- You can add and edit notes in where-is-the-nearest-Starbucks-I-need-wifi-now mode and sync notes to the server when you encounter a Wi-Fi connection (Evernote won't let you edit the original notes even in Wi-Fi, just add more text to the notes) so you can access your notes via your web browser unless you want to be tied down by your iDevice.
- You can add notes and to-do's by voicing your commands and your robotic Genie of an app will transcribe your order. Or try adding commands with another robotic buddy through IM (add "reqall" in AIM and Yahoo Messenger, "reqall@im.reqall.com" in GTalk). But if your web browser is open already, why not add notes by going on the website? You can easily change the list where you want your item to be in.
- In addition to notes (use the keyword "note" at the beginning of your text), Reqall supports to-do lists, shopping lists (add the keyword "buy" somewhere in your text), contacts list, and includes a search function (in the web and iPod versions). Trees would be a step closer from being free from our domination and I'd have to bid goodbye to the so-addictive-but-wasteful, so-bright-they-are-begging-for-purchase post-it notes.
- You can back up your notes from the Native Notes app. Imagine you need some mailing address that you typed in the Notes section and your battery is totally dead and you don't have access to a computer. Won't you just wish you listened to your Dad and actually backed up your notes somewhere else? A mediocre workaround, but still it might work: Give Reqall a call (1-888-9-REQALL, toll-free) and say "recall" to be reminded of items on your to-do list or shopping list. You can't quite recall notes so the only other way around it that my poor mind can come up with is selecting all the text from the item that you might want to recall later when you see your battery draining, copying and pasting it onto a new item in the to-do list so you can still call Reqall and ask for the item.
- The iPod Touch app has been on sale for $0 since its birth (Reqall won't charge you for syncing via Wi-Fi, as opposed to Fliqnotes, which is a free Notes app but you'll be charged at least $39.95 to use their syncing application aka The Missing Sync to sync notes.)
- Get reminded by push notifications! Or if you've used your iPod so much you killed its battery, you can also be reminded by IM or email. Text message reminders are currently available to Pro users ($2.99/month or $24.99/year for a ton of extra feature). Workaround: If you know your phone number's email address, you can still get text message reminders. For example, if my phone number is 1234567890 and I'm with T-Mobile, my phone number's email address is 1234567890@tmomail.net. If for instance, I'm on AT&T, formerly Cingular, my phone number's email address can be either 1234567890@txt.att.net or 1234567890@mms.att.net, depending on whether your phone can take picture messages, for which you could use the @mms.att.net address. For other carriers, see this article. Just don't pay so much attention to the teleflip advice. I tried it to email myself at #@teleflip.com like the article details and never got anything. Perhaps the company closed down?
Free Reqall's limiting features:
- The text you add to Reqall is maxed out at 2000 characters. So for longer notes, I'd suggest keeping the Evernote iPod Touch app so you can at least press the star icon next to the note title to favorite it and access it while offline. You still can only append or add text to the note, not actually edit it.
- There's a 30 second recording time for text added in by voice, whether you've got a Standard or Pro account.
These Pro features make me want to consider upgrading but I'm just a poor college student, so I have managed to work around these on the iPod Touch:
- Integration with GCal: I think any calendar should be for appointments only and to-do's should be on a separate task list so it works for me that these purposes are served with separate apps: GCal is synced to the native Calendar app on the iPod Touch thanks to this guide and Reqall is used to jot down to-do's for the days ahead.
- Integration with Evernote: I see Reqall and Evernote as apps with overlapping purposes so for this I wouldn't bother so much integrating them except I would keep both apps.
- Adding items by e-mail: With the iPod Touch app, you can just add items by pressing on the "+" button. If you're on the computer and have the God-sent gift of the physical keyboard, why log on to your web-based email when you can just log on to Reqall's website or fire a quick IM with your item and that's it!
Screenshots (kudos for blowing them up for you to see clearer and for me to reveal how clearly adept I am at manipulating HTML that I can't even resize it to fit this post?)
Here you'll see the different lists your items can be placed in the iPod Touch app.
Here's the web interface where you get a box to input your item. You might just be closer to realizing your dream of having a robotic assistant take your orders. In all seriousness though, this does work like a IM chat room with a robot that "understands" your commands. Keywords include "note" and "buy." The enlightening explanations above.
