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The best organization apps for students
Here's a list of the best organization apps to help you organize your school life and manage your time.
Apple's ban hammer on Notification widgets now targeting popular note-taking app Drafts
Apple is continuing to police the App Store, removing apps that run afoul of its policies governing the use of the new notification widgets. The latest app to catch the attention of App Store reviewers is note-taking app Drafts by Agile Tortoise. According to developer Greg Pierce, Apple has asked for the removal of the buttons in the notifications widget that allow the user to create a new draft or open the app. Apple reportedly told Pierce that the notification pane is meant for information presentation only and is not to be used for interaction such as opening apps. Welp. Enjoy the Drafts Today widget while it lasts. Apple has required me to re-submit w/o the buttons to create drafts or open the app... - Greg Pierce (@agiletortoise) December 2, 2014 As pointed out by Pierce, this restriction has the potential to impact a variety of apps including Evernote, Day One and Fantastical, all of which allow users to create new content directly from the notification widget. As he clarifies, this restriction does not ban the use of buttons in the notification pane, but it does prohibit buttons that are used to open an app to initiate or complete a task. Pierce reportedly was informed of the rejection several weeks ago and went through Apple's appeal process before making a public announcement. Pierce indicated he would resubmit the app without a notification widget and re-assess whether he would add it back in a future revision. This isn't the first time Apple's review team has issued confusing and sometimes contradictory decisions. In October, Apple told the developer of PCalc that the calculator function in the notification widget had to be removed, only to reverse its decision a few days later.
Drafts 4 brings a new hope to a favorite iOS utility
Drafts lives in my dock on both my iPad and iPhone. Any time I start to write anything on my iOS device, I start writing it in Drafts, because I know that I can leave it, switch to another app, or several other apps, and when I come back to Drafts, what I wrote will still be there, always. When I'm done, I can easily send what I've written to another app, or just copy it to the clipboard. I use Drafts all the time, so when I heard a new, totally redesigned version was coming, I was excited, but also a little nervous. Change is scary, and I didn't want to lose anything that I liked about Drafts. Well, spoiler alert, it only took a few minutes using Drafts 4 until I deleted the old version and never looked back. Drafts version 4 is a new, separate app. That means that you can keep Drafts version 3 on your iPad or iPhone/iPod touch alongside Drafts 4. It also means that you will need to buy it again. Drafts 4 is a universal app for iPhone or iPad, including the iPhone 6 Plus with portrait and landscape support. Drafts is currently available for the absurdly low price of US$5 through October 23, 2014. After that, the price will go to a more reasonable $10. Yes, I know, Apple has made it common for people to think that $1 is a lot to spend on an app, but Drafts is an app which has had ongoing improvement for years from a developer who is committed to the platform. $5 is a steal. $10 is still a reasonable price for what you're getting (not to mention that developers have to eat and pay bills, too). There's a whole lot of awesome inside. Drafts 4 has a long, long list of new features and I won't rehash them all here. Some of my favorites include the Share Extension to easily capture text from other apps and Versions for draft modifications, so you can easily go back to earlier versions after making changes. If you write in Markdown you'll love the new syntax highlighting feature in Drafts. There is also an option for highlighting with a focus on social media, or a plain text mode for those of you who prefer no syntax highlighting at all. As always, one of the best parts of Drafts is how customizable it is, and that's even more true in Drafts 4. The extended keyboard is customizable, and allows "pre-built functions, arbitrary text insertion, and powerful script keys" which can utilize JavaScript to manipulate text. The Extended Keyboard alone would make this an awesome upgrade. Drafts has also had the power to string together multiple actions, and that has gotten much easier in version 4. Now you can put multiple steps in one action without having to come up with an elaborate chain of actions. See the "Actions" section of the "What's new?" guide for more information. If you already have your own custom actions and drafts from Drafts version 3, you can import them to Drafts 4. The process only has to be done once, and there is a Migration Screencast to guide you through the whole thing. Written migration instructions are also available for those who prefer that. (I recommend watching the screencast even if you use the written instructions as a reference, as it makes it clear how the process works.) Personally, I decided to start fresh with Drafts 4 and didn't migrate anything over, as a way of forcing myself to take a closer look at everything the new version has to offer. You can leave Drafts 3 on your iOS device and migrate your old information anytime you want. Drafts is a huge update to one of my most-used apps. If you've used Drafts before, version 4 has just gotten better. If you've never used Drafts, this is a great time to learn more about it. Get it now on the App Store.
