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Shifts lets you manage your crazy work schedule
Years ago, I worked for a residential school. Since the students lived there, employees worked in several shifts: 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM and an overnight shift that started at 11:00 PM and ended at 7:00 the next morning. There was also a "split" shift that started at 11:00 AM and ended at 7:00 PM. I typically worked 7-3, but would pick up overtime in any and all of the other slots. So, my schedule got crazy. If only I had Stewie's time machine, I would have used it to travel to 2015 and grab Shifts by Snowman (and an iPhone to run it... but let's not get technical). Shifts, which is currently on sale for US$1.99, lets you track your work hours and earnings. Let's take a look. Shift types Begin by creating shift types. While testing the app I pretended it was 1994 (Stewie's time machine again) and entered my old work shifts. Creating a shift type is easy. Tap the "+" at the bottom of the screen to enter the edit screen, and then tap the "+" again. Next, give your shift a name ("AM Shift" for example) as well as a start and stop time. By default, Shifts assumes you're going to work eight hours, and fills the "end" field with a time eight hours after what you enter as the starting time. Next, choose your hourly rate for that shift as well as an icon and a color to represent that type on the calendar. I like the icon/color options a lot. There are 10 icons to choose from, three of which are a sun rising, a sun high in the sky and a sun setting. Perfect for my AM/PM/overnight shifts. There are also 40 colors to choose from, so employ whatever scheme you want there ("Job A" vs. "Job B"; overtime vs. straight time, etc.). Adding shifts to your calendar This is easy, too. Tap the "+" at the bottom of a screen to reveal the list of shift types you've created. Tap the one you'd like to use, and then tap every day that you'll work that type of shift. For example, let say I work The AM shift -- 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM -- Monday - Friday. To note that on my calendar, I tap the bottom "+", select AM Shift and then tap each weekday. The AM shift icon appears with each tap. Likewise, if I've picked up two PM shifts as overtime on Wednesday and Thursday, I switch to the PM shift type and then tap Wednesday and Thursday. By the way, that's called "pulling a double" and it's no fun. You might be thinking, why did you work so many doubles, Dave? Because of the money, honey. Shifts has that covered, too. When you create a shift type, you can note the associated hourly rate. Then, enable earnings calculations in settings, and Shifts will list your potential monthly income at the top of the screen. Cool! Other preferences let you receive alerts around your work schedule, like 15 minutes, an hour or even 24 hours before your shift begins. The app also handles rotations beautifully, if you work a job with rotating schedules. Shifts integrates with your existing calendars, pulling in dates so you can catch any work/life conflicts that may arise. Finally, there's an ample share sheet, so you can keep others abreast of your schedule. I absolutely recommend Shifts to shift workers. It's certainly a lot better than the piece of paper I kept pinned to a bulletin board in 1994. And, on sale! Grab it now, shift workers.
Checkmark 2.5 adds Today widget, more
Not too long ago, I reviewed Checkmark 2 from Snowman, the to-do and reminder app for iPhone that's got a few nice tricks up its sleeve. Do apps have sleeves? In any case, version 2.5 came out this morning (US$9.99, on sale today only for $2.99) and it adds a few more goodies to that tricky repertoire. Here's what's new. Checkmark 2.5 introduces a new Today widget that lets you review your tasks and reminders in the iOS Notification Center. It's amazing how Apple has made this screen so useful with third-party widgets. Additionally, Checkmark 2.5 offers "Interactive Notifications," which I like a lot. If a notification appears while you're using another app, and it's one you've already completed, you can mark it as done right then and there. And nothing feels quite like checking off completed tasks, am I right? I am. Finally, this update is completely ready for your iPhone 6 and its gargantuan sibling, and iCloud reliability has been improved. As I said way back in March, "Checkmark 2 is a pleasure to use."
