Tips, Tricks and Articles about your Technology

iPad, iPhone, Mac, Windows, Android, Office 365, Google services, iCloud, OneDrive, Dropbox, Apps, Social Media, Zoom, and more.

For so many years, I have been almost evangelical about Evernote and what a difference it has made to my life. I no longer have a physical filing cabinet - Evernote IS my filing cabinet, and I can access the contents of that cabinet anywhere. It even reminds me about time-sensitive notes that that I have saved there.

If you, like me, use Evernote to store all sorts of information that would otherwise end up in piles of paper someone (kitchen bench, fridge, desk in study, filing cabinet), it is important to ensure that this information is secure.

As mentioned in earlier iTandCoffee blog articles, the best way to ensure the security of anything that you store online (your email accounts, Dropbox, Onedrive, iCloud, Google Drive, etc) is to set up something called two-step-verification (or two-factor authentication).

Here is an earlier article on this topic: How to stay safer online - adding an extra layer of protection.

Evernote is no exception.  You should seriously consider setting up this two-step-verirication on your Evernote account.

• Here is how you set up this extra level of protection for your Evernote account » 

But how do you set up this extra protection for Evernote from an iPad or iPhone?

The above article describes how this extra security can be set up using a web browser on a computer.  This assumes you have access to a computer!

What is not clear is how to do the same on an iPad or iPhone (or other mobile device) if you don't have access to a computer.  

If you go to the Evernote website using Safari on your iPad or iPhone, there doesn't seem to be a 'login' option.  You are only given the option to 'Sign Up' or 'Get the App'.

Even if you choose the 'Sign Up' option, which provides an option to 'Sign In', you get a message saying that 'Evernote Web is not supported for iPhone Browsers' - preventing you from getting to the Security settings for your Evernote account.

I had to contact Evernote to find out how to resolve this one, and here is the answer.

Just follow the below link, which gives a page that DOES allow you to sign in to your Evernote account from an iPhone or iPad.

• https://www.evernote.com/secure/SecuritySettings.action​

That definitely should not have been so difficult!

Have you attended the class, 'An Organised Life with Evernote'?

If you have, you will know that there was a wealth of information provided about how Evernote can make a huge difference to getting all the information in your life under a measure of control, and accessible any time.

For those who have attended, a video of the class that was run in early May 2016 is now available on the iTandCoffee website - so that you can 're-live' the class and recall all the great tips that were covered.

If you have already attended the class, and are interested in gaining access to this video, email classes@itandcoffee.com.au.

For those who haven't yet discovered the wonders of Evernote, the class will next run on Tuesday (7/6) at 7pm.  Join us, and find out what a difference it can make to your busy life!

Here's one more thing I love about Evernote.  

On my Mac, I use something called the Evernote Web Clipper for Safari.  

This fantastic little tool sits at the top of my Safari screen, right next to my Search/Address field.

It allows me to grab all or part of a web page and save it directly to my Evernote.  

The page's contents can be saved as an editable note, or as a screen shot!  I can even save just part of the page, or choose to save an ad-free, uncluttered version of the page.  So many options.


This is fantastic for saving away important articles, recipes, tips and hints, and much more.

Find out about this great feature of Evernote at the iTandCoffee class Introduction to Evernote - Organising all the information in your daily life!

Our July class is filling fast.  Book Now!

Yet another reason why I love Evernote (not that I needed any more!)

If you are an Evernote user, try this out next time you get a business card from someone - one that you want to save to your Contacts.

Clever Evernote can scan the business card, work out the details of the person from the business card, and then automatically create a Contact from the details it detects!

Find out more about this great feature of Evernote in this article on the Evernote website. 

Everyone needs Evernote in their life!!  Do you have it is yours?  If you want to learn about Evernote and how to use it, why not come along to our next 'Introduction to Evernote' class scheduled in July.

Further details of this class can be found here.  Why not join us to find out how organised you can become by using Evernote.

For those Evernote users who have ever considered subscribing to the Premium Evernote service - to gain features such as additional storage, offline notebooks and passcode lock - Evernote has just announced two tiers for its subscription service, the first of which is half the cost of its previous 'Premium' subscription service.