How to send text from your Mac to your iPhone in four easy steps (Updated)
Update: Several readers have emailed me and asked why I don't just use the Notes app to send text from my Mac to my iPhone. Yes, the Notes app works well for syncing text, but I use Reminders because it integrates with the Drafts app. Drafts imports the text from Reminders and then checks off the items in the list. As a result, the Reminders list is always empty. If I used the Notes app on the Mac and iOS, I would end every day with 10-15 additional entries. On the Mac side, I also prefer using the services menu as it helps me keep my focus. I can stay in the web browser and grab a quote without the distraction of opening the Notes app and copy/pasting my text. Want to send text from your Mac to your iPhone without installing an extra app to do the legwork for you? Here is a workflow that takes snippets of text you copy on your Mac and sends it your iPhone using the Reminders app. You need to use iCloud to sync your reminders for this to work. It'll take about 10 minutes to set up and 30 seconds to use once you have it configured. This idea was originally proposed by @hiilppp in a tweet, and I filled in all the details. Set up iCloud to Sync your Reminders The first thing you need to set up is iCloud syncing on your iOS device and your Mac. If you already use iCloud and have Reminders enabled, you can skip these steps and hop to the next section, which will walk you through creating a Reminders List that'll store the text you want to share. On your iOS device, open the Settings app and scroll down until you see iCloud. Tap the iCloud entry. Enter in your Apple ID credentials or use the Get a Free Apple ID button to set up an iCloud account. Here is a handy tutorial from Macworld that'll walk you through the process. Once your iCloud credentials are stored, you must turn on the Reminders toggle. In iOS 7, it'll be green when it is on. On your Mac, open the System Preferences and click on the iCloud panel. Enter in your iCloud credentials to enable iCloud on your Mac. Click the checkbox next to Reminders to turn on iCloud syncing for the app. Create a Reminders List that'll store the text you want to share You'll need a dedicated list in the Reminders app that'll be used exclusively to sync text between your Mac and iOS device. I name my list "Drafts" so it can be used by the Drafts app on iOS. This app automatically imports any text that is saved in the Reminders. It is very useful for sending over large blocks of text. Open the Reminders app on your Mac. Tap the "+" button on the bottom left to create a new list. Rename the list to "Drafts" by typing in "Drafts" right after you create the list. If you accidentally named the list something else, you can click on the name to change it. Create an Automator service that'll transfer selected text to the Reminders app This Automator service is the glue that holds everything together. It'll take the text you select in any app on your Mac and allow you to send it to the Reminders app as a new list item. This information will then sync seamlessly to your iOS device via iCloud. Open Automator, File > New. Click on Service to create a new service. In the left column, make sure "Actions" is selected and search for "Reminders" to pull up the "New Reminders Item" action. Drag the "New reminders Item" to the workflow editor on the right. Make sure the "Add To:" field is set to "Existing List" and "Drafts." Click File > Save and name the Service with a name that is descriptive. I used "Text to iPhone." Now let's make sure the service was created properly. Open your favorite text editor and right click on the text to bring up the contextual menu. Select Services in this drop-down menu and find your newly created service in the list. In my case, it is "Text to iPhone," as shown below. Configure the Drafts App on iOS to automatically import the text from your Mac Each snippet of text that is sent to the Reminders app will automatically sync to the Reminders app on your iOS device. You can use the Reminders app on iOS to grab this text and copy it to other applications. It's easy to use, but if you want to turn up the notch on your automation, you should use the Drafts app from AgileTortoise. Drafts is an extremely useful text editor. This app has a feature that automatically imports any text saved in the Reminders. It creates new documents from each item in your Reminders list and then checks off each Reminder item as completed. It is very useful for sending over large blocks of text and for keeping your Reminders tidy. Download and install the Drafts app from the iOS App Store. There is an iPhone version and an iPad version. Open Drafts and go to the Settings by tapping on the Document icon and then the gear icon Scroll down until you see "Import from Reminders." Turn this feature on by dragging the toggle to the right. It'll be gray when it is on. You may have to give Drafts permission to access the Reminders if this is your first time enabling the feature. Using the Workflow to send text from your Mac to your iOS Device Now that all the pieces are in place, it is time to use the workflow in your daily activities. With just a few clicks, you should be able to send any text from your Mac to your iPhone or iPad. Here is what you need to do: Open any app and select the text you want to copy. Right click on this text to pull up the contextual menu. Select the service you created and voila! Your text is now happily on its way to your iPhone. Find your iPhone and open the Drafts app to automatically import each new snippet of text as a new document.
