Evernote is giving its Windows desktop application a huge face-lift on Thursday. The new version of the writing and archiving tool has more in common with its Mac counterpart, borrowing features like thumbnail previews and a three-pane view that lets users quickly hop through notes they have saved in one of their Evernote notebooks.
The change may be jarring for some longtime Evernote users who have only used the Windows version, but for people like me, who use clients on both platforms--on a daily basis, the unification is welcome.
Old versus new versions of Evernote compared. Note that the new version has a thumbnail view. (Click to see full size.)
(Credit: CNET)There are some peculiarities though. At first glance the already anemic text editor is missing a few buttons that were found on the old one. Options such as indenting, or adding a bulleted list are still there, but now they're nestled into a right-click contextual menu instead of being buttons as they were before (and still are on the Mac and Web versions). In their place are the simple, but screen real estate-sucking, buttons for printing, e-mailing and deleting any note you're working on. Though unlike on the Mac, this group of options cannot be minimized. On a big, wide-screen monitor this isn't a big deal, but on smaller screens it means you have less room to view your work.
What makes up for that, is spell check--a long-overdue inclusion. Whatever you're writing gets the spell check treatment as you type, just as it does in versions of the program on other platforms. This may seem like a really minor addition, but if you're using Evernote as a primary text editor, this is important.
Evernote's Ink feature lets users draw out notes.
(Credit: CNET)Also quite cool, is a more easily accessible canvas mode made exclusively for Windows users with tablet PCs, which lets them more easily create hand-drawn notes. Users who don't have tablets could previously also access the feature by holding Ctrl+9 when in any note, although now it's its own type of note. Worth noting is that these notes cannot be seen on the current version of the Mac software, something that will be added in a future update.
All in all, this is a good update with some big changes that may take some getting used to for folks who haven't used the Mac version. Because of the many changes in this version, the Evernote 3.5 update is being released in beta, instead of an automatic update within the software. Windows users of the current version can download it from Evernote's site.
Correction: This article originally misstated the newness of the ink writing feature as well as the software's capability to index handwritten notes. Users who don't have tablets could previously also access the feature by holding Ctrl+9 when in any note, although now it's its own type of note.
The clever memory jogger service and voice-recognizing mobile software app ReQall is getting a link to my favorite note-taking app, Evernote.
The new iPhone version of ReQall puts a "related items" option on all entries. That option will link you to other ReQall entries as well as Evernote items that match up.
Items are linked by text. If you have a ReQall item that says, "Buy present for Joan," the related items you get will be those that have "Joan" in them or the word "present." And since Evernote recognizes text in photos you've stored on the service, you might find related pictures as well. If you have the Evernote app on your phone, when you click on the related item, ReQall will launch Evernote for that note.
The Related Items button links you to Evernote and ReQall entries that share keywords. In the rightmost of these screenshots, the image items are in Evernote. The others are in ReQall.
(Credit: ReQall)You need a pro ReQall account, $24.99 a year, to use this feature.
I'm most interested in this addition since I'm a big Evernote user, and one of Evernote's biggest weaknesses is that it doesn't have a to-do list manager. This isn't quite that, but if you do use ReQall for to-dos, now they'll hook into related topic pages from Evernote.
The link will be available only in the mobile app for the time being; the ReQall Web service will get the link "soon," CEO Sunil Vemuri told me.
Evernote, a great note-taking and productivity app and a 2009 Webware 100 editor's choice winner, is getting just a hint of multi-user capability. It has new, basic sharing features that tease at a new direction for the app/online service.
Evernote users can now share collections of pages or photos ("notebooks") with other people from the Evernote Web app. Notebooks can be shared with individuals or, as they could be before, published to their own URLs and shared with everybody on the Web.
For users of the free Evernote product, that's pretty much it. Premium (paid) users get the capability to make the notebook sharing two-way, so people shared with can write changes back to the originating notebook.
