Wunderlist 2 Review

NOTE: Originally, this was a review for Wunderkit. Wunderkit is not being developed anymore as 6wunderkinder focuses their development on Wunderlist 2, which was the better product anyway.

What is it?

Wunderlist 2 is the king of all to-do lists. It’s simply the best task management, reminders-like app out there. Period.

For most of you, you probably should just stop reading right here and try it out for yourself. What’s below are just proves the claim that I made above. After all, it’s better to see for yourself how an app can be so functional yet so beautiful as well. It’s almost as if 6wunderkinder took the idea of “form follows function” and threw it out the window because both the form and function of this product are equally outstanding.

Enough jabber, let’s get to the good bits.

The Good

It’s not just an iPhone app as many may think. It’s also available on iPad, Andriod, Mac, and Windows. Yep, Mac and Windows. That means that all your tasks will be with you anywhere you go. If you set it to remind you to do something at a certain time and you happen to be on your computer, a notification window will appear on your screen. That’s a nice touch. Of course, Wunderlist will also send you a notification on your phone, too. Oh, and we can’t forget about the web access, too. If your computer/phone aren’t accessible, they have a really nice web app that works just as well. You just won’t get those nice push notifications that you will on the other apps.

All the apps across the board sync together really well. If you edit a task on your computer, you can bet that the change will show on your iPhone. They’ve had some performance issues with syncing but those seem to have been fixed. It’s been running smoothly for quite a few months now.

As I mentioned before, it’s frickin’ beautiful. I could go into depth and tell you how it’s beautiful, but honestly… it’s better for you to just see for yourself.

As far as features go, there’s a lot. I’ll just go over some of my favorites to keep this short. If you want a full list of features, they’re here.

I think the sub-tasks would have to be my favorite. It’s very useful for shopping, homework, etc. I don’t know how I functioned without it.

Another feature that I liked was the ability to share lists with people. This is perfect if you’re always that guy that ends up leading a group project. Make all your friends download this app and you can make a list of what needs to be done that everyone can see. If one person marks a task as done, it updates on everyone’s app. It’s also helpful for grocery shopping, which my family uses it for. If I need something, I just put it on the shared grocery shopping lists and whoever’s out at the moment picks it up and checks it off the list.

Notes. Although it may seem simple, it’s great. At the time of writing a task, it might make sense. When I actually have to do it, it might not make as much sense. Do you ever get up to do something and then totally forget why you got up? It’s the same thing…. wait, that never happens to you? Well… you get my point.

The Bad

The occasional downtime, but that’s unavoidable and not really noticeable. Also, the option for multiple reminders for a task would be awesome. Honestly, that’s all I could think of for downsides. I haven’t needed to contact support, really. It just… works.

Conclusion

It’s great. Seriously, try it. Do it now.

Are smart phones making us stupid?

No, they are not. Smart phones aren’t making us any smarter either. Here’s why:

Smart phones are meant to expedite every day tasks. They make you faster, not smarter or more stupid. For example, smart phones–by their design–autocorrect your words. Although it does eliminate careless spelling mistakes, it doesn’t take away the need to spell correctly. It just makes typing faster and more efficient.

Some argue that these smart phones allow us to read more than we would have without them. And they are right; access to magazines, newspapers, books, blogs, and websites are at our fingertips. I read a recent statistic (where I read it has slipped my mind) stating that teens and young adults are reading 3 times as much as the previous generation is.

Others will argue that smart phones are taking away time from more productive activities. In essence, this is true, but smart phones are designed to HELP in doing tasks faster so you have more time to do productive activities.

What I’m basically getting at is smart phones aren’t making you any smarter or stupider… if used correctly. They aren’t meant to be attached to you 24/7. They are designed as a helping tool and should be used as so.

iPhone 4S: Disappointment or Improvement?

It seems that a lot of people were disappointed upon the announcement of the iPhone 4S. Most people believed it would be more of an iPhone 5 and not an iPhone 4S, meaning most people thought it would be a total rethink of the iPhone and not just an improvement. I thought it was kind of obvious that if Apple announced iOS 5 a few months back than this wouldn’t be a big update. Also, there was an iPhone 3G and 3GS, so it only makes sense to have an iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. A lot of people still thought that Apple was going to release a radical update despite the undeniable evidence pointing in the other direction.

