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To-do list app Remember The Milk gets a healthy update on Android (video)
We have a soft spot for Remember the Milk, not least because the cross-platform app is handy for divvying up to-do lists between different groups in remote locations. If you're on Android and in the market for a new productivity tool, a significant update to version 3.0 makes this a good time to try it. There's a video after the break showing how the new interface works with vertical columns, similar to those on the iOS version, so you see a selection of lists on the left, list contents in the middle and the precise details of a task when you swipe to the right. Sounds simple, perhaps, but it's more fluid -- especially on smaller screens. It's also good that the constant "reminders" about upgrading to a Pro account aren't as in-your-face as they were in the old version, which makes the whole thing feel a bit more chilled out. For more personal and less urgent stuff, however, you might find Springpad to be a bit friendlier.
TodoMovies: The must-have movie app for movie lovers
Taphive's TodoMovies (US$1.99) app for iPhone has recently been updated to version 2.0. I'd not seen or used TodoMovies before, but as a huge movie enthusiast, I knew I had to check it out. At its heart, TodoMovie is an app that keeps track of movies you want to watch, but it's supercharged in every way. Here's how it works. Say, for example, you heard a friend talking about a film, like Iron Man 3. You want to know more about it, so you open TodoMovies and go to Discover View. You enter the title in the search box and it pops right up with a thumbnail picture, title and the release year. When you tap it, you're presented with the movie's poster and numerous options. Watch a trailer for the movie. Check out a gallery with all the official pictures. Add the film to your watch list or mark it as watched. Furthermore, find out about the storyline, cast and crew, release date as well as TodoMovie's own universal rating. If that's not enough, review ratings are also imported from Rotten Tomatoes and Netflix. In Discovery View, it's easy to find films by genre, what's in theaters at the moment and what's upcoming. With a tap and hold, quickly indicate whether you've seen a movie or you want to add it to your watch list. Movies you've seen will have a little green tick in the top-right corner. Movies you're still to watch will have a blue plus sign. %Gallery-186699% If you find a film you want to watch that's still unreleased, just add it to your watch list. TodoMovie will let you add a release notification reminder with notes, perhaps to remind you to buy tickets for a screening at your favorite cinema! TodoMovie makes it easy to share information on a great film with friends or family. From within the app, share to Twitter, Facebook, a text message or email. The app also searches and links to the iTunes Store, should you want to buy a soundtrack or even rent or buy a film. TodoMovie supports iCloud Sync, so if you're signed into iCloud, your list will be saved and accessible across your iDevices. There's also Dropbox integration, which lets you export images from movie galleries to your Dropbox. It's a really nice idea, especially if you enjoy having movie posters as your desktop picture. Add the Dropbox folder to Desktop pictures in your Mac's System Preferences and set it to change pictures periodically. Export the images from within TodoMovies and you'll have a carousel of movie posters as your desktop picture. My only gripe is the lack of high-resolution images. While offering all of these fantastic features, TodoMovie keeps what's important front and center -- movies. The app is really well-designed, functions flawlessly and looks gorgeous. The only complaint is that it's sometimes hard to decipher the movie title from a poster image. I'd have to tap the image and enter the movie details section just to find out what it was, which was a little frustrating at times. A list view would be nice. In summary, TodoMovies makes it really easy to discover new films, keep track of what you want to watch and what you've watched, and is a fantastic resource for movie info, reviews and media. Whether you're a film addict, conniossuer or you simply want to keep track of movies you want to watch, TodoMovies is a must-have app. TodoMovies is available from the App Store now. Our own Victor Agreda, Jr. spoke to the creator of TodoMovie at last year's WWDC. To learn about the origin of the app, watch the video below.
