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Evernote's Penultimate for iPad now behaves more like a real notebook
Penultimate is supposed to mimic a notebook on your iPad, so it only makes sense that the app's interface should mirror the pen-and-paper experience as much as possible. Right? Evernote thinks so, as it has released a Penultimate update that gets closer to the real thing. You can swipe from off-screen to turn pages, and you can set a color for every pen width; effectively, you now have a collection of favorite pens. Not all of the updates are meant to simulate analog drawing. Penultimate notes look much nicer when seen from Evernote, and there are improvements to ink rendering, palm recognition and connections with Jot Script pens. The upgraded app still won't replicate the feel of actual notebooks, but you might not miss them quite so much.
Hands-on with the Adonit Jot Script Stylus for iOS - Evernote Edition
In the never-ending quest to make Evernote your "online memory," the company has been making alliances with manufacturers to bring physical products to market that work with the service. We've seen Evernote team up with 3M Post-It Notes and Moleskine for products you can write on, then snap a photo of or upload to the Evernote cloud. Now the company has joined forces with Adonit for the new Adonit Jot Script Stylus for iOS -- Evernote Edition (US$74.99). What makes the Jot Script Stylus stand out from other electronic styluses for iOS? Two things: First, it's the first iOS stylus with a fine-point tip and second, it is designed to work intimately with Evernote's free Penultimate notebook app. Unlike some other styluses that use a rechargeable battery, the Jot Script Stylus Evernote Edition uses a single, readily available AAA battery for months of writing. The device powers itself down after three minutes of non-use and turns back on with a press on the single button that's on the device. The big difference is the fine-point tip -- 1.9 mm in diameter, as opposed to the 6 mm tips found on a number of competing styluses -- and a new technology from Adonit called PixelPoint. That, and Penultimate's use of the Adonit SDK in the app, is supposed to provide a nice fine-point writing experience similar to writing on paper with a gel ink pen. Linking this Evernote Edition stylus with Penultimate is easy. You just slip the battery into the stylus, turn on Bluetooth on your iOS device, turn off multitasking gestures in Settings and then fire up the Penultimate app. In the app under Settings, there's a "Jot Script Evernote Stylus Setup" item. Tap it, press the button on the stylus and the two link almost immediately. What's supposed to happen with the Jot Script and Penultimate is something akin to magic. First, your wrist (laying on the iPad screen while writing) is supposed to be ignored, with only the stylus creating marks on the screen. Second, there's a "pan and drift mode" that can be invoked for very precise writing -- you zoom into a page, pan with a two-finger swipe until you get to your starting point, then start writing and the page kind of "drifts" to the side with your writing. In reality, I found on occasion that, for some reason, the screen would start picking up my wrist pressure again after a short period of time, which made writing a pain until I shut down and restarted the stylus. When I'd write the letter "O," the stylus would occasionally erase the letter. Things did work better with the pan and drift mode, but then it felt odd not being able to see the entire notebook page on my iPad Air. I'm one of those people who really doesn't like to use a stylus on an iPad except for one thing -- painting or sketching -- and in that case, I prefer the Ten One Design Pogo Connect, as it not only has interchangeable tips, but available brushes as well. However, if you've had success with using a stylus with Penultimate, I'd recommend taking a look at the Adonit Jot Script Evernote Edition as you'll probably love it. Conclusion With the Jot Script Stylus for iOS -- Evernote Edition, Adonit has jumped to a new level of tablet stylus accuracy. Especially when used with Evernote's Penultimate app, those who enjoy using a stylus to take notes on an iPad or iPhone will find the Jot Script Stylus to be a surprisingly pen-like tool. Pros Quite lightweight and slender, and it looks more like a pen than any stylus I've tested so far. Simple linking with Penultimate app. Evernote "elephant" logo on it. Ridged finger rest provides a very secure grip. Cons At this time, it appears that only Penultimate supports this stylus. I had some issues with Penultimate "forgetting" to ignore my wrist pressure. Who is it for? Avid users of Evernote's Penultimate app Giveaway Have a hankering to write your Penultimate notes with a wonderfully balanced, fine-point stylus? We're giving a Jot Script Stylus away. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before November 8, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive a Adonit Jot Script for iOS -- Evernote Edition valued at $74.95 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Jot Script Evernote Edition stylus brings high-precision handwriting to iOS (video)
Many iOS styluses have all the precision of a blunt instrument -- their thick tips frequently rule them out for handwriting. Evernote and Adonit want to refine the experience with their new Jot Script Evernote Edition. The Bluetooth-based pen has a tiny, 1.9mm (0.07in) tip that lets note takers write almost as well as they would on paper. It's meant to work with an optimized version of Evernote's Penultimate that includes zoom and improved palm rejection, but third-party software can incorporate "enhanced" control through the Jot Script developer kit. Other apps get at least basic support, Evernote says. Mobile auteurs can buy the stylus today for $75, and the corresponding Penultimate app is available for free.
