Noteshelf Blog

Design, earn and get worldwide exposure for your work. Join the Noteshelf Design Contest today and showcase your talent to millions worldwide while earning at the same time!

Noteshelf is a hugely popular app in several countries such as US, UK, Japan, Germany, France and more, with over a million downloads. One of the reasons for its success is its great notebook and shelf designs.

We are now opening the floodgates to all aspiring and professional designers to thrive in the Noteshelf In-App Store. You can now have the opportunity to showcase and/or earn for your designs, on a global scale!

Simply submit a design for notebook covers, shelves or both. The winning entries will be featured in the Noteshelf App Store for an entire year, where they’ll be available for purchase with proceeds going to the winners. Winners can also opt to have a bundle of their designs available for free, in exchange for their profile and contact info to be featured in the Noteshelf Store.

Want more exposure from your work while getting paid at the same time? Then join the Noteshelf Design Contest! For interested parties, kindly email [email protected] your full name, country of residence and design portfolio URL.

Today we released a major update to Noteshelf that brings features you’ve been waiting for. Finally, your most requested features from our ideas portal is a reality; you can now record audio, edit photos after pasting and add perfectly geometrical shapes in Noteshelf.

Record audio as you take notes You can now record lectures, meetings and discussions and place them right next to your notes. You can add multiple voice recordings and play them back anytime you want.

Editable Images Pasted photos on pages can now be edited on Noteshelf. You can move them around even after pasting them on the page, transform and resize photos anytime you want.

Draw Shapes Finally, you can draw perfectly geometrical shapes such as circles, squares and triangles for your diagrams, mind maps, sketches and more.

You can download the new version of Noteshelf here. 

We hope you guys are happy with the updates. Let us know by giving an awesome review or rating in the App Store. 

We’re pretty sure you’ve heard a number of benefits from reading: increased knowledge, memory improvement, stronger analytical thinking and a dozen more. But how exactly do you attain those benefits? How can you get the most value our of the materials that you read?

Here are the basic ways:

1. Read with a goal in mind. Ask yourself first why are you reading, what do you want to know? This would be essential before you read for study or work purposes. What exactly do you want to get out of the book? What information do you need from it that would help you reach your goal?

2. Examine the material. Know first who the book is intended for and what does it cover, what is the overall structure of its contents. Read its introduction. Go through its chapter headings. Examine first if a particular book will meet your intended purpose for learning.

3. Know what level of knowledge do you need to gain from the subject. Do you intend to just know the basics? Then just skim the material, read only its chapter headings, introductions and summary.

Do you need a moderate level of information on the subject? Scan the text and pick out key words and basic concepts. It’s more worthwhile also to look its diagrams and graphs to have a quick yet overall understanding of the subject. Read thoroughly the introduction and the chapter summaries for more detail.

Do you need an advanced level of information? Then skim and scan first the chapter headings, then start reading fully and in detail, its introduction, chapter contents and chapter summaries.

4. Read actively. Practice “active reading” by highlighting and underlining key information and taking notes along the way. Use colourful highlighters to mark the necessary information as you read through the material. Take down little notes along the side or jot it down on a notebook.

Reading actively helps you focus and remember details of the material, it emphasises them on your mind, especially if you repeatedly review and read those highlighted information.

5. Reread and discuss the material. One highly effective method of understanding and retaining information is by rereading it and by talking about it. When you can explain verbally and clearly in your words, the context of the material that you just learned, that’s when you know you already learned the subject and it will be kept in your long term memory.

Make this habit when you’re reading, most especially for study or work purposes and you’ll get learn and get the most out of the materials that you’re devouring.

Tip:

If you’re reading a PDF document or a Microsoft Office file, you can open that directly in Noteshelf. You can start highlighting and annotating pages right on your iPad screen. You don’t have to get another set of notebook to write down your notes, you can just write them down directly in Noteshelf, straight on your PDF document or by adding a blank PDF page right after the material.

You can choose multiple highlighters right on Noteshelf as well, allowing you to change your markers tip sizes and color.

Read-Only Mode is also available in Noteshelf, allowing you view and read your documents without accidentally writing on them.

We’ve got Monica Laura Vitt from Italy telling us a little about her life and her opinion about Noteshelf. 

