Java

In truth, Java should be on your watch list every week. However, over the weekend Oracle released an emergency patch addressing 50 or so vulnerabilities in Java.

Security vulnerabilities are a long standing problem for Java, but have recently been brought to the forefront with some rather public admonishments from the government as well as being blacklisted by Apple. Apple is again blacklisting Java after this most recent patch, so vulnerabilities are still present.

The important thing for users is to make sure Java is updated on your system. As you start your work week, be sure to pay attention to that little Java update notification or download the most recent release. Users can download the latest update from the Java product page.

Apple

A strange bug has cropped up in OS X. The snippet “File:///” will crash any Mac app instantly. The bug is likely to be addressed by Apple in the next OS X update, but for now avoid that little gem unless you like crashing your system.

Android

Malware writers are, if nothing else, diligent in their cause towards creating havoc for users. A new variant has been discovered which disguises itself as a helpful cleanup type app for your Android phone. Of course the app is useless and instead downloads 3 files to your device which lay in wait until you connect your phone to a PC. The files then infect the PC where it activates the system’s microphone and records audio. The audio is sent back to the malware creators.

During this time, the devious app is collecting data from your phone as well which means it could wind up attacking you from two sides, PC and phone.

As always we recommend caution when downloading apps, but more to the point avoid apps which claim to boost, enhance or clean your Android device. If you need advice on apps, contact us or ask the community on our Facebook page – don’t go it alone.

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Since that time, we’ve had a chance to work with and test the premium version of Todoist on the Android platform. Now we’re ready to give a review of how this to-do app stacks up and what users can expect from Todoist.

Skip to the end of the article for a special 1/2 price discount on Todoist Premium.

Todoist Review

Learning Curve

As with a number of productivity apps, there can be a bit of a learning curve in terms of functionality and usability. If an app is too difficult to navigate or the complexity of commands is great, then users will move on.

Todoist sidesteps a lot of those problems with short, quick tutorials during the first run of each feature. The guided instruction is great for beginners and although Todoist isn’t incredibly challenging to learn, the tutorial helps get users up and running right away.

Projects

Projects are Todoist’s way of sorting and organizing tasks. Each task or to-do item is categorized by project. The idea being that not everyone wants to view tasks by date, so sorting by project provides another method of task organization.

Projects are required in order to add tasks which can seem a bit cumbersome at first, but part of the app’s appeal is it’s ability to organize your tasks so by forcing a task into a project you’re automatically more organized. Those with simple to-do list needs would benefit from a default categorization of Tomorrow or This Week. Perhaps Todoist will implement something similar in the future.

Tasks

Tasks are wildly simple to create. A simple tap of the + sign and away you go. Tasks can have due dates and labels (tags) with prioritize and indent features. Tasks are of course editable and can be annotated with notes or postponed (postpone feature automatically moves the task to the following day).

The postpone feature is especially nice since often tasks are left incomplete or unattended for one reason or another, however we’d like to see more options such as postpone for a week or next Monday or even add a calendar feature to choose specific dates.

By default Todoist opens on the Tasks list for Today. We aren’t overly thrilled with that and would prefer it opened to the main menu area so that users can choose which project or timeframe they’d like to view.

Labels

Just about any decent organization or productivity app these days has to employ a tag/label system. They are a phenomenal way of tracking and organizing items. To that end, Todoist has incorporated labels which again separate tasks for more precise viewing.

I admit, labels and tags are something I employ on a regular basis no matter which app or program I’m using. They are crucial in remembering tasks. Todoist labels work exactly as expected and offer color coding to further enhance the feature.

There is one drawback to the labels feature. It’s a premium feature. While labels are important, we’d like to see them as a standard feature as is the case with other productivity type apps.

Other Features

Tasks can be filtered down by using queries which Todoist applies via short phrases and partial words to lessen the amount of typing. Examples include “tom”, short for tomorrow or “4 days”, to highlight tasks due in the next 4 days or “od”, short for overdue as well as many other queries.

Email reminders are not specifically tied in with the Android app, but can be accessed through the Todoist web app. It’s not a deal breaker feature for the mobile app, but the email reminder feature is something that would enhance Todoist and could be a nice trade-off premium feature to get labels put in the standard version.

Interface

At first the interface came across as bland and barren, but after some time working with it began to feel comfortable and simplistic (in a good way). Navigating between tasks, projects, labels and filters in Todoist is easy with task view cleanly displayed with labels and project colors.

On a tablet the app is appealing and equally appealing on smaller smartphone screens.

Todoist is fast and responsive. Todoist syncs as well if not better than any other app we’ve tested. Swipe works smoothly yet Todoist caters to all users by utilizing tap between screens as well.

Conclusion

Admittedly, I’m a productivity app junkie. Organization, productivity and downright useful apps get my attention. Todoist fits a hole that is otherwise missing from simple note-taking apps and expands on middle of the road task filing apps. The combination of task recording, scheduling and project/label organization puts Todoist in a class with other top productivity apps.

Downsides include typically standard features such as labels packaged in a premium version and the rather odd position of ‘Add Project’/’Add Label’ buttons in comparison to other Todoist buttons.

Overall, Todoist functions exceptionally well, is ultra fast, optimized for all screen sizes and provides a need in the app market. As a free standalone app, Todoist is definitely worth the download and we highly recommend it. The premium version, at $29/year, is worth the cost if you intend to use Todoist as your primary source for task management.

Special GeekITDown reader discount (valid through 1/10/13): 50% off Todoist Premium

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Apps like Pinterest and Evernote are no doubt in use by many current Android users. Those with new Android devices, perhaps given as gifts this holiday, might benefit from looking through apps such as Pocket and Pixlr Express.

11 of the 12 are free so they’re definitely worth a look. With a market stuffed full of apps and is ever expanding, this list offers a nice way to quickly grab some apps to fit those niches you didn’t know you had.

You can view the entire list by following the link below. Have a favorite of your own? Let other readers know in the comments!

Google Play Best Apps of 2012

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There are a lot of ways to track data and information, but most of the time the tracking tool is focused towards a specific task or event. KeepTrack Pro is designed to let the user decide the event to be tracked and create the parameters accordingly.

KeepTrack Pro for Android is a mobile app designed with user customization in mind. The freedom of the app is unique in that there aren’t any predefined categories, functions or parameters which would normally be defined in a tracking app. Instead users have the ability to create their own list of events and then determine which statistics to track.

Usage is highly dependent on the type of event to be tracked. For example, tracking exercise routines could be detailed and provide an enormous amount of data. KeepTrack Pro supplies the user with a listing of the routine(s), time range, value range and count statistics. Along the way KeepTrack Pro delivers advanced information from daily tracking data in calendar format to graphical tracking for multiple values. For a complete view of performance and results, KeepTrack Pro has a statistics tab that calculates the totals.

Those concerned about permissions need not worry with KeepTrack Pro, the only permission needed is for vibration control of the phone. The app is presented with a clean look and polished design with fast response time. KeepTrack Pro is a paid app available for $1.99 on Android devices. KeepTrack Pro is available for free from the Amazon App Store on January 23,2012.

Download KeepTrack Pro for Android

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