DO IT YOURSELF

End-toend encrypted, accessible offline; available on desktop and mobile

Bear: Anytype:

Simple Markdown app; Available on iOS; MacOS

Mindly:

Great for thought structuring and idea collection; available on desktop and mobile

Evernote:

A classic notepad and planner; available on desktop and mobile

Capacities:

An object-based notetaking app; available on Windows and Mac dation of this platform,” adds Khanna.

Jupitun will initially be available as a browser-based website, with email, chat, note-taking features all in one product. “The idea is to make it accessible to as many users as possible. Soon, we’ll follow it up with smartphone and desktop apps,” he adds.

MOVING BEYOND NOTES

There’s also an increase in customisation and new formats in this space: like digital whiteboards, on which teams, students and colleagues can work together from different locations. Miro and Canva Whiteboard are some of the more popular examples of these.

AI is also playing a big role in how notetaking apps evolve. In November 2022, Notion introduced Notion AI, a writing assistant that can help users write, brainstorm, edit, summarise, and more. Initially an invite-only feature, it is now available to all Notion users.

Some other results are already out in the market. Cleft, for example, is a new AI-powered app, available on iOS and MacOS, that converts your voice memos into formatted notes.

Last year, Google introduced a host of AI-first experiments in development at its annual Google I/O event. In July 2023, it announced the rollout of NotebookLM, previously called Project Tailwind. In its introductory note, Google described NotebookLM as “a virtual research assistant that can summarise facts, explain complex ideas, and brainstorm new connections—all based on the sources you select.” A key difference between NotebookLM and traditional AI chatbots, Google explained, is that NotebookLM lets a user “ground” the language model in their notes and sources. Sourcegrounding effectively creates a personalised AI that’s versed in the information relevant to the user.

That is a feature users like Bhatia would want to see in the digital note-taking space in the future. “The interactive element and active listening (in notetaking apps) is something I have only come across now... Let’s say I use a particular tool and it has all my information. I’d like to, at some point, train it and integrate AI, so that it can be my digital avatar. This is something I am trying with my Substack,” Bhatia adds.

Scientifically, the jury is still out on taking physical notes versus typing digitally. In January, Norwegian researchers said in a study, published in the journal Frontiers In Psychology, that writing by hand leads to higher brain connectivity than typing on a keyboard. For the research, the researchers collected EEG data from 36 university students who were prompted to either write or type a word that appeared on a screen. Interestingly, when writing, they used a digital pen to write in cursive directly on a touchscreen. When typing they used a single finger to press keys on a keyboard. Connectivity of different brain regions increased when the students wrote by hand, but not when they typed. Despite using digital pens for the study, the researchers said that the results are expected to be the same when using a real pen on paper.

Write it or type it: what would be your pick?