Other big limitations: The sharing features only work from the Web version of Evernote. You cannot share a notebook from the PC, Mac, or iPhone version of the app, nor can you see notebooks shared with you from those apps -- only from the Web. You can only share entire notebooks, not single pages. And there's no revision tracking.
Evernote gets a new menu option that opens up sharing to individuals or the world.
(Credit: Screenshot by Rafe Needleman/CNET)There's certainly the possiblity that Evernote (or Microsoft compeitor OneNote) could become a kind of blended personal/group note-taking app, like a wiki. This update to the Web service isn't that, but I do like where the product seems to be going. It also appears Evernote is finally beginning to provide some features that make the paid version of the app worth it, which I am glad to see. I want this product to make it.
(Credit:
Evernote)
A brand-new BlackBerry app joined the Evernote family on Monday. The multiplatform, multimedia note-taking service has already been uploading voice, text, images, and files from the desktop (Mac|Windows), Web, Windows Mobile phones, and the iPhone. The addition of BlackBerry rounds out Evernote's presence on major smartphone operating systems, though it's likely that if the Palm Pre takes off, the company will continue development for Palm's WebOS.
Like Evernote on other mobile platforms, Evernote for BlackBerry (download) lets you upload a text note, voice clip, picture, or file to your cloud-based Evernote account. The signature green interface is clean, and quick and easy to navigate on the BlackBerry Bold, my test device. Simply scroll with the track ball to move through the four notetaking icons on the start screen, or pop down to the bottom to search a note by its tag. Pressing the Menu key reveals options to view recently-created notes, notes pending uploading, and an option to activate GPS.
The application's performance depends heavily on how strong your data connection is. On a weak data or Wi-Fi network, loading your history of notes could test your patience, but on a fast connection, the notes you took on the desktop or Web are easy enough to browse or search by tag. We should note that the method for playing back voice notes requires you to download or open the captured voice file on the BlackBerry's media player--too bad there's no direct method to bring the player's functionality into Evernote itself. However, the app also includes some keyboard-skirting shortcuts that let you populate the descriptions area of an upload with previously-used tags.
Evernote for BlackBerry is a "freemium" product; the core capturing and search features are free, but subscriptions for storing multimedia notes online beyond the first 40MB per month sell for $5 per month (or $45 per year.) The application is compatible with the Bold, Storm, and Curve 8900 series phones, and should also work on future phones running operating systems 4.6 and higher. As of today, Evernote for BlackBerry is exclusively available through the BlackBerry App World application.
The note-taking and photo-cataloging tool Evernote is getting a cool little feature next week: integration with Twitter. You'll be able to send messages to the @MyEN Twitter account, and they'll be posted to your Evernote notebook as well.
The integration feature isn't live yet, but should be early next week. I'll Twitter when it is (follow @Rafe). I got a preview of it today and it looks useful.
Here's the setup. If you're an Evernote user, you request to follow the Twitter user @MyEN, a protected account. The Evernote service approves you, and sends you a Web link with instructions for linking your Twitter and Evernote accounts. Once you've got the link set up, you can Twitter quick notes into your default Evernote notebook by sending a private (or "direct", or "D") note to @MyEN. Or you can copy your public Twitters into your notebook by tacking "@MyEN" on to them. If you send a Twitpic link to @MyEN the photo gets copied to your Evernote account as well.
This note came to Evernote via Twitter.
(Credit: Screenshot by Rafe Needleman/CNET)I don't see myself adding @MyEN to public Tweets just so I can keep a record of them in Evernote, since it might confuse followers. But the capability to privately Twitter myself a note could be useful.
There are, of course, several ways to get notes into Evernote: There are apps for the PC, Mac, iPhone, Windows Mobile phone, and there's a Web service and an e-mail interface. Some users also employ Jott to feed notes in. But for quick notes from the field, on an iPhone for example, using a Twitter client to send yourself a note might actually be faster than Evernote's own iPhone app, which takes a bit too much clicking and tapping when you're in a hurry.