Daily iPhone App: ListBook: A list app with location based reminders and more
NoIdentity's ListBook (US$1.99) is a straightforward list compiler that looks great and has some well-implemented features to help you get on top of all those lists and things to get done. The list maker lets you compile numerous lists and add items (or to-dos / tasks) to those lists. To create a list, add one and give it a title, like "groceries" or "personal," and categorize it by assigning one of 15 images to it, to help differentiate what kind of list it is. Within a list, just pull down to add a new item to that list. This takes you to a detailed view of the item. The first line of text you enter becomes the title of that item. If you add more text on a new line, that appears as a note underneath the title of that item when viewed in its respective list. Items can be assigned or tagged a specific color, to help identify certain items within a list. Items can also have reminders set by date and time as well as location-based reminders, similar to Apple's Reminders app. So when you leave or arrive at a specific location you'll receive a reminder. Recurring reminders can also be set. To complete, check or finish an item, just tap it and it is marked with a tick and becomes slightly faded, or you can set completed items in individual lists to be hidden. There's no way to view all items in one list, but that's not the point of ListBook. ListBook is about making lists, categorizing them and helping you to remember to complete them. Unfortunately there's no cross-platform syncing, which would be nice considering ListBook is a universal app for iPhone and iPad. But if you're looking for a reminders / list app with a bit more flare and power than Apple's Reminders app, but no desire to dive into the depths of pro-organization, then ListBook is worth checking out.
To-do app Wunderlist Pro adds collaboration function, charges $45 annual subscription
If you've been meaning to get your act together, you've likely waded through a sea of organizer apps, perhaps landing on the likes of Remember The Milk, Evernote and Wunderlist. The latter has focused on the ubiquitous to-do lists, and has just announced that it'll launch Wunderlist Pro next week with new teamwork options aimed at businesses and other groups. Maker 6Wunderkinder said it brought the "most requested" feature of Wunderlist -- assigning -- which will let each user delegate and view the responsibilities of the entire team. You'll be able to see your own chores through an "assigned to me" smart list with unlimited subtasks and "new and exclusive backgrounds." The company's mum on the rest of the details, but said it'll launch the app sometime next week for $5 per month or $45 a year. That might help keep your cats in the herd, but blog editors? Impossible. Check the video after the break to see how they made it.
Wunderlist announces Wunderlist Pro for Mac, iOS and the web
The folks behind Wunderlist, the excellent to-do app that recently updated to version 2, have announced that Wunderlist Pro is almost ready for prime time. Wunderlist is a free service and is remaining free, but Wunderlist Pro is a new premium service that's designed to help get Wunderlist working with teams of all sizes, from just a few people to much larger groups, on all of Apple's platforms. The full feature list for Pro hasn't been announced yet, but it will be a to-do app for working across multiple people, with shared lists, an "Assigned to Me" smart list for everyone involved and a number of new backgrounds and cosmetic features. Developer 6Wunderkinder also says that the core features in the first release will be a starting point as well -- the company has grown Wunderlist quite a bit over the years, and Wunderlist Pro will undoubtedly grow into its own in the future as well. The new service will cost US$4.99 a month, or $49.99 a year. The company's CEO has more on his own blog about what Wunderlist Pro will be. In the meantime, we'll stay tuned for a full release to see just what the company has in store.
Add to Wunderlist extension brings one-click web clipping to your to-do list
Wunderlist users rejoice! Your favorite to-do list just gained a major new feature with the launch of the Add to Wunderlist extension -- now available for Chrome, Firefox and Safari. The extension lets you save content from your favorite websites directly into Wunderlist with just one click. It automatically scans web pages for links, email content, prices, descriptions and ratings, clips any highlighted text, then adds it to your list of choice. Web developers also have the option to embed an Add to Wunderlist button directly into websites -- the company's already teamed up with Outlook.com, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Amazon, eBay, Twitter, Youtube, IMDb, Asos, Etsy, Wikipedia and Hacker News to enable this functionality. It's never been easier to be obsessive-compulsive while surfing the web -- you just have to follow the source link below.