Therefore, I cannot understand why people would bash the iPhone 4S because their foolish expectations weren’t lived up to. Stop complaining. If you (an ambiguous “you”) don’t like what they made, then make your own iPhone. They don’t control you. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it! But please, don’t complain about it.

Moreover, this iPhone 4S has been cleverly dubbed as the iPhone “For Steve”. Although it is clever, I highly doubt that it was intentional. It is most likely a coincidence, but who knows, Apple could have changed the name from “iPhone 5″ to “iPhone 4S” for this exact meaning. We will never know, unless they release some sort of statement about it.

That’s all I have to say about the iPhone 4S. If you disagree/agree with something I said or you have a general comment, feel free to leave a comment. Also, will you be getting an iPhone 4S when it is released? I know my dad will; I might even be able to post a video of “Siri” first-hand… but no guarantees.

EDIT: I understand that my opinion might be somewhat unclear just from reading the above post, so for clarity, I think that the iPhone 4S is an improvement and not a disappointment. I think Apple did a great job with it and I can’t wait until it is released.

The end of an era; the Steve Jobs era

Today, one of the greatest geniuses to ever grace the world, is no more. It deeply pains me to write this, but Steve Jobs, as confirmed by Apple, is no longer with us. Steve Jobs seemed to have inserted a special form of magic into every one of Apple’s products that made them special. I grew up with that magic, that magic sparked my interest in technology, that magic played a huge role in who I am today. Steve Jobs has single-handedly made an enormous impact on my life. I felt as if he was a part of me, and now that that part of me has seemed to have vanished, I am left in an utter state of confusion and disbelief. I am sure many tens of thousands of people feel the same way that I do. Eventually, together, the Apple geeks of the world will pull through. It won’t be easy, but it will be done.

As a tribute to Steve, I will share my experiences with the company up until this point. I honestly wish I could share more than this, but I have homework to do.

My mom worked for Apple for 14 years (EDIT:4 years, but she worked in a mac-centric shop for 9 more years) and she raised me on Macs. I bought my first mac, a Mac Mini, in 2006 (I was in 5th grade). It took me almost a full year to save up all my birthday and allowance money, and even though it took time, I really really wanted the Mac. By that point, I have researched all the technical specs of all the whole Macintosh line and knew them in and out. I could have taught the employees a few things (in fact, I think I did when I went in to buy it), and I was in 5th grade. When I finally got it, I was the happiest kid on earth. This was my first experience buying a computer. Along with this shiny new Mac Mini came my love for technology, a love that I will pursue in college and beyond.

When the iPod Touch first came out, I was one of the first to have it. Over the years, I have lost, bought and found many iPods. As of right now, I own an iPod Nano (won it), an iPod Touch (found it, I lost it previously), and an iPhone 4. Honestly, I would be lost without these.

So all in all, I have 5 Apple products (I also have a 1998 lime green iMac) in my possession, and I am proud to own a part of Steve’s brain children. May you rest in peace, Steve.

P.S. This post has been created on a Mac Mini

My new iPhone 4

I have had my eye on the iPhone for how ever many years it has been out. I’ve had a countless number of iPod touches, but they couldn’t compare to the iPhone. Not having an iPhone was like, at least for me, an audiophile without a record.

I have been stuck using a crappy Samsung flip phone with T9. Even though some people love the simplicity of a flip phone, it’s a little to simple for me. It took me forever to send a simple text message (“foot” is not “what”; stupid T9).

Although it isn’t like me to get a product when a new one is coming out relatively soon (the next generation iPhone is probably coming out late summer), I REALLY needed a new phone. It was coming to the point that that flip phone was limiting my abilities to communicate with my friends and family. It was time to move on and I could not wait for that new iPhone.

I’m happy to say that the days of T9 are over with my purchase of a 16 gb iPhone 4 last weekend. I suddenly feel like I am apart of a an elite society of iPhone users that didn’t exist before I bought it; and it feels great! I’m such an apple geek, haha. I don’t care, I’m proud of it.

A full review will come later.

P.S. This post was written completely on an iPhone 4 via the WordPress iPhone app.