Timers can be a useful motivator for keeping people on task, which is why today’s leading Fresh iPhone App, 30/30, focuses on using them. You can set timers for all your different tasks during the day to help you focus on what needs to be done and not spend too much time on things like answering email. It’s followed up by MyPsych, an app that helps you track your mental health and wellbeing from day to day so you can keep track of how you feel and deal with issues such as stress. Unlock is the day’s game offering, challenging players to use touch controls to dismantle 3-D puzzles of interlocking blocks.
30/30 (iPhone, iPad) Free
I’ve heard that a nifty trick you can do when trying to force yourself to do something, such as writing, is to set a timer. Block of 30 minutes, cut out all distractions, and just work until the timer goes off. When that happens, you get a break, and you can mess around on Twitter, check Facebook, and do all the other junk that distracts you from accomplishing things. That’s the idea behind 30/30 – it’s an app that’s all about setting timers.
When you add your tasks into 30/30, you give them each a time limit. When you’re ready to start, you fire up the timers. 30/30 keeps track of how long until you should switch tasks, then advises you to do so when the time runs out. It’s an easy way to make sure you devote only a few minutes to checking emails, for example, and can help you become more productive by helping you set goals and give yourself breaks throughout the day.
MyPsych update (iPhone, iPad) $4.99
Keep track of your wellbeing with MyPsych, an app designed to help you monitor yourself in order to get better treatment of mental health issues. The app makes it easy for you to monitor how you feel each day and what’s bothering you, with the hope that by having the information available, you’ll be able to see what portions of your life are giving you trouble and work to deal with them.
The app includes a daily tracking mechanism with which you can use number values to measure how you’re feeling and what’s going on in your environment. You can measure what your outlook is like, as well as external factors such as the weather. MyPsych has also been updated with a journal-keeping feature that lets you keep notes or make journal entries for each day to document how you’re doing.
Unlock (iPhone, iPad) $0.99
Solving three-dimensional puzzles is the premise of Unlock. Each of the puzzles is made up of blocks with various sizes and shapes, all interlocked together. Your goal is to take the blocks apart in the correct order to figure out how to unlock the puzzle. The faster you do it, the better your score on each level.
Unlock includes more than 30 puzzles to work through and uses touch controls to allow you to manipulate them. Swiping allows you to spin the puzzle around so you can see it from all angles, while leaving one finger on the screen and using a second one lets you try to pull the blocks apart. Unlock also includes Game Center support and provides leaderboards and achievements.
