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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 2.1 makes reminders better
Checkmark 2 ($2.99) has been updated to version 2.1, which introduces several very nice changes. The iPhone reminders app from Snowman has been on my home screen since I first reviewed it, and this update only affirms that decision. One big change is the snooze feature, which lets you temporarily dismiss a reminder. Now, much like the persistent Due, Checkmark will bug you until you respond to a reminder. The fact that I could dismiss a reminder in the previous version and never see it again was troublesome for me (read: mind like a sieve). Now, Checkmark won't let me off the hook. I love it. Other changes include improved recurring reminders. Specifically, individual items must be checked off and they now affect the app's badge count. Finally, you can add tappable actions in notes. Got a URL with info that's pertinent to a reminder or location? Add it right in there. Again, this fixes one of my major complaints about the previous version. Checkmark 2 is a great reminder app, and 2.1 makes it even better.
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 for iPhone now available, simplifies reminders
Checkmark for iPhone, a new reminder app from Snowman, is now available. The app was teased earlier this month and is in the App Store for an introductory price of US$0.99. As I said before, Checkmark makes it easy to create location- and time-based reminders. Here's a look at Checkmark for iPhone. Looks Checkmark presents two main screens: Where and When. The former is your starting point for location-based reminders. It offers a 3x3 grid of icons representing your oft-visited locations. It's greyscale and the custom icons are easily recognized. You can re-order them as you wish with a function similar to "jiggle mode" in iOS. Tap and hold on any icon and they start to shake. Flip the Where screen over to view outstanding vs. completed tasks, or tap the location icon in the upper right-hand corner to add a new location from the map, your current position or from among your contacts. What's very cool is that Checkmark keeps your location-based tasks sorted by distance, starting from your current location. So, as you move through town, you can see which tasks you're closest -- geographically -- to completing. The When screen provides a list of time-based reminders, sorted by due date. Again, it's legible and you can flip between outstanding and completed tasks. My only complaint is due to an old habit. To exit Checkmark's "jiggle mode," you tap a Done button. I often hit the Home button, exiting the app. A little practice will cure that behavior. Use As I said, you can create two types of reminders with Checkmark: location-based and time-based. Let's start with location-based. But first, tell me if this scenario sounds familiar. "Hey honey, go to the post office after you get the kids from the bus." "Yep, no problem." Later, at the bus stop: Angry Birds Talking with neighbors Greet the kids Discuss macaroni jewelry, pros and cons Deflect requests for playdate/candy Get in car, drive home, with no recollection of promise to visit the post office Trouble Apple extended a hand to forgetful folks like me in the form of location-based reminders. Its developers figured out to put a "geo fence" around a location and trigger a reminder once a user's phone moves beyond it. It's brilliant. Siri is the obvious front end for Apple's Reminders app (though not the only one), and I find that, for whatever reason, Siri dislikes my voice and transcribes my speech incorrectly more often than not. I can create a reminder manually, of course, but Checkmark is so much faster. After dropping a pin on the location of the bus stop and naming it "Bus Stop," it's always available. Now I can simply tap the icon, add "check mail" upon departure, hit Save and I'm good. Of course, there's more. A notes filed let's me add task-specific information (like "Ask about packages" or "Buy commemorative Hello Kitty stamps") and a timer offers precise control over exactly when the notification will trigger: 5, 10, 15, 30 or 60 minutes after arrival or departure. That's pretty cool. You can even give Checkmark a radius to work with. For example, alert me when I'm within 100 feet of the destination. Other options include 150, 300, 800 or 1,600 feet. Creating a time-based reminder is just as snappy. Hit the "+" to begin, add your title and any notes and then choose the date and time. Click Save and you're done. There are a few settings to be aware of. You can choose between miles and kilometers and adjust sensitivity, or "accuracy" of location services. By default, Checkmark uses Normal accuracy. By flipping the switch to Best, you get a more precise reading but at the cost of additional battery drain. In my testing, Normal works fine and I suggest keeping in there. Finally, you can switch reminders, alerts, text alerts and badge counts on or off. Conclusion Checkmark is a good way to go. It looks good and niceties like icons, the timer and control over the size of the geofence are super handy. Those of you who, like me, depend a whole lot on receiving timely reminders would do well to check out Checkmark. Get it now for the sale price.
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.