Checkmark 2 for iPhone is a slick reminders app
I have a mind like a sieve. Checkmark 2 plugs the holes. The developers at Snowman have released Checkmark 2 (US$2.99 launch price; regular $5.99), a major update to its predecessor, Checkmark. This handy reminders app looks great, improves on old features and adds some new stuff. After a week of use I've promoted Checkmark 2 to my iPhone's home screen. Here's my look at Checkmark 2. New Look Checkmark has been redesigned to feel at home on iOS 7. Minimal icons have replaced the old ones, and the iOS 7 keyboard is in place as is the date selector. Overall, that "heaviness" is gone and the app looks more in line with iOS 7.1's design aesthetic. It's funny how a redesign can make an app feel "lighter," and that's the case with Checkmark 2. I did find one instance where I was wishing to go back to the previous version. The "date selection wheel," for lack of a better term, is smaller in this version and therefore a little harder to use. Not a deal breaker, of course. Scheduling reminders Checkmark 2 lets you schedule a reminder by date or location. This update adds lists to the mix, which is great for to-dos, shopping lists and what have you. Depending on how you use it, its almost like Checkmark 2 has a project manager built-in. First, a look at where and when. Where By far, my favorite function is to schedule a reminder to pop up as I approach or depart a certain area. Checkmark 2 makes this easy by letting you pre-load favorite locations. To begin, tap Where and then hit the "+" in the upper right-hand corner. Enter the name of your new spot ("post office") and then tap Next. From there you've got three options: identify your location from a map, import an address or, easiest of all, simply grab your current location. Adding from the map is fun. The map pops up (normal or satellite view are available) with a text field. You can either enter the name or address, or simply drop a pin if you're super confident. There's an option to expand or contract a location's geofence, too. It starts at 100 meters (good for something specific like a house) and expands all the way out to 30km. I used a radius of 200 meters to define the complex of athletic fields where my kids play soccer in the spring. Once you've found it, tap done and assign a representative icon as the final step (I was wishing for a ballet slipper to use for my daughter's dance studio -- hint, hint -- but the comedy/tragedy masks worked just as well). There are 36 icons to choose from, so you'll likely find something to work. Including The One Who Knocks. Once things are set up, it's a breeze. Just tap the desired location, make a new task and you're good. I'm pleased to report that Checkmark 2 has solved a big issue for me. Typically, a calendar or other reminder app will sound an alarm as an event starts or is about to start. That's all fine and good, but I've been wanting a second prompt to sound as an event is about to conclude. For example: I drop my daughter at dance for 4:00 and need to pick her up at 5:00. Checkmark 2 will let me schedule an alarm for up to an hour after the start of an event. Super! I'd like to be able to do this at two- or three-hour intervals, too. Maybe after an update. Still, that's a huge help. Here's another trick. For fun I set up "cascading reminders." I had to drive to the post office, the grocery store and the bank. So, I told Checkmark 2 to remind me to hit the grocery store as I left the post office, and the bank as I left the grocery store. Fun! That way I don't have to pull out my "Errands" list and see what's next. Checkmark 2 also lets you group similar locations. For example, you can put the drug store, grocery store and post office into a single collection called "Errands." When This is simple and requires no setup. To create a reminder for a certain time, simply tap the "+", give it a title and a date. You can also add some notes and set repeating options. By default, your repeat options are daily, weekly, monthly or bi-weekly. A custom schedule is also available. List Lists view is a new addition. Rather than being an endless strip of bullet points that scrolls forever, Checkmark 2 lets you create headings to keep things sorted. You can also re-arrange the lot at will. It feels more purposeful than tacked-on, which is nice. I've been using it for grocery lists. Overall this is a really nice update. iCloud sync is in place (only an iPhone version exists for now) and there are several notification sounds to choose from. Once you've got your places set up -- which, I do admit take some time -- Checkmark 2 is a pleasure to use.
Checkmark 2 reminder app ships next week
The developers at Snowman have teased Checkmark 2 with an amusing video. Checkmark (our review here) is a reminders app for iPhone, and version two adds some compelling new features, improves existing ones and has a whole new look. I've been using Checkmark 2 for a few weeks and will have a review ready when the app ships next week. Until then, prepare to become better at doing the things you need to do. Checkmark 2 – Launching March 18th on the App Store from Snowman on Vimeo.
Super Squares brings casual fun to iPhone, iPad
I don't keep many games on my iPhone, but I am fond of the pick-up-and-play variety -- the type of game you can jump into at any time and enjoy a few rounds. Super Squares (free with in-app purchases) is a good example of this type of game, in that it's effortless to learn, challenging and fun. The game looks great and the idea is simple: draw lines between like-colored squares, capturing "stars" as you go. You start with a small grid and a pair of squares. There are some stars on the grid, too. Your job is to trace a line from one square to the other, drawing over the stars as you go. You can't cross the line at any point, nor can you double back. It's easy enough to begin, but soon gets quite tough. Soon multiple pairs of squares (pink, green and blue, for instance) and Mario-syle "blocks" that impede progress are introduced. The blocks can be destroyed with bombs (more on that later) and you have five opportunities to re-do the lot in one fell swoop (you can "erase" a path by tracing back over it for free). This is where we get into trouble. As you progress, the puzzles get tougher. More colors, more blocks, more opportunities for getting stuck. Eventually, you can't progress without bombs to destroy the blocks, and the only way to get bombs is to buy them through in-app purchase. Once I hit level 24 (of the initial 300 free levels), I had exhausted my initial supply of bombs and couldn't progress unless I bought more at US$0.99 for a set of 10. I'm fine with in-app purchases, but not when they hinder gameplay. In the case of Super Squares, I can't progress unless I buy something. If there was an option to laboriously grind away for free, I'd opt for that. Heck, I'd probably even make the IAP just to avoid the grinding. But taking that option away and requiring me to make an IAP leaves a bad taste in my mouth. (Update: We do have some Twitter users who say they've been able to beat level 24 without an in-app purchase). Super Squares is a fun, simple, challenging and attractive game. Unfortunately, it's hindered by an overly aggressive IAP scheme.
