tasks

You've likely been using Windows Task Manager to monitor your PC's performance or to kill errant processes since it was first introduced in Windows 95. Sadly, this drab, gray feature has seen no love from Microsoft in the ensuing decades. That's all changed with Windows 8.

The Task Manager has been given a refreshing visual update, the data is better organized, and lots of features have been added. This is a guide to making the most of the new Windows 8 Task Manager.

Finding the Task Manager There are various ways to launch the Task Manager. Windows … Read more

Benjamin Leclerc's TaskUnifier is a free task-management tool based on David Allen's Getting Things Done (GTD) method, which itself is based on the simple premise that recording a task frees the brain to focus on performing the task instead of remembering it. GTD's key concepts include tasks, folders, contexts, and goals; each helps you organize and prioritize your tasks in different ways. For example, contexts help you organize your tasks depending on where you are, such as at home or the office. TaskUnifier can synchronize data with Toodledo, the free to-do list, and similar apps. TaskUnifier requires … Read more

When you first install Any.Do, you can choose to log in, create a new account (for syncing across devices), or get started without one. Once you make your choice, getting started is as easy as typing out your to-dos, or with the built-in voice input feature, saying them.

The main page of Any.Do splits tasks into four categories: Today, Tomorrow, This Week, and Later. To move an item between categories, simply tap and hold, then drag. To mark tasks as complete, simply cross it out. A quick tap on any item brings up a menu of options that … Read more

As a freelance writer, I need all the help I can get to stay on target. I don't have a boss who might suddenly appear, looming over my shoulder, wondering why I'm on Facebook. I don't have co-workers who are depending on me to finish my part of a larger project. It's just me and the Internet, with deadlines to hit and monthly quotas to fill.

I began using the Pomodoro Technique, which has you working for 20- or 25-minute blocks and then taking a 5- or 10-minute break. It has helped me stay focused for … Read more

Any.Do for iOS is like a less colorful version of Clear, but with three important differences: it's free, it supports voice commands, and it integrates with other apps on your iPhone.

When you first launch Any.Do, you will need to create an account using an e-mail address or you can log in via Facebook. Any.Do is also available as a Chrome extension, and your account is synced with any device you have running the app or extension.

When held in portrait mode, you can view by either date or folder. Swipe up from the bottom of … Read more

It used to be about the products, man.

The release of Apple's new iPad today drew the usual long lines, gawking crowds, and media circuses to the company's major stores. In other words, a typical launch for an Apple product.

But what has steadily changed over the years is the amount of marketing and commercialization that has pervaded what had once been the realm of a few hardcore Apple fanboys. Eager iPad buyers aren't just lining up for the thrill of getting their hands on the latest Apple goodness, they have a sponsor. Others are lining up … Read more

Clear is in a class of its own when it comes to both user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) in an iPhone app. It's simple, yet elegant as Jason Parker described it.

The no-frills approach to adding, deleting, and completing tasks with such a minimal UI can confuse some people at times, though. This short video walk-through will cover the basics, enough to get you started using Clear.

Once you get the hang of the gestures, moving around the app is intuitive. As I mentioned in the video, you can unlock up to three themes, each changing the … Read more

I wrote my previous app collection about Advanced task managers on iOS, but a new app came to my attention this week that's too good to pass up.

Clear (99 cents) is a to-do list app that lets you use simple gestures to manage your tasks with an interface that's as intuitive as it is easy on the eyes. People seem to like this simple task manager, because it's now No. 1 in the iTunes App Store. This app won't take the place of Reminders or other scheduling apps that offer alarms--Clear sticks to simple list making, and it does a fine job.… Read more

If you've never used CCleaner or a similar tool before, then chances are your computer is running slowly, displays errors every so often, and has much less free space than you'd expect (for those of you who just got your computers recently, that's cheating). CCleaner is a tool for Windows that can remove clutter from your PC, such as temporary Internet files and cookies. The problem is, you have to remember to run the cleaner regularly to really benefit from it. If this sounds like a problem for you, just follow these eleven steps to automate the … Read more