Wunderlist 2 task manager app hits the iPad
6Wunderkinder's Wunderlist 2 has been developing something of a following among the highly organized, although there's been a conspicuous gap when iPad owners couldn't keep up with the to-dos and reminders they'd created on their phones. The hole is closing quickly: Wunderlist 2's iOS version is now a universal app that supports all flavors of iPads. There won't be any surprises in features if you had a peek at the app on an Android tablet last week, but consistency is more of a virtue than a vice when juggling tasks. Hit the source link for the big-screen update.
Wunderlist 2 task app hits Android tablets, comes to iPad soon
How quickly they grow up: 6Wunderkinder's near-ubiquitous Wunderlist 2 only just reached native app status as 2012 wound to a close, and it's already being optimized for Android tablets. The task management app should now offer its to-do lists and reminders on Google-powered slates of any size, with new layouts and artwork just for the bigger screen. Every Android user gets a handful of meaningful upgrades in the process, including list sharing between apps, the ability to save links and test as well as automatic syncing. Android fans wanting to get things done can hit the Google Play link to get the new version today, but they won't be the only ones getting the larger experience -- the developer is teasing an iPad equivalent in the near future.
Daily iPhone App: Text file to-dos make the leap to iPhone with Todo.txt app
Sometimes the best to-do list apps are the ones that keep things simple. These basic list-making apps are perfect for those times when you need to jot down something quick like a phone number, a song you heard or an app you want to remember. One lightweight to-do manager with syncing support is the Todo.Txt app from Gina Trapani. Todo.txt is a universal iOS app that uses the to-do file many of us keep on our computers. Instead of storing your task list locally on your hard drive, you can move your text file to your Dropbox folder and use the Todo.txt app to sync the list to your iOS device. The app pulls down your task list from Dropbox and allows you to view and edit it on the go. Any edits you make on your mobile device will be synced back to the text file on your computer. Since the list is a text file, you can edit it with any text editor under the sun. Todo.txt is a basic list -- there are no checkboxes, drop-downs, reminders or date pickers. All you have to do is add an item and then mark it completed when you are done. If you need to organize your list a bit, Todo.txt lets you prioritize your tasks and tag them with project names and contexts. You can also search or filter your list. Todo.txt is available in the iOS App Store for US$1.99. It requires a Dropbox account.
Things 2 for Mac now on sale for 50% off
Cultured Code has a treat for Mac owners looking for a new task manager. Starting today, Things 2 for Mac is on sale for US$24.99, a 50 percent discount off the app's normal $49 price tag. Things is a fantastic to-do manager that appeals to a wide range of users. With tags, projects and areas of responsibility, it's robust enough for power users looking for a nimble task manager. At the same time, it's not loaded down with lots of extra options, so even beginning users can jump right in and start managing their tasks with minimal effort. This limited-time sale applies only to the Mac version and ends January 31. This is only the second time Cultured Code has discounted Things for the Mac, so grab it while you can.
