Now, there are a great many apps out there. From games to GPS, from geocaching to recipe collection, it goes without saying that we live in a culture saturated with apps. But how many of them can really change the way you live and work?
That was the question first and foremost on my mind when I attended the Evernote conference in San Francisco this past week. Our family has been using Evernote for years, now, and it’s helped us streamline our existence considerably. I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not a naturally organized person. I know I’m a mess when it comes to managing calendars and reminders, and I’ve tried a few methods throughout my life with varying success. Okay, not varying. Usually a resounding failure. And while, as I mentioned, we do use Evernote, it’s always been more as a way to digitize the piles of paper that have grown up around us, especially with the addition of our two kids.
I went to Evernote as part of a group of bloggers brought on by Post-it Brand. We weren’t 100% sure what the connection was, but it was excited to be part of an unveiling.
Really, I don’t think I need to sell the idea of Post-it Notes to this audience. They’re pretty ubiquitous in geek circles, from practical to artistic uses, from research notation to fun with kids. But if you think about it, the Post-it Note is a near perfect invention. It’s something that works simply with the way humans think, that helps us remember what we need, anywhere we need.
Well, almost anywhere.
And that’s where Evernote comes in handy. The Post-it Brand and Evernote collaboration is twofold: it enhances something physical (the Post-it Notes) and simultaneously adds a tangible element to something digital (Evernote). With a special Post-it Note feature now in Evernote, you can scan your Post-it Note and it gets instantly digitized and integrated with your Evernote flow. The tech behind this is pretty cool, too. It’s not just a picture. The scan actually renders everything to black and white, and then re-colors it–your handwriting shows up on a perfectly digitized version of your note. And, of course, it’s color-coded (one of the best parts about Post-it Notes, in my humble opinion).
I’ll be talking more about the Post-it Note connection in a future post, but I also wanted to point out one of the features that’s excited me the most that I found out at Evernote this year. My iPad is one of my closest gadget friends, and since going back to work full-time, I’ve really started integrating it into my workflow. But I noticed in the last few months that I’ve gotten lax about my note-taking.
Why? I just don’t work well with the iPad keyboard. In fact, it slows me down. And not to mention, physically writing something down really helps me retain the information. So you can imagine how I excited I was when I learned about the new stylus Evernote is releasing in collaboration with Adonit. Apparently, it’s a total ground-up redesign, and it writes like a real pen. Not a crappy stylus. Not your clumsy finger. I’ll be getting one shortly, so as soon as I do, you can expect a full report.
Learn more about Post-it Brand and Evernote by visiting your local office supply store or by visiting Postit.com/Evernote , Post-it Brand on Twitter (@postitproducts ) or Facebook (http://facebook.com/postit).
I was sent to Evernote 2013 for the purpose of covering Post-it Brand.
I have Evernote and have never even opened it up. No idea why. Maybe this is a good reason to start using it and become the organized person I’ve always dreamed of being.