Check out the article about the new offerings:  

• Evernote revamps its paid subscription offerings with the addition of a new Plus tier -- AppAdvice                                                               
  

Recently, I posted information about an App that was free for a short period, called Week Calendar.  

This app is still my 'go to' app on my iPhone, for seeing my 'week at a view', even when my iPhone is in 'portrait' mode.  Unfortunately, this is something that the standard iOS Calendar app does not provide - which is a great frustration for many iPhone users.

My Week Calendar app allows me to easily view what's booked when, and see my availability at a glance - great when someone is asking for an appointment. 


Of course, it also provides other views of my calendar (day, month, year, today) should I need them, but I tend to stick to the 'week view' most of the time.  Here is an example of my week in Week Calendar!

Fantastical

In Fantastical, not only can you view the day's reminders, you can also 'tick off' the reminders as they are completed, or touch on a reminder to edit it from within the Fantastical App.  

This is so much quicker than opening up the Reminders app to go and modify (or tick off) any reminder. 

Now I have 3 favourite Calendar Apps!

I now also use two other calendar apps on a regular basis, because I find that these apps offer features that neither Week Calendar nor the standard iOS Calendar apps offer.  

These two great calendar apps are

• Fantastical (which is fantastic!), and 
  
• Sunrise  (which has been recently acquired by Microsoft)
  

The reason these two apps are so useful to me is that they both integrate my Reminders into my Calendar.

This means that, for each day, you can see a list of your events for the day, PLUS a list of any reminders that you have set for that same day!

For someone like me who uses Reminders ALL THE TIME to keep on top of my busy life, being able to view my reminders in my calendar is such a massive help and has made a real difference to my days.

Sunrise

Sunrise will also show you all your reminders from your iOS Reminders app, but it won't allow you to 'tick off' or edit them. I go to Fantastical when I want to do this.

But the key reason I also use the Sunrise calendar is that it also includes my Evernote reminders - which, unfortunately, are not included in my standard iOS Reminders list, so are not included in the Fantastical list of reminders.  I am hoping this might change over time, but for now I rely on Sunrise.

Given that I am using Evernote more and more to set reminders about bills, school notices and other documents that I receive and store in Evernote, Sunrise is where I go to view my Evernote (and any other) reminders for the day.  

The other thing I love about Sunrise is that it allows me to 'Open in Evernote' any Evernote reminder that I see, so that I can immediately view the content of the Evernote Note, to view the bill, notice or other document of which I am being reminded.  

This digital recording of bills, notices and other important documents saves me scrounging through papers to find further information about the reminder - once again saving my sanity by giving me immediate access to the information I need to run my household and business.

Widgets for these apps

But wait, there's more!

Both if these calendar apps have additional features called 'widgets'.  Widgets are mini versions of apps that you can add to your Notification Centre.

Here is what I see when I swipe down from above the top of my iPhone's screen to view my Notification Centre.

You can see here that I can see a preview of my day, via each of these apps.  

If I want further information, I can tap on either to go directly to that app - giving me quick and easy access.

The topic of how to set up these widget will be a topic for another day (sorry!).

Do you want to become more organised through your technology? 

If you want to learn out about becoming more organised using Reminders, Calendars, Evernote, Widgets and more, why not come along to the iTandCoffee class called 'Bring your busy life under control using your iPad and iPhone'.

Register you interest here, and we'll let you know when the next class series is scheduled.

iTandCoffee Camberwell is proposing some great new classes for early 2015, and is taking registrations of interest for these classes now.

Here is the list of proposed new classes:


Safely managing all your passwords (2 hours)

In today's online world, it is essential that you use strong passwords, that you use different passwords for all your online accounts (iCloud, iTunes, eBay, PayPal, your email, your banking, Groupon, Deals.com, etc etc.), and that you consider something called 'two-step verification' some key online accounts.

But how do you keep track of all these passwords, especially when they need to be so different?!

Find out how to safely manage all your password, and have easy access to them whenever you need them - without storing them in hard-copy, or in Notes or Contacts on your iPad or iPhone (or computer).  