Wunderlist 2 goes native, adds many new features to beautiful, free app
6Wunderkinder's Wunderlist 2 is now available on desktops (as a native app and a web app) and iOS devices to make personal productivity more connected, more social and more informative than ever before. To-do lists are probably the most commonly downloaded and then least-used apps across the App Stores. We all want to be productive and have plenty to do. With the cloud powering our nearly ubiquitous computers and smartphones, it makes sense that software should help us remember what all that stuff is. Several good solutions are available, and odds are that if you have a favorite (2Do is my current app of choice, though honestly nothing is more familiar to me than just a real pad of paper and a pen), you'll stick with it. The developers at 6Wunderkinder, however, want you to use Wunderlist 2, and they've given the experience a full makeover. At its core, Wunderlist 2 is a to-do app. As with most of these, your usage habits depend on (surprise!) you. If you don't use a to-do app to remind you to do things, it's pretty useless no matter how well designed it is. But the question here is this: Is the new Wunderlist sporting enough new features to convince you to give it a try, even if you've dismissed it in the past? Also, is this new version worth a download (the software's free, so the answer is probably yes), if you've got a functioning system in place? Let's browse through the new app and find out. Design The main design goal of a to-do list app should be responsiveness and simplicity. Wunderlist 2 delivers here, as it has done before. The main screen is a list of tasks, which you can easily check off or delete by tapping or swiping. The app's default look is a classy wood panel backing that looks great, though the app also offers several other options. Starring an important item adds more some color. A little flag appears with a star on it, and your item then goes into a special "smart list" where it's more easily accessible. But most of Wunderlist's deeper functionality (which we'll dive into in the next section) is basically hidden. On the front of it, this is a todo list app, and so the main screen simply gives you your to-do items, with no fuss and no muss. I prefer the mobile app's design. On the iPhone, the smaller screen really focuses you down to your tasks, almost insisting that you get to work and check things off. The desktop app is well made, though certain functions are hidden in interesting places. For example, you can access those aforementioned custom backgrounds by clicking on your account name. Also, the app's notification center is accessed by clicking the title bar icon. The desktop version is a little too complicated for what works best as a simple and small app. Cloud functionality is very nice, and I like that I can punch in to-dos on my iPhone and then browse them on the desktop in the larger interface. But again, simplicity is the key here, and I think Wunderlist 2 mobile nails that down better than the desktop version. Otherwise, Wunderlist looks very good. Aside from some new features (which, again, we'll get to in a second), the core app hasn't changed much, I think because 6Wunderkinder knows what works and sticks with it. Like the best productivity software out there, this app is designed to let you do what you want, and get the heck out of your way afterwards. The most notable design feature is that while the original Wunderlist was built on Appcelerator's Titanium framework, these new versions are all completely native, built completely by 6Wunderkinder. That means that while this app may not look all that different, it's running on a completely different platform, and 6Wunderkinder has expressly said that this will make updating the app quicker and much easier. That's nice for users for sure. Functionality Here's where the new version of Wunderlist really earns that "2". There are a host of new features that weren't in the original version. The biggest is a new detail view. By double-clicking (or tapping) on a to-do item, a view moves in from the right that allows you to add lots of detail, like a due date, specific timed reminders, extra subtasks, or a full notes system. This is where much of Wunderlist 2's functionality is hidden. The original version was relatively simple, even as to-do apps go, and the extra details here make the app a very powerful piece of productivity software. The fact that all of this information is synced almost instantly in the cloud makes it even more helpful. You can set up some very complicated tasks and reminders on the desktop, and then browse through them or receive notifications while out and about on your mobile device. These features are of course not new to to-do apps (2Do, for example, has had these functionality for a while), but 6Wunderkinder uses them to elevate Wunderlist 2 from a relatively stripped-down service into something that can grow as you need it. The notes field, for example, can be dragged right out of the desktop window and worked on almost as a separate app. You can