to-do

BugMe!: A Palm classic reborn for iPhone

There's something to be said for a simple, straightforward note-taking app that borrows from the familiar: sticky notes. BugMe! is one such app.

If the name rings a bell, you probably owned a PalmPilot at some point. That's where the app originated, and call me nostalgic, but I'm happy to see it reborn for the iPhone.

Admittedly, the App Store is already replete with sticky note-inspired task managers, so what sets BugMe! apart? In a word: simplicity.

Instead of packing the app with features, developer Electric Pocket kept the interface about as straightforward as they come. Tap &… Read more

Sneak peek at IE 9

As much bad press as Microsoft gets for Internet Explorer, we can't fault the software giant for continuing to develop what remains to be (for better or for worse) the world's most-used browser. In response to criticism, Microsoft started showing what it terms an Internet Explorer 9 Platform Preview. We're told that the forthcoming IE 9 will include modern browser tricks, such as video that can play in the browser without a separate plug-in, better graphics performance, and the HTML5 Web standard that will let the browser handle a more complex class of Web apps. Although IE … 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.

You won't forget

The iTunes App Store is glutted with to-do lists and time managers, but many are so simple, they're ineffective. Appigo's Todo is the highest cost of its cohort, but is also more complete than the budget offerings. Unlike other to-do lists, you can have Todo assign a due date and priority ranking; it will winningly associate tasks with mobile numbers and Web sites. You can further synchronize your lists with your pro Remember the Milk account and with Toodledo, both Web-based task organizers. Thanks to Apple's push notification, Todo has taken the extra leap and let loose … Read more

Versatile calendar

Desktop iCalendar Lite offers users a way to keep their calendar at the forefront of their computer. With a simple interface and few problems, this is a great way for users to stay on top of the day's events.

This free program lays itself out on the upper right corner of your desktop. A month-view calendar appears, with the current day highlighted, and below it is a list of reminders for the day and a to-do list. All are dark and hide well on the computer desktop with text that is either orange or white. In addition, the entire … Read more

Effective task master

Stress can be alleviated, say the gurus at TROG Bar, if we understand that it isn't the result of being too busy, but instead from trying to manage (and actively remember) all of our tasks all at once. With that in mind, the TROG Bar presents a flexible system to keep your tasks organized and offers you help getting the most from the program.

TROG Bar (which, by the way, is short for Total, Relaxed Organization Guru) integrates nicely with Microsoft Outlook and can work in conjunction with several popular task management systems such as Franklin Covey and Getting … Read more