App updates you don't want to miss - December 23, 2013 edition
It has been a busy few weeks with software updates coming out for both iOS and OS X apps. Grab a cup of joe and check out our list of notable updates from the past few weeks! You can also follow them on a rolling basis on our website. iOS Apps Heads Up! [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $0.99] Heads Up! is the fun and hilarious game that Ellen DeGeneres plays on her show. Now you can play with your friends! Version 2.0 adds several new decks and the ability to create your own deck. Tydlig - Calculator Reimagined [iOS Universal; [iOS Universal; $4.99] Tydlig is a revolutionary new kind of calculator that sheds the legacy limitations of old devices for a truly modern calculation experience. Version 1.1.1 adds a new menu action link for when you want to use any historical number in your current expression. Infuse 2 [iOS Universal; Category: Photography & Video; Free] Infuse is the only video player app that bridges the gap between your iTunes and other content –- so you can watch virtually anything you want. Version 2.1 adds even more formats for free users, variable-speed scrubbing, improved accuracy while scrubbing, better movie artwork and more. Infinity Blade III [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $2.99] Uncover new mysteries to wield the power of the Infinity Blade in this timeless adventure of champions and villains. Version 1.2 adds three new quests, nine new enemies, a new Arena Mode and more. Kingdom Rush Frontiers [iPhone; Category: Games; $0.99] Bigger and badder than ever before, Kingdom Rush: Frontiers is a whole new level of the furiously fast, enchantingly charming gameplay that made the original title an award-winning hit. Version 1.4 includes a new free stage, a new boss fight, new hero and more. Kingdom Rush HD [iPad; Category: Games; $0.99] Get ready for an epic journey to defend your kingdom against hordes of orcs, trolls, evil wizards and other nasty fiends using a vast arsenal of towers and spells at your command. Version 2.2 includes a new free stage, a new boss fight, new hero and more. ProCamera7 [iPhone; Category: Photography & Video; $1.99] ProCamera is a photo, video and editing app bursting with state-of-the-art technology that helps you shoot like a pro. Version 5.2 adds a new QR Code Scanner, EXIF Viewer and manual saving. Where's My Water? 2 [iOS Universal; Category: Games; Free] Get ready to join Swampy, Allie and Cranky on their next exciting adventure. Version 1.1.0 adds two new locations and removes the energy system, allowing you to play as much as you want. Sky Guide: View Stars Night or Day [iOS Universal; Category: Reference; $1.99] A star and constellation guide has never been more beautiful and easy to use. Version 3.0 adds new time-lapse feature, 64-bit support, realistic comets and more. Gneo [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; $4.99] Gneo helps you take action with your to-dos by prioritizing all the things you need to get done. Version 1.0.5 adds a new Calendar selector, new smart notebook filter and more. Agricola [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $6.99] Europe is recovering from some hard times. You and a spouse must grow your two-room hut and empty farmyard into a productive farm. Version 1.1.0 adds the ability to expand the game by purchasing Decks I (Interactive) and K (Complex) for your game. Drafts [iPhone; Category: Productivity; $1.99] Quickly capture text and send it almost anywhere. Version 3.5.8 updates the swiping behavior so your can delete by swiping to the left, and moving or pinning by swiping to the right. Drafts for iPad [iPad; Category: Productivity; $2.99] Quickly capture text and send it almost anywhere. Version 3.5.8 updates the swiping behavior so your can delete by swiping to the left, and moving or pinning by swiping to the right. Daedalus Touch – Text Editor for iCloud [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; Free] Daedalus Touch is the first truly next-gen text editor on iOS. Version 1.7 turns the app into a freemium title with advanced features available via in-app purchases, new font selector, new theme switcher and more. OS X Apps The Elements [Category: Reference; $19.99] The Elements is a living periodic table that gained a great deal of attention on the iPad before making a move to OS X. Version 1.0.6 doesn't add any functionality, but fixes issues with some late-2012 27-inch iMacs. Cobook [Category: Business; Free] Cobook is an über address book that compiles contacts across just about every social network imaginable, along with your standard Contacts list. Version 3.0 adds support for multiple user accounts, design tweaks and support for Instagram, Foursquare, AngelList and LinkedIn. Civilization V: Campaign Edition [Category: Games; $9.99] The latest edition of the Civilization franchise for Mac includes the Babylon, Mongols and Scenario DLC packs. Version 1.3.4 adds the "Scramble Nations" and "Scramble Continents" options via in-app purchases, along with a suite of bug fixes. SkyDrive [Category: Productivity; Free] SkyDrive is Microsoft's access-from-anywhere storage system that installs a synced folder on your Mac. Version 17.0.2021.1202 fixes some syncing bugs that previously plagued the system.
