open-source notes app

A developer has released BraiNOTES, a browser-based tool for annotating lecture PDFs with handwritten notes, sharing the open-source project on Hacker News. The tool works entirely in a browser tab, letting students mark up course material without extra software. Early commenters are discussing its usefulness for study workflows and how it compares with existing PDF annotation apps.

A developer has released MeshLive, an open-source Android app that enables voice and video calls and live broadcasting over Bluetooth, with no internet connection or servers required. Nearby phones can relay broadcasts to extend coverage. The creator says the project was inspired by internet shutdowns in India and notes it remains an experimental beta.

Users are exchanging recommendations for free and open-source Android apps available through F-Droid, responding to a Nextcloud thread. Suggestions include Aegis Authenticator for two-factor authentication, AntennaPod for podcasts, and Breezy Weather for forecasts, with a note that some apps require adding an extra repository to the F-Droid client.

The open-source Android note-taking app XNotes has received an update bringing expanded PDF functions, including support for handwritten notes. A user shared the news on F-Droid, calling it their tool of choice. The app remains free and available through the open-source app store.

MakeUseOf profiles an open-source notes app praised for its design and writing experience, saying the author cannot stop using it. The article highlights the appeal of free, community-built alternatives to commercial note-taking tools, focusing on aesthetics and daily usability rather than features alone. Coverage of polished open-source productivity apps continues to draw interest from users looking to move away from subscription software.

The open-source Android downloader app SimpleDownloader has released version 1.0.2. The update improves pause and concurrency handling, refines restore behavior, and adds notifications. As a community-driven open-source project, its release notes are being shared among developers and Android users following the app's progress in its early 1.x stage.

Developer Mirko Brombin says he will soon publish a podcast app called Podcasts as one of several new Singularity Apps, noting it is the one he personally uses the most. He says the upcoming applications all follow the libsingularity design and points to sinty.dev for more details, targeting the Linux and open-source community.

The open-source note app Poznote has released version 6.114.0, introducing workflow improvements for users. Repeating tasks now automatically generate their next occurrence once completed, and users can copy deep links pointing to specific headings in public notes. Support for printing Markdown has also been added. The update is being shared by PikaPods, a hosting provider that offers managed instances of open-source apps, and is drawing attention among self-hosting and open-source software enthusiasts.

The F-Droid app has received a complete redesign, following a wave of visual overhauls in the open-source Android ecosystem. The Aurora Store introduced a notably improved interface around two months ago, shortly after the LineageOS updater was reworked in both looks and functionality. Users are noting how several popular free-software Android tools are now modernising their designs in quick succession.

IINA, the open-source media player for macOS, has released version 1.5, a major update whose details are laid out in a post on the project's website. The update is being shared among open-source software enthusiasts, with users pointing others to the release notes to see what has changed in the popular free player.

The open-source Android app TABI, aimed at Japanese learners, has been accepted into the F-Droid repository and will soon be available there. The developer announced the merge, noting the app works offline with a privacy focus, and is working on a new social feature for downloading shared content. Users interested in free, open-source language tools are sharing the news.

The Linwood team has released the first and only planned release candidate of Butterfly 2.6.1, its open-source note-taking app. The update improves the presentation tool, adds automatic document thumbnails, refines zoom, rotation and input controls, and makes file management and saving smoother. Fixes also cover collaboration and embeds. The app's users are discussing the changes ahead of the stable release.

XNotes, an open-source app for handwritten notes on smartphones, has reached version 0.8x, which users describe as already stable. A German-language post recommends it as a favourite, praising the app for feeling tidy and well thought out, and points to its availability via the F-Droid store. The app is pitched as an alternative among the many note-taking options for Android users who prefer free, open-source software.

The open-source note-taking app HelixNotes has released version 1.3.6. The update brings faster Markdown source editing, improved search, a customizable desktop toolbar, and performance improvements throughout, along with Linux and macOS refinements contributed by the community. The full changelog is available on the project's GitLab releases page.