to-do list

EpicWin: RPG your way to getting things done

As with any classic role-playing-style game, EpicWin ($2.99) gives you experience points in a number of categories that help your character gain skills and move through a mystical world. The difference in this game? You have to complete your own real tasks to advance your character.

While task management and to-do lists are nothing new on the iPhone (see OmniFocus or Things), EpicWin puts a new spin on how you treat your responsibilities that may just cause you to get more done. With so many games geared toward farming computer crops, creating made-up mobs, or killing virtual vampires, EpicWin turns your to-do list into a game with real rewards (and some fun fake ones, too).

Setting up your EpicWin world is pretty easy. In fact, it's the first few tasks (renamed "quests" for this game) you must complete on your list the day you install the App. Those tutorial quests set you up to begin your journey toward tackling your tasks and completing them as your new avatar (choose from three free characters or two you can purchase in-App).

Being a tall, lanky dude, I of course chose the skeleton character for my avatar and began creating quests. The cool part about adding tasks to EpicWin (despite the fact that it does not sync with any current task managers or calendar to-do lists you may have) is that you get to determine each quest's level of Epicness. … Read more

Free to-do lists and mining for minerals: iPhone apps of the week

In a Q3 earnings call on Tuesday, Apple said third-quarter profits rose more than 77 percent largely from the success of the iPad and iPhone 4--probably not a big surprise for anyone. But the more shocking announcement (in my eyes) is that Apple set a record for the most Macs they've ever sold in a quarter with 3.47 million.

Obviously, I've always been a big fan of Mac computers, but I guess with the emergence of handheld devices like the iPad, iPod, and iPhone, I figured Apple's desktop and laptop business would not be as strong as it once was. Perhaps all these new iPhone users are deciding to give Apple computers a try. Whatever the case is, I'm glad to hear Mac computers are still selling well.

If you're one of the people who recently picked up a Mac (apparently there are quite a few of you), check out our Mac Starter Kit for some must-have software you can download right away.

If you're an iPhone user, make sure to come back and check out this week's apps, which include a simple free to-do list app and a platform game that challenges you to dig deep into the depths of dangerous mines.… Read more

Timely to-dos

Some people can get by with writing notes to themselves on scraps of paper, but others need a way of keeping track of their to-do lists that offers a little more organization and structure. Efficient To-Do List Free is a simple, attractive way to stay on top of all of your tasks, from appointments and meetings to long-term projects.

The program's interface is attractive and well-designed, reminding us a lot of newer versions of Microsoft Outlook. It's easy to create new tasks, and users can specify start dates, due dates, priority levels, and recurrence. For tasks that are … Read more

Poll: What's the best task manager for iPhone?

I miss my PalmPilot. Not so much the way it kept breaking every 12 months, but the effortless way it synchronized my to-do lists with Outlook.

Ever since trading my Palm-powered Centro for my iPhone, I've lived without a decent task-management solution. That's because, for better or worse, I'm entrenched in Outlook, and the iPhone can't sync with the program's task list (eye roll).

For a while there I was reasonably happy with Chapura's KeyTasks, a decent enough task manager that delivered the "missing sync" between iPhone and Outlook. But wouldn't … Read more

Things to organize your life

Things is a powerful, easy-to-use task-management app that can help you enter, organize, and act on items in your to-do list. Based on the popular Getting Things Done productivity method, Things gives you an elegant, streamlined interface--a classic, Mac-style multipane setup that doesn't require a lot of additional windows for its work flow.

Its clean interface even dispenses with columns, and you can use the app's flexible tag system for priority, task duration, or any sort of categorization that works for you. You can quickly enter new tasks from anywhere, using a system-wide shortcut, and you can include … Read more

The A list

Veedid Desktop To-Do List Free Edition is a simple program that allows users to create interactive, printable to-do lists. It's not perfect, but it's a viable option for users who need a basic to-do list with a few extra features.

The program's interface is plain, with a handful of intuitive buttons and menus that contain its major features. We found it quite easy to add items to the list, and we especially liked that users can add sub-items to each task; under "Do laundry," for example, we noted that we needed to pretreat a shirt. … Read more

Take Android to task

Astrid may look unassuming when you first encounter it, but the free, open source task and to-do list-maker has customization settings beneath its skin. Type to add a new task. You can leave the note to self where it is, or select the entry to edit elements like importance settings, tags, notes, deadlines, recurring reminders, and alerts. We like being able to add tasks to Android's calendar, and that there's an option to sync with online reminder service Remember the Milk.

Simple calendar program

With life moving faster, there are many computer programs on the market that aim to help users stay on top of everything. TimeTo is a program that claims to be one of the best, but we found that it was missing some common amenities.

This freeware provides users with a customizable interface. The initial picture is a little cramped and confusing, featuring a monthly, daily, and weekly calendar, all clustered together. Fortunately, users can close the ones they do not like and leave open the calendar that best suits them. From this point, users should have a simple time dealing … Read more

SMS search tool Kwiry to shut down next week

Kwiry, "the remind yourself to do a search about something later" company, is closing up shop next week. According to a company blog post, the service is shutting itself down due to "economic realities."

In the meantime, users are kindly being given the next 10 days to grab all their previous searches, which can be saved as a CSV file and exported into other reminder services.

I hate to see the site go, but it was a concept that was a hard sell to casual users. Aimed at users without smartphones (or data plans), it started … Read more