App Recap: Do, Flow, and North Star

[MacRumors]

In this week's App Recap, we've highlighted productivity app "Do," productivity app "Flow," and lifestyle app "North Star" as three apps that are worth checking out.

Apps to Check Out

• Do: Simple Notes & To Do Lists (iOS, One-Time Purchase) - Do features a simple interface that provides an easy way to keep track of notes and to-do lists. Users can organize notes into sub-lists as well as create reminders with alerts and badges. Do can also be customized in one of nine color themes. The app is free to download, and users have the option to purchase Do's $4.99 one-time upgrade to be able to add more than 30 items, use a passcode as well as Touch ID/Face ID to lock items, and to back up data to iCloud.
• Flow - Focus & Pomodoro Timer (Mac, Subscription) - Flow can help users reduce distractions and maintain focus by dividing work into sections using a timer that lives in the menu bar. The app's timer can be customized with predefined values, and users are able to block apps from being used while the flow timer is running. After completing a block of work, users can start the break timer to take a break before taking on another section of work. Users can subscribe to Flow's pro version, which is available in a subscription priced at $0.99 per month and $7.99 per year, to set custom durations for flow and break intervals, access advanced controls, and more.

• North Star - Your Goals (iOS, Subscription) - North Star is an app that can be used to easily work toward goals through habits to track frequent activities, milestones to break up a goal into smaller steps, measures to track results over time, and the planner to create to-do lists and reminders. In addition, customizable icons and colors can be utilized to help differentiate items. Although free to download, North Star's basic version only allows users to track one goal. The app's paid version, which features the creation of an unlimited number of goals, is available in both monthly and yearly subscription options as well as a lifetime purchase priced at $4.99, $28.49, and $49.99 respectively.

Are you using a great new app we've missed? Let us know in the comments and we'll check it out for next week's App Recap. Are you a developer of a unique app you'd like us to consider? Send us a message through our tip line at the top of the page and we'll check it out.

Article Link: App Recap: Do, Flow, and North Star

 

[macjunk(ie)]

LOL at all these subscriptions. Looks like customers are now supposed to buy everybody a cup of coffee or a cake every month to use software.

I am tired of all these subs.

 

[alexandr]

LOL at all these subscriptions. Looks like customers are now supposed to buy everybody a cup of coffee or a cake every month to use software.

I am tired of all these subs.

i agree, these are really not the kind of tools that should require monthly payments...

 

[dumastudetto]

LOL at all these subscriptions. Looks like customers are now supposed to buy everybody a cup of coffee or a cake every month to use software.

I am tired of all these subs.

Quality software needs updating regularly. Subscriptions are the only fair way to do it.

 

[pdaholic]

LOL at all these subscriptions. Looks like customers are now supposed to buy everybody a cup of coffee or a cake every month to use software.

I am tired of all these subs.

Yeah I suppose if someone really needs the features of, say, a note app over the Apple notes app, then it might be worth it for them. I’ll just stick with the stock apps. Only “subscription” for which I pay is cloud storage and amazon prime. I’ve gotten rid of all my streaming services and not missing them in the least.

 

[fernelius]

I, also, struggle with subscriptions on products such as these. I particularly struggled with the Flow subscription of $0.99/month or $19.99/year. If I was willing to pay that, I’d be inclined toward the monthly subscription totaling about $12/year. I did check the App Store, and it appears, it’s really $7.99/year, which is still a bit high. Interesting tool, though.

I’m more inclined to pay now for the features available now and to pay an upgrade for new features if I want them. Quality software does need to be updated regularly, but I would hope that income from new buyers would cover the cost of bringing along old features.

 

[TiggrToo]

Yeah I suppose if someone really needs the features of, say, a note app over the Apple notes app, then it might be worth it for them. I’ll just stick with the stock apps. Only “subscription” for which I pay is cloud storage and amazon prime. I’ve gotten rid of all my streaming services and not missing them in the least.

I too miss the good old days, that said if an app uses any form of Cloud synchronization (outside of the awful iCloud implementation) then those costs quickly go up.

Everyone’s conditioned these days to imagine the cloud as this big happy fluffy place where magic happens.

In reality it’s an expensive and expansive black hole that can get painful really quickly.

Add to that apps that required access to paid API resources (e.g. weather) also starts to eat up the costs.

