First off, let me preface this review by saying that I am an organization freak. I spend more than enough of my day clearing my email inbox, keeping my calendar straight, and creating and checking off my list of to-do items. I feel like I have a pretty tight system in place: Outlook for personal information management (PIM) at home, and Gmail for on the road. Google Calendar on the road and a nice OTA sync with the iPhone (thanks Google!). I just switched from Remember the Milk to Toodledo and recently purchased ToDo to keep things in sync on the iPhone. However, when Organizer came up on the review docket, I decided to give it a try.

Overview
Organizer’s screen looks something straight out of a desk planner that I used to have prior to using electronic PIM devices (ah, memories of my first Palm Pilot, or better yet, my Casio clamshell). A long tap on the iPhone’s screen allows you to input text that you can then manipulate (font, size, color) and place wherever you want on the screen. Changing the bullet point to a checkbox alters the item to a task, and options include a nice cut/paste feature, searchable entries, use of emoji, and inclusion of a landscape view upon rotation of the iPhone.

Keeping a Diary
The look of Organizer is appealing, at least to this reviewer. I like the idea of having one app where I can see my schedule, to-do list, random notes, and other drawings all on one screen. With a recent update, the application’s badge shows the number of to-do tasks remaining for the day, and I found this to be a nice touch. Being able to cut/paste and move items around made it very easy to change appointments instead of having to open, edit, and re-save them as you would in a traditional calendar app. The novelty of Organizer is refreshing, and had me considering whether I could use this app on a daily basis.

Getting Things Done, a lot of them.
I was quite frustrated with Organizer at times, and reading the app store reviews, it appears that I was not alone. First, I knew that there were options to change the background color and include holidays, but I could not figure out how to do this for the longest time. It then occurred to me to check the settings from the home screen, and sure enough, there were the missing options. Of course, this makes sense, and I believe it is what developers are supposed to do, but still, it seems that apps find a way around this and I guess I’m just used to being able to access an options menu directly from the application. Next, I had a hard time figuring out how to make a to-do item. After trial and error, I learned that tapping on the bullet point cycles through several options, one of them being a checkbox. Tedious? Absolutely. Lastly, it just seems a bit cumbersome to use this app. This is probably because I’ve grown so accustomed to using my apps of choice for my organization, but still, this app seems to make me more frustrated at times rather than more organized.

Conclusion
Again, I will freely admit that I am definitely on the side of supreme organization and it is because of this that I cannot recommend this app for me at this time. I want my calendar and to-do list to be constantly up to date, and for this, I use Google Calendar, Toodledo, and iPhone apps that will easily sync with these programs. Perhaps, a simpler system could use Organizer as its sole application, and who knows, my life might even benefit from a shift to a simpler method. Unfortunately, I found that while Organizer offered a bit more simplicity, and it certainly offered an aesthetically pleasing appearance, I did not find it any easier to use, and when ease of use decreases, my ease of living also goes down. At $6.99, I’d recommend Organizer for those who don’t already have a calendar/to-do list system in place and will use their iPhone/iPod as the only method. For others, I’d suggest staying with your current method, at least until future updates bring Organizer more functionality.

myPixelArt is an application that reminds me of the Lite-Brite I loved as a kid…only iPhone style! When you open the application, you will see three options; New, myGallery and Settings. In the Settings, you are able to turn the sound on/off, learn more about the application and get help using the app. To get started, select New.

You are then able to choose between three size work areas; small, medium and large. Once you have chosen a size, you will be brought to the design screen. To create an image, just tap on a pixel on the screen which will light it up. You can change the color of the “lights” by selecting the icon in the lower left corner. It will keep your past three color choices on the lower menu bar so that you are able to quickly switch between them (a very nice feature!). To add a title to your design, just tap on the upper menu bar where it says, New ArtWork. You can also resize the work area by pinching on the screen (the standard zooming technique).

Once you have created an image, you have the option to do a few things with it. If you select the Menu option on the lower menu bar, you are able to choose to email and post artwork, post artwork to web, go to web site and add to photo library. If you would like to post your artwork to their website, you will need to sign up for an account. And, I will say, it is fun to go online and see all the different designs!

Once you start a design, there is no need to save it…it is automatically saved to the Gallery. If you go back to the main menu and go into the gallery, you are able to view all designs you have created as well as delete any of the designs you have created.

I have found a few glitches in the application such as pixels outside of the grid lighting up (they don’t show up on the actual design just on the page when you create the design). I also noticed that when you are trying to light pixels next to the upper menu bar, it tends to think you are tapping on the menu bar instead of the pixel just below it (this is mainly an issue when you are zoomed all the way out on your design page). Other than that…I actually really like this application. It is fun to use and nicely designed. I find myself going back to it again and again…it has an addictive quality! Check it out!

ScreenShots

My wife and I like to play a game called “I liked it better when…” Whenever we see a movie, commercial, or something that seems to be duplicating a prior idea, we’ll say “I liked it better when…” and insert the name of the idea that’s being copied. In the case of Readdle’s Take a Note, I liked it better when it was called Evernote.

