I don’t have a specific thought for todays post.
So instead I thought I’d throw down a few things that I’m playing with these days.
Note taking apps.
The other day, I saw @dens tweet about his desire to find a better replacement for the built in Notes app on iOS. I’ve been using Evernote intensely for the past year or so. Evernote is the ultimate file cabinet and it does things that are unique and powerful like OCR and the ability to save documents and photos. But that comes at a price – namely speed. It’s a heavy app.
So last night I went and checked out a number of lighter alternatives. And the one I’ve returned to is Simplenote. It’s a joy to use and it’s crazy fast. It only does text but it does it extremely well. It also syncs to a their web service so you can access it all through a browser. And the app is beautiful on the iphone and ipad. i’m in love.
Podcasts
Once upon a time, i used to drive about an hour to and from work each day along 280. It was before the days of iPhones and Android. My salvation was CDs, KFOG but i also became hooked on NPR and Terry Gross. That format felt great to me. Lately I’m looking for something to balance my audio needs besides music around the clock. So I’m getting into podcasts and it’s so much fun. It’s raw, authentic and there is something about it that just works for me.
I’ll likely write a post later this week about my favorite podcasts but I’m definitely looking to expand my horizons. I tweeted out a request for new podcast recommendations and picked up some awesome ones from @david, @arainert, @christinacici and others. Thank you and please keep the suggestions coming (you can email me at bsabet at gmail or @bijan on twitter).
The one thing getting in my way is iTunes. I simply do not care for that piece of software. As good as Simplenotes is in it’s beauty, grace and speed, it feels like iTunes is the opposite. I love how SoundCloud’s follow model works with podcasts. First, it streams to my phone instead of downloading it. And it’s easy to just hit play. I wish all my favorite podcasters made the move to SoundCloud.
Ok, gotta run to a meeting. More later.