NotePin Be the Second?

I spend a lot of time watching AI-related videos on YouTube these days.
That’s how I stumbled upon NotePin—a gadget that looks like a regular voice recorder at first glance.
But it’s not just recording.
It transcribes your voice with over 90% accuracy, then summarizes the key points using AI.

I’ve tried using voice input with Google Keep before, but it’s messy.
Too many typos, and tapping through the phone every time is just… exhausting.

NotePin feels different.
You hit record, and it quietly turns your words into a clean, organized memo.
It’s like having a pocket-sized secretary that never sleeps.

That’s when I realized something:
If ChatGPT is my “First Assistant”—the one I talk to when I want to organize my thoughts—
then maybe NotePin could be my Second Assistant, silently recording life as it happens.

One helps me think, the other helps me remember.
Just imagining that kind of backup system makes me feel weirdly calm.
And yes… I’ve already nicknamed it “No-chan.”

That’s how far gone I am.
It’s not even mine yet, and it’s already part of my team.
But still… the question lingers:
Do I really need it?

After all, my smartphone can technically do the same job.
But somehow, NotePin feels like… a piece of the future I want to try before I get too old to care.

📎 Learn more about NotePin — the AI-powered voice recorder that transcribes and summarizes.
👉 Official product page

🟦 Chapter 2: Why I Want It—And Why I’m Hesitating

Ever since I found out about NotePin, I’ve been watching review videos over and over again.
The phrase “Not just a recorder—AI writes your summaries for you” kept echoing in my head.
That’s powerful. Seriously.

I already use Google Keep with voice input, but it’s a bit of a hassle.
Turn on the phone, unlock it, open the app, speak carefully, fix the typos…
It sounds simple, but when you’re in the middle of life, it’s just not fast enough.

And let’s be honest—my memory isn’t what it used to be.
I forget random ideas, small tasks, important details from conversations…
Little by little, these things slip away.

With NotePin, I could just push a button, record on the fly, and review later—complete with a clean AI summary.
No more “What did they say again?”
No more “I thought I wrote that down somewhere…”

That level of ease and clarity?
That’s something my phone doesn’t give me.

What really draws me in is how NotePin turns messy thoughts into usable text.
Meeting notes, key takeaways, daily reflections—automatically organized.
It’s like having a secretary who gets me.

And as someone who already talks to ChatGPT all the time, I know how valuable that is.

But… here comes the hesitation:
27,500 yen (about $170 USD).
That’s not exactly pocket change for a voice recorder.

Sure, it’s not just a recorder—but still.

I keep asking myself:
“Do I really need it?”
“Am I just fascinated by the tech?”
“Is this just another cool toy I’ll forget in a drawer?”

I mean, I manage fine with my current setup.
It’s not perfect, but it’s familiar.

So I’m stuck in this limbo:
“I’d be fine without it… but life might be better with it.”
That kind of maybe-yes-maybe-no uncertainty is classic midlife energy, isn’t it?

I’m 50 now.
And even though I’m not in crisis mode, I do feel the urge to try things that might make life smoother.
Even if it’s just a little bit.

Even if it’s just a gadget.

🟦 Chapter 3: A “Hearing Aid” for Memory? – Where NotePin Could Really Shine

“Wait, what did they say again?”
“I forgot to write that down…”
“I came out to the balcony… but why?”

These little blank moments—honestly, they’re happening more often than I’d like to admit.
Sometimes it’s during work, like when I’m talking to a contractor and they give me details I should remember.
Later, I find myself thinking, “Which part were they fixing again?”
And it drives me nuts.

In situations like that, NotePin could be a game-changer.
Just hit record, stay present in the moment, and let AI handle the memory part.
Later, when your brain’s cooled off, you’ve got a neat, summarized record ready to go.

Even in everyday life, it could help.
You know those moments—
Standing in the kitchen, asking yourself, “What did I come in here for?”
Or checking your to-do list and thinking, “Wait, I had another thing to add… what was it?”