As much as I love the cloud as a developer, I hate it as a director in charge of budgeting.

 

[kildraik]

Sorry, but all of these are stupid. Be an adult and manage your time effectively. Or use Siri to execute tasks, reminders, etc, and put your phone down when you’re working. 🙄

 

[TiggrToo]

Sorry, but all of these are stupid. Be an adult and manage your time effectively. Or use Siri to execute tasks, reminders, etc, and put your phone down when you’re working. 🙄

Nice to see you respecting other people’s life choices.

Can you try to be a little less demeaning? I don’t use any of these apps, however I fully respect anyone who not only uses them but finds them helpful.

You could levy the same criticism at me - I use Evernote, Notability, Fantastical and day one.

Each could technically be changed to use Notes and Calendar, but I’d not be nearly as happy, or productive.

Choice is a wonderful thing.

 

[pdaholic]

I too miss the good old days, that said if an app uses any form of Cloud synchronization (outside of the awful iCloud implementation) then those costs quickly go up.

Everyone’s conditioned these days to imagine the cloud as this big happy fluffy place where magic happens.

In reality it’s an expensive and expansive black hole that can get painful really quickly.

Add to that apps that required access to paid API resources (e.g. weather) also starts to eat up the costs.

As much as I love the cloud as a developer, I hate it as a director in charge of budgeting.

Yeah Dropbox is an expensive subscription, but an invaluable service to me. It backs up my laptop and I subsequently can access all my files on my phone and iPad anywhere. I agree with you, iCloud has been problematic.

 

[Tovenaar]

LOL at all these subscriptions. Looks like customers are now supposed to buy everybody a cup of coffee or a cake every month to use software.

I am tired of all these subs.

Came here to say this. I understand the need for subs when there's an ongoing cost, like cloud storage (although even that should now be consolidated through iCloud or Dropbox).

But a monthly cost for a piece of software that is largely unchanging doesn't make sense (I'm looking at you notes apps). Also the pricing is a bit insane. I don't understand how an app that used to cost $30 is now $5 a month. If you consider that software gets a major update on average every 3 years (which gives me a choice to upgrade or not if I need the new features), that's $180 total cost of ownership. That's why I bought Scrivener, and did not subscribe to Ulysses for example.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not taking sides and I think developers should charge as much as they can get away with. They deserve to make as much money as the market can handle. I'm just sharing the point of view of a user who will not pay an ongoing cost for a fixed piece of software (bug fixes don't count because the assumption is that the software is bug free, or at least to the extent that it's functional).

 

[7149041]

I am tired of all these subs.

I’m avoiding all third party apps that are sub based and don’t offer a lifetime purchase. Or if I can move them over to a built-in solution.

I just phased out 1Password after years of using it, switched to Keychain / iCloud. I now only pay for DownDog, AirMail (against myself, but there is no good alternative), Spotify and Netflix.

As a developer, I don’t believe in “keep paying to keep it working”.

 

[shyam09]

Sorry, but all of these are stupid. Be an adult and manage your time effectively. Or use Siri to execute tasks, reminders, etc, and put your phone down when you’re working. 🙄

Can't take you seriously when you suggest using Siri.

 

[amartinez1660]

Northstar might be one of those where paying could mean less productivity. Being focused on one main goal at a time is better for a lot of us than trying to spread on too many ones.

Sorry, but all of these are stupid. Be an adult and manage your time effectively. Or use Siri to execute tasks, reminders, etc, and put your phone down when you’re working. 🙄

I agree with the sentiment. However as flawed as humans are and as “hackable” via all sorts of science, psychology and other knowledge advancements... this becomes actually quite hard. For example, you might as well say “be an adultstop overeating and lock your mouth after eating enough calories, you don’t need X fitness app”, yet we know that’s no easy feat, even with the all the apps, nutritionists, studies, etc overweight is present in over 60+% of the population, why? Because there’s people behind working 24/7 to find ways to crack all the willpower someone can have... be it time/distraction, food, etc.

Siri is indeed great for writing down reminders, calendar events, timers for when cooking and more.

 

[snek]

A timer, with monthly subscription, lol'd

 

[ddsforlife]

I’m avoiding all third party apps that are sub based and don’t offer a lifetime purchase. Or if I can move them over to a built-in solution.

