Just before CES 2026 in Las Vegas, hardware startup Plaud unveiled its latest productivity tool: the Plaud NotePin S. Alongside this new wearable, the company is launching a dedicated desktop application that aims to bridge the gap between in-person chats and virtual meetings, signaling an important step toward owning the entire note-taking ecosystem for professionals and students alike.
The NotePin S is a refined, more compact version of the original Plaud pin recorder, which came onto the market back in 2024
One of the biggest criticisms of the first version was the squeeze-to-record mechanism, which could be a bit tricky. Plaud fixed that here by adding a dedicated physical button. Now you start your recording with a long press, and with a quick tap during the conversation you can “highlight” a specific moment – giving the AI a warning that a certain part of the conversation is particularly important.
Priced at $179, the NotePin S is designed to be forgettable while you’re carrying it. It’s incredibly lightweight and comes with a full range of accessories – a clip, a lanyard, a magnetic stick and even a wristband – so you can find the most comfortable place for it no matter what you’re carrying. They’ve also added Apple Find My support, which is a lifesaver for something so small. If it’s dropped or left in a conference room, you can track it just like an AirTag.
The internal specs are solid, even if they don’t represent a huge leap over the previous generation. You get 64GB of storage, enough for 20 hours of continuous recording and around 40 days of standby battery life. The dual microphones are designed to capture clear voices from around 3 meters away, perfect for one-on-one or small group conversations. Like Plaud’s other devices, this device offers 300 free minutes of AI transcription every month to get you started.
The hardware is only half the story
Plaud is also launching a new desktop app to compete directly with services like Granola and Otter. While the NotePin takes care of the “real world”, the app deals with your virtual life on Zoom, Slack or Google Meet. It can automatically detect when a call begins and immediately begins transcribing the system audio.
The cool thing is that it retains the “multimodal” approach that Plaud introduced on mobile – you can take a screenshot or type a quick note during the meeting and the AI will put everything together into a comprehensive summary.
Ultimately, Plaud is trying to be more than just a “gadget company.” With over 1.5 million users already, they position themselves as a complete productivity suite. Whether you’re recording a lecture in a hall or a strategy session over a video call, you want to be the ones to record and organize everything for you.
