Google to get into note-taking apps with Google Keep

Google may have killed its RSS aggregator Google Reader, but it has been revealed that it is set to take on the note-taking segment head on with a new service called Google Keep.

A Google+ page named 1E100 discovered the code of the yet to be released app after digging through codes in Google Drive, hinting that the service will also be a part of the Drive suite. Also discovered was an icon for the service that has a yellow background with a white bulb on it and looks very similar to all other Drive icons.

The Google Keep Icon

Google had a similar app in the past called Google Notebook, which allowed users to save and organise clips of information while conducting research online. The service got the boot in 2011 as part of the same spring-cleaning programme that claimed Google Reader. Google Notebooks may soon stage a comeback in a new avatar.

The site was reportedly live at https://drive.google.com/keep for a very brief period of time before it was yanked off, but not before screenshots of the service surfaced on the Internet. It isn’t the first time, though, that we’re seeing this service. In an oops moment last year, the search giant posted a Google+ post with screenshots that revealed a button called “Add to Google Keep”.

Google Keep sports a very Google Drive kind of feel

The newest service will be in direct competition with bigwigs like Evernote and Pocket who already have a dedicated fan following and a great foothold in the note-taking sphere. To be fair, the note-taking frenzy has taken off really well only last year after the demise of Google Notebooks. So while Evernote and Pocket took off with the need to collect online clippings and bookmarks, Jack-of-all-trades Google was conspicuous by its absence here.

Google pulled the plug on Reader last week much to the dismay of regular users. As part of spring cleaning spree, Google decided to shut down the aggregator service from July 1, 2013. The service allowed users to keep a tab on content from their favourite blogs and news websites in one place, which made it look almost like an inbox. Google Reader was a hit with compulsive news junkies who used the service dedicatedly.

The service will look pretty neat once it's launched

“We launched Google Reader in 2005, in an effort to make it easy for people to discover and keep tabs on their favourite websites. While the product has a loyal following, over the years, usage has declined. So, on July 1, 2013, we will retire Google Reader," Urs Hölzle, Senior Vice President – Technological Infrastructure, Google, wrote in a blog post.

Google announced that before the service bids its last goodbye in July, users and developers who are interested in RSS alternatives can export their data, including subscriptions, using Google Takout over the course of the next four months.