- The Hit List 1 1 3 – Advanced Reminder Applications
- The Hit List 1 1 3 – Advanced Reminder Application Form
Viticci put it well: “There’s only one thing I like more than switching todo apps: writing about it.” My 2Do review is much shorter than his, but I resonate with his sentiment.
- Microsoft To-Do is one of the latest apps to be included in Office 365. It’s a simple to-do list that makes it easy to plan your day. Whether it’s for work, school or home, To-Do will help you.
- Watch your reminders count down in real time! RemindMe integrates deeply with Windows 8. Get toast notifications for reminders, see your next reminders on the live tile, sync your reminders across your Windows 8.1 devices, and stay up to date on the lock screen. You can even pin the compose screen to Start to quickly create new reminders.
That might explain why today I give you a review of another worthy task management app: The Hit List.
What I Like About The Hit List
An application whitelist defines the list of applications and application components (libraries, configuration files, etc.) that are authorized to be present or active on a host according to a well-defined baseline R11. Application whitelists determine which applications can be installed and executed on a particular host system.
The Hit List is much more robust than Apple’s native Reminders app. Its proprietary Sync Service is fast, and keeps your tasks and lists updated across Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Watch (depending on what you have).
Perhaps the most noteworthy feature is the extensive system of one-stroke keyboard shortcuts on the Mac app. You can do just about anything without having to move your hand to the mouse. And The Hit List (hereafter THL) comes with a nice built-in tutorial to get you going:
The Mac layout doesn’t totally match the rest of El Capitan, but I don’t mind that at all. I especially like that you can have multiple lists open at once–in one window–as various tabs. This mirrors how we browse the Web, yet out of all the task management apps I’ve tried, THL is the only one to incorporate it.
It’s a really nice touch, especially if you are actually working on a few projects at once and want to be able to close tabs as you go. Or if you want to toggle between your time-sensitive “Today” tasks and other projects.
The tagging system on all platforms is neat. By typing “task /tag” you automatically can tag a task. It then shows up in a different color on the task entry line and puts itself into the right tag.
Chatty for facebook 1 6 1 download free. You can give sub-tasks to tasks, which is often what happens in real life! Our tasks turn into a series of sub-tasks, too. Of course you could just separate a multi-task task into its own project, but the ability to rapidly enter sub-tasks is great.
Probably my favorite part about THL is its task timing integration. Yes, you read that right. You can both assign estimated time to tasks, as well as track it! It’s not as robust as a dedicated time tracking software–you can’t get to-the-minute readouts of your day. But it’s a pretty sweet feature on the Mac app.
The iPad app just came out, and it’s got Slide Over and Split Screen support right out of the box. It’s very cool to finally see THL on a bigger screen. (The iPad app is lacking in any external keyboard shortcuts however; future updates should add these in.)
What I Found Lacking in THL
1. No Save+.
Rapid-fire brain dumping is tricky in THL. Well, it’s not impossible, but on iOS there’s no Save+ button so you can just add a bunch of tasks at once without multiple taps. Keyboard shortcuts make it quick on the Mac app, though.
2. You can’t email a task to the app.
It continues to perplex me that this is not standard issue in a task management app. I don’t know… maybe it’s just hard to implement. In THL there is no way to convert or forward emails to tasks from wherever you are. Evernote and OmniFocus allow this, as will 2Do soon. This functionality is essential to me in a task management app.
3. The iOS app isn’t as configurable as one might like.
The criticism that you have to understand the app on its own terms often gets leveled toward OmniFocus, but I experienced some confusion in THL with the “Today” list. Support was outstanding in helping me to understand it (which I do now), but the Today list shows all your tasks that start today. You can’t adjust it to show just your tasks that are due today, which feels to me a more natural way to use it. You can’t even really trick Today into doing what you want, since a task with no start date that is due tomorrow still pops up in Today.
On the iOS app, there are few settings you can configure:
THL also sort of forces you (if you’re going to use the app) into its Inbox–Today–Upcoming logic. (These three “hit lists” give the app its name.) This could be a limitation for some. That way of setting up things, to which you can add your own lists, appeals to me, so it’s fine. On Mac you could create a “Due Today” smart list, so there is flexibility in that regard.
4. You can’t attach anything to tasks in iOS. Creativemarket aesthetic wedding lightroom presets download free.
There is no way (whether in iOS or OS X) to attach photos or files to an item. It’s hard to envision a week where there isn’t at least one time when I want to take a picture of something as a reminder or attach a .pdf I need to complete a task. You can link to actual files on a desktop with the THL Mac app, but that’s not the same as attaching the file to the task, so the file doesn’t show up on iOS (just an error message). There’s a notes field, so you can leave additional text, but attachments aren’t really a working feature in THL.
