NoteAnytime
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The Note Anytime virtual whiteboard app now supports handwriting recognition in 13 languages
I'm always amused when people say the iPad is really not a productivity tool. If it only allowed web browsing and email, it would greatly enhance my productivity. Of course, the iPad does much more than that and a case in point is the universal iOS app Note Anytime. The app creates a whiteboard on your screen and lets you take notes, create graphics, insert photos / graphs, sketch and then share your work via email or social networks. I took a look at the app last year, and it has been substantially enhanced with new features and better sync tools across platforms. Users now also get 2 GB of free cloud storage. In its latest version, Note Anytime adds handwriting recognition and predictive text in 13 languages, which is no small achievement. While Note Anytime is free, adding handwriting recognition in one language is US$7.99, and recognition in all 13 languages is $19.99. There are also some paid options for different bold inks and some templates. None of those options are required, and if you don't want handwriting recognition you can get along fine with the free version. %Gallery-193623% I find the handwriting recognition very valuable, but like all such software, it's not perfectly accurate and you have to get used to it. The app recognizes your handwriting input in real time, and presents a list of what it thinks you wrote. Just tap on the correct word or phrase if the software gets it wrong. I found using a really thin pen stroke gives the best results. You can use your finger or a stylus as a pen. Of course the app has a keyboard built in so you don't have to use handwriting recognition. I can't cover all the great features in this app in an online review, but if you have an interest I'd suggest you take a look at the demo video on the developer website, or download the app and then give it a try. I found using Note Anytime on an iPhone was a bit cramped, but on an iPad it was a pleasure to use. I was easily able to create useful notes that go far beyond what I would be able to create on a piece of physical paper. Even web links or whole web pages can be imported. The app gets very strong reviews from users. It requires iOS 5 or later, and is optimized for the iPhone 5.
Note Anytime helps make notes easy and elegant
There are quite a few note-taking apps for the iPad, but I have to say Note Anytime has features that are compelling. Notes can be as simple as writing on a legal pad, or more complex with images, hand-drawn illustrations, diagrams and documents that can be helpful in anything from project planning to creating an ad campaign. The app is free for now, although there are a host of add-ons that range from US$0.99 to $6.99. None are necessary to use the app in powerful ways, but some may want the enhancements, like different patterns for papers or more artistic calligraphic fonts. %Gallery-167922% The app includes a series of introductory videos and extensive help, which really are needed, because to get the benefits of this app, you can't just sit down and hack away. Learning the app is a small price to pay for the power it gives you. Once you have your page or background chosen, you can start to type notes using the keyboard or you can use your finger as a pen. This is very accurate compared to other apps I've tried. The text looks like my writing, which is something I haven't seen in some other similar apps. You can import many elements to your notes, even web pages or PDFs. You can get images from your camera rol, or use the iPad camera from inside the app. You can export your notes email, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, to the photo album or print directly if you have AirPrint-compatible hardware. Some negatives: The handwriting can sometimes lag a bit, while the pixels are smoothing. I'd like to see the ability to turn my handwriting into text, perhaps as an in-app purchase. I'd also like to be able to record audio from within the app, or even shoot a quick video. As mentioned above, the app takes time to learn. It is not very intuitive, and sometimes next steps are not obvious until you've used the app awhile. That said, this app is great for note-taking during a meeting. I would have loved to have it when I was in college. If all this sparks your interest, I would grab Note Anytime while it is free. There are plenty of note-taking apps out there, most are four to five dollars or more. It's hard to describe what the notes produced can look like, so check the gallery for some screen shots. Note Anytime requires an iPad and iOS 5 or greater.