1. Tell us your background and occupation.

I graduated in English Language and Literature and I have been teaching English for more than 25 years, first to primary school kids then to teenagers.

2.  What specific projects are you working on right now?

My jobs involves culture beside language so every year I try to mix interesting historical, literary or social facts with the language objectives meant for each class.

3.  What hobbies are you into and how did you get into it?

Because of my university studies I’m very fond of British culture above all literature and history. I like reading very much as well as watching films or TV dramas on BBC or DVDs. During spring and summer I love hiking in the mountains with my family. When I have the opportunity I like travelling, too.

4.  Who/what inspires you?

I believe in the power of education to make the world a better place. Reading and learning make people free from stereotypes and falsehood and let them become open to dialogue and mutual understanding.

5.  What are you passionate about? Name three.

My family, the UK and my job.

6.  What’s a typical day for you?

I get up at about 6, stay at school from 7.45 to 1.45 then in the afternoon again school work (paper work or meetings) either at school or at home. In the evening a chat with my husband and daughter, some cooking, maybe some workout in the gym (not too much as I’m a kind of armchair person). After dinner a book or some TV, but I usually go to bed early.

7.  How did you discover Noteshelf?

I’m quite fond of technology and after lots of pcs, I became an Apple fan several years ago. I got the first Ipad as a Christmas present and since then I have been trying to get the best from technology both for my job and free time activities.

I came across Noteshelf on the App Store and from the description I immediately understood that it was what I was looking for. I love writing by hand and having the possibility to do so on my ipad was great!

8.  How does Noteshelf help you with your daily grind, how do you use it for your everyday work/personal routine?

I love using my ipad and after the first one I have been given (always as a present) a mini one which is always with me. I used to be a Moleskine user because I like storing things: photos, recipes, ideas, school projects. Now I do everything with my ipad and Noteshelf. Moreover with Noteshelf I can choose whether to type or use my handwriting. Of course since you were so kind to let me have a Wacom Bamboo Stylus the handwriting experience is much more neat and fun.

9.  What kind of notes do you have in Noteshelf, kindly elaborate and if possible, provide sample screenshots. (eg. work notes, diary, logo sketches, etc.)?

As I said before I store loads of things in my Noteshelf and I appreciate a lot the fact that I can choose different kinds of paper and above all I customize my notebooks’ covers.

10.  What for you are the top 3 most important feature of Noteshelf and why?

The possibility to organize notebooks at a glance with different covers and titles because once the app is open it takes just a second to select the one you need; secondly the writing instruments and colours which add value to my notes, charts, sketches; third the possibility to import photos/text which can be neatly organized for future use. If you allow a fourth feature I would add the share button.

11.  What stylus do you use and why?

I used to write with a common stylus for capacitive screens, however I wasn’t really happy because the writing experience was a little bit awkward due to the big tip and the friction caused on the screen. When I received the Wacom Bamboo Stylus I saw the difference indeed! The fact that Noteshelf and Bamboo Stylus work together is really amazing and also my skeptical friends were left really speechless when I let them try it.

12.  What are you other favourite apps/programs/gadgets?

For my Ipad I have a bluetooth keyboard to speed up my typing when I need to be neat and precise and bluetooth loudspeaker to make my students do some listening comprehension (all my English CDs in my ipad and no more Cd player!!!). For my job I like using Teacher Kit because it allows me to register marks. I have also recently downloaded Daily Notes as I was looking for an app to use it during my school year as a notebook to keep records of my daily work in class.

For my free time activities I appreciate e-books and e-magazines apps.

13.  How would you recommend Noteshelf to those who doesn’t use any note- taking app? To those that are using another note-taking app?

Here in Italy, especially in the school environment not a lot of people are keen on technology, but since I have started to use my ipad with Noteshelf I have made more than one colleague to buy both! I think that it is a winning app above all because of it is straightforward. It is really easy to use and manage but, at the same time, it gives you loads of opportunities to organize your notes. In the past I downloaded at least two other similar apps, however they did not have all the nice and useful features Noteshelf has and once tried it is really difficult to do without.

Being organized is crucial in becoming a successful freelancer, especially if you’re still handling a full-time job. Looking for a client is already hard enough and when your notes, documents and files are all in disarray, running a freelance business becomes harder.

