todo

Pear Note is a clever app that helps you type traditional notes while simultaneously recording--and integrating your notes with--any audio or video source, whether a lecture, a meeting, or a narrated PowerPoint (or even a video that you've imported later). Pear Note captures every keystroke and tracks exactly what was happening as you were typing, so you can go back later and easily see what you were typing at a particular point in the recording.

Pear Note's pleasingly minimal interface has gotten even cleaner in recent updates, with an easy-to-use, two-pane window: the main area is devoted to … Read more

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

With the iPhone 4 launch Thursday, those fortunate enough to have Apple's latest shiny new device probably want to see what it can do. Since not everyone reading has an iPhone 4 just yet, my featured apps are going to appeal to all iPhone users, but if you have the new device, I have a couple of apps you should check out immediately.

Apple's iMovie for iPhone ($4.99) helps you make fun videos using both the forward- and rear-facing cameras, letting you edit your footage, add themes and music, and more (get more info about iMovie here). … Read more

Streaks Motivational Calendar uses a simple--and surprisingly effective--concept to motivate you to stay productive. The idea is that you choose a thing you want to do more of, such as exercising, for example. Streaks Motivational Calendar lets you set up an exercising calendar on which you can mark off each day that you exercise with a big red X. Once you have a few days marked off, you'll have a streak.

Streaks Motivational Calendar lets you set up multiple calendars so you can track your progress toward various goals. You can name your calendars for any ongoing task, then … Read more

Cozi Family Organizer helps you stay on top of your responsibilities by letting you access your calendar, journal, and to-do lists from the Cozi.com Web site. The idea behind Cozi.com was to create a place where you could map out your busy family schedule, keep appointments, and make your family life easier. On the site you have access to Living Simply articles about family life and tools to help you maintain your home, plan meals and grocery shopping, and much more. The iPhone app ties the experience together, giving you access to to-do lists, grocery lists, and a … Read more

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

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

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

Good backup utilities that combine maximum user friendliness with excellent functionality and some helpful extras take the chore out of an essential duty. When all that comes for free, the excuse to blow off backups wears thin. Easeus Todo Backup is just such a free backup and restore utility. Like any good backup tool, it will back up your entire system's current state, data, settings and all, or just what you want it to, including partitions or full disks, and restore your computer in the event of a hard-disk crash or other calamity. Its Disk Cloning feature will help … Read more