Disney Online announced on Wednesday that it has acquired "a number" of assets from family site Kaboose.
According to the company, Kaboose assets were acquired for $18 million. Kaboose sites, including BabyZone and AmazingMoms, will become part of Disney's existing family properties. The deal will be completed once the acquisition attains shareholder approval.
FileLater, an authorized IRS e-file provider, announced on Wednesday that it is now the only online service to provide both businesses and consumers the opportunity to file a tax extension before the April 15 deadline. The company said it facilitated the filing of more extensions in March 2009 than it did in all of 2008. It has also enjoyed "five times the traffic" leading up to April 15. FileLater charges $39.95 for business tax extensions and $17.95 for personal income tax extensions.
Online note-taking service Evernote released an updated version of its application for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Dubbed version 2.0, the app now includes landscape view and the option to see thumbnail images of saved content (a la Apple's Coverflow). But more importantly, the free app now includes an integrated browser, which lets users access links within their notes without firing up the Safari browser. The free update is now available in the Apple App Store.
Bicyclist Lance Armstrong's Livestrong site, which provides health, fitness, and lifestyle-related content, on Wednesday announced that its expanding its service to the BlackBerry.
Dubbed Calorie Tracker, Livestrong's app will allow users to input exactly what they're eating throughout the day to determine how many calories they've consumed. Calorie Tracker will be able to locate more than 525,000 food items and 2,000 fitness activities. Users can see how many calories they're consuming and how many they're burning off.
The app even shows information on fat, carbohydrate, and protein intake. It will be preinstalled in the BlackBerry application carousel on all devices released after April 1. It should be noted that Calorie Tracker is currently available in the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPod Touch owners.
When a business is just starting out and its founders need to fill some administrative holes inexpensively, simple Web apps can fill the void. The apps we're going to look at here are not always good for large organizations; in fact, several are designed specifically for smaller companies that need simple but robust solutions to common business needs.
Manage projects with Basecamp
Once a company starts servicing multiple clients, it needs to manage logistics and ensure that employees are doing what's expected of them. That's where Basecamp comes in.
Basecamp is not only a simple online project coordinator, it's the best of its kind on the Web. Once you sign up, you can immediately start creating projects and share them with employees. The site features to-do list creation, the ability to share files, project progress tracking, time tracking to see which employees have been working on the project, and more. In essence, Basecamp provides a full end-to-end project management service that allows you to see how well your company is performing every step of the way.
Creating and monitoring projects in Basecamp couldn't be easier. But Basecamp is not free. Its Basic edition costs $24 per month and allows users to create and track 15 projects at the same time and store up to 3GB of data. Plans go up from there to $149 per month, which allows for an unlimited number of projects, 50GB of storage, and time tracking (the other plans don't offer time tracking). If you're looking for something simple and effective at managing your projects, Basecamp is worth the money.
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Financial services firm, Virgin Money announced Wednesday that it has joined the Uncrunch.org campaign in an attempt to raise awareness about alternative, social sources of credit for both consumers and businesses. Virgin joins Geezeo, Lending Club, OnDeck Capital, Credit Karma, and ChangeWave, while trying to "unthaw" the credit markets by giving consumers and businesses an online resource to research and find credit.
Uncrunch's focus is social lending, which is why Virgin Money joined the campaign (the company has close to $400 million in social loan volume). Those who surf to Uncrunch will be able to learn about sites like Virgin Money and Lending Club and have the opportunity to take out loans from other individuals who are willing to lend cash.
"With Uncrunch America, we hope to encourage Americans that have sidelined their cash to invest in a friend or family member," Asheesh Advani CEO of Virgin Money, said in a statement. "Maybe they don't feel comfortable in the market, but they can inject cash in the economy by lending to a loved one."
Gmail engineers announced on the Webmail client's official blog Wednesday that a new Gmail Labs feature called Title Tweaks is now available. The hack changes the order of the elements in the browser title bar so "Inbox" followed by the number of unread messages will be placed in front of "Gmail."
