Squareleaf offers you virtual notes.

Paper, who uses paper anymore? Most notes are taken online, whether you use Google Docs, Zoho Writer, or just Notepad itself, notes are rarely taken on little pieces of paper and placed all over your home or office. For awhile there Post-It had the market for desktop stickies, their web app was pretty useful, but I soon found my desktop cluttered with the same virtual paper that I had worked so hard to get rid of in real life. Alas, I rid myself of that program, forcing myself to act on information more often than storing it for later.

Squareleaf is a web app that allows you to still take all those notes you loved with Post-Its and instead allows you to use their site as a place to store all your information. I’m not quite sure what the real draw is, considering that virtual desktops have done something similar for a very long time. I do have to admit that their user interface is nice, simple, and intuitive. The note taker in me is happy when I can jot lots of useful information down and shuffle my notes on my screen, but essentially this web app seems a little late.

An example of the Squareleaf interface.

In using the app for a day I didn’t see any mobile application attached to it. There is no mobile app that I could find, I could not sync my notes as I went from place to place, so essentially, for the mobile user this app is useless. Instead of saving a tree, I suggest you save your time. It’s not to say it can’t be improved upon, but this app says to me that it’s relying on me being on a laptop or desktop to access my notes, but I need my  notes on the go, as do most of us, in order to refer to them quickly. The market for to-do lists and note taking on mobile devices like the iPhone or iTouch is a tough market to crack, but it’s not impossible.

If you still rely on heavy laptop and desktop use, or if you’re not into smart phones and app use, than perhaps this app is for you. Otherwise I’d recommend staying away until it’s transferred to a mobile platform.

• MySites: Social Site/Virtual Desktop Hybrid – August 3, 2008

Save a Tree, Use a Virtual Note originally appeared on: Crenk
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Some might say that MySites tries to be too much, but I think they execute their offerings very well. Let’s take a look at the Virtual Desktop aspect first.

MySites does a great job of storing up to 10GB of items, to include photos, movies, and music. While it can’t necessarily import files from Flickr, iTunes, or any other site, you can personally upload your own files. With 10GB of space available you can set up your virtual desktop with more than enough to keep it functional. The files are stored in folders that you have to double click to open, just like your real desktop. You have access to the full customization of MySites which makes it a great addition to the usual items you can place on there like calendars, emails, sites, etc.

The flipside of MySites is the Social Networking aspect. MySites fully intends for you to share your content with friends and across as many sites as possible. With the ability to add buddies and designate which files can be accessible, it’s sure to be a great place to gather to share all of your uploaded files. Seeking others with similar interests is also possible, and is encouraged to fully extend your network via MySites.

As of last week MySites could not connect to any currently existing social network site, but again the site is in beta. I was assured that future offerings would be made available as the site is built out.

• iLike – Soical Networking for Music Fans – August 19, 2009
• First Google+ TV Advertising: Sharing, but like real life – November 25, 2011
• Larry Pages Doesnt Even Use Google Plus – September 19, 2011
• Diglo: Social Network for File Sharing and Media Hosting – July 31, 2011
• Official Google Social Network: Google+: Facebook Competitor – June 29, 2011

MySites: Social Site/Virtual Desktop Hybrid originally appeared on: Crenk
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