If you’d like a more convenient way of keeping your notes, files, documents, schedules, to-do lists handy at all times, especially when you’re traveling or when a client calls for an impromptu meeting, Noteshelf is here to help:

Create a new notebook for each client.
 Noteshelf allows you to create multiple notebooks which you can have for each and everyone of your client. Each notebook allows you to write and type in notes, add photos, sketches where you can also easily share it via email or other applications. For copywriters, marketers and even freelance bakers/ caterers, having an organized system of notes is valuable as you can easily have a reference of what was discussed in the client meeting.

Create notebooks for office, employees, accounting, etc.
 You can also create separate journals for your employees, accounting or office needs, perfect for those working as virtual assistants, bookkeepers, consultants and more. You can have a daily work log, take note of expenses, bank transactions, etc. note them down and more.


Keep all your meeting notes in one place. You can have your all your client notes with you and not worry about losing your notes, as you can easily sync them to Evernote or back them up via iTunes of AirTransfer (link).

Have a daily planner. 
A planner paper template is readily available in, giving you blocks of time to fill in your appointments, meetings, errands and more. You can set your plans for the day and take a quick look at it while your taking down notes.

Create a tasks lists.
There’s also a task list template which is solely dedicated for your to-do lists. You can also share this with colleagues as a reminder for your group collaborations.



Categorize and organize other notes.You can also have other documents with you such as PDF and Microsoft Office files. Which means whenever you need it, you can easily send invoices, let clients sign contracts, fill up forms and more. It’s more convenient to have them all in your iPad, especially if you’re working in sales or insurance, as you don’t have to lug around several documents and leaf through them when needed.



Take photos and annotate them. This is especially handy for those in the design industry. If you’re in the creative industry and you want to quickly show a potential client your vision for the project, you can just readily take photos, add them to your notes and annotate over them.

Instead of buying postcards from your summer vacation destination, Do-It-Yourself! Use your own vacation photos and create a personalized postcard that you can print or share online to your friends or family right on Noteshelf.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Choose a background by inserting some of your own pictures or googling some relevant images, saving it on your photo album and inserting it as an image in the page.



2. Insert your photos by tapping on the image icon.



3. Add a caption. You can either handwrite a caption or create a background for the caption first in another page before pasting it on your photos.

 And voila, you now have an instant postcard!

4. You can choose to instantly share it via Facebook or Twitter and tag your family and friends and/or email it, whichever way you want.

Start sending one before your vacation ends!

Just like real life, your digital counterpart can get messy and cluttered. Files can pile up, devices may run slow, memories can get less space. It’s highly recommended that you do the occasional digital clean-up and you can start with the following:

1. Upgrade softwares Stay up-do-date with security, antivirus, antispyware and antiphising softwares to keep out harmful files and people from doing damage to your digital life.

2. Scrub your digital footprint Google yourself and look for photos, posts, tweets, etc. that can have a harmful effect on you longterm, personal or professional-wise. Delete those things away.

3. Update your online profiles Look up your Linkedin presence or other job-related websites and see to it that they have your updated information for current job status, contact info and more.  

4. Delete old accounts Get rid of old accounts that you haven’t used in years. If you have multiple emails, social media profiles, blogs, porfolio website, etc., better to keep that to a bare minimum.

5. Simplify and organize Group and categorize your files and documents on your computer. Empty your desktop’s trash if necessary.

If you’re using Daily Notes, move notes to their respective folders or “Tabs,” move tasks to the right Tab as well, tick off or delete finished tasks, delete not unwanted PDF documents and photos, tag notes for quick searching.

For Noteshelf users, group or ungroup your notebooks if necessary, move notes to the right noteook, delete notes that you don’t need anymore, place the write label on a notebook, etc.

6. Delete, delete and delete Go trigger happy with the delete button and do that as well with other mobile apps that you’ve just used once or twice. Delete also useless photos on your devices.

7. Declutter your inbox. Go through your inbox and answer urgent emails. Delete unwanted messages. Unsubscribe from unwanted email lists. Better yet use Spark - https://readdle.com/products/spark

8. Backup data Probably one of the most important part of the digital cleanup. Avoid the anguish of losing all your important online files by backing up your data. For Daily Notes, you can either use Dropbox or iTunes. For Noteshelf, we recommend you use AirTransfer.

