Evernote

The beauty of Evernote has always been its simple presentation and organization of my notes. Images, websites, text, video, etc. everything was collected and categorized into a tag so that I could easily recall my research later. Evernote's usefulness was limited by its mobility, however. Not only did it limit my access but also my ability to recall my research on the go. By producing a mobile application Evernote has given me both access to my notes as well as additional possibilities for my trusty little research organizer.

Using the application is as easy as clicking around through the different parts of the interface. A handy info screen gives you details about your account, upload limits, etc. Adding a new note is intuitive and makes great use of the iPhone's inbuilt voice recording, location awareness, and camera. It is because of this that Evernote can be extended via this app to become a field research book, a cache for various documents you might need on the go, and recording the location of any notes taken.

I began using evernote to bring my club discount cards, photo ID, car's registration, proof of insurance, etc. with me without fear of damaging these documents or forgetting where I put them. Ironically shortly after I did this I was pulled over and had to make use of this little functionality.

As you can tell from my screen shots I've primarily used evernote for research functionality, but its true purpose is organizing your notes and data. Evernote does an excellent job of this both on and off of the iPhone. Lag between upload and download of notes from phone to desk or visa versa was quick when network conditions were optimal. This was great because I could take field notes on a piece or property, geotag the note, and then recall the note on my desktop to work on it with a full keyboard.

I anticipate using Evernote quite frequently now that I've downloaded and used the application for a variety of different function.

The interface is clean and simple and delivers all the features that Evernote promises while also including all the functions one would expect given the iPhone's technological capabilities (like landscape mode). I see no use for push notifications in this app but would expect some sort of video upload to be included in a future application to support the video functionality of the 3GS.

What you can accomplish with Evernote will vary depending on your needs. Because the application is so flexible the application can do more than you can initially anticipate. As this is the case you will feel as if you're not getting 100% out of the application until you've used it for a while.

If you're looking for an application that is a robust utility for organizing your data on the go or giving you access to your notes on the go you'll find nothing as easy to use or as well designed as Evernote. Literally my only complaint about Evernote is that I find myself using it so frequently that I would like to get a premium account.
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