App Recap: Do, Flow, and North Star

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.

App Recap DO North Star e1598809454141

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.

App Recap Flow

  • 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.

Top Rated Comments

macjunk(ie) Avatar
33 months ago
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.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jaworskimatt Avatar
33 months ago

I am tired of all these subs.
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”.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexandr Avatar
33 months ago

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.
i agree, these are really not the kind of tools that should require monthly payments...
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TiggrToo Avatar
33 months ago

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.

Choice is a wonderful thing.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tovenaar Avatar
33 months ago

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).
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
snek Avatar
33 months ago
A timer, with monthly subscription, lol'd
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro Mock Feature Buttonless

iPhone 15 Pro Max to 'Break Record' for Thinnest Bezels on a Smartphone

Friday March 17, 2023 2:59 am PDT by
The iPhone 15 Pro Max will have the thinnest bezels of any smartphone, beating the record currently held by the Xiaomi 13. That's according to the leaker known as "Ice Universe," who has divulged accurate information about Apple's plans in the past. Both iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have thinner, curved bezels compared to the iPhone 14 Pro, potentially resulting in an Apple...
iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Feature

iPhone 12 Pro vs. 15 Pro: New Features to Expect if You've Waited to Upgrade

Friday March 17, 2023 10:29 am PDT by
While year-over-year iPhone upgrades are not always groundbreaking, new features can begin to stack up over multiple generations. For example, the iPhone 15 Pro will be a notable upgrade for those who still have a three-year-old iPhone 12 Pro. If you are still using an iPhone 12 Pro and are considering upgrading to the iPhone 15 Pro when it launches later this year, we have put together a...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Launching This Year With These 11 New Features

Monday March 13, 2023 6:47 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 lineup is around six months away, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes are expected for the iPhone 15 Pro models in particular, including a titanium frame and more. Below, we have recapped 11 features rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A17...
top stories 18mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Pricing, New iOS 16.4 Beta, Siri vs. ChatGPT, and More

Saturday March 18, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's high-end iPhone models have started at $999 in the U.S. since they first launched back in 2017 with the iPhone X, but could this finally be the year that starting price sees an increase? This week also saw some more rumors about Apple's upcoming headset and the company's explorations in the booming AI industry as well as the release of a new round of beta updates, so read on for all...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Predicted to See First Price Increase Since iPhone X

Wednesday March 15, 2023 7:49 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will likely be more expensive than previous Pro models, according to Jeff Pu, a tech analyst at Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong International Securities. In a research note this week, Pu predicted the iPhone 15 Pro models will see a price increase due to several rumored hardware upgrades, including a titanium frame,...
original iphone auction

Factory-Sealed Original iPhone Sells for $55,000 at Auction

Friday March 17, 2023 1:08 pm PDT by
A first-generation iPhone still sealed inside its box sold for $54,904 at auction, which is more than $54,000 over the original $599 price tag of the device when it was released in 2007. The original iPhone was put up for sale by RR Auction on behalf of a former Apple employee who purchased it back when it first came out. Back in February, an original, sealed iPhone sold for over $63,000,...