Just allot 5-10 minutes of your time everyday to each activities and you’ll eventually be on your way to a clean, heavenly, digital life.

New to Noteshelf? Learn what it can do with this short video.

For those who have found notebooks and journals to be life-changing when it comes to discovering themselves and recording notes, brace yourselves when you get a note taking app. Not only does it come handy for iPad users, it will literally change your life.

Let us count the ways:

Your life will be clutter free. Those notebooks, journals, sketchbooks, lecture notes, scrapbooks, diaries, planners, recipe binders, music and graph sheets? All can be replaced with one note taking app.

(Noteshelf offers various paper templates that can be used for any occasions and circumstances.)

Meetings will become more manageable. Remember how you always have to carry your heavy notebooks and how hard it is to search through the pile of notes that you have? How it takes you a while to search for a picture that you want to show to your colleagues or clients? With a note taking app, you will never have to go through that again.

(Noteshelf allows you easily search through your notes via tags. You can also insert photos to your notes anytime you want.)

You won’t need filing cabinets. Imagine if you can bring all your PDF documents in just one device. It’s way easier to access them anytime you want. It’s also quicker to share your notes, as you can easily export them via Email, Dropbox and more.

(Noteshelf lets you import/ export PDF documents for easy annotating and sharing.)

Processes will be much faster. You don’t need to go back and forth from the office or ask anyone there to send you that damn document you need so your client can sign it. You can just easily access them on your iPad using a note taking app, open it, get a stylus and let them scrawl their signature. The same also goes for checking and showing excel/ powerpoint/ word files. It doesn’t have to be lengthy process, just tap and show.

(Noteshelf can let you keep Microsoft Excel/ Powerpoint/ Word file formats that will be converted into PDF documents. You can even group them for easy retrieval.)

You’ll be more digitally inventive. Heard about traditional and digital art? With a note taking app, you can certainly combine the two worlds through an art journal. You can sketch directly on a note taking app and quickly share that via social media and other channels.

(Noteshelf can let you keep Microsoft Excel/ Powerpoint/ Word file formats that will be converted into PDF documents. You can even group them for easy retrieval.)

You can see see how much you’ve changed. If all your journals and diaries are in just one note taking app, you can immediately go on a trip to memory lane and see how much progress you’ve made. You will either laugh or cry at your changes but it will surely be one hell of a reminiscing experience that you can always carry with you anywhere and anytime.

There are numerous health benefits of keeping a journal but not so much about Art Journals. These creative notebooks are meant to explore thoughts, ideas and emotions in a more visual way.  Mosts artists and designers rely on this notebook to create and keep their ideas, polish them or simply just experiment with them.

Keeping an art journal, especially if you’re on the creative industry, will help you tremendously in improving your skills. Below are the number of benefits you can get from having an art journal:

1. It will nourish your creative soul. Writing about your feelings on paper is already cathartic enough so what more if you do it in a visual way? It’s a meditative, freeing process of just being creatively vulnerable and staying true to your artistic soul.

“I have to say that digitally altering my artwork has brought a whole new skill set into my repertoire that I quite enjoy!” – Melissa Johnson

2. It reveals your personality. Your drawings or everyday doodles actually gives away some of your creative persona. Articles have been written about the psychological meaning (—link to our past article—) behind your sketches. You’ll be surprised to learn that simple doodles such as flowers can already say something about you, letting you learn more about your creative styles and quirks.

“I use noteshelf on my ipad primarily as a drawing tool. Ironically, it's better for drawing than all the dedicated drawing apps (I have bought them all). Also the Alpha channel (transparency) means it can be used easily with other apps for colouring images. I'm a part-time independent video game developer, which means I have a day job and a commute. I can work up concept sketches on noteshelf during my commute.” - Orlando Valota

3. It will inspire you more. The process of creation helps you find ideas and ways you may have overlooked before. It lets you explore options and see aesthetic angles you might have never noticed before. Your art journal is a test ground for experiments, new techniques and here, there’s no wrong or right answer. There are no rules to follow so you can be as wildly creative as you want.

