Kustom Note - templates/fields for Evernote Notes

To contact us Click HERE


Evernote, one of my favorite and most used apps, is a great note taking, web clipping, and organizing app. The notes are free form though. You can make your own templates and copy/paste the template into a new note, but there is now a better way. Evernote Trunk is a collection of apps that work with Evernote. Each year, Evernote holds a conference and contest for develops and this year, Kustom Note won a Silver DevCup award. It was well deserved.

Kustom Note is a app that works with and integrates into Evernote and allows you to create custom note templates with fields similar to databases. You can also use pre-made templates. These templates can help make your note taking more organized and efficient.

For example, you could create a template based on how you like to take meeting notes, class notes, or a template for teacher observations, lesson plans and much more. Students could set up class note templates based on the class and the format they like.



Here is a list of many of the features Kustom Note has:

• User Friendly. No seven-level menus to go through. Once logged in you are 1 click away from taking a note.
• Set a default notebook for each form template you have.
• Configurable tags. You can set your tags once for each note form template, new notes will be automatically tagged for you.
• Preset title prefix and suffix. Set that once and it will be applied to all new note titles created with that template.
• Include fields in note title. Set fields to be included in the note title which means you get meaningful titles without doing anything.
• SmartField - Movies. A non-conventional field that shows up as an autocomplete field that searches for movies.Select a movie and it will magically render a beautifully designed snippet with the poster, ratings, stars and links to IMDB, RotternTomatoes and to book tickets on Fandango.
• SmartField - Music. Selecting one of your template fields to be SmartField - Music, same as for Movies, it will display an autocomplete field that matches against Artists, Tracks, and Albums and renders an amazing snippet about that song or artist, with an album art graphic and links to iTunes.
• Set your fields to be required, such fields won’t be allowed to be left blank in creating notes.
• Flexible and constrained. Pick a type for every field and and once set, rules like email format, URL or numeric would be fully enforced.
• Date and Datetime easy entry. Note creation forms will automatically have date and time selectors for easier and valid values entry.
• Preset values to select from. For field types like Multiple checkboxes, Single Select, Multiple Select or Radio Group, you create a set of possible values that will be presented on creating notes.
• Set multiple attachments of files and images with structure and rules for a note template.
• Take notes in style. No more bland and boring notes. With KustomNote you initially get two themes to select from with color variations (all themes are fully ENML compliant).
• Icon Stamps. Mark your templates with icons to be easily recognizable. Notes created are automatically stamped, stored and shared with the icon selected.
• Set email reminders. Once set for a day and time, KustomNote will send you an email reminder to remember that appointment or movie note.
• Share your templates. Get some good karma and share your amazing templates. You can share your note template forms to Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
• Browse and use public templates. If can use some help with setting up templates for effective note-taking, browse public templates created by other awesome KustomNoters, clone them and make any changes you like.
• Everything in one place. With KustomNote you get all those 9 yards, create, update and list your notebooks and notes within the application.
• KustomNote is mobile and everywhere. With an effective responsive design you can access KustomNote from your desktop computer, iPad or smartphone.
• Customized notes for applications like Peek is a breeze, it would be a template with two fields Question/Hint & Answer with the Question field set to be used in the note title.
• Evernote is huge in Japan (also). KustomNote fully supports the Japanese language for the whole interface and data entry.

See all the features for yourself at http://kustomnote.com and start creating note forms for your calories log, workout log, travel itineraries, homework's, your medical appointments, your children art collection and vaccination shots, your pets log, workout and medical records.. well, you get it, for everything in your life!
A new feature is the ability to integrate your Google Contacts and Google Calendar with Kustom Note.

Future updates that are coming include offline access and mobile apps for iOS and Android. The site does have a mobile version for use on your mobile device.

Find Kustom Note in the Evernote Trunk.



Related:

Evernote for Education - resources, tips, help, ideas and more

Evernote Trunk - applications, hardware, and more that works with Evernote

10 Great, Free Apps for Students for Notetaking and Class Planning

Google Docs can import old Office Formats, but exports them as new format

To contact us Click HERE
Google Docs will no longer export files into the old Microsoft Office Formats (.doc, .xls, .ppt). Instead, it will download the files as .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx. You can also still download files in .odt, .rtf, .pdf. .txt formats. This will also affect Google Apps accounts. (And Google Drive since that's where everyone's Docs are going.



You can still import these older Office file formats, but if you then export them, they will export in the new formats. This may cause a little bit of an issue with some users, including schools still stuck in Windows XP and Office 2003 or earlier.


There is a workaround though - install the free compatibility plugin from Microsoft so you can open the modern Office file types. I've already done this because I have Windows 7 at home and receive a lot of files from people using the newer version of Office. Without this plugin, I wouldn't be able to even open any of these files. This is something everyone should have done by now, especially with more and more people using the newer versions of Office.


