In this week's App Recap, we've highlighted productivity app "Do," productivity app "Flow," and lifestyle app "North Star" as three apps that are worth checking out.
Apps to Check Out
Do: Simple Notes & To Do Lists (iOS, One-Time Purchase) - Do features a simple interface that provides an easy way to keep track of notes and to-do lists. Users can organize notes into sub-lists as well as create reminders with alerts and badges. Do can also be customized in one of nine color themes. The app is free to download, and users have the option to purchase Do's $4.99 one-time upgrade to be able to add more than 30 items, use a passcode as well as Touch ID/Face ID to lock items, and to back up data to iCloud.
Flow - Focus & Pomodoro Timer (Mac, Subscription) - Flow can help users reduce distractions and maintain focus by dividing work into sections using a timer that lives in the menu bar. The app's timer can be customized with predefined values, and users are able to block apps from being used while the flow timer is running. After completing a block of work, users can start the break timer to take a break before taking on another section of work. Users can subscribe to Flow's pro version, which is available in a subscription priced at $0.99 per month and $7.99 per year, to set custom durations for flow and break intervals, access advanced controls, and more.
North Star - Your Goals (iOS, Subscription) - North Star is an app that can be used to easily work toward goals through habits to track frequent activities, milestones to break up a goal into smaller steps, measures to track results over time, and the planner to create to-do lists and reminders. In addition, customizable icons and colors can be utilized to help differentiate items. Although free to download, North Star's basic version only allows users to track one goal. The app's paid version, which features the creation of an unlimited number of goals, is available in both monthly and yearly subscription options as well as a lifetime purchase priced at $4.99, $28.49, and $49.99 respectively.
Are you using a great new app we've missed? Let us know in the comments and we'll check it out for next week's App Recap. Are you a developer of a unique app you'd like us to consider? Send us a message through our tip line at the top of the page and we'll check it out.
Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall.
At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
Tuesday August 26, 2025 4:17 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today announced its "Awe Dropping" iPhone-centric event, which is set to take place on Tuesday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. There are a long list of products that are coming, but we thought we'd pull out five feature highlights to look forward to.
That Super Thin iPhone - Apple's September 9 event will see the unveiling of the first redesigned iPhone we've had in years, ...
Wednesday August 27, 2025 6:36 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple's logo for its upcoming September 9 event hints at two rumored iPhone 17 Pro features, including new color options and a vapor chamber cooling system.
Of course, this is all just speculation for fun, as we count down the final days until the event.
New Colors
Last month, Macworld's Filipe Espósito reported that orange and dark blue would be two out of the five color options...
Monday August 25, 2025 4:22 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple will offer the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max in a new orange color, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Gurman made the claim in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, adding that the new iPhone 17 Air – replacing the iPhone 16 Plus – will come in a new light blue color.
We've heard multiple rumors about a new iPhone 17 Pro color being a shade of orange. The ...
Apple's cases for the iPhone 17 lineup will be accompanied by a new Crossbody Strap accessory with a unique magnetic design, according to the leaker known as "Majin Bu."
Apple's Crossbody Strap reportedly features an unusual magnetic design; it likely has a "flexible metal core" that makes it magnetic along its entire length. At the ends, "rings polarized oppositely to the strap close the...
Tuesday August 26, 2025 4:05 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022 other than a shift from Lightning to USB-C, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will launch AirPods Pro 3 later this year, and apart from new features like heart rate monitoring, we're also expecting a few design changes.
The fourth‑generation AirPods offer useful clues to Apple's design cues for ...
I’m avoiding all third party apps that are sub based and don’t offer a lifetime purchase. Or if I can move them over to a built-in solution.
I just phased out 1Password after years of using it, switched to Keychain / iCloud. I now only pay for DownDog, AirMail (against myself, but there is no good alternative), Spotify and Netflix.
As a developer, I don’t believe in “keep paying to keep it working”.
Sorry, but all of these are stupid. Be an adult and manage your time effectively. Or use Siri to execute tasks, reminders, etc, and put your phone down when you’re working. ?
Nice to see you respecting other people’s life choices.
Can you try to be a little less demeaning? I don’t use any of these apps, however I fully respect anyone who not only uses them but finds them helpful.
You could levy the same criticism at me - I use Evernote, Notability, Fantastical and day one.
Each could technically be changed to use Notes and Calendar, but I’d not be nearly as happy, or productive.
LOL at all these subscriptions. Looks like customers are now supposed to buy everybody a cup of coffee or a cake every month to use software.
I am tired of all these subs.
Came here to say this. I understand the need for subs when there's an ongoing cost, like cloud storage (although even that should now be consolidated through iCloud or Dropbox).
But a monthly cost for a piece of software that is largely unchanging doesn't make sense (I'm looking at you notes apps). Also the pricing is a bit insane. I don't understand how an app that used to cost $30 is now $5 a month. If you consider that software gets a major update on average every 3 years (which gives me a choice to upgrade or not if I need the new features), that's $180 total cost of ownership. That's why I bought Scrivener, and did not subscribe to Ulysses for example.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not taking sides and I think developers should charge as much as they can get away with. They deserve to make as much money as the market can handle. I'm just sharing the point of view of a user who will not pay an ongoing cost for a fixed piece of software (bug fixes don't count because the assumption is that the software is bug free, or at least to the extent that it's functional).
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
