Oftentimes I find myself using a highlighter and a pen at the same time, to take/make notes.

Now, there are products on the market that are a combination highlighter/pen, but they invariably run out of one ink before the other, thus reducing me to a) buying a new one and wasting leftover ink in the old, or b) using a replacement for whatever went bad in addition to the combo pen, meaning that I have two writing implements, meaning that I'm right back where I started.

Thus, a new product: A highlighter that has a mount on the side for pens. I envision two thin velcro strips running through small plastic loops on the highlighter - like a belt, I suppose. A cup on the bottom (writing side of the highlighter) holds the back end of the pen. Simply flip over and write with whichever utensil you need.

Prefer to highlight in red but write in black? Just stick in a black pen. Highlighter runs out? No bigs, the pen is as good as it was forty seconds ago. Pen runs out? Replace it, and off you go.

Also, far cooler than just using a rubber band.
-- shapu, Mar 21 2007

Can you make it look like a little space shuttle?
-- jutta, Mar 21 2007


I'll have to run that past marketing. Is looking like the Buran good enough?
-- shapu, Mar 21 2007


How about just putting a hole down the center of the highlighter for a replaceable ballpoint pen unit?

Basically, it's a clicky ballpoint pen with a highlighter marker surrounding the pen unit. Click the pen forward, and it's a pen. Retract the pen, and it's a highlighter.

You can even have a third click for intermediate depth. With the ballpoint pen just barely poking out of the highlighter, you can write highlighted text.
-- IJK, Mar 22 2007


[+] for IJK's annotation
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 22 2007


Yeah, that's pretty bright. If you ask me (which you haven't), I'd say post that as its own independent idea.
-- shapu, Mar 22 2007



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