Drafts becomes iOS 7-only with latest update
Drafts is one of many apps making the upgrade to iOS 7 today, but in this case, it's going all the way. Drafts 3.5 will only support iOS 7, and both iPhone and iPad apps have been fully updated to utilize the new OS. If you are not planning to upgrade to iOS 7 right away, you won't be able to upgrade to Drafts 3.5. But thanks to Apple's newly implemented "last compatible version" feature, you should still be able to download a version of Drafts that works on iOS 6. Other new features in Drafts 3.5 include: The ability to post to Google+. Tap and hold the "+" to get additional options when creating a new draft, such as utlizing selected text or clipboard contents. Dropbox import (if the app is installed on your iDevice). Display count of unprocessed drafts as an app badge. Enhanced customization with new action tag, hidden status bars and more. Drafts is US$2.99 and Drafts for iPad is $3.99 on the App Store. If you're getting started with this app, check out fellow TUAW writer Dave Caolo's tips on how he uses it.
Drafts 3.0 adds archiving, improves organization, more
Drafts is a fast, lightweight note-taking app for iPhone (US$2.99) and iPad ($3.99) with so much more to offer than simple lists. Drafts is handy. You can use it to quickly jot down a list or something you'd like to recall later, which is great. But the app's real power is in the myriad of ways you can act on that text. For example, you can send a list to a project manager like OmniFocus or a storage service like Evernote. Share a note with Facebook, Twitter or ADN. Create a calendar event, a reminder or even write in Markdown. Beyond that you can really geek out with automation and complex iOS workflows. Many hardcore productivity and automation nerds have demonstrated exactly how powerful Drafts is. But that shouldn't scare off mortals like you and me. Here's what's new in Drafts version 3, as well as how I use it. Adding and Organizing Notes To create a note, just start typing. There's nothing to tap first, not category or tag to fiddle with when you simply want to write something down. That's been the case since Drafts was first launched. Version three introduces inbox, archives and pinned panes. These three options let your organize notes you'd like to keep around, as opposed to something you captured for the moment. To move a note, tap its title and then swipe right-to-left. A delete button appears, as well as two icons representing whatever category that list is not in. For example, if your note is in the inbox, the archive and pin icons will appear. Tap the icon of your choice to move that note to that location. Easy! Organizing Actions The app's list of actions has seen a similar change. Now, you can sort actions into one of four panes. It's super handy because you can group like actions, like productivity or writing, and avoid a single list of everything. To get started, tape the action button and then tap the gear icon on the right. The settings screen appears. Tap Manage Actions. Next a list of all your chose actions appears. Time to get sorting. Tap any action in the list -- "Email" for example -- and its sort options slide in from underneath. Finally just tap the pane you want to assign that action to and off it goes. It's very easy. Back Up Improvements Once you've spent time organizing your notes and actions, it sure would be a bummer to lose all that customization. Don't worry, Drafts 3 lets you create a date-stamped backup of all your note and action settings to Dropbox. You can easily restore should something go wrong. It worked perfectly for me. Integration with Apple's Reminders has also been improved. If you create a list in Reminders called "Drafts," Drafts will import its contents and mark them as done in reminders. It goes the other way, too. You can also use an action to create new reminders or even start new lists in Reminders if a list does not yet exist. Super handy. All in all, this is a great update to a super useful app. And you needn't be an automation fiend to benefit from it. Go and grab Drafts now.