Super Squares is a fun puzzle game for iPhone, iPad
Snowman, the developer behind Circles and Checkmark, has released a new, free puzzler for iPhone and iPad called Super Squares. It's one of those fun, pick-up-and-play games that are great for killing a few minutes or unwinding at the end of the day. Your task is to complete a path from one point to another, avoiding obstacles along the way. As you play, the game gets progressively more challenging. I've grabbed my copy and will be checking it out this weekend. Look for a full review next week.
Circles for iPhone delivers old-school memory challenge
Circles for iPhone ($US1.99) is the latest iPhone app from Snowman. It's a fun memory game of the pick-up-and-play ilk, and it's kept me busy for the last week or so. My fellow Gen-X'ers will think of Simon, the electronic memory game from Milton Bradley that became an '80s pop culture icon. Of course, Circles is more portable, playable and fun. And challenging. Looks Circles, ambient music and creeping panic; these make up the overall aesthetic of Circles. When first launched, Circles presents its icon plus three highly legible menus on a black background. The settings menu and store are also very easy to read. The white letters on a field of black stand out wonderfully, which I like. Because I'm old. While you're playing, Circles presents anywhere from two to six colored circles. There's a play button in the center at the start of each game, and a button marked Continue appears if you're lucky enough to complete a level. Likewise, brief words of encouragement emphasize your every triumph. %Gallery-186596% The game's looks are straightforward and let you focus on the game play. Which is good, because focus is exactly what you need. Elaborate backgrounds or annoying music would have made this game even harder, so it's good that Snowman's developers left them out. Gameplay Oh boy, the good stuff. Here's how Circles works. When a game begins, Circles briefly highlights a pair of circles on the screen and plays a unique tone of each one. Your job is to tap the same pattern back. Two circles become three, then four, then five and so on. Once the app is finished playing a pattern, it notes how many taps were in that pattern, and counts them down as you repeat what you saw. As you play, you progress through the game's eight sections. Each section has several levels. Complete each level successfully to move to the next section. Section one is relatively easy, with only two circle targets to keep track of. Section two introduces an additional circle target, as do sections three, four and five, which has you keeping track of six targets at once. It's fun and becomes a true test of your short-term memory rather quickly. Section six is where Circles gets nutty. It's the "lightning round," so the patterns are presented more quickly than in previous sections (note that your response is not timed, so take your time). Section seven is even more devious, as the pattern is presented quickly and the whole field of colored circles makes a one-quarter clockwise turn after each pattern is played. Section eight is the most devilish. All of the circles are the same grey, there are no tones, the patterns are played quickly and the circles rotate. Yikes. Other features Fortunately, Circles does not send you into battle without weaponry! There's a practice mode that lets you select the number of circle targets you'd like to play with. There's also a store selling weapons and chances. As you play, you earn virtual coins that can be spent in the in-game store. Weapons are used during multi-player games via Game Center. Once you're in a game, take your turn and wait for Game Center to notify your opponent that his/her turn is ready. You could secretly add lightning to their turn, speeding up the pattern. Or "Twirl," which rotates the targets or even "Blackout," which removes color and tones. Sneaky! Chances are also available, though you must pay real money for these via in-app purchase. Basically, a chance lets you try again if you make a mistake. In a multi-player game, your opponent does not know when you use a chance. Giving back While Circles is great fun, there's another benefit to the app besides the immediate enjoyment. The developers at Snowman will donate a percentage of each sale to Alzheimer's research. Not for a week or a month, but for as long as the app exists. That's pretty great. Conclusion I like this game. It's beyond simple to learn and challenging enough to be fun. You can move to any section at any time, so you needn't complete section one, for example, to try section eight. Plus, who doesn't want to give their brain a little exercise and support a important scientific research at the same time? Circles is available in the App Store now.