Other options are to use Google Docs instead of Office, convert Office files to Docs files when uploading (which is what I usually do), or keep the Office files in a service like Dropbox or Sugarsync (which is what I do for files that I don't want to risk having formatting losses when being converted).

All of the options are free and only take a few minutes to implement.

I see a lot of people complaining at the beginning, but it really isn't as big a deal as many news outlets are making it out to be.

Edmodo and Common Sense Media release free Digital Citizenship resource for Educators

To contact us Click HERE
Digital Citizenship is an important topic and something that we must teach our students (and ourselves) in today's digital world.
Edmodo, a great educational app, and Common Sense Media have created a Digital Citizenship Starter Kit that teachers can download to use with their students. It is an  page PDF file that is free.

The Digital Citizenship Start Kit includes a poster and lessons and activities that cover topics such as privacy, internet safety and security, plagiarism, and cyberbullying.  You can also join the Digital Citizenship Community on Edmodo.




In addition to the starter Starter Kit, Common Sense Media and Edmodo are participating in Digital Citizenship Day in New York on October 2nd. Check out the Edmodo group (for teachers and students) for more details on the day and the Town Hall for teens, hosted by MTV executive news producer and hip-hop artist, Sway Calloway.


Related:

Edmodo - awesome free social learning network - has free Digital Citizenship poster for download(not the same as the one today)

10 Tech Skills Every Student Should Have
10 Important Skills Students need for the Future

Google Launches YouTube curriculum on Digital Citizenship

10 Technology Skills Every Educator Should Have

Google Play Store vs Apple App Store - my experience

To contact us Click HERE


I am an Android fan and user. However, I have a loaner iPad for testing and reviewing apps. I also have a webOS tablet. I've used the app stores for all of them, and Apple's is the worst in terms of customer experience.

1. Google's Play Store and Palm/HP apps were easier to search and easier to install (no need for iTunes!). I could even browse the sites and select the app to be downloaded to any of my devices remotely.

2. iTunes. It is still sad that I had to download something to search and install an app on a different device. Searching isn't great either.

3. Redeeming a gift card/code. In both Google and webOS, you just click "buy" for an app and then it asked you for a code. With Apple, you have to redeem the code first, and then wait for the balance to show up in your account, and then go buy the app.

4. Reversing a mistaken install. Apple - once you buy it, it's a nightmare to get a refund if you mistakenly bought it. Google - one click and it's done. This gives you a chance to make a mistake or realize it's not the app you were looking for.

5. The app information is also better, in my opinion, on Google Play. More info as to it's permissions, features, updates, screen shots, and more. Plus, I love the related apps search and results on Google better than iTunes.

Maybe it's just me, but you would think a company like Apple that prides itself on customer experience would provide a better app store experience.

Google Field Trip - app that finds info about where you are

To contact us Click HERE


Google has a cool new app for Android, called "Field Trip". It helps you find things about what's around you. It runs in the background and when you get close to something interesting, it pops up with details about that location. You can use it to learn more about historical locations, buildings, stores and restaurants and more. It takes information from a variety of sources, along with your location data, to produce these results.



This would be a great app to use with students, as they could explore their own school and neighborhood for interesting locations. It would also be great on real field trips to find out more information about where they are. You never know what they, and you, might find that's interesting or cool.

It's free on Google Play. Go get it and explore your world.



Related:

Android Resources for Education 

Greetings from Bermuda!

To contact us Click HERE
Today is my birthday and there's no where I'd rather be than with my four besties at a spa on this beautiful island. It may be raining, but our spirits are sunny! I can't begin to say how much I appreciate this amazing birthday retreat. And when I return, I begin a fabulous new project designing the addition of an antique farmhouse in New Hampshire. An new year, and a new project. Works for me!

Elite Repeat: Edith Wharton's Berkshire Estate "The Mount"

To contact us Click HERE
Continuing our tour of The Mount, Edith Wharton's home in the Berkshires in western Massachusetts, we are now stepping inside to the ground floor entrance hall and main stair. One might expect that this magnificent, classically inspired home would have a grand staircase. However, EW believed that the transition from outside to inside should be as smooth and easy as possible. This is the forcourt

Architecture and Colors of Bermuda

To contact us Click HERE
  I'm back from my trip to paradise, and Bermuda is just that - a gorgeous feast for the eyes and all the senses. Well, I could honestly do without the beastly heat and humidity but the winds are lovely and there is lots of air conditioning available. The island is exactly as it appears in postcards - lush with amazing blue green water and pastel houses. Although, the colors aren't truly pastel,

