If there’s one thing we can always do with more of, it’s time. Let these apps take care of the little stuff so you don’t have to.
If there’s one thing we can always do with more of, it’s time. Let these apps take care of the little stuff so you don’t have to.
Noisli (iOS/Android, $2.98)
It’s 3pm, and you’re stuck in that mid-day rut between lunch and the end of the day. Fortunately, there’s Noisli to help you get in the zone. It plays ambient sounds, or white noise, to help drown out distracting background noises and allow you to focus better. There are sounds emulating rain, a thunderstorm, a forest with birds, and even a flowing stream, and you can also mix different sounds to create the one that suits you best.
Loop (Android, Free)
Loop helps you keep track of the frenzy that is modern day living. If you’re looking to cultivate good habits and stay productive, Loop will track your progress over time so you know how you’re doing. This is presented in a clean and visual interface, and your success at establishing a particular habit or routine is expressed as a percentage, courtesy of a built-in formula. It’ll even work with Android Wear smartwatches, and individual reminders can be set for each habit to keep you going.
Habitica (iOS/ Android, Free)
Being a responsible adult isn’t a whole lot of fun, but there are creative ways to stay motivated. Habitica turns your entire life into a game, letting you create a custom avatar and make lists of your habits, goals, and to-do items. Check off enough tasks and your avatar levels up, allowing you to unlock features like armor, skills, pets, and even quests. There’s a social element to it as well, and you can battle monsters with friends and use the gold you earn to purchase in-app rewards.
Paper by Fiftythree (iOS, Free)
Inspiration doesn’t always come in words, and Paper can help you capture those flashes of brilliance (or possibly inanity). Either way, this is an app that supports all forms of note taking, from sketches and diagrams to lists and good ol’ notes. It also supports the Apple Pencil, so you can see just how bad at drawing you are if you’re using it on the iPad Pro. All this is backed by a clean, minimalistic interface that lets you search and browse your work via a navigation sidebar.
