When out and about, I used to put all my ideas into a pocket notebook. Then I switched to emailing myself from my phone. Then I tried the Notes app. Now I put them in Wunderlist, a to-do app. It's not my favourite to-do app — Microsoft even released another app to replace it — because I use my favourite to-do app for my actual to-dos. No, this is my sidecar and it's a much better way to jot down random notes than using a text app.

You've got an iPad in your bag, a Surface Pro on your desk, and you're still writing your notes on loose-leaf paper? Don't be an animal. It's 2018, and it's high time for you to ditch the paper and embrace the future of note-taking, a future that lets you do so much more with every jot and scribble.

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.

Hi Lifehacker, I'm a self-employed tradesman and struggle to keep good records of the work I've done and when. Obviously a physical diary would do the job but it would be great to have something that syncs with google calendar and allows photos to be added. Any recommendations?

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?

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.

Mac: Since the influx of fancier notes apps like Evernote, OneNote or even Simplenote, the art of the disposable scratchpad has disappeared a little. The aptly named Scratchpad brings that idea back to the Mac.

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.

Android/iOS/Mac: You have a ton of options for notes apps, including heavyweights like Evernote and OneNote. Zoho Notebook takes the same catch-all approach as Evernote and OneNote, but has a few design ideas of its own.

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.

iOS: One of the biggest complaints about Evernote has been its cluttered interface that tends to make it hard to just pop in and make a quick note. Today, the iPhone version of Evernote is making an attempt to fix that with a refresh of its interface.

Mac: You can access your Kindle highlights from your Kindle itself, the apps or the web app, but none of those are particularly handy, especially if you use your Kindle for research. Knotes makes it easier to access those notes right from your Mac.

iOS/Mac: There's certainly no shortage of notes app out there, but Bear's an app that manages to toe the line between a few different popular styles, and might suit you if you need more features than plain text offers, but not as much as something like Evernote.

Chrome: Half of the time, I don't really remember why I left a tab open. I have dozens of tabs meant as references for later, but I'm constantly forgetting their original purpose. With Note Anywhere, you can leave a little reminder for yourself on any page.

Android: OneNote is turning into a pretty killer note-taking app (especially after Evernote started limiting its free users). Today, its Android app is getting better with multi-window support, password protected sections, audio recording and more.

iOS: Simplenote has long been one of our favourite syncing notes apps, and the iOS version is getting a little better with an update that adds in support for Markdown.

Earlier this year, Trello introduced premium third-party integrations called power-ups with the likes of GitHub, Slack and Evernote. Today, those power-ups are not available to free users of the service.

Web/iOS: Microsoft Office and Google Docs are the two main powerhouses in the collaborative documents world, but if you're looking for a bit of different approach, Canvas is a tool that allows you to write in Markdown, and easily collaborate with anyone.