Calvetica
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Calvetica offers a better calendar app for iPhone
Calvetica, for iPhone and iPod touch, offers the promise of a simple but powerful calendar app. There was a bit of a tussle yesterday in the TUAW back channels as a bunch of us watched the Calvetica product video on the developer's home page. I won, meaning I bought it first to write this review, and I've been playing with it since then. I'm pleased to report that it delivers clean, easy-to-create scheduling. Although it certainly helps to Read The (very brief) FAQ before using the app -- since I wouldn't have figured out the swipe-to-menu feature on my own -- once I got going, I found I could easily create to-do items and set reminders for them with a minimum of taps. Using Apple's Calendar app it can take around 5 taps or up to a dozen or more, not including typing, to set a "simple" reminder on your calendar. With Calvetica, you can double-tap, type and hit Done. Want to delete? Swipe the entry and there's a little trash can icon. It's a wonder Apple didn't think of these interactions. So what does Calvetica offer that the built in iCal does not? For your three bucks, you're buying into design. The developers aren't exaggerating when they promise an "uncluttered, minimalist interface." It's sleek, it's clean, it's nice. It's also powerful; Calvetica integrates with Google Calendar, MobileMe, and built-in local notifications. It works with iCal and, if you use it, BusyCal. Admittedly, I've only been using the application for a day but my initial impressions are positive. Calvetica is staying on my home screen for now as I give it a more thorough work-out in the weeks to come. Oh, and that product video? Seriously hilarious. [For equally attractive and useful task management with a similar aesthetic, check out Teux Deux. Calvetica and Teux Deux even have complimentary icons! -Ed.]
