The arrival of iOS 7 hasn’t slowed down my app testing.
Both Schechter and I touch on the idea of making changes (such as upgrading an operating system) on this week’s Mikes on Mics, along with the idea of taking on new — or newer versions of — apps only when the need arises. With that in mind, here is this month’s Friday Five.1
1. Begin
Begin is one of the apps we talked about on Mikes on Mics this week. Applause Code bullt this app (with some advice from Ben Brooks) that caters to those who want something that gives them what they need to do today or tomorrow. Its speed and simplicity are going to win a lot of people over, and the fact that it takes what wasn’t done today and moves it to tomorrow is a feature that has been missing from many apps of its kind. Once you start using Begin, you may never want to stop. (iPhone – $0.99 for a limited time)
2. Thoughtree
I’ve written about my journaling habits recently, and Thoughtree can do that — and a whole lot more. It’s a great place to capture ideas and does an excellent job at organizing thoughts. Ut even incorporates tagsWhile I use apps like Drafts, Evernote and even Quotebook for a lot of these use cases, if you’re looking for an app that will handle all of that in an aesthetically pleasing user interface — and doesn’t cost a dime — then Thoughtree is worth a look. (iPhone – Free)
3. Knot
Sometimes the Reminders app just won’t do. Knot is a new app that definitely won’t be for everyone, but for those who want to revisit what they’ve done and where they did it — sort of a “reminding reminder” — it offers something very different. And it looks great doing it. (iPhone – $0.99)
4. Clever Routines
Sure, there are a lot of “habit” apps out there, but the latest I’ve seen to enter the fray is Clever Routines. I’ll be taking a closer look at bunch of these types of apps (Lift, Way of Life, etc.) in a future post, but the user interface of Clever Routines is clean and crisp. If you haven’t invested a ton of time in other habit-tracking apps or are looking for something that really takes advantage of the iPhone’s capabilities, spend some time with Clever Routines. (iPhone – $0.99)
5. Flow
Metalab has redesigned Flow, its team task management solution. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the beta, and there are a lot of things to like about it. I’ll be giving Flow a full review in the next week or so, but I will say that a lot has changed — including the pricing structure. But one thing remains: it is as functional as it is beautiful. Give the free trial a go and check it out for yourself — I think you’ll like what you see. (Variable pricing)
1 Others I’m looking at a bit deeper include Calendars 5 and Printic (I’m also still getting acquainted with Rev Voice Recorder). I’ll have my thoughts on these apps soon.