4. It will serve as a great art reference. This will be quite useful for when you want to check previous ideas that you might have done before. You can also track and monitor your ever changing style and methods, helping you improve more on your artistic career.

5. It’s a treasure of ideas. If you always record your ideas on your trusty art journal, you will find quite an accumulation of thoughts, sayings, plans, even solutions and a completely different set of views that you may never  have seen before. As Mark Twain says “There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.” These new combinations are just waiting to be discovered in your art journal.

Do you keep an art journal? Show it to us and let us know by commenting below.

We’ve managed to talk to Lorie Squalls, a doctoral candidate with some mad visual note taking skills. See more of her colourful notes here.

Tell us your background. I grew up in the Dallas Fort Worth area where I currently still reside. I am a Mom to an 8-year-old son and the wife to an amazing systems specialist and weekend motorcycle drag racer.

I am a doctoral candidate working on my final project study for an Ed.D for Administrative Leadership for Teaching and Learning. I currently hold a masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction, with a focus on Instructional Technology. I possesses both campus and district leadership experience in the area of Education. I am currently a Professional Learning Coordinator with a large school district in the DFW metroplex. I was previously an Elementary Assistant Principal and Coordinator of Instructional Technology.

I serve as an Adjunct Faculty Member at Dallas Baptist University, working with future educators in the graduate and undergraduate degree programs. I have a passion for Project-Based Learning, Blended Learning, Professional Development, and Instructional Design.

What specific projects are you working on right now? My projects are ongoing and evolving. I spend a great deal of my time learning so that I can develop and inspire learning in others. A typical day for me includes: (1)  Attending collaborative meetings and learning communities to support classroom teachers with curriculum and instruction (2)  Collaborating with the Professional Learning team to develop learning experiences for teachers and plan on-going professional learning for all employees in our organization (3)  Facilitating online learning (4)  Participating in instructional and leadership coaching training (5)  Monitoring our new teacher mentor program (6)  Teaching “Technology for Today’s Learners” at the university level and helping students design learning experiences for students that effectively integrate technology

Who/what inspires you? Kids inspire me. I want them to have learning experiences that prepare them for life beyond the classroom. In addition to academics, students need the following future ready skills: (1)  collaborate with others (2)  develop critical thinking skills (asking questions not finding answers) (3)  solve real-world problems (4)  engage in hands-on learning (5)  experience recovering from failure (6)  develop oral and written communication skills (7)  develop creativity

What are you passionate about? Name three. I am passionate about providing kids with the opportunities mentioned about by changing the current education systems and structure to reflect a more flexible learning environment. I am passionate about using technology to enhance the learning of content and future-ready skills. Technology has created new opportunities for virtual and blended learning environments. I am also passionate about life long learning. We must be self-directed in learning about our own interests and passions in life.

When and where did you discover Noteshelf? I discovered Noteshelf when looking for a handwriting app. I tried about 20 different apps, but loved several features of Noteshelf, such as (1)  the ability to have multiple notebooks with custom covers (2)  the variety of different papers(lines, blank, Cornell notes, etc.) (3)  the colors and pen styles (pens, inks, highlighters, pencils) (4)  the ability to import documents (5)  the ability to import pictures (6)  the ability to add typed text (7)  the ability export to email, tweet, or send to evernote (8)  the magnify feature is my favorite, it ensures my note are perfect! I attend several meetings and training per week and Noteshelf allows me to take handwritten, visual notes just as if I had paper, pencils, markers, and highlighters. All in one device!

What kind of notes do you have in Noteshelf? I have notebooks for my job, doctoral work, a gratitude journal, a journal for my son’s homework and projects, a notebook for church sermon and Bible study notes, a journal for my sewing and craft projects, a photography journal, and a notebook for my leadership training. I use Noteshelf for professional note taking, visual note taking, drawing, sketching, designing art projects and journaling.

What stylus do you use and why? I currently use the Bamboo Stylus Duo It is an iPad stylus on one end and a black ink pen on the other end, which means I have two writing devices in one. I don't have to carry a pen and stylus when I am mobile. I have had this stylus for about three years, so there may be better options on the market now. What are you other favourite apps/programs/gadgets? My other favorite apps include Wunderlist, Evernote, and OneNote. My iPad Air and MacBook Air are my favorite devices. I prefer apps that sync across all my devices.

