App reviews

Lift

Need encouragement or want to share your to-do list? Lift, an app backed by the original creators of Twitter, is a reminder check-in application that’s designed to keep you on track. Set up a type of habit (practice clarinet, say, or run lines) and the app will ask you to check in each time you complete the task.

Lift also has a social element — every time you check-in, it shows up on a free-flowing feed of check-ins from all app users, who can comment on your progress. You can also, of course, choose to Tweet your progress. (One drawback of that integration is that if you opt to be a bit more private, the app will ask you to connect your Twitter account every time you open it.) So while Lift may not be able to count calories, exercise or practice for its users, it could aid those who want to feel a little less alone while they tackle their goals. Free, for iPhone.

OmmWriter

Choose your keyboard, eliminate distractions. OmmWriter is a staple for those who want to take the distraction out of writing, and its app is particularly good for cutting away the clutter of word-processing programs on the iPad and the Mac. Similar to other apps such as iAWriter, OmmWriter offers a full-screen, very simple writing environment meant to keep your mind off the seven million other things happening on your desktop. On the iPad, the app’s custom keyboard is a welcome change from the standard offering, and users can adjust the keyboard’s position to suit their tastes.

While OmmWriter tries to eliminate distractions, it also has a custom background and keyboard noises that could prove a bit too distracting. Users can easily turn those noises off and write in silence. The iPad version is a bit pricey for those who don’t write much. There’s a stripped-down free version for the Mac, though it requires registration. $US4.99 for the iPad, $US1.99 for the Mac.

YouTube

New iPhone app makes it easy to search, share. YouTube has released its own app for the iPhone that bring many of the site’s navigation improvements to your pocket. The app makes it much easier to navigate the swarm of cat videos, news bulletins and memes using its subject-based search guide. The addition of auto-complete also means you find videos much more quickly than in the app that has come pre-loaded on Apple devices.

Users also can share videos on Google, Twitter, Facebook and via email, and the app allows you to save YouTube URLs to your clipboard, meaning that you’ll always be able to send that crazy video to your friends. One major drawback: The app doesn’t have an iPad-specific version, although YouTube said in a company blog post that the app for the tablet is on its way. Free, for iOS devices.

MCT

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