Drafts 3.0 adds draft and action management, much more
Drafts, the iOS note-taker from Agile Tortoise, has been updated to version 3.0, and it's a big one. Drafts 3.0 is available now for the iPad (US$3.99) and iPhone ($2.99), and it's a free update for existing users. Much like Apple's own Notes, Drafts lets you quickly jot things down (we recently featured Drafts as a Daily iPhone App) But it's so much more than that. Use Drafts to create "actions" for moving your text into other apps, or sharing with family, friends or co-workers. You can even geek out and create complex workflows that interact with other apps. Drafts can be as simple or involved as you like. In both scenarios, it's fast and useful. There's a lot to like and play with in this release; so much so, in fact, that I'm going to pore over it a bit more for a full review soon. In the meantime, here's an overview of what to expect from Drafts 3.0. This update adds draft management and action management. The new action manager gives you four customizable panes of actions -- ways of interacting with other iOS apps or web services. You needn't scroll a long list to find the actions you want. You could, for example, have sharing actions on one pane (Twitter, ADN, Facebook or email), productivity actions on another (OmniFocus, Reminders and Fantastical) and writing-based actions on a third, like Markdown and send to Byword. Draft management works in a similar way. The scrolling list is replaced with an inbox, an archive and a list of pinned drafts. Swipe any draft to pin it, archive it or move it back to the inbox. It's a seemingly simple change but it goes a long way to keeping things organized. There's fun new geeky stuff, too. New Evernote actions let you create/append/prepend to notes in Evernote. It can process notes in Markdown now, too. Integration with Apple's Reminders has also been improved. You can now opt to import reminders right into Drafts, which is handy. You can also use an action to create new reminders or even start new lists in Reminders if a list does not yet exist. Super handy. Additionally, if you use TextExpander, your saved snippets can now be expanded when you run a custom Drafts action. The iPhone version of the app features an extended keyboard. There's a lot more in there -- this is a huge release. Drafts is a handy, useful tool for the iPhone and iPad. Version 3.0 makes it so much better. Keep an eye out for my in-depth review soon.
AgileTortoise updates Drafts, introduces iPad version
AgileTortoise's popular Drafts app receives a welcome update today as it enters version 2.0 for iPhone. Drafts for iPad is also available. Adding sync features through Simperium, an iCloud alternative, Drafts will be able to move data across platforms and pick up from where users last left off. This cloud feature joins existing Dropbox and Evernote support. The app offers simple note-taking in a streamlined interface with a wealth of sharing features. You can send by e-mail, text message, post to Facebook, tweet, etc. I gave the iPad version a quick spin and found it cleanly designed and simple to use. It offered several standout features. For example, the built-in Markdown support allows you to build formatted email with familiar text shortcuts. I was also impressed by the integrated gestures and excellent font-selection features. (That's a big help for my aging eyes.) According to the press release, version 2.0 enhancements include: Refined user interface with updated graphics and new custom font choices. Lightning fast sync between devices. Full screen reading by swiping down on toolbar. Link mode enables tapping on phone numbers, addresses and web links captured in Drafts. More output actions, including "Append to Dropbox". Ability to configure the delay before a new draft is created when returning to Drafts from another app. Action sounds. Integration with additional apps, such as Appigo Todo, Writing Kit and Threadnote. The iPhone version is $1.99 (free upgrades for existing owners). The iPad version is $2.99.
