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The Iconfactory just released Tot 2.0, bringing meaningful improvements to one of the Mac ecosystem's most elegant note apps. For anyone who's felt overwhelmed by feature-bloated note apps, Tot offers something refreshing: seven simple notes, each with its own color dot for quick visual reference.

Tot lives in your menu bar and syncs across Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. The new version adds automatic indenting, customizable smart bullets, and text dividers without compromising the app's signature simplicity. When you indent a line and hit return, the next line maintains that indentation automatically, making hierarchical lists happen naturally.

Portable Typing Transforms Tot

Tot shines when you can quickly capture thoughts wherever you are. A compact Bluetooth keyboard turns your iPad or iPhone into a legitimate note-taking device when paired with Tot. The Logitech Keys-to-GO 2 weighs almost nothing, includes a built-in cover to protect the keys, and gives you three years of battery life from the included coin cell batteries.

The keyboard connects to iOS, iPadOS, and macOS devices instantly and features a full row of shortcut keys for volume, brightness, and media controls. It's slim enough to slide into any bag alongside your iPad, and the low-profile scissor keys provide comfortable typing similar to a laptop.

Get the Logitech Keys-to-GO 2 here (Amazon Affiliate Link):

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Portable-Wireless-Keyboard-Bluetooth/dp/B0D2FD5994?tag=blainelocklai-20

Digital Ink for Quick Sketches

Sometimes a quick diagram explains things better than text. Tot supports basic formatting, and on iPad, adding a stylus opens up visual note-taking possibilities. Generic styluses work with any iPad from 2018 forward and cost a fraction of Apple's options while delivering tilt sensitivity and palm rejection.

The JAMJAKE Stylus Pen charges in just 10 minutes for hours of use, attaches magnetically to your iPad, and includes palm rejection technology so your hand doesn't interfere while writing or sketching. It works across iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro, and iPad mini models without requiring Bluetooth pairing.

Get the JAMJAKE Stylus Pen here (Amazon Affiliate Link):

https://www.amazon.com/JAMJAKE-Stylus-Sensitivity-Rejection-Compatible/dp/B0D7QY6XV8?tag=blainelocklai-20

When Simple Beats Complex

Tot's appeal comes from what it doesn't try to do. No folders, no tags, no endless organizational systems to maintain. Just seven notes that sync reliably and stay accessible. The 2.0 update improves the experience without adding complexity, which feels increasingly rare.

The customizable smart bullets let you toggle between symbol pairs like empty and filled circles or stars by simply clicking them, adding visual progress tracking without leaving the app. Eight new text divider options help break up longer notes into readable sections.

Tot costs $19.99 for Mac and $19.99 for iPad and iPhone, with existing users getting the 2.0 update free. The Apple Watch companion app costs an additional $1.99. For anyone tired of overthinking their note-taking system, Tot offers a different approach: just start typing.