Shoeboxed, an online receipt and business card manager, announced Wednesday that it has partnered with Evernote to launch a "direct integration" between the two services. According to the company, users will be able to mail receipts and business cards to Shoeboxed, which will be analyzed by the service and sent directly to Evernote where they can be accessed online, on the desktop, or on a mobile phone. The integration requires registration on both sites, but it's free.
Google has officially dumped public calendar search, the company wrote on its Calendar help page. First mention of the missing search was made by concerned users more than two weeks ago. Google said on the company's help page that the search wasn't used "as extensively as [it] would have liked" and it will look for ways to make it easier to search in the future.
Dex announced Wednesday that it has launched its revamped local search service that will allow users to find landmarks, businesses, and service areas. The site features semantic technology, which lets users search for anything they want in specific or general terms and DexKnows.com will find relevant results based on those queries, the company claims. The site is available now.
Microsoft released Office Live Workspace stats Wednesday that show more than 3 million people are now using Microsoft Live Workspace and it's now available in 28 total languages. The service also boasts a Folders function where users can store, share, and manage documents and storage in those folders have been expanded from 500MB to 5GB per subscription.
Right on schedule Evernote's Google Notebook importer is now live and ready to use.
Users who want to suck in a Google Notebook entry into Evernote can now do so from the service's Web interface. All that's required is to first export any notebooks you want to move over as Atom files, then upload them one at a time into Evernote's Web interface.
What's nice about Evernote's importer is that it keeps both the organizational structure and tags intact, making it less work to reformat later on. I am, however, a little bummed to see that you can't bulk upload several Atom files at once, which would be super handy for users trying to transfer over a wealth of work.
Here's a quick demo of how it works:
Related:
Four places that import your Google Notebooks
Seven worthy Google Notebook replacements
With Thursday's news that Google is discontinuing development on its Notebook service, it may leave a few people looking for a viable replacement. The good news is that there are a handful of really solid products that do the same thing, and in some cases--do it better. Here's a list of seven of our favorites, in no particular order.
1. Evernote
Evernote has a few big things going for it, the main one being its cross-platform architecture which lets you access and add to your Evernotes from multiple devices. It also has optical character recognition, which means any photos you send in will be scanned for text, which gets indexed for searching.
Serious desktop users will most likely want to download the local client, which enables you to create and edit notes even when you don't have an Internet connection. There's also a browser plug-in that lets you clip entire Web pages, or simply bits of them, to save for later.
If you want to get at Evernote on your phone there are clients for both the iPhone and Windows Mobile handsets. Both let you access your notes collection and create new ones right from your device. This includes things like voice messages and snapshots from your phone's built-in camera and microphone.
The service is free to use up to a certain amount of data per month, which you can easily go over if you intend to use it for archiving high-resolution photo scans or for storing large files. However, if you're just using it for quick notes, and a few photos and Web clippings you'll be well under the limit.
Shortly after the news that Google Notebook was ceasing development, Evernote announced it would soon be providing an escape hatch for users to export their stuff over to Evernote free of charge.
2. Zoho Notebook
Zoho's Notebook is probably one of the best services for ex-Google Notebookers to flock to if only for its collaborative features. Several people can work on the same notebook at once, and it combines a handful of Zoho's other Web productivity services into one place. For instance, you can drop in a presentation from Zoho Show, add a video from YouTube, Viddler, Vimeo, or any other site that uses embed code, as well as upload files from your desktop to share or squirrel away on Zoho's servers.
Additionally there's live chat with other Zoho users and collaborators, voice recording, and the capability to link to other notebooks within any notebook.
Its learning curve may be a bit steep for Google Notebook users unfamiliar with other Zoho products, but one thing that might help is the optional browser extension (for IE and Firefox) that lets users clip bits of Web pages to send to specific notebooks.
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