How would you recommend Noteshelf to those who doesn’t use any note-taking app? To those that are using another note-taking app? I would recommend Noteshelf over other apps because the writing is more natural and fluid, and there are a variety of tools to meet your note taking needs. The ease of use and organization options make is superior to other apps.

Lorie incorporates the fundamentals of visual note taking into her course content and uses this Rachel’s Smith’s Ted Talk as an intro. Follow her website to learn more about her inspirations and passions.

Running a mobile business is now a possibility, thanks to countless technological advancements. You can hire people online to become a virtual personal assistant, conduct meetings via video chat, track expenses online, have a paperless office and many more.

Thousands of apps are readily available to help you run a mobile business. With Noteshelf, you can lead a mobile, paper-free work life by doing the following:

    Carry all your notes right on your iPad If you’re always on the go, a note taking app such a Noteshelf makes much more sense to use for business meetings, instead of heavy, cumbersome physical notebooks. Bringing all your notes can be handy, especially if you have an impromptu meeting with a client. You can keep and access several notes with just a few taps on the screen and just start scrawling.

Organize notes and documents You can import PDF documents, powerpoint presentations, excel sheets and more right on Noteshelf. You can keep and organize PDF contracts, meeting notes, documents and forms, sales sheets, marketing plans, client revisions and more. You can catalogue them and easily identify your notes by giving them different notebook covers, labeling them properly and grouping them quickly.

Quick sharing/ archiving/ retrieval You can also easily share your meeting notes immediately to your colleagues via email, using Noteshelf. To access all your notes from virtually any device, you can also one-way sync it via Evernote. Archiving and sharing your notes and documents is also painless via Dropbox and Google Drive, making it a convenient function for your team and organization. You can also present your notes, imported excel/ word/ powerpoint files and project them on whiteboard via Noteshelf.

Easy annotation You can also add photos to your notes to make your point clearer and easily write on them, adding your annotations. You can also mark up PDF files right on Noteshelf, encircling, highlighting and scribbling quick notes right on the document.

Sign and fill in documents Having a note taking app is most handy, especially if you always have your iPad with you on site-visits, business meetings, transactions and other relevant activities. You can let your customers sign contracts right on your device, fill in forms, check invoices and more.

Create and edit sketches Noteshelf is also a neat tool for artists and designers. You can easily create mockups of your logos, do an immediate sketch for client revisions, draw storyboards, quickly jot down ideas for brainstorming and more. You can also import your sketches and swiftly take note of modifications right on Noteshelf.

There’s dozens of things you can do with Noteshelf to minimize or totally eliminate paper, saving you more space in your office, giving you more time to quickly retrieve and send notes and making running a mobile business a more convenient experience.

A clutter-free environment is now a possibility, thanks to current technology that offers gadgets and apps, replacing large, bulky physical counterparts. If you’d like to embrace this concept more, we suggest the apps below to slowly but surely help you work with more space and less clutter.

From wall calendars to calendar apps Keep wall decorations strictly to paintings and photos and take down that old fashioned wall calendar. Turn to Calendar Apps such as Google Calendar, Sunrise, Cal, Calendars 5, Fantastical 2 and more.

From desktop calculators to app calculators Sure there’s the basic calculator on your phones but do you know that there are other calculator apps with more advanced options such as displaying previous calculations, editing, currency conversions and more? Turn to apps such as Soulver, Pythonista, PCalc and MyScript as an example.

From scanner machines to scanner apps No more need for a bulky scanner machine. Just download one right on your mobile devices. Popular ones are from Google Drive, CamScanner, Genius Scan, Scannable.

From file cabinets to cloud storage Ever had those large, unattractive file cabinets that takes up a lot of space? Why not try cloud storage services. Popular ones are Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud and Box. You can arrange, document and store everything in it, from contracts and forms, client details, bills, taxes and accounting, corporate documents and more.

From address book to online address app No more need to always keep an address book on your bag. You can store, edit and even share contacts via numerous app such as Contacts Backup, Connect, FullContact, etc.

From sticky notes to to-do list apps Instead of having dozens of sticky notes on your desk, screens and whatnot, why not try to-do list apps? If you want something where you can write extensive notes, as well as listing down your tasks, attaching PDF documents, photos and sketches, then Daily Notes might be the right one for you.