Penultimate update adds smarter notebook titles and improved Evernote sync
Penultimate (free), the iOS handwritten note-taking app that was snapped up by Evernote just about a year ago, was updated to version 4.1 today. What's different? If you connect the app to Evernote, it will now suggest notebook titles based on your location and events that you have on your calendar. The Evernote blog shows an example of a "design meetup" notebook that was created based on a calendar event. You can still change the suggested notebook titles by tapping and typing. The notebooks also now show the location and date when you last added or changed content as well, which provides helpful context about each notebook. The access to your iPad's calendar and location information is used only for the notebook-titling feature. Version 4.1 of Penultimate also adds new sync options, including the ability to pause sync when you're traveling or working offline and an option to sync only when you're on a WiFi network. If you share your iPad with other family members or co-workers, you can also sign out of the app now. Evernote Premium subscribers also get some additional goodies, like unlimited access to paper designs in the Paper Shop (these are in-app purchases for those who aren't Premium users) and enhanced security (there's a passcode lock). Premium users also get the ability to create more and larger notebooks, faster access to support and quicker processing of handwritten notes for searching.
Evernote updates Hello with business card scanning, makes Penultimate free
It's a big day for Evernote in the iOS App Store. The developer updated both its Hello contacts manager and Penultimate, the handwriting app it acquired last year. Hello was updated to include business card scanning, a feature that makes creating and updating contacts a breeze. There's also new LinkedIn and Facebook integration, so you can connect with your contacts even when you are not meeting with them directly. Penultimate was overhauled with deep Evernote integration that lets you sync your handwritten notes with Evernote automatically. You can also use Evernote's handwriting recognition engine to search your handwritten notes. No matter whether you type or write your notes, they will always be searchable and retrievable. Evernote also dropped the price on the app and is making it available for free. Both Penultimate and Evernote Hello are available in the iOS App Store. Penultimate is an iPad app, while Hello is iPhone-only.
Evernote intros Penultimate 4 for iPad, explores synced and searchable handwriting
Evernote acquired the Penultimate app for iPad last year with the conspicuous goal of making handwritten notes as easy to synchronize as to-do lists and snippets from the web. After several months of silence, the newly reworked Penultimate 4 is the result. The drawing tool now treats Evernote not just as a sharing option, but an integral part of its being. While it's possible to skip the sign-in, those who link their account get both cross-platform access to their work as well as cloud-based searches of their more legible writing. There's likewise a simpler interface with more realistic pen input. Truth be told, however, we suspect that many of Penultimate 4's would-be adopters will just care that the app is now free -- as of today, the biggest cost is that of an optional Evernote Premium account. As long as they're using an iPad running iOS 6, note takers yearning for the flexibility of a pad and paper in an era of cloud syncing and tablets can give Penultimate a try at the source link.
Evernote buys Penultimate app developer Cocoa Box
Evernote is on the move, reporting a US$70 million financing round last week and plans to "grow its user base in new regions, expand its offering into new verticals and enable the company to make strategic acquisitions." One of those strategic acquisitions was just announced -- Evernote has purchased Cocoa Box, the developer of iPad note-taking app Penultimate. It's a perfect match of two products. Evernote (free, paid subscriptions available) brings not only storage and access of "everything" (notes, business cards, photos, drawings, web pages, food experiences, travel documents, ad inifinitum) to the Web, but also provides cross-platform apps to search and add to the data store. Last fall Evernote added Skitch to its stable of apps, and now the acquisition of Penultimate ($0.99) brings even more power to the Evernote ecosystem. Penultimate was recently listed by Apple as the fourth-best selling iPad app of all time in the United States. Considering that two of the best sellers are Angry Birds editions and the other is Apple's own Pages, you could say that Penultimate is simply the best-selling productivity app for the iPad. I had a chance to talk to both Evernote CEO Phil Libin and Cocoa Box founder Ben Zotto last Friday, and both are ecstatic about the marriage of the two firms. Both Evernote and Cocoa Box are located in the Bay Area, which made the acquisition even more convenient. Phil noted that handwriting is about a quarter of all of the content on Evernote. Cocoa Box added Evernote integration to Penultimate in January, and many Evernote staffers use the app on a daily basis. Now that Penultimate is part of the Evernote family, it will be much easier for Ben and his team to add Evernote functionality. One of the early benefits of the acquisition should be improved handwriting recognition. At this point in time, Penultimate users can send their handwritten notes to Evernote, where they're transcribed to editable text via picture-based handwriting recognition. Now Penultimate can be tweaked to capture handwriting stroke information and send it to Evernote for faster and more accurate recognition. Ben mentioned that up until now, Penultimate has been a fairly self-contained piece of software. Plugging it into a system like Evernote will make the app a view into an Evernote world, bringing along such improvements as better search capabilities. He also noted that their plans include