pretty much use it for whatever you want. I expect more functionality to be added here over time -- with this version of Wunderlist, 6Wunderkinder has announced that it's canceling its "WunderKit" platform, so my guess is that we'll see some of those ideas implemented here. And speaking of collaboration, it's clear that 6Wunderkinder has big plans for that. The apps don't require a Facebook connection, but that opportunity is placed front and center in all versions, so if you have a lot of chances to share to-do lists with your friends on Facebook, you can do that very easily. Personally, I use to-do apps as a more personal thing, so I'm not really looking for sharing in app like this. But 6Wunderkinder has big ideas about business collaboration in terms of productivity, so I expect a lot of the upcoming updates to be in that area. Finally, the new version also plugs right into Apple's Notification Center, and even includes an "Activity Center" right there in the app. So not only can you keep track of what you're doing, but you can make sure that you're notified whenever a task comes due, or when anyone else wants to share a task or to-do with you. Again, my guess is that 6Wunderkinder plans to grow this functionality in the future. It's already done a lot of work to make sure these lists are all connected up quickly and easily in the cloud, and there are other opportunities here to keep users engaged and productive, especially when working with other people. Conclusion Wunderlist 2 is a beautiful and great app. It's got a host of terrific features for to-do list tracking, and when it comes down to it, this app does let you jump right in and track whatever you want, be that business tasks, parenting duties, or just reminding yourself to grab milk and bread from the supermarket. The original Wunderlist was a simpler affair, and this version ups the ante to a point where some users may be overwhelmed. I don't need a reminder, subtasks and a notes field to just make sure I remember to get my laundry done before the day ends. But all of these changes and additions have clearly been made with an eye towards the majority of users. Just like any good productivity software, Wunderlist 2 does a very good job of scaling, allowing itself to be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. The price is obviously very reasonable as well. All versions of the app are currently completely free. When you compare that price and all of this functionality to other pro to-do apps, this is pretty much a no brainer. If you want to track todos, Wunderlist 2 is worth a try for sure, and for many people, it's probably exactly the to-do client you want. All of that said, however, Wunderlist still depends on the one thing that all productivity software depends on, and that's your willingness to use it. You can put in all the tasks and notes you want, but if your mind isn't prepared to see what needs doing, you might as well go back to whatever works for you. I like Wunderlist a lot, and it's a great app, but even with this installed and running, sometimes I'll just fall right back on that old pen and paper. Pros Remains simple, but adds a lot of powerful functionality. Complete and total cloud integration -- very fast, very smooth, very impressive. Easily expands to do what you want, from just listing to-dos to tracking major research and projects. Totally free, on all platforms, including iOS, PC, Mac, Android, and even the web. Cons Can be too much; sometimes all you need is a post-it. More social connections and more notifications may not be what you want. Productivity software depends on you using it to be useful. Who is it for? Productivity junkies have probably already downloaded it, and oldsters who prefer analog lists probably don't need it. But anyone looking for a good, multiplatform, cloud-enabled to-do list solution with a shockingly low pricetag should grab this app, especially on iOS.
Clear for Mac, Clear for iPhone/iPod touch 1.2 announced
Users of the innovative Clear "to-do list" app for iPhone and iPod touch have some good news today; a Mac version of the app is on the way, as is an update to the original iOS app. The app is a collaboration of Realmac Software, Impending and Helftone. What's new? TUAW had an opportunity to preview Clear for Mac (US$14.99, available November 8), and it looks and acts just like the iPhone app. Similar gestures are used to navigate through the app, but there's a welcome twist to the Mac software -- keyboard shortcuts that make it easy to use the app while keeping your hands on the keyboard. Realmac has also added sound effects to the app, providing a new levels of feedback as you create new lists, add new items or complete items on your lists. To sync your to-do items between your iPhone and Mac, there's iCloud sync. That last feature limits the app to users of OS X Mountain Lion. Clear for iPhone 1.2 also gains the iCloud sync capability, and has a new gesture for moving between lists as well as a way to paste items from other apps into a new Clear list. Check out the official launch video below.
