Dear Diary,
Over the past few days, I’ve begun using Momento, an app for iPhone that combines journal-writing with the power of modern social networking and the most popular online applications of the day. In fact, I’m able to add pictures and videos, tag locations and people, automatically update to Twitter and Facebook, and so much more. And while Momento has so many more features than my old denim-bound, padlocked diary, I have some reservations about stashing my iPhone under my mattress.
You see, Diary, I really like all the handy features included in Momento. I’m able to import my Tweets and Facebook status updates and archive my Flickr photos and YouTube videos. And instead of cutting out newspaper clippings and pasting them onto pages of my diary, I can import articles from my RSS feeds or clippings I’ve seen on Digg.
In addition, Momento allows me to create custom tags, making it easier to find related entries. (Momento refers to “entries” as “Moments”, but I find that a little sappy for my tastes). For example, if I want to find all entries that mention that pretty girl in study hall, I simply tap on her name and all the entries appear. I’m sure that would be handy to track the journey of our relationship from the “admiring from afar” stage to the “rejection and humiliation” stage.
I know it sounds like I’m replacing you, Diary. And in many ways, I am. While I like the warmth of your soft outer cover, and the ability I have to keep you locked with that tiny metal key, Momento is very aesthetically pleasing, inspiring me to input all my thoughts and dreams. Additionally, I’ll never have to worry about misplacing my key with the handy password security feature. And finally, a new feature has been added to Momento, which allows me to export my entries in case I want to eventually store them online or print them out. It’s quite handy.
But it’s not all bad news for you, Diary. Thanks to the clumsy input system of the iPhone, typing can often be tedious and result in errors. And never in my years of using my trusty notepad have I ever tried to type “inside” and had it automatically replaced with “insect”. Because of these limitations – which are admittedly the fault of the platform, not the app – lengthy entries are really not an option.
In conclusion, I don’t think I could ever replace you, my trusty Diary. But now that I have Momento on my iPhone, a device that’s with me all the time and not hidden away in my bedroom, I may be using you a lot less.
Until the next time,
John
Bottom Line: Momento is a robust journal app that integrates nearly every online application imaginable in a seamless and aesthetically-pleasing way.
Momento is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1 or later.