A while back I made mention of how bummed I was at losing Sandy, my virtual email assistant.  I have been on the search for a replacement and think I have settled on one for the short term, ReQall.

ReQall has as its mantra, “the best way to remember what is important to you.” It is a free Web/Phone app.

There are two main ways to add to ReQall.  First is by phone.  (Similar to Jott) You can call in a reminder like, “Pick up the dry cleaning today at noon.”  Then you will, like Sandy did, get a reminder before noon to pick up your dry cleaning.  You can also add by text on the web site, that is the second way.  Other ways to add info include a few mobile apps (covered below) and instant messaging.

ReQall tracks three things for you.  Notes, to-do’s, and a shopping list.  Here is what it more or less understands when you add by voice or text on the site.

* “Buy eggs” = Shopping list.
* “Call John tomorrow at eight fifteen” = To-dos list with a due date/time of tomorrow at 8:15 a.m.
* “Note:  Jane’s phone number is 473-3892” = Notes list
* ‘Meeting at Melodie’s house at six pm on Friday” = To-dos list with a  date/time of Friday at 6:00 p.m.

It has not seemed perfect to me…some things have been added to my notes section when I wanted them added to my “to-do” list. But on the whole, it is accurate.

I used Sandy for email.  I would simply forward an email to “her” saying something to the effect, “remind me to do this Monday at noon.”  Then, Monday at 11:45 Am I would get my reminder and the email I had forwarded . ReQall does not have a way to add by email yet.  But, you can go around it by adding the Firefox extension and cutting and pasting out of your browser (Provided you use a web mail service, otherwise you would need to cut and paste to the web app.)

Another cool feature of ReQall is that you can hear your lists on the phone.   You simply call the toll free number and ReQall will read it back to you. (Or you will hear your own voice if you have added by phone.)

Finally, what makes this work for me is that it has a Blackberry app.  I used to sit in a meeting or at a stoplight and think of something I needed to do next week.  I would shoot Sandy an email and be reminded at the right time.  With ReQall, I add it via the Blackberry app at the same spot.  It is not quite as quick, but it does work well for me.  For those hipper than I, ReQall does have an iphone app.

Should ReQall ever allow me to add by email, I think it may be superior to Sandy due to the phone integration.  (And enough people are asking for it on the GetSatisfaction board that I hope it could happen some day soon.)

I would assume that ReQall will eventually start charging for their service.  Whether it is free for the basic service and extra for other services remains to be seen.

If this does not make a lot of sense, you can get an overview of ReQall by looking at this video.

One other option on the horizon for those of us losing Sandy, a group of folks are working on an open source option.  You can follow their progress here.