Things 2 now out, adds long-awaited cloud sync
Cultured Code has released Things 2, an update to its Things task manager, including the very, very long-awaited cloud sync capability. Did we mention that we've been waiting for it for awhile? The best news is that unlike rival The Hit List, cloud support is free on Things 2. Things 2 is a multiplatform release across the Mac, iPad and iPhone; updates to all editions are free from 1.x. In addition to the cloud sync tool, called Things Cloud, other new features include: Things for Mac Daily Review list that pulls up a list of tasks and let you decide if you want to work on them today. Mountain Lion capability, including streamlining with Reminders so Siri can easily be used to enter tasks Retina display updates Things for iOS Daily Review added Design UI tweaked Scrolling date picker Other iOS improvements such as tapping and holding a checkbox to cancel a task, log completed tasks automatically and VoiceOver accessibility Things 2 is a welcome release, and we're looking forward to putting it through its paces. Unfortunately, the delay in adding cloud sync (other productivity systems -- such as OmniFocus -- have had the feature for years) has lost Cultured Code a lot of its goodwill, as apparent by reading the comments on the linked posts above. We're glad to see Things Cloud is finally clear of its beta evolution and ready for prime time. When you sign up for the Things Cloud service on either your Mac or your iOS device, you'll get a confirmation PIN via email. Entering the PIN in your client will confirm your account, and from that point you can log in on all your devices using your email/password combo. (Don't reuse passwords, please.) The first Things instance you connect to the cloud will populate it with data, and subsequent devices (if they have to-dos on them already) will give you the option of merging, replacing local, or replacing the cloud list of tasks. Things' previous Bonjour/WiFi sync scheme has been removed in the 2.0 release, so if you update your Mac copy of Things you'll need to update everywhere in order to sync with the new cloud service. If you need to retain local network syncing for some reason, there is now a "Legacy Sync" version of Things 1.5 for Mac (and a corresponding "Things 1 Mode" toggle in the iOS apps) that maintains Bonjour sync. Things 2 for Mac is $49.95 through the Mac App Store, and a free trial is available from Cultured Code's website. Things 2 for iPad is $19.99 and Things 2 for iPhone is $9.99. Both iOS versions require iOS 5 or later, and the Mac version requires OS X 10.6.6. Thanks, Eric!
Metro Tasks is an option-filled task manager for detail-oriented users
Power users looking for an effective way to manage their to-do lists should take Metro Tasks from Developer One for a spin. Metro Tasks is filled with features that'll let you control your tasks, instead of your tasks controlling you. When you first open Metro Tasks, you are greeted with a very busy interface. Don't be turned off by the clutter. Start using the app and you will soon see that each item on the screen is logically laid out and serves a purpose. Metro Tasks is meant to emulate a paper-based workspace. In the center is your notebook and surrounding it are folders. The folders represent categories, which you use to organize all your tasks. The app includes several default folders like fitness and family, but you can customize them to your own workflow. On the right-hand side of the workspace is a wheel that you use to switch between completed tasks, tasks that are in progress, and all tasks. There's also an option to let you share your task list and another for the settings menu. On the top of the workspace is your calendar area which lets you select whether you see the tasks that are due today, tomorrow, this week, this month or sometime in the future. You have two options when you want to add a new task. You can use the bar above the workspace to quickly add a task. If you need advanced options, you can tap on the big checkmark on the right side of the screen. This will open a box that'll let you set a due date, a repeat frequency, and a folder for your task. You can even attach a photo and add personal information pulled from your contacts list. Once you create a task, you can easily move it from one folder to another by dragging it from the workspace and and dropping in into another folder. One unusual feature of the app that's worth noting is the repeating tasks. You can set the repeat frequency for a task, but the app doesn't calculate the repeat date until you complete a task. This method works well if you do a task on time, but once there is a delay, the repeat date for your task is all out of sync. Despite this idiosyncrasy, Metro Tasks is definitely worth checking out. The app looks overwhelming at first, but it gets easier to use once you dive in. If you give it a shot you may discover that you appreciate having all these options at your fingertips. Metro Tasks is available for US$6.99 from the iOS App Store. You can read more about the to-do app on Developer One's website. Update: After speaking with the developer, he confirmed that this unusual repeating behavior will be tweaked in a future update.