Daily iPhone App: Drafts lets you save short snippets of text
Drafts from Agile Tortoise is the ideal digital notepad for the person who wants to capture a thought before it's gone. It has a simple UI that doesn't get in the way of its primary function, which is jotting down notes. The app opens to an empty draft that's ready for you to record your latest thoughts, type out the draft of a tweet or prep some markdown code. Drafts's emphasis is on quick and easy notes that can be shared on Twitter, email, or copied to the clipboard. It also supports markdown so you're not limited to plain text. Drafts has several small but handy features. The app keeps track of both your word and character count, which is extremely useful when you are composing a character-limited tweet or a text message. There's also a search function that'll help you find the important note you created last month. If you own the companion app Terminology, you can highlight a word in Drafts and easily look up its definition and usage. Drafts is available in the iOS App Store for US$0.99. It works on the iPhone and requires iOS 5.0.
Show and Tell: About a bag
We recently brought up the never-ending case discussion again, because, like so many of our readers, we just can't find that perfect bag that really reflects how we feel about the DS. That's why we love it when readers let us know they've taken matters into their own hands. We like to live vicariously through the crafters among us, because they design the most awesome things -- like these themed DS bags.Reader Pamela made a bitchin' Peach bag for herself, complete with loads of zippers and pockets, and an extra bag for, well, extras (like her phone). To complete the look, she got Peach accessories for her handheld, and the result is pinkariffic. In fact, the bag was such a success that she ended up making one for her brother, and another for her brother's friend ... and they're all hand sewn. Yeah, we're jealous.So what have you done lately? From crafts to cakes to collections ... whatever you've got, if it has a little Nintendo flavor, we want to see it. Just take some pictures (or copy your web album links) and send them to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest.
IEEE source: draft 802.11n timeline slipping yet again
More bad news for MIMO fans (if there is such a thing): Glenn Fleishman over at Wi-Fi Net News is reporting that an IEEE member has informed him of a delay in the timetable for expected approval of the final draft of the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard, from sometime this summer to late fall or even early winter. Fleishman's source claims that Task Group N received around 12,000 comments on the proposed draft -- compared to the 2,000-some that most drafts generate -- which is yet another bad sign following the group's earlier failure to garner even a simple majority in favor of the current proposal, much less the 75% supermajority needed for passage. With draft approval seemingly several months off at the least, it could be a year or even a year and a half before a final 802.11n standard is ratified, meaning that those folks who are already snatching up pre-N gear will have to wait even longer to find out if their hardware ends up being compatible.[Via Ars Technica]
IEEE "Task Group N" rejects first 802.11n draft proposal
In a move that came as little surprise to those who know how these things work, but that will still probably hurt manufacturers who've been releasing MIMO-enabled networking peripherals for the last few months, the IEEE 802.11 working group tasked with creating a next-gen WiFi standard has recently rejected the first draft of the highly-anticipated 802.11n. Not only did the first 802.11n draft fail to capture the 75% supermajority needed for passage, it couldn't even muster a regular majority among "Task Group N," which is a troubling development for those consumers who have already gone out and purchased pre- or draft-N gear from Linksys, Netgear, and the like. As we've reported in the past, some manufacturers had warned -- and independent testing corroborated -- that draft-N gear could negatively effect current 802.11b/g products already on the market, by hogging the available 2.5GHz bandwidth and causing performance issues on existing WLANs. Still, taken in a historical perspective, rejection of the first draft of a proposed 802.11x specification is not uncommon, and actually seems to be the rule, rather than the exception, in the life-cycle of these multi-year, multi-party standards talks.
