Laptop Thoughts: Evernote Peek: The First Smart Cover Learning App

"Several months ago, Phil and I were sitting in a plane playing around with the just-released iPad 2. Of all its features, the thing that floored us was the ingenious Smart Cover. It didn't seem like an accessory so much as an extension of the device. As we sat there opening and closing the cover, a question struck us: could we use the cover to control an app that would make Evernote even more useful Turns out, the answer is yes. We give you Evernote Peek, the world's first Smart Cover app. Available now."

Here's one thing I've learned over the years: if you have a hardware feature that developers can tap into, they will - and they'll do creative things you never guessed they could. This is a perfect example of that - and I think it's brilliant. It's a whole new class of application that came about simply from Apple coming up with a feature that turns the iPad on when the Smart Cover is lifted.