Checkmark 1.1 adds recurring reminders, snooze reminders, more
Checkmark is a reminder app from Snowman that we've reviewed before. In many ways, it's faster than using Apple's Reminders app, especially once you've created favorite locations and reminders. Version 1.1, released today, adds recurring reminders, snooze reminders and more, making a handy utility even better. I'm liking recurring reminders for simple things like "go meet the school bus." Believe me, forget that once and you hear about it. I could also see using this if you have a time-sensitive medication schedule, provided that you'll be sure to have your phone with you at med time. You can schedule a reminder to recur hourly, daily, weekly or monthly. Snooze reminders let you put off a reminder if you can't do it when originally scheduled. Swipe to delay by a minute or an hour. The "Add to Map" feature has also been improved with new satellite and hybrid views. It's a nice update to a handy app. Checkmark 1.1 is available in the App Store now for US$1.99, requires iOS 5.0 or later and is ready for the iPhone 5.
Checkmark is a handy new reminder app for iPhone
Checkmark is a new reminder app for iPhone from Snowman. I've been using it for a while now, and can tell you that it's faster than Apple's Reminders with unique, useful features. Checkmark builds on location-based reminders. What's nice is that you can create buttons for oft-visited locations (and choose a custom icon) for super-fast reminder creation. I've got my kids' schools, the post office, grocery store and less concrete spots like the bus stop and what I call "my neighborhood." Events can be triggered when I arrive, depart or, get this, within a certain time after arrival or departure. For example, "Remind me [X] fifteen minutes after I arrive at the library." Once things are set up, a reminder can be created with three taps. That beats Reminders and is a heck of a lot faster than Siri's hit-or-miss dictation translation. Snowman has teased the app today, and we assume it will launch before too long. When it does, we'll post a full review. It's a sweet little app. Checkmark – Coming soon to the App Store! from Snowman on Vimeo.
One Shots: None shall pass... until the sun comes out
Who dares attempting to pass? You? Are you trying to pass the Great and Terrible White Wizard? Well, please don't. He wouldn't like it very much. In fact, he might become so put out that he'll cast a spell with his +5 staff of mockery and turn you into another piece of coal for his suit. For years I have wanted to pass by this snowman in Lord of the Rings Online but chickened out each and every time I came under his glare. Just look into those eyes and tell me that you don't feel your will melting away and your feet frozen into place. Back away, my friend. Back away slowly and never return. Do you have a picture of a favorite MMO anthropomorphic pile of snow? The very first thing you should do is not send it in to us at oneshots@massively.com, along with your name, the game, and a description of the scene, and we won't publish it. Bring back One Shots!
Dungeon Defenders for Steam gets new holiday skins and maps, on sale
Dungeon Defenders has gotten a whole stockingful of new content for the holidays, available now for PC players. There are new skins and new holiday-themed weapons for all four of the classes, new holiday-themed dress and clothing for enemies, and even a brand new mission to play, which tasks players with delivering presents and then defending them against an army led by a Mega Snowman. That's a ho-ho-whole lot of updates right there. And as if that wasn't enough, the base game is on sale on Steam for the holidays, where you can pick it up for under $10.The team at Trendy is even giving a holiday wallpaper away for free over on the official website. You'd have to be a real Grinch to not check that one out! See more of the holiday update content in the trailer above and the gallery below. %Gallery-142218%
'Tis the season for gifts and goodies in Vanguard
Tell us the truth, gentle reader: Have you been a good little boy or girl this year? And have you dutifully paid your monthly subscription to SOE? If you said "Yes!" on both counts, then Vanguard invites you to party it up with the Festival of Gloriann. The major cities have been dressed up in their wintry finest, and gifts have been sprinkled around for all to find. If you really want to get into the festival, you can learn more about Atnas Claws, meet Randolf the flying reindeer (and perhaps get a lift), and beat up on freaky-looking snowmen. Any similarities to real-world copyrights is just a coincidence. There are also special housing decorations and fun costumes to enjoy. The Festival of Gloriann is currently lighting up Vanguard, so check it out and give Atnas a high-five for us!
One Shots: Tilting at snowmen
While many living up north enjoyed their white Christmas, many others are ready for all the snow to go away already. In the Lord of the Rings Online, it would appear that this Dwarf is either well into his holiday cups, or just feels like attacking snowmen to take his frustration out against the winter. This fun little snowman was found by Florin E., who writes in to tell us about it: I just saw the easter egg "little castle of sand" and I am really excited. I'm going to find it by myself, I love this. I do not know if you have already published this easter egg. Long time ago I was farming ore near Thorin's Gate and I found this snowman. Note: you can [also] see a little snowman in the Matthom house in the Shire. It's not too late to find those wintry holiday pictures and get those in to us! if you'd like to show off your favorite game's holiday celebration, just email your picture to us here at oneshots [at] massively [dot] com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here and give you the nod for sending it in!%Gallery-9798%
Snowshaman!