Concluding Thoughts and How to Get THL
There’s more to say, of course. The Today widget and Share extension features in iOS work nicely. The layout and interface of the apps is executed well on all platforms. It runs really smoothly, and looks great in its new iPad incarnation. Smart lists can help you customize your experience. Recurring tasks are easy to set up. You can quickly swipe a task on iOS to change the due date or move it to a different list and folder.
This is a little thing, but I think my favorite thing about the app is the sound effect that goes off when you complete a task. I wish every app had that option! It’s like a little “congratulations!” every time you get something done. Very satisfying to hear that tone.
Their support is excellent, too. THL even made a feature addition that I had requested–the ability to drag handles to reorder task lists on iOS.
Okay, okay, one more nice little touch: the icon for note detail attached to a task is excellent. Just by looking at a task, you can tell if there’s an associated note. Similarly, a number icon shows you how many sub-tasks are connected to a task. Thoughtful design, for sure.
To sum up: the sound effects on iOS, tabbed list views on OS X, and integrated time tracking set THL apart from other apps, so if those appeal to you, this might be your app of choice. Lack of email integration makes it hard for me to think about switching to THL as my go-to task management app, but perhaps future updates will add that feature. Overall, THL is at least on par with Things and certainly an option one could consider alongside 2Do and OmniFocus.
You can find the app here (OS X) and here (iOS).
Thanks so much to the makers of The Hit List for giving me a download in iOS and OS X for the review. Check out the Karelia Software site here.
A lot of us are spending our entire day in front of our PCs. I know I am. In such a scenario, it makes sense to have a reminder app of some kind for my Windows-powered desktop computer. After all, why do I have to endure reminders on my smartphone when I am not even working? I need some me-time as well and constant mobile reminders can be a turnoff. Maybe, I should leave my reminders on my PC?
The Hit List 1 1 3 – Advanced Reminder Applications
Read: 7 Best Reminder Apps for Android (2018)
Reminder Apps for Windows
With this thought in mind, I started looking for reminder apps and found some amazing ones. So, here are some of the best reminder apps for Windows for different types of users with different types of needs.
1. Cortana
Cortana is Microsoft’s answer to Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri. Although late to the scene, Cortana is already making waves. While you can use the virtual assistant for much complex tasks, you can also use it to set simple reminders.
Just launch Cortana on your Windows 10 PC or smartphones (no support for preview versions) and ask her: Remind me to call Dad on Friday 19:00 or remind me to pick up laundry in one hour.
If you are using Windows 10 PC, simply press the CTRL+C keys or use the microphone on your Windows smartphone. You can also set location-based reminders so Cortana will only remind you to pick laundry when you are in the vicinity.
You can set person-based reminders so the next time you are chatting with your boss, Cortana will remind you to send that file.
You can easily manage all your existing reminders and make changes as necessary. Cortana is free to use and is only available for Windows 10 users.
Visit Cortana (Free)
2. Pillbox – Medicine Reminder
You will find a medicine box in every home. Pills are now a part of our lives and a lot of people can’t live without their daily medication. This is not a major problem as long as you remember to take them on time. But we are a forgetful race, aren’t we?
Pillbox is a medicine reminder app for Windows that will help you remember the pop your pills on time. Enter the name and dosage of the pill along with time and days of the week you are supposed to take them. Now, Pillbox will notify you when your pills are due. Trust me, this can literally save your lives.
All the data will sync to your Microsoft OneDrive account. There is a calendar mode where you can see your frequency and all the days you missed your medication. Your doc, and your mom, won’t be happy about it.
Download Pillbox (Free)
3. RemindMe for Windows
RemindMe for Windows is a free app that was built from the ground up for the Windows 10 platform. The developer has focused on usability and functionality rather than bells and whistles. A simple and fast app that will allow you to set reminders in no time using the live tile shortcut. A boon for people who need to simply get things done and don’t want to bogged down by too many options.
When you set a relative timer, you will see a countdown timer ticking. You can also set absolute reminders (date and time). Keeping in line with the UI of Windows 10, it comes with a live tile format. You can sync these reminders with Windows 8 devices if you have any!
Download RemindMe for Windows (Free)
4. Desktop Reminder
Where RemindMe was a simple little app focused on doing one thing, Desktop Reminder comes laden with features. There are a lot of ways to customize the app like skins, tones, profiles, and alarms.
You can use Desktop Reminder to set up reminders for tasks as well as events. There is a built-in calendar where I was able to see all the tasks that were pending on a given date. What makes it useful though is it’s capacity to remind you, weeks or months in advance, about an important task based on the urgency level you had set.
For example, as a blogger, I can set an urgent reminder for a tech event next month or write that explainer next month before the product launch. This should give you plenty of time to prepare for the task. You can import iCalendar files too.
