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Remember the Milk: the iPhone app is here!

Not long ago, Apple rectified a big gaffe in the iPhone/iPod Touch by allowing developers to start creating applications. A whole heard of new possibilities opened up (many ridiculous, silly, or just plain weird). However, the productivity capacity of the iPhone/Touch went up as people like the good folks at Appigo created apps that would allow GTDers like me to keep up with their lists. Now, joy of joys, Remember the Milk has released its own application that allows RTM to go anywhere, with or without wi-fi. As soon as I got the news, I downloaded the app. Here’s my review.

First a few tech details. I run Mac OS on everything and I use an iPod Touch. The first thing I discovered was that I couldn’t find the RTM app in the App Store from my iPod. I turned to the newly unveiled App Store in iTunes and snagged the app, then discovered that to use it, I needed to update both iTunes and my iPod software. Once that was done, the app worked seamlessly. You must have an RTM Pro account to use it—if you don’t already have one, you get a free 15-day trial when you download the app. (The Pro account is a measly $25 a year and for me, just for the customer service alone, has been well worth it.)

The interface on the iPod is just plain pretty, far clearer than the previous, Safari-based interface. Once I logged in, it quickly synced with my tasks and presented me with my “today” list. Overdue tasks have the due dates in red (and yes, I’ve got a couple of stale projects hanging around). As far as I can tell, there is no way to set a particular list to be the default, base list that opens up every time you launch the app. For me, this is no big deal because “today” is my default list. But if you have some other context you’ve come up with that is your favorite view, you’ll have to navigate to the list manually every time. Other than that, I haven’t found anything not to like.

The app is easy to navigate and use. It works seamlessly on and off line. It syncs quickly  and so far, without a hitch. I even found a new feature I didn’t know I had: put an email address in a note (in either the app or the browser based version) and lo, it becomes a live mail-to link. Cool!

I am very, very happy to endorse the iPod app version of RTM. It’s a program I’ve come to depend on as a key part of my trusted system and it just got even better.

Remember the Milk and Thunderbird: eureka!

Hurray! Mike Wu's handy little extension for Thunderbird/Lightning is now up and running. To download go to: http://rtm.tbird.mwu.googlepages.com/home.

To get to the ReadMe, you'll need to use StuffIt Expander or similar on the .xpi file.

Here are some handy hints for you to smooth your installation:

1. If you haven't already done so, install Lightning.
2. Using Tools: Add-ons, install the xpi file.
3. In the Calendar view, go to New Calendar. You'll want to choose the "on the network" option and select: Remember the Milk Provider.
4. In task view, you should now have a task that tells you how to authentic the API that allows T-bird and RTM to communicate.

In following the instructions to authenticate, I encountered some confusion. Ultimately, I authorized the API by pasting the authentication URL directly into my browser, then deleting my first RTM network calendar and starting over. At that point, I pasted my usual RTM URL (the one with my user name in it) in the URL space below the Remember the Milk Provider choice. From that point on, the RTM Provider worked exactly as expected.

Enjoy!

Web 2.0: Starting the Conversation

Help Find Jim Gray

Jim Gray, one of computer science's greatest minds, went missing at sea a few days ago. Having just finished Deep Survival, I am convinced that Jim Gray has a good chance of being found alive (read my review of Deep Survival here).

Unlike other search efforts, where only trained professionals can help, this effort allows everyone with a computer to participate in a meaningful way. Here's how, go to Werner Vogel's blog to read up on the search technique. Then hit the Amazon Mechanical Turk site to view images and submit comments on possible images of interest. You'll need an Amazon account to participate.

Intel: "Firing on all cylinders"

Just before Intel CEO Paul Otellini  took over, former CEO Craig Barrett told us that the company was “firing on all eight cylinders.” This phrase took on new meaning this week as Intel announced it would have pink slips waiting for 1,000 of its employees when they return from the Labor Day holiday.  Have a nice weekend, folks!

Makes me wonder what Otellini has been musing about in his blog. Hopefully, he will take a more humane approach than RadioShack did when it axed 400 employees via a terse email. And just in time for back to school, too.