This is brilliant -- after Anna jokingly asked for pictures of Snowshaman, she actually got one. Niyahti and her husband built this snowshaman, complete with two totems (though we're not sure which ones they are -- Wrath of Air and Frost Resist maybe?). Sure, it loses a little something in the translation from polygons to frozen water, but remember the medium. Considering it's handmade with snow, that's a pretty good snowshaman. The horns on the head must mean it's a Draenei, right? Though I have no idea what the sticks are coming out of the front.And hey, if you happen to get a nice bit of snowfall this month and feel like you can make a better one, feel free. We'd love to see it.
Crapgadget: Dead Santa edition
Nothing celebrates excess like a holiday murder immortalized in 10 bucks of USB-powered plastic. The Mini X'mas Desktop Snowman USB Aquarium Office Gift (really, that's the name) features a built-in motor that keeps Santa's corpse and undelivered package in constant motion. Festive, sure, but only if you share The Snowman's contemptuous glee at becoming the number one pitch man for the holidays. Hurry, only two left.
World of WarCrafts: Snowman sculpture
Every Thursday, Shelbi Roach of The Bronze Kettle guides you in creating WoW-inspired crafts using real world mats with World of WarCrafts.The Feast of Winterveil is fast approaching. Along with the rest of the holiday fluff, the snowmen that loitered outside the banks in the capital cities are sure to make a return, only this time they will all be dancing with each other in Dalaran in an attempt to achieve A Frosty Shake. With this craft, you can have your very own snowman friend. Guaranteed not melt under most conditions.Here is what you will need: Sculpey Clay (white, black, red, orange, yellow, blue, brown) Pins Wire Cutters Ball Point Pen Click on the images below to view a gallery of step-by-step instructions. %Gallery-38508% Want to print the step-by-step instructions? Copy and paste the instructions below.
Well Fed Buff: Sideways Snowman
Every Thursday, Well Fed Buff will be serving up the tastiest dishes to boost your HP and stats, just in time for your weekend gaming. Winter Veil is over for the year, but it's still frosty outside – and everyone wants something to make 'em feel as warm and cozy as a bedbug in an Ironforge inn. Reader Lenny sent us his solution, in the form of a Warcraft-inspired drink he concocted on New Year's Eve. Sideways Snowman ¾ shot Hpnotiq® ¾ shot vanilla vodka Sprite® Over half a glass of ice, add 3/4 shot of Hpnotiq® and 3/4 shot of vanilla vodka. Stir a bit, and pour in Sprite® to fill. Lenny advises us that you can leave the Sideways Snowman relatively unstirred for a stronger effect as you drink it down, or mix it thoroughly for a more consistent flavor. Either way, we think this sounds worthy of a Winterspring frost! [Thanks, Lenny!]
One Shots: Snow dwarf?
Reader Peneros from Watchers of Middle Earth sends in this holiday glimpse of Lord of the Rings Online. Apparently, this snowman (or is it a snow dwarf?) isn't out in the open, so Peneros explains how to find it: When traveling south out of Thorin's Hall, you normally follow the road, or you can take the mountain path to the left shortly after you leave to find this nice surprise hiding amongst the snow.Do you have any screenshots of your virtual persona on the verge of a grand accomplishment? Tell us all about the monsters you've slain and the foes you've vanquished -- so we can feature your story for tomorrow's One Shots! It's easy to participate -- just send your screenshots and stories to oneshots@massively.com. %Gallery-9798%
Master Chief the snowman is a jolly happy soul
Winter (where there is snow) brings out the best and worst in people. It's a fact that the white stuff we call snow causes extreme mood swings for the better and worse. Some people get crazy angry, some get crazy happy. It's just how it goes. And if one experiences the crazy happy side of winter, it'll also create a snowball effect (pun intended) on a person's mental state where they'll revert back to younger times allowing their creativity to be unleashed. And if you need proof of Winter's effect on a person, just look at the picture above. Look at that Master Chief snowman and try to tell us that the person who made it didn't experience a "snow-high" which resulted in enhanced creativity (and boredom?). That pile of snow didn't even see it coming.[Via Digg]
Around Azeroth: Merry...
Reader MindTwiser sends in this festive, pre-holiday shot taken in Blade's Edge Mountains. Apparently while waiiting for some friends to help on a quest, MindTwister saw this firey circle --- which, obviously, stood out as the best place for a lovely holiday shot.Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing a copy to aroundazeroth@wow.com, with as much or as little detail as you'd like to share with the world! %Gallery-1816%