I just phased out 1Password after years of using it, switched to Keychain / iCloud. I now only pay for DownDog, AirMail (against myself, but there is no good alternative), Spotify and Netflix.

As a developer, I don’t believe in “keep paying to keep it working”.

What about using mSecure instead of 1Password? I love it. 😊

 

[7149041]

What about using mSecure instead of 1Password? I love it. 😊

I’m actually happy with Safari taking care of passwords on the iPhone and Chrome on the Mac. And if I need my credit card number for something, I copy it right from the Revolut app.

 

[kitkatkate]

LOL at all these subscriptions. Looks like customers are now supposed to buy everybody a cup of coffee or a cake every month to use software.

I am tired of all these subs.

Ohhh choosing beggars. When you walk into Target, do you expect to walk out with anything for free? And when you go to work, do you expect to get paid for the work you do? Or do you work for free?

 

[kitkatkate]

Sorry, but all of these are stupid. Be an adult and manage your time effectively. Or use Siri to execute tasks, reminders, etc, and put your phone down when you’re working. 🙄

Lol you seem like a fun human.

 

[7149041]

When you walk into Target, do you expect to walk out with anything for free?

Being opposed to subs is not the same as wanting free stuff. We are perfectly fine paying for the software - once. That’s how it used to work before IAP changed the landscape.

Again, I’ll put my own company as an example: you buy the software, get updates and support for a year, if you don’t renew, you get to keep it - just without new features that come afterwards.

It’s the same as buying an app like “Super Mega Notes” and getting updates until the dev releases “Super Mega Notes 2” a year or two later. The dev gets paid, I get a working product without a completely unnecessary contract.

Now instead of buying working software we are forced to subscribe to keep it going. I choose not to support this business model. But I do consider “lifetime unlock” a good compromise.

 

[alexandr]

Ohhh choosing beggars. When you walk into Target, do you expect to walk out with anything for free? And when you go to work, do you expect to get paid for the work you do? Or do you work for free?

on the contrary, but if there is a perfectly fine option that answers to all your needs and doesn't involve monthly payments, why would you go for the paid option? are you also an advocate for airlines charging money for their crappy food?

 

[TiggrToo]

on the contrary, but if there is a perfectly fine option that answers to all your needs and doesn't involve monthly payments, why would you go for the paid option? are you also an advocate for airlines charging money for their crappy food?

Who are you to define the parameters of “perfectly fine option” though?

We are all each different and our brains work in different ways.

I, for example (when younger) could sit through a meeting, take zero notes, and still have a far better memory and understanding of the meeting that folks who took copious notes.

Now I’m older the brain can no longer focus as much so I now need aids to help me in this task - and that’s where Notability comes into play.

Is my way correct? Hell no, it’s my way of working and I’ve zero expectations that it’ll work for anyone else.

Being a manager has taught me a lot on how we’re all wired differently.

 

[alexandr]

Who are you to define the parameters of “perfectly fine option” though?

We are all each different and our brains work in different ways.

I, for example (when younger) could sit through a meeting, take zero notes, and still have a far better memory and understanding of the meeting that folks who took copious notes.

Now I’m older the brain can no longer focus as much so I now need aids to help me in this task - and that’s where Notability comes into play.

Is my way correct? Hell no, it’s my way of working and I’ve zero expectations that it’ll work for anyone else.

Being a manager has taught me a lot on how we’re all wired differently.

just me, obviously speaking my mind, not telling everyone they have to follow. if someone has specific needs and finds an app that is perfectly tailored to meet them, amazing, but often times(in my experience) apps want to charge money for things that other apps offer for free without compromizing the functionality. and you're absolutely right - we are all wired completely different.

 

[macjunk(ie)]

Ohhh choosing beggars. When you walk into Target, do you expect to walk out with anything for free? And when you go to work, do you expect to get paid for the work you do? Or do you work for free?

Are you by any chance the owner of one these apps? No offence was intended in my OP.

 

[C DM]

Ohhh choosing beggars. When you walk into Target, do you expect to walk out with anything for free? And when you go to work, do you expect to get paid for the work you do? Or do you work for free?

Well, in an analogy like that, given the context, it would be like paying for a movie on Blu-ray, walking out from Target with it, and then every month after that getting charged an additional fee to continue having the ability to watch it.