From heavy journals to journal apps Numerous journals can be quite a pain to deal as they’re heavy and cumbersome. Having a journal app such as Daily Notes however, will make writing more convenient plus, you can also compartmentalize your life in it. You can have a journal for your personal experience then a Work Tab to take down client meetings, a Research Tab for daily logs and more.

From notebooks to note taking apps Physical notebooks are becoming passé, especially in schools and offices that encourages use of mobile devices for note taking. Apps such as Noteshelf are then handy to take handwritten notes, sketch ideas, as well as store/ mark up PDF documents, sign contracts, fill forms and more.

You might want to export some pages or an entire notebook from Noteshelf and send or save them to your email, Google Drive, Dropbox or to even print a physical copy of it. It’s easy to do, just do the following:

1. To export a page, just tap on the Double Notebook icon on your Notebook toolbar.

2. Select pages (or you can select all) then tap on the Export icon located at the bottom toolbar.

3. You can export via Email, iTunes, Dropbox, Evernote, Photo Album, Box and Google Drive.

You can also change the filename of the notes you want to export, as well as include its page layout and notebook title.

You can opt to include or remove your background paper design when exporting by enabling or disabling the option "Include Page Layout" in the export function. ▪ Exported files in iTunes can be accessed via via iTunes File Sharing from your PC/Mac. ▪ For Evernote, you can choose to export pages as a single note and include its tags. ▪ Starting from Version 8.3, you can Export Page images or PDF to 'BOX' as well.

Having an iPad as one’s all around notebook is a norm nowadays, as it makes note taking, annotating and even sketching extremely convenient. So it’s quite necessary to get the best stylus you prefer that can work well with your note taking app.

A lot of users have been asking us for recommendations for such writing device but it really boils down to your personal choice plus your budget. Those who are looking to buy their first ever stylus can consider the following:

First off, you have to consider your stylus usage. Is it for a daily basis of note taking at work or school? Will it be used for primarily for drawing? Narrow down the possible uses so you can specify what type of stylus do you really need.

Second, consider the compatibility. Make sure that a said stylus is compatible with the screen of your device. One of the most popular touch screen technology is the capacitative one, which is used on iOS devices as well as Android. Capacitative touch screen is designed to respond to the electronic characteristics of our fingers.

Third, think about your comfort level. Are you okay with handling one that is slight larger than a real pen? Would you prefer something lighter, thinner or similar to the size and weight of an actual pen? Gauge its comfort level by holding, using and testing it.

Fourth, check the tip. There are several types of tips for stylus, ranging from small and narrow, nib, flat, round, hard, soft, those tipped with rubber, silicone, fabric, glass etc.. Most users prefer a nib-end or finer tip stylus for writing and sketching. Some prefer a slightly heavier stylus so they can apply less pressure. The hardness and softness of the tip should also be considered as the former affects the stylus movement and if used too hard and often, might cause damage to the device’s screen. Although harder rubber tips offer more control, softer tips leaves less scratches and blemishes to your device.

Fifth, think about its storage. Some have attached clips so you can just hook it to your device case, purse or pocket. Some can just easily attach to the outer casing of your devices making it more convenient to carry. Decide which seems like a more suitable and comfortable option for you.

Sixth, consider the design. if you’re quite fashion conscious. Some has the standard pen look, others resembles pencils and markers, while some comes in various colors.

Finally, think about the price. Stylus’s can range from $10 - $200. Usual prices’ ballpark are around $25 - $40. And there are actually some available for less than $2.

Consider these things before deciding to purchase a stylus. For Noteshelf, as long as it’s a capacitative stylus, it would work perfectly fine.

For more advanced features however such as palm rejection and pressure sensitivity, we highly  recommend the following: Wacom Bamboo, ICS, ICS 2, Adonit Jot Touch, Pencil 53, Pogo, Hex 3.

Just an fyi, we also support Smart Pen, which is an alternative to the standard capacitive stylus. The main advantage of the smart pen is a finer tip that facilitates accurate handwriting and feels more like a real pen. We currently support the following popular brands: Byzero Studio Digital Pen, Cregle’s iPen and aPen by Yifang Digital.

