We are on a spree here when it comes to task management application. So shortly after Nubi Do here, we have taskList.

taskList in itself is a unique task management experience. It does not turn you off but you sort of have the feeling that it follows the system of how a unique individual will do things.

Price

USD 1.99. This for me is at the low range section for iOS applications and specifically as a task management application

How Many Levels of Hierarchical List/Projects

Like Nubi Do, taskList have only 1 level of Lists/Groups. They addressed it as groups which means you can group your tasks as these groups.

Can you specify GTD Contexts?

GTD folks would want to have categories to specify contexts or tags or classify them into

1. Time Specific
2. Location Specific
3. People Centric

In taskList , you can specifiy tags. Each task can have many tags. And during review you can select multiple tags to filter.

Can you specify recurring tasks?

No. This is the first task management application I reviewed in a long time that you are not able to do that. This is very disappointing.

Task Entry

In terms of task entry there is really not much that you need to key in.

You are limited to task descriptions, the group, contact who, info and notes as well as the due date

What I like as well is how easy it is to select the tags. very no bull shit and if you have drawn out a nice list of tags, you can touch them and select them and need not go to another screen.

At times we forget that we are busy people and minimizing the number of screen to traverse will help a lot.

Reviewing: A quick glance of what needs to be done

There is no Today, no Inbox, no Next Actions. But really what it excels in is being minimal and focusing on the core.

The core is that we do things based on certain contexts. And here you are able to quickly filter based on multiple tags.

You can quickly select whether if you want a union of tags or an intersection of tags.

Conclusion

I can fully understand where this application is coming from. As an individual you do not need a lot of functionality to be efficient you need to have a UI that focus on what is important.

This task manager chooses to center on the ease of reviewing by Contexts/Tags.

If you work well with Tagging things this application focus very much on that aspect. For me, I need my repeating tasks very much. Not having that is the greatest let down.

We have reviewed quite a fair bit of task management application here on Productive Organizer (Take a look at my sidebars for reference) and many of them are focused on Getting Things Done.

Nubi Do is somewhat unique in that they have been very early to this yet not used by many. We hope that this post changes your opinion about them.

Price

USD 4.99. This for me is at the mid range section for iOS applications and specifically as a task management application

Flexibility is the key here

Nubi Do prides itself to be a very flexible task management application. It is catered to not just folks who only wants a simple list app but also people who does intensive tracking and planning.

How Many Levels of Hierarchical List/Projects

The downside for Nubi Do is that it has only one level. So what this means is that you can only have lists and tasks in the lists.

Can you specify GTD Contexts?

GTD folks would want to have categories to specify contexts or tags or classify them into

1. Time Specific
2. Location Specific
3. People Centric

In Nubi Do you can make use of Contexts. Each task can only have 1 contexts.

If that is not enough, you can make use of tags. Each task can have more than 1 tags.

Can you specify recurring tasks?

Yes you can. Tasks can recur Every Day,Weeks, Months or Year or Every specific day of the week

Task Entry

Task Entry have been made very smooth as the user can always key in the description of the task and not bother about keying in everything about the task.

If you require to key in more details, you can touch the task and key in more details.

One thing that I don’t understand is the need to specifically Pin to either Today or Next. Pinning as Next I can understand, since u specify that this is next to do.

But pin it to Today? I can only guess that its to make this task something you need to do today, as a quick reference.

Reviewing: A quick glance of what needs to be done

The front page of the application presents to you what are the tasks overdue, what you need to do today and what is next upcoming.

You are then presented with an Inbox to do your processing. And should you are doing your weekly review, you have all your lists of projects here to perform your reviewing

Reviewing: Calendar due tasks

What Nubi do does that is different from competitors is that you get a calendar that you can view at quick glance what tasks are due on which date.

And this Calendar is presented even in the task entry portion when you select a due date to your task.

So you can for example see that it is suppose to be done by this date but there are too much tasks so I postpone it by one day.

I think this is an important feature that might go down very well with some people.

