Every now and then, you have to write something longhand for someone else to read: A note, a notice, a birthday card. If you're like the many people we've gotten notes or notices or birthday cards from, it sometimes comes out illegible. We've presented many methods for improving your handwriting, but before you try them, just try slowing the hell down.

iOS: iOS 11's new built-in document scanning feature is both a time-saver and a convenient way to capture information. It makes it easy to attach real-world documents to your digital musings without leaving one app for another. It won't replace any dedicated document scanning apps, but it's a great alternative to buying a document scanning app if all you want is a signature-ready document you can export anywhere.

I’ve been a long time user of Evernote. For the last three or four years, I’ve been a paying customer as I need to sync my notes to multiple devices including two computers, a phone and a tablet. But the Windows 10 experience, on a tablet, is poor. Why is that?

Ever get epic ideas while you're in the car? If so, you've probably struggled to figure out how to jot down those ideas without swerving into oncoming traffic. It can be a distraction for sure, but one Redditor has a useful suggestion that involves one of our favourite tools: IFTTT.

Windows/Mac/Linux: When it comes to notes apps, you have a seemingly endless trail of options, but it's rare to find one that's cross-platform, supports the Evernote-style of rich notes, and works without needing an account somewhere. Collate is just that.

When it first launched, Bear was an intriguing alternative to bloated note-taking apps like Evernote and OneNote, but it was still a little too new to dive into. After a couple of minor iterations, I'm convinced it's a worthy alternative for those sick of the bloat of other notes apps and for those who like the take-home simplicity of plain text. Provided you're in the Apple ecosystem, anyway.

Web: Not all notes are text, and while most of the big note-taking apps, like Evernote or OneNote, can handle images, they're not really made for them. Milanote feels like it is.

iOS: There is no shortage of apps for writing down your thoughts, but many writing and note-taking apps suffer from feature bloat that impedes the actual writing. Just Open & Type forgoes the unnecessary stuff and lives up to its name.

When you're brainstorming on your laptop and plain text just won't cut it to express your ideas, you might need an extra workspace you can actually draw on. Why not add a quick, erasable surface to your laptop for an added level of expression?

You spend a lot of time taking notes in university. You have several excellent options for doing so, and which works best for you depends a lot on your note taking style. It's best to pick software and stick to it so you don't to worry about moving stuff around later. Here's how to make the right choice from the outset.

Earlier this week, Evernote announced that its subscriptions are getting more expensive and free users are now limited to just two devices. For the scores of existing users, that little restriction and that price increase are a big pain. Thankfully, you have other options.

Apps can measure how far and how fast you run, but they're not great at gauging your long term progress. Am I building a habit? Am I getting faster? Seeing your runs on a sheet of paper, with planned workouts next to a brief post-mortem, helps you see your progress. Here's the template I use.

The debate over hand writing important notes versus typing them is one we've hit on before, but this graphic lays out all of the data clearly, and even offers some tips on choosing a writing implement based on the type of notes you're taking.

When it comes to pocket-sized notebooks, two companies stand above the rest: Moleskine and Field Notes. Both are incredibly popular and work great for what they are, but choosing between the two is difficult. We're here to help you make that choice.

Windows: The latest version of Evernote makes it easier to navigate your notebooks, search your notes easily and organise notebooks and notes by colour.

Google's syncing notepad, Keep, added a few useful features today: a Chrome extension that lets you quickly send a link or selected text to a new note, sharing to Keep in Android and hashtag labels to link notes together.

Nesting folders is one of the simplest, most common ways to organise files. For some bizarre reason, you cannot nest folders in the Apple Notes app on iOS. MacSparky points out that it's possible from the Mac app though.

Typing on a keyboard (hardware or virtual) might be quicker than writing things out with pen and paper, but for learning and long-term memory, handwriting trumps the keyboard.

Microsoft OneNote has been one of our favourite note-taking apps for years, and it keeps getting better. The app is completely free to install on your Mac or Windows desktop and lets you format notes any way you wish in an intuitive digital notebook interface. Here's how to get started with OneNote and take your notes to the next level.