Hotel Review: Fairmont Southampton and lots of food stuff

To contact us Click HERE
I spent last week in Bermuda at the beautiful Fairmont Southampton Resort and wanted to share my thoughts about our stay. For clarity, this is NOT a paid review, I received no discounts or freebies (okay, I DID receive a couple of birthday sweeties!) in exchange for my thoughts here. The first four images on this post are from the hotel's website. Clearly, I couldn't get an areal shot or

Million Dollar Decorator returns: Letting the f-bomb's fly

To contact us Click HERE
Sadly, the gentlest design soul in the land, Nathan Turner, is not returning to Season 2 of Million Dollar Decorators. We do have Kathryn Ireland, Mary McDonald, Jeffrey Alan Marks (with his trusted-to-be-shirtless sidekick Ross Cassidy) and Martyn Lawrence Bullard - talented designers all. But Nathan brought out the soul of season 1 and if their preview is any indication, S2 is likely to be

Heaven Scent: The Bermuda Perfumery

To contact us Click HERE
One of our must-see destinations last week in Bermuda was the Bermuda Perfumery. Apparently, it's been quite a tourist destination since it's opening in 1928, when the first owner used to pay tourist operators to bring their groups. My mother recalls visiting the Perfumery in 1938 when she was a little girl. photo via Bermuda Perfumery Today's location is not the original space. In

Patch NYC at Shops at Target

To contact us Click HERE
photo via Target I went to a fun event last night in Boston celebrating Patch NYC's  upcoming product release that's part of Target's Shops at Target initiative. Target has "targeted" (bad pun intended) small and unique fashion and home decor boutiques around the country and works with them to create a line of products to be sold exclusively for a limited time in all Target stores and online

5 Elements of New England Style

To contact us Click HERE
As a New England based blogger, I’ve done my share of posts about my local environment and all that makes this region special. As a professional interior decorator, I’ve also certainly done my share of projects that feel very “New England-y”. The funny thing is that so many of my projects and posts have featured very different looking homes and interiors. And yet, they still maintain the

Million Dollar Decorator returns: Letting the f-bomb's fly

To contact us Click HERE
Sadly, the gentlest design soul in the land, Nathan Turner, is not returning to Season 2 of Million Dollar Decorators. We do have Kathryn Ireland, Mary McDonald, Jeffrey Alan Marks (with his trusted-to-be-shirtless sidekick Ross Cassidy) and Martyn Lawrence Bullard - talented designers all. But Nathan brought out the soul of season 1 and if their preview is any indication, S2 is likely to be

Friday Funday - Events Galore for the New England Design Industry

To contact us Click HERE
Certainly, one of the the most unexpected yet best parts of being a blogger are all the event invitations that I receive. It's always an honor to be invited, especially to smaller events, because the brands or artists who are hosting are making a real investment in getting to know me and in me getting to know them. There's always lots to learn and enjoy, that's for sure! I've been short on

Enjoying Ecuador with Norman and Nan

To contact us Click HERE
Dear Family and Friends,

My brother, Norman, and his wife, Nancy are here visiting with us in Cuenca.  Unfortunately for us their stay is only one week long.  There is so much to see and do that we had to pick and choose what to share with them.

Although the weather has been cloudy and cold almost every day they have been here, Norman said he thought it felt great.  They left 100 degree weather in Dallas. 

One day last week we decided to go warmer weather.  We drove down to Paute to have lunch.  We then drove to Chordeleg so Nancy and I could shop for jewelry.  After shopping we drove on to Sigsig, where the world famous Panama hats are made.

Here are Norman and Nancy in the courtyard at Uzhupud.  


Nancy and I both bought a little bit of jewelry on Chordeleg before going to what I think was the highlight of the day.  The hat factory in Sigsig.

They had just dyed some straw and had it out drying. 


The straw dyes so nicely and the hats made from them are very colorful.



Here are some ladies working on some hats in the factory courtyard.

 

The factory (I use the term loosely) is not a factory as you would imagine.  Most of the work is done by hand.  All the hats are woven by hand and very few machines are used to finish them off as you can see.

This lady is ironing the brims of the hats.



This lady is sewing hat bands for the hats.


Hats stacked up waiting their turn.


Again, ladies in the courtyard working.


Some colorful hand baskets that are also woven there.


Norman, Nancy and Chuck all bought new hats there.

Here is Nancy in her hat.  The hat goes so well with her beautiful blue eyes.  Sorry that the  photographer did not get her in focus.


And here is Norman sporting a more traditional Panama hat.


We have had a great time with them.  Today we went for barbecue at Joe's Secret Garden.  We also tried the new Swiss restaurant and had lunch at San Sabas.  Tomorrow we will have brunch at the California Kitchen.

Monday night is Texas Hold'em and Tuesday we go to the Rotary market.  In between the eating and touring we have played cards almost every day.  It is so nice having family here.

One last picture.  Here is Norman checking out the vegetables at the Coopera.


Love,
Nancy