Introduction to iCloud (2 hours)

For most people, iCloud is just a glorious mystery - something to perhaps fear, and steer clear of due to misunderstanding of what it is and what it offers.

This session will unravel that mystery, and show you how iCloud can be a wonderful way of protecting valuable information on your iPad and iPhone - especially your photos and your contacts, but perhaps also valuable notes, calendar events and reminders.  

Managing your Life in Evernote (2 hours)

Evernote is my very favourite app, that I use every day on my iPad, iPhone and Mac.  It is where is store all my family information - school notices, health information, recipes, receipts, property records, etc - but also where I store all my business information.  

It allows me to have a largely paperless life, and can even remind me of things I need to do and provide instantaneous access to the information I need for those things.

Find out how Evernote can make a massive different in your own life.  I'm sure you'll become an Evernote convert, just like the many other mums and small business owners I have introduced to this amazing app.



Are you interested in attending one (or more) of these classes?

Visit the 'registration of interest' web page and let us know that class/es you are interested in attending, and any preference/s you have for day/time for the class/es.

Check out our other scheduled classes

A variety of classes have been scheduled form Feb 2015.  View the class schedule here.

Do you have a suggestion for a different class topic?

We would love to hear from you!  Just email classes@itandcoffee.com.au with details of your suggestion.

Wow - here is a brand new app that I am now using multiple times every day!  

It is the easiest scanning app that I have come across to date, and it takes such clear 'scans' of whatever it is I am 'scanning'.

It is a app that is part of the Evernote suite of apps, and is called Scannable.  Best of all, it is free!   (For iOS 8 users only.)

All I have to do is launch the app, point my iPhone (or iPad) at whatever piece of paper (or business card, credit card, etc) I am scanning, and it automatically detects the page/card and it's borders and TAKES THE PHOTO!  I don't even have to touch a button to take the photo!  

(Just make sure your page/card is on a surface that has a plain, different colour than the page/card/etc itself, so that Scannable can work out the boundaries.)

The photo that it takes is such good quality - it focusses, removes shadows and other 'defects' like folds and marks so that the end-product looks even better than when scanned by a 'real' scanner! 

I can then choose to scan another page (to make a multi-page document) or, if I am finished, choose the 'Share' option, and choose what to with one or more of the scanned pages.  I can email, send as message, export, save to Camera Roll, and more.

I have set mine up to directly sync with my Evernote!  Love it!  (Note.  You don't have to be an Evernote user to use Scannable.)

Here is what the developers say about the Scannable app in the App Store.                                                     

If you need more information about this great new app, here is an article published by CNet on 12/1/15.

• Getting started with Evernote Scannable        
  

iTandCoffee Camberwell is looking to schedule a class (or a series of classes) on the topic of

• Getting organised with some great iPad and iPhone Apps.
  

We will look at a fantastic array of apps that can help you get yourself better organised - so that you get reminders when you need them, know what's on when, have easy access to information when you need it, and are able to access your long list of passwords easily, quickly and securely.

In particular we will look at 

• Evernote and apps in the Evernote 'suite'
• Dropbox 
• Password keepers
  
• Using calendars and reminders on your iPad and iPhone.

Click/touch here register your interest in attending such a class or series of classes.  

A question has been posted in response to an earlier article published about whether it is possible to sort Notes on your iPad/iPhone into alphabetical order.  A suggestion in that article was to use a tool like Evernote instead of Notes if sorting is something you need.

In Evernote, it is easy to sort your notes into Title order, or into Date Updated or Date Created order.

Sorting Evernote Notes on your iPad/iPhone

On your iPad or iPhone, touch on the word Options at the top right of your list of Notes.  You will see the three sort options in the top sections, and also some options for what to show for each note in the list.

To sort your notes in Name order, touch Title so that it is ticked.

Sorting Evernote Notes on your Mac

On your Mac, you need to look for a different symbol, which is once again found at the top of your list of Notes.  Refer below images showing the box symbol that you need to select.

Click on the box symbol, then choose the Sort by: option at the bottom of the list of options.  You will then be able to choose to sort by Title, and also choose Alpha or Reverse Alpha order.  

Your Mac provides a few other sort and view options here as well