1Password
Price: $18
Ratings: 4.5/5
1Password
AgileBit’s 1Password 4 is a password
management software that works by creating a virtual “vault” where you can save
sensitive information such as passwords, credit card and bank account numbers,
passport data, and software keys. My favorite interface feature is a built-in
browser that allows you to navigate the Web and that lets the app automatically
fill in forms for you using your secure data. All your data is protected by
strong encryption and can only be unlocked by a single password that you choose
when you first set up the app. The app is also adept at generating strong
passwords, plus it supports manual sync through iTunes and automatic sync
through either Dropbox or iCloud. But one thing that has been removed from this
version is the ability to sync locally over Wi-Fi.
Fantastical
Price: $2
Ratings: 4/5
This
iPhone app started life on the Mac, offering easy access to calendars, and
quick approaches for creating new appointments
This iPhone app started life on the Mac,
offering easy access to calendars, and quick approaches for creating new
appointments. It recently made the leap to the iPhone. At the top of its screen
sits an innovation called the DayTicker. It’s a horizontally scrolling list of
dates with visual representations of your appointments. As you navigate the
Fantastical calendar, you’ll find it both clever and intuitive. It’s also
terrific at taking natural language and turning it into a calendar event. The
app faces a few limitations Apple enforces with iOS, such as its inability to
invite others to your events. But it also offers an ease of event entry that
Apple’s Calendar can’t rival.
Remote
Price: free
Ratings: 4.5/5
You
can connect to your iTunes or Apple TV libraries via Home Sharing
Versions 3.0 gives Remote a good polish,
along with a new iPad interface and new features that tie in nicely with
Apple’s latest desktop media manager. It also retains the features you love:
You can connect to your iTunes or Apple TV libraries via Home Sharing, control
content playback, create and edit playlists, and tap into other shared music
libraries. The app adds a few new tricks, including support for Up Next, iTunes
11’s live playlist/jukebox. You can also sort your music in Songs mode by
artist instead of by title, and turn on a Stay Connected setting that allows
you to keep the link with your library.
AltaMail
Price: $5
Ratings: 3/5
AltaMail
also includes an option to save emails in PDF format
This app offers users more control over
their inboxes with wireless (and offline) printing, inbox filtering, and
enhanced attachment options. But the email client for the iPhone and iPad lacks
options that power users will likely want. As a result, its utility falls
somewhere between what causal emailers and true power users demand. The 3.1
version introduces custom push notifications from your email accounts, but it
requires a free companion app called WeNotify to be installed and running on
your Mac. AltaMail also includes an option to save emails in PDF format.
Unfortunately, this is available only as a $2 in-app purchase. AltaMail does
not currently offer Dropbox or iCloud sync support, although EuroSmartz says
that cloud syncing is coming soon. AltaMail does offer local file sharing
through a wireless network, though. It handles writing, editing and reading email
well, and supports contact groups and templates. Its peripheral features are
lacking at times, but the core email app does its job well.
Twitterrific 5
Price: $3
Ratings: 4/5
The
app is fast and responsive, with tweets loading and scrolling quickly
This version of Twitterrific has taken
pains to distinguish itself from its predecessor, and the difference is
apparent from the get-go. Version 5 features a more seamless design; yes,
tweets are still broken up by dividing lines, but they nevertheless seem to
flow into each other in a way that most common clients don’t. Content is front
and center in the new design, which features large tabs at the top for Tweets,
Mentions, Messages, and Favorites on the iPad; on the iPhone, those labels are
condensed into icons, and Favorites is shunted into the sidebar. There’s also
quick access to lists from the sidebar, and a simple search that enables you to
look for tweets or a particular user. The app is fast and responsive, with
tweets loading and scrolling quickly. The palette in general is fairly
monochromatic. Twitterrific has long been heralded for its customization
features, and version 5 offers quite a few of those too. There are many iOS
Twitter clients, but The Iconfactory’s willingness to redesign the app every
few years is part of the reason the app’s success continues.
Evernote 5 for iOS
Price: free
Ratings: 4.5/5
All
versions of Evernote permit you to type text notes and take photo notes with
your device’s camera
This version sports an all-new interface that
simplifies the process of capturing new notes and improves the visibility of
its organizational tools. To create a note, you use one of the three new Quick
Notes buttons. All versions of Evernote permit you to type text notes and take
photo notes with your device’s camera. Evernote then uploads the notes to its
servers, where they are indexed for easy search and retrieval. Evernote 5 has
also completely refreshed the interface – successfully, for the most part.
Notes now appear in four different views: All Notes, Notebooks, Tags, and
Places. Tapping a tab header expands the tab to take up most of the screen and
to display its contents. Tapping or swiping down on the tab’s header closes it.
The new interface does have a few annoyances. If you swipe, rather than tap, to
close an expanded tab, you can easily invoke Notification Center. But overall,
you’ll find that the new iOS version makes capturing and retrieving your notes
faster and smoother.
