This method requires either a cell phone with camera or a normal digital camera. Photograph the document, email the image to qipit website for cleaning and then extract the text from this cleaned image using SimpleOCR, a free word-recognition software.

Here’s the complete instruction:

1. Place the book / newspaper / magazine page on a flat surface and photograph it. Keep a steady hand and make sure Flash is turned off else the final image may appear to be washed out.

2. Now upload that photograph to qipit.com via web or email. Qipit, a free service, will straighten the image and create a much cleaner and readable document from that picture.

Open the MyDocuments folder in Qipit.com and download that converted file as JPG by clicking the document preview icon.

3. To extract text from this JPG file, we will use a free software called SimpleOCR. The OCR software will recognize the words in the JPG image and generates a text file.

Box.net, a virtual storage space for your computer files, offers 1GB free accounts. Whether you want to move files among multiple computers, backup important data in the event of a computer crash, or share documents and photos with friends and colleagues, Box.net is for you.
They just completed the first releasable version of Office On Demand, which is a cool new way to save files directly from Microsoft Office to your Box. Currently it’s compatible with Word, Powerpoint, Excel, and Access both in 2007 and 2003 (and XP/Vista!).

A small “Save to Box.net” button will appear as a button in your toolbar section of the Office app - upon clicking, you’ll be able to login and upload your file to Box. Extremely useful if you’re jumping between computers or devices. We’ll be adding Box Network sharing functionality soon as well.

Download the first version here: http://www.box.net/shared/m0jjh7n610

I am sure you know about Mind Mapping concept.

It is used for organizing your notes and information in a non liniear format. This is believed to be more effective as both parts of your brain are used.

If you want to try it on a computer, you may look at this free program FreeMind or use the following free online service: www.bubbl.us for your brainstorming.

The concept is pretty basic: you write your thoughts in bubbles, which you can then connect to other bubbles, eventually creating as complex (or not) diagram as you could possibly want. It’s a great way to quickly jot down and map your ideas; and you can create as many of these as you want.