Reviewing:Context/Tags tasks

At every page you are able to at the touch of a button go into context and tag filtering mode.

You however, can only view tasks in one tag or context but not multiple.

Importing and Exporting

Nowadays, the default for task management apps is to sync to Toodledo or Outlook or iCal.

Nubi Do does is enable the user to Import/Export from Google Docs.

Google docs is a good medium to import and export but I think people are looking for a cloud based method of synchronization rather than a file based import and export.

Nevertheless file based import and export has its advantages. And personally for me, I do prefer file based import.

Other FEATURES:

■ Assign priorities and due dates.
■ Attach text notes.
■ Search tasks quickly with a live search.
■ Delete, move or email multiple tasks at a time.
■ Lock & passcode protect individual todo lists.
■ Full screen note viewer with data detection so you can enter linkable email addresses, web addresses and phone numbers.
■ Multiple color scheme options.

Conclusion

All in all, a very competent task management application. Would I switch over from 2Do? Probably not. The cost of switching and reseting my whole system is too much. If 2Do works for me I will stick with it.

The plus side is definitely the Calendar review and the downside, is the single level hierarchy of lists/projects

If you like it do grab it off the market place

In a nutshell, Microsoft decided some time recently that the cloud is where they want to do a major push to (abit late I feel).

This service enables you to synchronize up to 2GB of your files and folders with

1. Your other computers
2. Microsoft’s Cloud storage

You install a Sync application on each of your computer and it seamlessly takes care of the synchronization of the files and folders on its own.

Note:This is not something new.I talk about a few service that is free some time ago. Most notably

1. Soonr

How much files and folders can I store/synchronies/backup ?

As of now you can store up to 2GB of files

How much will this cost me?

It is FREE

What are the benefits?

1. Your files and folders are accessible across all your computers
2. In the future it might be accessible via iPhone,Android or WP7
3. In the event of a computer breakdown and is irrecoverable, your files are intact
4. Microsoft’s data server should have disaster recovery and redundancy, so the chances of you losing these files are low

How does it work?

1) Download Windows Live Essentials Beta from here.

2) Run the setup. You can install the rest of the stuff but make sure  you check the sync.

3) Once its installed you will see a sync icon in your windows system tray. Alternatively, go to Windows Essentials > Windows Live Sync.

4) this is your Sync Dashboard. Here you will see I am setting it up on one computer.

5) First thing is to click on Sync a folder, to identify which folder to sync across all your computers and microsoft.

6) I don’t just make use of one sync service, but if you see here I have Evernote,Dropbox,SugarSync,Syncplicity and now LiveSync. Essentially, I have almost 8GB of data under sync.

7) Create a folder for syncing (you can call it whatever you want I call it Live Sync)

8)Then check to sync to SkyDrive synced storage

9) You are set up. Here is a shot of me synchronizing 3 files. Once I moved them into my windows folders, on the web page it will indicate that its syncing 3 files.

Now this is interesting news. Most folks who have used Dropbox have things favorable to say about Dropbox as a backup and computer files synchronizor

It would seem some one finally thought:”wouldn’t it be great to have dropbox functionality on a personal server?”

I fully will support this product but only if it designs well:

1. Small memory footprint
2. Syncs across at least 10 computers
3. Trustable sync and conflict resolution mechanizm

Dubbed SparkleShare, Bons is building his project using Mono, GTK+, and Git. Like Dropbox, SparkleShare sets up a local folder which is automatically kept in sync — though not in the cloud. Instead, you and your friends/coworkers set up connections to each other’s shares (or you can keep everything to yourself, of course). That’ll make SparkleShare an extremely interesting option for teams who need to collaborate via the ‘Net — and for users who want to keep files in sync without floating them in the cloud.

And since you’re hosting your own server, there’s no monthly fees to worry about — which is always a bonus.

A Linux release is the first item on the agenda, with OS X and Windows versions to follow. Bons is seeking contributors — if you’re interested in helping out, drop him a line on the SparkleShare web site!