While the free version is good enough, there is a pro version as well, available for $29 that will add the ability to link to docs and files, group multiple tasks like errands, support for printing tasks, executable actions. The last one will allow you to open a particular doc at a given time.
Download Desktop Reminder (Freemium)
5. Windows Shutdown Assistant
Never judge a software by its name! While the name suggests that it has something to do with shutting down your PC, which is true, it is much more than that. Windows Shutdown Assistant was developed by Apowersoft, a popular name in the app and software industry.
You can create reminders with alarms but at the same time, you can also create notes. Think of it as a cross between a reminder and notes app. You can open a particular file or document at a given time so you know when you need to finish that report.
Apart from this, you can use WSA for running and stopping Windows programs on a schedule. This means you can hibernate before going to bed, lock your PC during lunch time, or log off at the end of the day. It works with other programs too so the functionality is only limited by your imagination. There is support for hyperlinks, so you can open Sony website to watch Argentina play in FIFA.
Windows Shutdown Assistant is compatible with Windows 7, 8, and 10 and is completely free to download and use. Think of it as notes, reminders, and scheduler app.
Download Windows Shutdown Assistant (Free)
6. 2Day
2Day is not just a to-do and reminder app but a complete personal organizer. It is available on both Windows computer and mobile phones. Taking a cue from the interface of some popular task management apps, 2Day will show a list of tasks and reminders for the present day followed by what is up for the week and month.
For example, I was able to create different lists of reminders and tasks like shopping, hobbies, work, home, and so on. If you are a fan of Tim Ferris then you will like this app and its approach. It supports Cortana which is cool. 2Day works with Windows 7, 8, and 10.
You can also add a task or a reminder with no dates which will be shown at the end of the list along with all the reminders that have been completed. 2Day not only syncs with Windows phones but also Office365, Outlook, and ToodleDoo but that will cost you a one-time update fee of $3.99 which is not bad.
Download 2Day (Freemium)
7. Kana Reminder
When compared to 2Day which is a reminder and tasks management app, Kana Reminder is an easy to use app that will help you set simple reminders. Set a reminder and you will be notified when the task needs to be done.
Like Windows Shutdown Assistant, Kana Reminder also comes with a built-in scheduler that you can use to tell your computer when you hibernate, shutdown, and perform launch certain software programs. I set it to run Winamp so I could listen to the FIFA World Cup song which wasn’t great anyway.
As far as security is concerned, I was able to secure my reminders using passwords which is cool because I have a nasty habit of jotting down sensitive information on Sticky Notes! Kana Reminder has a simple UI with some hotkeys to take care reminders and alarms.
Download Kana Reminder (Free)
8. Remember the Milk
Let’s take a look at some advanced reminder apps that are cross-platform and offer more than just a way to add reminders for simple stuff. Remember the Milk, is a popular app that you can download and install on Windows, Android, iOS, Mac, and Linux platform. Not only this, there are also browser addons and extensions available.
You can add tasks on Windows that will sync with all your other devices. These tasks can be then further divided into sub-tasks. The latter feature is more suitable if you want to manage different projects and need to keep reminders for each task separate and project-wise.
I was able to add tags to each reminder which allowed me to search for them super quick. RTM integrates with several 3rd party apps like Twitter, Gmail, and Slack so you can receive notifications and timely reminders no matter what tool you are using. I quickly pulled some files from my Dropbox account to add to a reminder.
Remember the Milk is an advanced reminder and tasks app that is suitable for advanced users who are looking for management and organizing solution. While the free version is good enough, for $39.99/year, you will truly experience the full potential of the app.
Download Remember the Milk (Freemium)
9. Rainlendar
Rainlender is a calendar app that takes a different approach. You can create a reminder of all the things that you need to be reminded of and it will display neatly on your desktop in a calendar. This allows you to get a bird’s eye view of what’s on your plate for the day/week.
The calendar itself is built using the ever so popular iCal format which is supported by most 3rd party calendar apps. You can easily export your reminders and keep everything in sync. Not only this, the app is also available for MacOS and Linux platforms.
The pro version for $9.99 will add 3rd party support for Office365, Remember the Milk, and ToodleDoo among others.
Download Rainlender (Freemium)
Wrapping Up: Reminder Apps for Windows
Depending on your requirements and the tasks you have at your hands, you can choose any of the above reminder apps. If you want something simple that works right out of the box, Cortana is amazing but only on Windows 10. Otherwise, you can go for RemindMe for Windows.
If you want more than a reminder app, Windows Shutdown Assistant is a good solution that will also automate other parts of your Windows platform.
If you need a cross-platform reminder app with advanced project management features and can afford to pay, Remember the Milk is a great fit.
The Hit List 1 1 3 – Advanced Reminder Application Form
For those who need reminders for their medication, Pillbox will help you stay fit and healthy.