Clear app updated, new themes and helpful tweaks
Clear made a big splash when it was first introduced because the interface was a bold experiment in user interaction. Instead of icons and buttons for functions, most of Clear's interface relies on gestures, or sliding and pinching items to make things happen. It wasn't for everyone, although it was a delight to tinker with. Clear 1.1 maintains that approach, while adding some new features. Clear won't fit the bill for avid "to do" users, as there is still no sync, iPad version, etc. But I use Clear for simple "punch lists," and for that it works great. Here's what's new in Clear 1.1 • Shake to Undo now allows you to quickly retrieve list items you may have accidentally removed. • No more character limit! Type as much as you want. • New themes to discover and further customize your lists with. • All-new UI for alerts that match Clear's unique design. • Even more inspirational quotes to show when you've cleared everything from your lists. • Minor tweaks and bugfixes TouchArcade has info on unlocking some other stuff, and a note about a few gamification aspects in the app you might not know about.
Daily iPhone App: Clear uses iPhone's intuitive interface to its advantage
We got a sneak peek at Clear last month, and fellow TUAW editor Steve Sande and I have been happily playing with the beta ever since. The collaboration between Realmac Software, Milen and Impending, Inc. has turned enough heads that it caused a knockoff to briefly appear in the App Store over the weekend. Clear lives up to the hype. It's a simple to-do list and that's it. Don't expect to be able to schedule reminders, time-specific appointments, or even create complex layers of lists and tasks like OmniFocus or Things. Its strengths lie in its interface and innovative use of the iPhone's gestures. If you're a fan of basic lists and want to jot stuff down, then you will love Clear. I personally wish the lists went down another couple of layers, just enough to tuck a grocery list under "go to grocery store" in an errands list, but that's a very minor quibble. If you revolve your life around the Getting Things Done system, you might not care for Clear. I like it because I can just make a list and not worry about priorities or due dates. We've done a video demonstration of Clear to demo a new process of creating app reviews. Watch the full video to see Clear in action. Clear is 99 cents on the App Store, and even if you're not interested in it as a to-do list, it's worth checking out for the interface and innovative use of gestures.
Ripoff of upcoming Clear app appears in App Store (Updated)
Days before the launch of Realmac Software's Clear to-do manager, developer Reejo Samuel, who is not on the Real Mac team, has ripped off the software and released it on the App Store. Clear has gotten quite a bit of buzz, and we got a sneak peek at it during Macworld | iWorld 2012. With the interface that is intuitive and simple to use, it's bound to be a hit for the Real Mac folks when it comes out. Samuel's app appears to copy everything about Clear. It's a Xerox from the logo and basic functionality right down to the color scheme, but it doesn't appear to have some of the more intricate functions of the app. It's not the first ripoff to appear in the App Store, by far, and it won't be the last. But for readers thinking Samuel's app is the real deal, it's not. We hope Apple takes notice and bans him as quickly as they approved the app, which went live today. As for the real Clear app, it'll be released Wednesday. We'll have a full hands-on review of it then as well. Update: The knockoff app has been pulled from the App Store. The developer's only other app remains available.
Add tasks to productivity apps using Siri and CalDAV
Last month, Remember the Milk published a quick tutorial showing their customers how to use Siri's voice control with the Reminders app and CalDAV to send tasks to RTM. A slightly different Siri workaround can be used by iOS owners to send their tasks to other third-party to-do apps. All you need is an app that syncs with iCal and an iPhone 4S with an active iCloud account. This method requires you to sync your to-do list with your reminders list in iCal. These iCal lists are then synced with iCloud which shares them with your iOS device. It's bi-directional so any task you create using Siri will be sent to the Reminders app then to iCloud, iCal and finally your to-do app. Pretty handy, isn't it? It works with Things and The Hit List says Oliver Collet who posted this little trick after his friend Antoine mentioned it on Twitter. It will likely work with other to-do apps like OmniFocus that also sync with iCal. If you get it to work with other To-Do apps, let us know in the comments. [Via Daring Fireball]
Daily iPhone App: Any To Do
We're looking at apps that aren't games this week, and today's selection is Any To Do. It's a little pricey, but might be worth it for the right user. I use the excellent 2Do on my iPad, but Any To Do is nice as well. While it lacks a little bit of the syntactic sugar that 2Do has, it does use a very interesting quadrant view. Basically, your tasks are charted as Urgent, Important or not Urgent or Important. You can see a view of all of your tasks laid out according to those criteria. Most to-do apps chart tasks by date due or time entered, but I do like how Any To Do lays them out, so at a glance, you can see tasks that need to get done right away, or that take precedence on your list. Another big bonus is that Any To Do will sync with Evernote. Of course you can set up notifications and reminders for your tasks, set up repeated tasks, or send things out to Twitter, Facebook, or another calendar. Any To Do places less emphasis on organization than other similar apps. It's built more for creating priorities and lists of what you need to do. And of course, that's a great function for someone looking for a very tasked-based to-do system. Any To Do is available in the App Store for US$5.99 on the iPhone or $8.99 on the iPad. That's relatively price, but again, it's a pretty targeted app, and that quadrant view is something I haven't seen before. There are lite versions to look at, too, if you're not sure how it might work. If it sounds like the kind of task-based app you need to keep yourself moving on various projects and work, definitely give it a look.