[via Download Squad >>]

We have not seen many sneaks of Windows Phone 7 Applications on Productive Organizer and the last one were sneaks of OneNote and Word and Excel on WP7.

This time some french developers have put together a project management application called Ahead Project Manager.

This would be important consideration if you are a person who wants to manage your task on  your smartphone. Having such an application would be a serious consideration.

Just think about it: I bought my iPod Touch not to play games, watch videos or listen to songs but because I need a good todo list Appigo ToDo

However, If the interface for all WP7 apps turn out this way, then we are really going to get pretty board by this layout.

From the demo i really find that i will not get accustom to the scrolling layout. What do you guys think after watching the video below?

Ahead — Manage your projects on-the-go. from Ahead App on Vimeo.

The next release of Android codename Froyo will promise usb tethering and using your device as a wifi router.

Do note that Wifi routing is very battery draining but an awesome experience should your laptop need to connect to the internet ASAP.

Apple’s iPad can do movies, music, e-mail, apps and rich Web browsing. And of course, e-books. Should Amazon just put its comparably basic e-reader, the Kindle, to sleep?

Not so fast. Sleep experts say using the iPad before bed can affect sleeping habits unlike most other e-readers.

The difference? Devices like the Kindle, the Nook (the top part of the screen that displays books) and popular e-readers from Sony use a technology called e-paper. It simulates the look of an actual printed page and does not emit light. That means, unlike the iPad, you can effectively read in direct sunlight. (Beach, anyone?)

The iPad, however, contains a touchscreen liquid-crystal display that, like computer screens and television sets, emits light. On the plus side, you can sneak the device under the covers while your significant other sleeps beside you and flip through a couple pages of a book without a flashlight.

But staring at the screen before bed could leave you lying awake. That’s because direct exposure to such abnormal light sources inhibits the body’s secretion of melatonin, say several sleep experts.

If you’ve watched any late-night TV, you’ve no doubt heard the term thrown around in commercials for sleeping pills. Melatonin signals are sent through the brain as a response to darkness, telling the body to prepare to shut down for the night.

[Read the rest of the article here >>]

Its difficult to change people’s opinion if their skull is so thick that they cannot get what really works.

I think Apple is creating a great platform for app developers and incentives for innovation. iPad will be a great productivity platform trust me.

Meanwhile just enjoy these videos:

SmartNote (Note Taking iPad App) — smartNote, like Microsoft OneNote, lets you take notes on your iPad, both handwritten and typed. You can also record audio with your notes. The notes can be exported as PDFs or you can sync them with your computer or another iPad wirelessly.

PadNotes (Drawing App) — PadNotes for iPad allows you to write or draw on any document using an image or PDF file as the background. You can use it for taking notes, filling out forms or for creating drawings.

Mixr (iPad DJ App) — The Mixr app will turn your iPad into a multi-touch turntable with everything you need to mix music.

Chalk iPad App – This simple iPad App will turn your Apple tablet into a vintage slate chalk board – kids will probably love it and you won’t have a problem either because the app won’t leave any chalk powder on your floor.

MightyMeetings – This is an iPad App for online meetings and for giving remote presentations.

What pissed me off is a few subtle inconvenience that i wish i have solutions for. Specifically, if i can operate it better through the use of keyboard shortcuts it will be much more productive.

Here i present some shortcuts that will improve your productivity.

Scroll to task on the Gantt Chart – [Ctrl +Shift + F5]

Ever while you are reviewing the tasks and want a quick way to see where this task is in the timeline of the Gantt Chart? I have this problem alot of times and got so piss of with having to pick up the mouse to scroll to it and wonder if its before this point or after this point. This keyboard shortcut is cool.

Scrolling the Gantt Chart while in Task navigation – [Alt Left/Right key]

While we are at it, you might want to do a visual reference how long it takes on the Gantt Chart. The typical way is to pick up the mouse and scroll.You cannot use the left and right key since you will be scrolling in the task view. Press Alt Left or Right will enable you to scroll the Gantt chart area while you are in task view.