Overview
Almost eerily identical to Evernote, the opening user menu of Take a Note gives you options to add a text note, an audio note, a drawing note, and a photo note. All notes that are created on the iPhone are editable, sortable, and searchable. WiFi access gives you the option to transfer notes to and from your computer or other wireless enabled sources. Notes can be emailed directly from the program and the app uses your contacts list to add recipients.

Start on a good note.
Although I am admittedly biased towards Evernote, I will acknowledge several areas where Take a Note excels and may even be a stronger option than Evernote. Many have commented on the nice and clean look of Take a Note, and I will agree. The notebook appearance is eye catching and seems apropos for the function of the program. Aesthetics aside, Take a Note also allows for transfer of notes to and from your computer via a WiFi connection. Having recently setup a network place for Readdledocs and Air Sharing, I was well versed in this capability, and had no problem accessing notes on my computer. Take a Note also allows for editing of notes directly on the iPhone. Evernote does the same, but many have complained that you cannot edit notes that have any graphics in them (even the parts that are not graphics). Lastly, Take a Note does bypass the need for a web-based application. Thus, the speed of the program is superior to Evernote, and I like the sort option as it fits in with the appearance of the iPhone’s contacts application.

Do note this, though.
Although I was able to connect with my home computer, I did have some trouble opening the notes on my computer despite the fact that they were stored as simple .TXT files. Since there is no web application like Evernote, there is no capability for cutting and pasting into Take a Note. With Evernote, I clip and store emails (graphics and web links included) into my account on my home computer or any web browser and these notes then sync immediately with the iPhone app. Thus, Evernote’s weakness as a web based application is also a strength since I can clip items wherever I have an Internet connection whereas with Take a Note, you must have a WiFi connection in order to transfer notes to and from your iPhone.

Conclusion
I will admit that coming into this review, I thought that I was going to be more negative about Take a Note. Compared to Evernote, a free app, I felt that Take a Note would fall short on features despite having a significant cost of $4.99. As I explored a bit more and as I was writing this review, I managed to see the strengths of the app, and I feel that there is a potential market for this program. If you don’t want to be tied down to a web app, and you’d like a simple, yet polished native app that’s significantly more useful than the built-in notes app, Take a Note may be right for you. However, if you are interested in exploring a bit with a larger set of features, I’d suggest giving Evernote a try before shelling out your $4.99 for this app.

Doodles is a simple drawing application that is available in Cydia via the iSpazio source. When you first open the application you will get a white page with a lower menu bar…this is actually the main drawing page of the application. The options on the lower menu bar are (left to right); Save, Background Options, Line Options, Symmetry Options and Erase.

The Background option allows you to choose a background for your drawing. You can choose a solid color, a photo out of your Photo Albums or you can take a picture. The only issue I have with this option is that once you have selected a background, there is no way to delete it. You can change the background if you have chosen a color background but you cannot erase the background and if you set a photo as the background or taken a photo for the background you can neither change it nor erase it. You have to close the application and reopen it to start over.

The Line option allows you to choose the size of your brush as well as the color you would like to draw with. This can be changed as many times as you would like in one doodle.

The Symmetry option is pretty cool. It allows you to draw over an axis giving you the option of a vertical axis, horizontal axis or both. To use this feature, you will need to turn it on, select an axis and then select Close. Now when you draw, you will be a mirror image of it based on which axis you chose. You can really do some cool things this option and can also be changed as many times as you would like in one doodle.

The Trash option will delete your drawing. You do not get a warning with this one and it deletes ALL of your drawing not just the last mark. So, make sure you want to erase your entire drawing before you select the trash option. However, it does not erase your background, just what you have drawn. It would be nice it there was a pop-up making sure you wanted to delete your drawing (I have accidentally deleted two drawings already!). I would also love to see a few options such as; letting you undo one mark at a time, an erase all option, an erase background only option….etc.

Now, the Save option. I personally cannot get this option to work. It says that is has saved my doodle to the Photo Library but, it doesn’t show up anywhere in my Photo Albums. So, you will have to take screenshots for now!

Update: Your doodles are indeed saved to your Camera Roll you just cannot see them on your iPhone. However, you can see them when you connect your iPhone to your computer so, you can get them off your iPhone that way.

Once you have chosen all the options you would like, you can just touch the screen to draw.

Overall, this is a very simple application that is most definitely still in its first stages but, I’m excited to see what the updates bring.

Screenshots:

Scribble is a very simple drawing application…think paint no, think much simpler than paint. When you open the application you will be brought right into the drawing screen. Along the bottom of the screen you will find a few options including the four color options; red, yellow, green and blue. The Promo option will open a web browser with a promo for the app zintin. The Save option will save your creation to your iPhone’s Camera Roll (which is pretty cool!). To start drawing, select a color and then drag your finger on the screen. To erase a drawing, shake your iPhone. Very simple…no bells and whistles with this one. I do think the accelerometer is a little touchy on the shake to erase…a few of my drawings got erased on accident! This could be a good app if you are sitting around waiting for a bus or in the doctor’s office or trying to entertain a small child! I think there should be a contest on who can create the sweetest drawing using Scribble!

Click HERE to download Scribble via the App Store.