Daily iPad App: 2Do
I'm not exactly the paradigm of organization -- it took me years to get a regular calendar set up and working, my email inbox is usually a mess of various reminders and things that need replying to, and my present to-do system is usually just whatever piece of paper I can grab in real life and scribble some tasks on. But I do want to be more organized, and so when I finally bought my iPad last week, I poked around the App Store for solutions and tried to find one that 1) was easy to use and pleasing to the eye and that 2) I would actually stick with. Things is generally recognized as the champion of the bunch, and it's very nice, but at $19.99, it's an investment as iPad apps go, especially if you're not sure how long you'll stick with it. At $6.99, 2Do is a more reasonable place to start, and after playing around with it and a few other to-do apps, it's currently my system of choice. Before I get into specific features, I will say that the most exciting thing about 2Do is that it does what all great iPad apps should: really use the immersiveness of the device to model real-world objects and situations. As you can see above, the app is color-coded by project, and uses a nice "legal pad in a leather binder" theme to keep everything laid out. One of the biggest benefits of 2Do is that rather than just an arbitrary list of tasks, everything can be assigned a start date and a due date, so you're not just laying out things you need to do -- you're actually organizing them into a calendar that you can then filter views from, looking at only the tasks for today, tasks in the next week, and so on. Creating a task is as easy or as hard as you want to make it -- you can either just press the + button and type a name in, or you can go through and add the aforementioned dates, notes, alarms, or even voice notes, map locations, and pictures or URL to the specific task. You can also create checklists or full projects to work on, which are lists of subtasks to work through that have their own date and data associated with them. Checking a task off is satisfying, as it should be -- a little pencil pops up to cross it off your list, and all of the tasks you've finished can be seen in the "Done" tab (unlike other apps, which will just remove them off the list completely). The app is very easy and quick to use -- the only hitch I ever came across was when the keyboard sometimes popped up in portrait mode, and would cover up the "Close" button on the bottom of the task editing screen. Putting it at the top of the task seems like it would be a better option, and a little easier to find, in my opinion. But other than that little issue, everything runs smoothly, and there are some really cool implementations (like selecting multiple days on the calendar to see all tasks associated with those days, or an actual clock-faced time selector) to play with. 2Do will sync up with MobileMe (and presumably iCloud with iOS 5), the Toodledo service, or with your PC or Mac via a sync application, and all of the extras that you'd expect in a full-featured to-do app (like email alarms and repeated reminders) are all there as well. There's an update coming soon, too, with even more features and tweaks to the layout. It's definitely a quality app with a solid interface, and an excellent choice for anyone looking to get organized. As for me, let's hope I stick with it -- I'm not sure I've quite mapped my mind to 2Do's system quite yet, but I'm working on it. The app itself is a great tool, but it's up to me to make good use of it.