We caught up with Neen James, a highly energetic leadership expert, as she life and her Noteshelf discovery.

Where are you originally from and where are you staying now? 

I am an Aussie from Sydney loving living in the USA (I live half way between Philadelphia and New York in a gorgeous quaint little town called Doylestown PA).

What's your occupation? I am an impact and influence strategist – I have the privilege of speaking at conferences around the world on how to be more productive and have more impact in the world! The program is called Folding Time™ - its awesome!

What specific projects are you working on right now?   We created an online platform called Folding Time™ (based on our latest book) so that people can learn how to Fold Time every month so I am excited to share that with our clients – find out more here:

I am also training for a marathon this November. I took up running this April so within 6 months I will have run my first marathon (kinda crazy, but that’s what I do). I had NEVER run before April – funny!

What hobbies are you into and how did you get into it? I love to travel, ride Harleys, and collect fabulous shoes!

Who/what inspires you? Life inspires me,

I am surrounded by some of the most ah-mazing people. My two best friends are so powerful, successful each running their own practice, managing families and making an impact. I love to hear stories about how people overcome obstacles, strengthen the human spirit and I do that by listening to great speakers, audio programs, and reading books.

What are you passionate about? Name three. Helping people have more impact in the world – if they can get more done they can create more significant moments in life that matter! That’s important to me.

My honey, my friends and my family – I love people – spending time with them is the best way to recharge my batteries.

Shoes and champagne… can I say that! LOL – I love exquisite shoes and delicious champagne.

What’s a typical day for you? There is no typical day – let’s take this week as an example. I spent Monday mentoring clients for in the Pharmaceutical industry meeting with them all 1:1 for the day, Tuesday I ran with my coach, did a webinar for my industry and then flew to Charleston, Wednesday I spoke for a client in media then I drove to Columbia, Thursday I spoke for an Engineering firm, Friday I flew to Tampa to spend Saturday spending all day to speakers and then flew to Vegas for Sunday to speak to Credit Union Executives… I guess no day (or week) is ever the same?

How did you discover Noteshelf? My gorgeous geeky friend Gina Schreck, owner of SocialKNX introduced it to me years ago and I have been hooked every since! I love tools that make people productive and I take all my notes as mind maps (it’s how I think) so I love that with a pogo stylus and notebook I can keep every single client file with me on my iPad everywhere I go!

How does Noteshelf help you with your daily grind, how do you use it for your everyday work/personal routine? It’s used primarily for work . I have notebooks for every client and every conversation I have so that at a moment’s notice I can pull up notes and remember. I also use it to capture my thoughts for blogs I am writing too. My beautiful god daughter Maddie is 7 and her little sister Ava is 4 and they draw me pictures on it when we are out at restaurants and I keep those and also save them to Evernote – I love that for them.

What kind of notes do you have in Noteshelf, kindly elaborate. (eg. work notes, diary, logo sketches, etc.)? Mostly every notebook is filled with mind maps of convesations I have with my clients.

What for you are the top 3 most important feature of Noteshelf and why? A new notebook for every client that I also color code based on the type of work I do (sounds kinda anal I know)

The ability to erase notes, keep each page consistent using the color pens and erasers (all my notes are hot pink)

Now it backs up with airsync love that.

What stylus do you use and why? A hot pink pogo as it feels little and light in my hand and I love pink. I go through quite a lot of them as I tend to wear them out (just like people would run out of ink I guess).

What are you other favourite apps/programs/gadgets? Evernote (for all the same reasons everyone loves this app) and it synchs with Noteshelf and my iPhone and Mac.

Pzzizz energizer app as I have to be able to take power naps quite often (seriously it’s a power napping ap and I love it)

How would you recommend Noteshelf to those who doesn’t use any note-taking app? To those that are using another note-taking app? Yes I would recommend it. Use it for free thoughts, drawing or mapping out ideas. Use it so you can keep every client with you instead of physical files or a physical notebook.

Neen James is a high energy, Aussie leadership expert focused on productivity who delivers engaging programs that have educated, and entertained audiences with real-world strategies that apply in all roles at work and home. The author of Folding Time™ and Secrets of Super Productivity, Neen also provides one-on-one mentoring to leaders. Find out more at www.neenjames.com