It’s not that I’m broken.
I’m just human.
And maybe—just maybe—there’s no shame in asking for backup.

Your eyes go bad, you get reading glasses.
Your hearing fades, you get a hearing aid.
So when memory gets fuzzy, why not use a little support?

NotePin could be my memory aid.

I call it “No-chan” in my head.
Not even mine yet, but already feels like part of the crew.

If ChatGPT is my First Assistant—helping me think things through—
then No-chan might be the Second Assistant, quietly storing what I forget.

I haven’t bought it yet.
But… emotionally?
I’m already halfway there.

🟦 Chapter 4: Like an External Hard Drive for My Brain – Using NotePin as a Memory Tool

These days, it happens more and more:
I stop mid-step and think, “Wait… what was I just doing?”
I go from one room to another and suddenly forget why I went there in the first place.

It’s not just at home.
Even during work, I find myself asking, “What was I about to check?”
The thoughts come and go like waves.
By the time I reach for a pen, they’re already gone.

That’s when I thought—what if I had something to catch those thoughts before they disappear?

If NotePin were with me, maybe I could speak out loud, capture the moment, and know it’ll be waiting for me later.
Not just as audio, but as something readable. Organized.
That alone would bring me peace of mind.

It’s not about recording everything like a surveillance system.
It’s about freeing up space in my mind.
Giving my brain room to breathe.

Writing things down used to help.
But now, even that feels slow.
The older I get, the more I crave tools that don’t get in my way.

That’s why I started thinking of NotePin as an external hard drive for my brain.
Not a gadget I rely on for everything—
but one I can turn to when I want to focus on what matters now,
while letting the rest be stored safely for later.

If ChatGPT is my training wheels for thinking,
then NotePin might be my training wheels for remembering.

Together, they don’t just make life easier—
They help me live more clearly. More gently.
Not in a lazy way. But in a way that says:
“You don’t have to carry it all in your head anymore.”

And honestly, that’s the kind of support I’ve been needing.

🟦 Chapter 5: Living with AI – NotePin as a Companion for the Future

If you think about it, human progress has always been about one thing:
Sharing and using information.

There was a time when only a few had access to knowledge.
And even if you had the knowledge, using it took time—
digging through books, attending lectures, writing everything by hand.
Information was slow.
Learning was slow.
Life moved at a different pace.

But now?
We’ve got the internet.
We’ve got instant access to answers that once took days to find.
We don’t just collect knowledge—we process it faster than ever before.

And now, AI takes it even further.
It doesn’t just help us search.
It helps us think.
It organizes chaos, pulls patterns out of noise, and gives our thoughts structure.

If the internet opened the door to knowledge,
then AI gave us wings to navigate it.

Some say that makes us less human.
But I think it might help us become more human—
because it gives us room to feel, to focus, to reflect.

That’s where NotePin fits in.
For someone like me—getting older, forgetting more, juggling life—
NotePin offers more than convenience.
It offers peace of mind.

It gives me space.
It lets me remember less, and still know more.
It helps me keep pace with the world without feeling left behind.

And yeah… I’ve already given it a nickname: “No-chan.”
Even though I haven’t bought it yet, it’s already living rent-free in my mind.

You’re probably thinking, “So just buy it already!”
And hey—you might be right.

But for now, I’m letting myself sit with the decision.
One more day. One more review.
Maybe even one more drink tonight while I think about it (okay, maybe just tea this time).

Because deep down, I know:
If No-chan ever joins my little team of AI companions…
life might just feel a little lighter.

And honestly?
That’s worth a lot.

📎 Learn more about NotePin — the AI-powered voice recorder that transcribes and summarizes.
👉 Official product page

📎 Related posts you might enjoy:

• 🤖 Can AI ease loneliness? A Gen X perspective on ChatGPT as a companion in an aging society.
  
• ⚾ It’s not too late — a story of hesitation, courage, and taking one more pitch in your 50s.
  

　・🌲 A hidden trail in Mt. Takao – the peaceful side of nature, away from the crowd.