At this point, there's a good chance that most iPhone users are using their devices to quickly jot down notes and reminders on the fly. It's extremely convenient, especially since most people keep their phones on them nearly all the time. However, there are times when a user has so little time to take notes, that going through the process of unlocking their phone and digging for the app they need is simply too cumbersome. That's the exact problem that
Neato, by Mohammad Khoman, is trying to remedy.
Neato actually does something incredibly useful -- by taking advantage of iOS 8's new widget system, it allows the user to take notes simply by pulling down the lock screen notification center. Once the user does this, they can save the notes either to Dropbox, Evernote, or even Twitter.
This means that in seconds, a user can type, save, and upload a note without the hassle of unlocking their phone and trying to find the app they want. This is especially useful for people who often find themselves jotting down notes on the go. Using Neato, a quick note can be taken in an elevator, on the way to the office, or between classes without fumbling around with unlocking.
The app is very quick, and saves the user seconds, but the savings is seconds each time. If you use your iOS device as a virtual notepad, this time savings can add up. Notes are limited to three lines of text, but the app isn't intended as something to take dissertation notes on.
The only problem we discovered with the app is an incompatibility with the notes stored and uploaded to Dropbox. We found that the app inserts a colon (:) into the filename, delineating the time and date that the note was saved. This is utterly incompatible with some Windows file formats, including in Windows 8.1 and prevents the contents of the Dropbox from being synchronized on those platforms. The work-around is to not use Windows for this, which may not be an option for everyone.
Overall, Neato is a great product that users are sure to get a lot of use out of. Neato is available for both the iPad and the iPhone, but especially shines on the iPhone, and
costs $2.
Who would like Neato:
Need a quick note? This is the way to do it.
Who wouldn't like Neato:
Those who need to take longer or more detailed notes.
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