getting Penultimate onto more platforms; unfortunately, I neglected to see if the iPhone was one of those platforms. Along with the many other apps that are part of the Evernote ecosystem -- Evernote Food, Evernote Hello, Evernote Clearly, Skitch, Evernote Web Clipper, Evernote Peek, and a growing number of third-party apps -- Penultimate adds to the overall usefulness of Evernote. Phil Libin once noted that he wants Evernote to last for at least one hundred years, and with tools like Penultimate added to the mix, that dream is getting more likely every day. Show full PR text EVERNOTE ACQUIRES DIGITAL HANDWRITING APP PENULTIMATE Penultimate is the Fourth Best-Selling iTunes App of all Time in the US Mountain View, CA – May 7, 2012 – Evernote, the company that's helping the world remember everything, today announced the acquisition of Penultimate, the most popular digital handwriting application for iPad, and the fourth best-selling iPad app of all time. The acquisition will allow Evernote to expand its handwriting capabilities, while also making Penultimate available on more platforms and devices. "Digital handwriting has been around for decades, but it has never gone mainstream because the hardware and software simply weren't aligned. Thanks to Penultimate and the iPad, that's all changing," said Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote. "For the first time ever, writing on a tablet is really great, which is why we chose this moment to make the acquisition. We have big plans for Penultimate that will both enhance the app and bring more capabilities into Evernote. It's already the best handwriting app out there, and it's only just getting started." The Penultimate app is designed to resemble a physical notebook. Individuals can use a finger or stylus to take notes wherever they like. The application allows users to choose from a variety of paper types, ink colors and line thicknesses. Notes taken in Penultimate can be saved directly to Evernote with a single tap. "Technology often distances us from things that feel natural and human. With Penultimate, our goal was to use the most advanced tools to enable something that was at once powerful and familiar," said Ben Zotto, creator of Penultimate. "I'm thrilled to join the Evernote family. Their vision and expertise will help bring exciting improvements to Penultimate, and together we'll elevate the importance of handwriting within Evernote." Availability Penultimate is available for $0.99 from the iTunes App Store. About Evernote Evernote is helping the world remember everything by building innovative products and services that allow individuals to capture, find and interact with their memories. Evernote apps are available on all major computer, web, mobile, and tablet platforms. For more information, please visit: www.evernote.com
How D7 Consulting uses the iPad at work
We've been covering the story of D7 Consulting for a while here on TUAW -- that's the company that originally won 20 iPads from Box.net through our comments section, and then became a showcase project for how the iPad can be used in real-life business. I called up CEO Joe Daniels for one final interview this week to see how things have progressed and what he and his company have learned from using their iPads while out and about. He told me that even though the dust has settled on the initial program, the iPad implementation at D7 "is going to be ongoing forever." It's "an evolutionary thing," Daniels said. But it has gotten to the point where the company no longer uses paperwork to share files. "Everything I do when I go out to a job site is done through the iPad and Box. I don't even take a file with me any more."
5 more great family-friendly iOS apps
I'm always on the lookout for solid family-friendly applications. I particularly appreciate titles that aren't specifically made for children but that nonetheless engage and entertain. The following list is made up of kid-tested & approved iOS applications. None of these apps are child-specific; in fact, many of them are marketed towards adults. And yet, all of these applications deliver long-term entertainment value for what will likely be an appreciative audience. So don't let your purchases be hobbled by a lack of kid-friendly marketing. These apps provide great family fun.
TUAW Review: Write and organize handwritten notes on your iPad with Penultimate
To look at my office, you wouldn't know right away that I'm a digital kind of guy. Rather than pull up a text editor on any one of the digital devices that surround me, I'd rather grab a pen and scrawl a note on a Post-it™ note. Eventually, the notes are either trashed or fall under some piece of equipment, so they're definitely not for long-term use. Over the years, I've also accumulated a pile of loose-leaf binders, Moleskines, and other notebooks containing the detritus from my brain. Now that I am iPad-equipped, I finally want to move my note-taking over to the digital age. I've looked at a number of iPad apps, and most of them didn't fit my main requirement of being able to make multiple notebooks for different tasks. When I saw Penultimate from Cocoa Box Design (US$2.99 for early adopters), i finally pulled the trigger on buying a notebook app for the iPad. While it's not perfect (I'll explain why in my review), Penultimate is the closest to what I'm looking for in an iPad note-taking app. Read the rest of this short review and check out the gallery to see what Penultimate is all about. %Gallery-91168%
DS Daily: Custom stylus
We've touched on the issue of the stylus before; many people use thicker, professional styluses from PDAs or whatnot, while others use some of the special edition ones seen around the internet. But it's a free-thinking world, guys and gals, and reality is such a ho-hum place.Let your mind drift and dream, and tell us, dear readers: in a penultimate world (that's a clever pun, see?), what would your stylus be? Any reasonably cylindrical shape will do. We're partial to the deadly eastern dragon above, of course.
