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July 29, 2009 6:00 AM PDT

10 Adobe AIR apps that make you more productive

by Don Reisinger
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Adobe AIR apps are some of the best designed, most useful applications you can have on your desktop. Last month, I highlighted 10 applications to try out, if you're thinking about using AIR apps. This time around, I want to take a look at 10 apps that will make you more productive. Trust me, they will help you save some time.

Be more productive

Agile Agenda Agile Agenda is a project management tool that helps project managers keep their team on track.

Agile Agenda is quite impressive. You can add your team and input information about the tasks you need to perform. You can set priority, dependencies, when a task should be completed, and more. You can also edit milestones so you can track how the project is coming along. Most importantly, the app's fantastic design makes it easy to use.

Agile Agenda gives you the option of trying it for 3 days or 30 days, or buying a license. If you're buying one license, the software will set you back $70. More licenses reduce the price.

Agile Agenda

Agile Agenda makes it much easier to manage projects.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Doomi Doomi is an extremely simple to-do-list app that lets you quickly add items you need to complete. That list is displayed under the input box. You can set how long it should take to complete the task and mark the box next to it when it's complete. It's a simple app, but it's far more effective than writing your to-do list down.

Doomi

Doomi keeps you on track with a to-do list.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

File Furnace File Furnace is a unique app. Instead of impressing you with a nice design and several menus, the app displays a simple image of a fire. Over that, the app displays a message that reads, "Drop unwanted files here." It also features the sound of a crackling fire. As long as you follow the directions of File Furnace, and drag and drop unwanted files or directories into the fire, it permanently removes them from your computer. It's a slightly unusual app, but it's much easier to delete files with File Furnace than waste time with the Recycle Bin.

File Furnace

File Furnace is unique--and quite useful.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Google Calendar Invoice Creator If you're looking for an easy way to transfer all your meetings from your Google Calendar to a program that will bill those with whom you met, Google Calendar Invoice Creator is for you.

Once you download the app, you'll need to input your Google Calendar RSS feed into the app. From there, it will download all your events. When you finish a meeting, you can click on the event and start billing those you met with. The invoice can be sent in an HTML or text format.

Google Calendar

Google Calendar Invoice Creator should maximize your time meeting with clients.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Klok Klok is a simple time sheet app that lets you quickly add projects and how long it took you to complete them. The app even records how long you've been working on something for a client. When you stop the timer, you can modify its description and add it to your time sheet. When you're ready, you can create reports to see how much work you've performed. Unlike many time sheet apps, getting used to Klok takes no time. It's a well-designed, easy-to-use program.

Klok

Klok makes it easy to add projects to your time sheets.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

MiniTask MiniTask won't blow you away with its design, and you probably won't be incredibly impressed by its lack of features. But MiniTask is designed to be a lightweight app on your desktop that gets you back to work sooner. It wants to make tracking your day's requirements quick and easy. And with a simple input field, it succeeds. MiniTask isn't the best task-tracking tool in this roundup, but if you're looking to be more productive, it should help.

MiniTask

MiniTask is small, but capable.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Ora Time and Expense As a former company auditor that spent far too much time inputting data into a time-and-expense tool, I was suspect of Ora Time and Expense. I thought it would be too simple. Oh, how wrong I was.

Ora Time and Expense is, quite simply, the best time and expense app I've ever used. As soon as you download it, you'll be treated to a fantastic design that makes it extremely easy to find anything you need. From there, you can add tasks, input expenses, and track your time. You can also run reports to see how much work you've performed and how much money you've made. The app's timer will help you determine how long you've spent working. Ora Time and Expense is a must-try.

Ora

Ora Time and Expense will help you track all your cash.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Remember the Task Remember the Task is the AIR version of Remember the Milk, the popular online to-do list service.

Like the site, Remember the Task makes it quick and easy to add tasks to your to-do list. With a simple click of the mouse, you can jot down exactly what needs to be done. That said, it's not quite as simple to use as Doomi. Its design doesn't quite match Doomi's, either. But if you're looking for an alternative to Doomi that you can use anywhere, you should be happy with Remember the Task.

Remember the Task

Remember the Task has a slightly older-looking design, but it's still a nice app.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Think Think is yet another simple but highly useful app. Instead of jotting ideas down in your head or trying to remember things after a meeting, Think provides a simple, Twitter-like input box, allowing you to jot some mental notes down. Once you complete your thought, it's added to your Think timeline for future viewing. It works well, but I had one issue: you can't press the "Enter" key to post an update. Instead, Think requires you to enter the thought with your mouse. It's annoying, but it didn't detract too much from the app.

Think

Think helps you remember important thoughts.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

TweetDeck TweetDeck is not only one of the best apps you'll use with Adobe AIR, it will easily make you more productive when you start interacting with social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

After you download TweetDeck, you can input your Twitter username and start checking out follower updates, replies, and direct messages. You can update your stream from the app. You can also shorten URLs automatically. If you want to manage your Facebook profile, TweetDeck allows you to update your status. You can also see what your friends are up to. Why waste your time on multiple sites? TweetDeck will help you stay in one spot.