Insert a new task above – [Ins]

This is straight forward. chances are you will need to insert a new task in between 2 task. Use the insert key will insert a row between them.

Indent and Outdent a task – [Alt + Shift + left or right arrow keys]

Since we add a new task previously whats a fast way to indent and outdent? Using Alt Shift Left or Right will enable you to do that.

Expand and Collapse a branch of task- [Alt + Shift + - or = arrow keys]

For abit of focus review, you might want to collapse a branch so that you can focus on other branches and later expand them. The keyboard short cut to do this is to leverage on Alt Shift – or =. the easy way to remember is that – or = translates to minus and plus when shift is press!

As an added bonus, to expand the whole project you can use [Alt + Shift + *]!

Link [Ctrl + F2] and Unlink [Ctrl + Shift + F2] Tasks

Say you want to select 2 task or a whole list of task and link them up fast (dependency) how do you do that? Use the Ctrl F2 and Ctrl Shift F2 to do that

Conclusion

Crazy Colour Card for MS Project

There are many other useful shortcuts to using Microsoft Project and they really help to make navigation much more enjoyable.

Another bonus is this PDF keyboard shortcut for Microsoft Project Hosted at Scribd. Login with your OpenID or Facebook to download and print it.

That is why its refreshing to see Outline Tracker for WebOS. I did not give this a spin since i do not have a Palm Pre or Pixi to try it out.

How much does it cost?

There is a free version on the App Catalog that limits you to 50 tasks but the full version costs USD23.50.

What version of WebOS is it compatible with?

You will need webOS 1.3.5

What are its main functionalities?

• Organize tasks and sub-tasks as many layers deep as you need
• Keep track of where you can work on a task and who’s responsible
• The dynamic to-do list shows only the tasks you can work on here and now
• Color-coding shows at a glance who’s responsible for a task — you, your organization, or no one
• The dynamic waiting list shows tasks that are waiting for action by someone else — a single tap takes you to their entry in the webOS Contacts application
• Items with a due date appear in the webOS Calendar and the project outline, and tasks appear in the dynamic to-do list as well
• Coordinate with others using Basecamp from 37signals (useable through any web browser, with custom apps available for many kinds of smartphone)
• Basecamp items are cached locally, so Basecamp projects can be edited without a network connection. Changes will be uploaded when the network connection is available.
• Supports David Allen’s Getting Things Done® methodology
• Also functions as a general-purpose outliner, exporting to (and importing from) the modern XOXO format, easily integrated into web pages

GTD – Able to Organize in tree structure

with this you can essentially create Tasks and Sub-Tasks or Sub-Projects

GTD – Able to filter by Contexts/Places

if you are to perform GTD you will need to be able to filter your tasks by places or agendas. This one does it but not sure if it can achieve the sophistication of Appigo ToDos context filtering. [context/places intro and tutorial >>]

GTD – Waiting for looks good!

You can review your waiting for list according to the people. Outline Tracker allows you to go to the Palm’s contacts when you click on the person’s name.

Very useful.

GTD – comprehensive task view and integration with webOS Calendar

This is a good move that i don’t see on alot of mobile apps on iPhone since you will need a fair bit of work to achieve this on the iPhone OS platform.

essentially, your items need not be tasks and need not have dates. this gives it flexibility, but also increases the developer’s complexity.

also, note seems to be missing if you want to add additionaly details.

the kicker is that those items with due date specified will go into your webOS calendar. some folks definitely love to have this in their GTD system.

Final Thoughts

i thought its abit expensive at $23 bucks but really not sure if all App Catalog application are priced at that range. I hope we come accross more apps like this to compete and come up with good GTD apps for the webOS.

At the iPhone App Store competition have kept the incumbents at the top of their game and we do hope to see more of these on the webOS.

[Outline tracker for Palm Pre and Pixi >>]