If I had to choose just one productivity app it would, of course, be Evernote. While not without it's flaws, (for example, only specific types of text can be edited, the method they use for local storage is cumbersome, and they are the only company who have, consistently not responsed to my emails), Evernote is still the most powerful productivity tool around. The fact that it is

--flexible; you can use the iPhone app to take text, picture, voice notes and more. You can use the geolocation power of the iPhone to tag pictures.
--"cross-platform"; it works with mac, windows, windows mobile and more
-- employs the "hybrid-web": data is stored on the web and locally and the two are kept in sync.
--ever evolvong; it adds powerful new functionality, such as the recent update brought "universal file sync" and expanded the type of files it can handle to a remarkable extent.

all combine to make Evernote a highly effective app that uses cutting edge technology AND really worlks.

I recently received an email from Evernote, the subtext of which suggests that the focus of Evernote's evolution over the next year will be in areas other than the iPhone app. Because Evernote is an overall system, however, changes anywhere in the Evernote environment may potentially improve it's use and functionality everywhere. Among the coming advances--

1. Sharing and Collaboration

The public notebooks functionality was launched in 2008. Unfirtubately it is all or nothing since notebooks are either private or public. You cannot share it with specific individuals. As a rest I three different accounts. One is personal, one for the site And the third for work.

In 2009 that will change as the service will add new options for sharing.

2. More Mobile Phones

In 2009 they will be adding new Evernote native clients for a bunch of popular mobile phones.

Right now, Evernote has a native client for the iPhone and Windows Mobile devices. Others need to use the webportal. Why should IPhone users care about other phones gaining an Evernote client? Because (for some reason beyond my comprehension) not everyone uses an iPhone. The more people and devices using Evernote the more powerful it becomes as a means of collaboration.

3. International Launches

The iPhone is available in a tremendous number of countries. It only makes sense to have it available in a variety of tongues, as well

4. Third-Party Apps

Now that Evernote has released an external API. Who knows what amazing things we'll see now that a wide range of developers are free to "play"!

All of which goes to say- got a new iPhone/Touch? Get to know Evernote.

Now if I could only get them to return my emails....