TweetDeck

TweetDeck shows your Twitter stream

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

My top 3

1. Ora Time and Expense: Combining power and style, Ora Time and Expense is an extremely appealing app for those looking to be more productive.

2. Doomi: If you want to see what's left of your day, Doomi is for you.

3. Google Calendar Invoice Creator: By integrating Google Calendar, this app is a great way to be more productive.

Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.

Add a Comment (Log in or register) Showing 1 of 2 pages (22 Comments)
by nreddyk July 29, 2009 6:45 AM PDT
Adobe Air puff piece? Why should I install extra crap on my computer? Worst of it Adobe has been doing default of installs of AIR. Its bad enough that Flash and Adobe Reader are everywhere, now this crap.
Reply to this comment
by Gorgeclimber1 July 29, 2009 6:57 AM PDT
nreddyk...I couldn't have said it better. Those were my thoughts exactly prior to reading your comment.

A lot of these "apps" have been available on mainline programs for years. The ones that aren't are a wste of time....I'm not a tweeter.
Reply to this comment
by CDubber July 29, 2009 7:05 AM PDT
Wow, most of these apps simply look archaic, like a flashback to bad apps of yesteryear. Did you really call Agile Agenda's design "fantastic?" Really???

:(
Reply to this comment
by RobinTheBoyWonderingWTF July 29, 2009 7:30 AM PDT
Don just needed to write something today to help pay for his lawnmower! If Cnet wants to pay him for this, more power to don. LOL
Reply to this comment
by Renegade Knight July 29, 2009 7:35 AM PDT
Air did a horrid job of detailing what exactly it does. When I updated Reader there is was. Boatware. I uninstalled it and got on with life. Now I learn it runs applications. Since that's why my OS does, I'm wondering what the heck Air really does that was worth the stealth install.
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by brianherbert July 29, 2009 7:47 AM PDT
I like the second tweet in the TweetDeck screenshot ;)
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by OrlandoWebDesign July 29, 2009 11:29 AM PDT
I have to disagree with you on this being another wasteful program (AIR that is). Tweetdeck rocks, the only thing that does suck is that it takes up some memory.
Reply to this comment
by craigjh July 29, 2009 12:26 PM PDT
I downloaded a couple of these only to run into installation problems, saying the files are damaged and I should re-download, which did not help. A quick check on the Adobe site suggests this is a common problem that people have with Adobe Air applications. I could find no a proven solution. I have uninstalled and re-installed Adobe Air on a relatively clean system. I don't intend to spend any more time trying to figure it out. It is unfortunate that something that could be a positive for the Air platform instead leaves a sour taste.
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by velofille July 29, 2009 3:04 PM PDT
I like that tweetdeck is apparently an application that makes me more productive ... I wonder if that will go down well with my boss?
Reply to this comment
by sdipaola July 29, 2009 4:19 PM PDT
This is a sad post - all apps are redundant to better versions ( firefox,google,ajax,web) or are stupid. A waste of 10 minutes to read.
Reply to this comment
by aazippo1 July 29, 2009 6:06 PM PDT
Wow, thats the craziest thing I ever seen!

RT
www.anon-web-tools.tk
Reply to this comment
by creative36 July 30, 2009 4:59 AM PDT
There are a ton of adobe air apps better than these. If you are a working professional you love adobe air. If not I can see why people would hate adobe air. People hate what they don't understand.
Reply to this comment
by gareth_pn July 30, 2009 7:36 AM PDT
Why is File Furnace better than selecting a file and hitting shift+delete?

Seems pretty pointless.
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by shonadle July 30, 2009 11:31 AM PDT
I actually use Klok all the time. I know many have been turned off by Adobe's other inflated (and overpriced) applications, but the appeal of air is it offers a platform which is independent to OS. And the program runs exactly the same from my Windows to my Apple and even to my Linux.
Reply to this comment
by July 31, 2009 5:09 PM PDT
Adobe Acrobat takes long enough to start on its own. I don't need it hosting programs. Also running Acrobat update doesn't patch the Air environment. You have to go out on your own to download Air patches, or you show up in Vulerability Scanners such as Nessus. I have 50+ PCs to deal with. I'll pass on extra patching.
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by T543212345 August 1, 2009 7:16 PM PDT
thanks for the informative column on Adobe AIR. Now I know I can uninstall it and not miss anything.
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by dbot82 August 7, 2009 8:29 PM PDT
I just found another time saving (and fun) air app. I just got it, so I don't have more to say other than it's quick and will easily fit into my workflow. Livebrush. www.livebrush.com
Reply to this comment
by iin100 August 18, 2009 11:10 AM PDT
I agree that this was a lame post. There are so many other, better air apps for productivity that make this list laughable. Live Presentations or Kono are just a few apps that can make you more productive. And if you have issues with Air, it's simple, don't use them.
Reply to this comment
by gavinkeech August 26, 2009 6:43 AM PDT
We have developed a free pomodoro timer. It's built on Adobe Air.
You can download it from www.focusboosterapp.com
Reply to this comment
by DeeMoDesign October 26, 2009 3:14 AM PDT
The beauty of AIR is simply that programs are OS independent if Microsoft's grip on PC's is ever to be broken then platforms like Air are the future,
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