Bluemoon: Menstrual management app for women
Platform: Android
Keywords: period tracking
Despite the fact that the iPhone has already included period management in its own health app, iOS has seen a proliferation of period management apps, while Android has not seen many similar apps.
Bluemoon is an open-source, privacy-friendly menstruation logger that’s easy to use. When you open the app, you’re presented with a logging screen, and by clicking on the logging button, the app will automatically mark the current to the next five days. Usually, women’s periods last from 3 to 7 days, and 5 days is the length of most women’s periods, so it saves time and effort to mark the next 5 days directly, and if the default number of days doesn’t match our actual period, we can click on the edit button to refine the record, and also click on the edit button to modify the record of the previous period.
After completing the initial recording, the app will automatically record the day as the first day of this menstrual cycle. In the calendar screen, we are able to record the amount of menstrual blood in detail for our daily bleeding, and the app divides the amount into three levels based on the amount, which basically serves the purpose of a detailed description. In addition to recording the menstrual period, the app also records the conception window based on our cycle. As a period recording app, Bluemoon’s records may be a bit minimal, but it’s good enough for women who just need to keep track of their cycles. I’m not sure if the developers will add more useful features, such as the built-in iOS support for recording physical conditions such as back pain, abdominal cramps, and appetite, which are also necessary for self-awareness. If you’re interested in Bluemoon, download it via F-Droid. If you have a better recommendation for Android platform, please share it.
Warden: the app tracking scanner from Aurora
Platform: Android
Keywords: app management, app security
In the face of big data, anyone’s privacy is at stake. That’s because there are many data tracking and logging features hidden in the mobile apps we heavily rely on, which are like “spies” constantly spying on us. So how do you find out which apps are harboring which spies? Warden, an app scanner, can help us see through them like an X-ray.
Warden is not a trivial product, it comes from Aurora OSS, which is the same as the open source app store “Aurora Store”, so we don’t have to worry about the quality of its apps, but simply from the perspective of UI design and animation effects, Warden is also a very eye-catching product.
In terms of functionality, Warden has a built-in plugin list. During the scanning process, Warden will read the content of the dex file of an Android app and match it with the plugin list to analyze which logging and tracking tools are used by the app. After the scan is complete, Warden can give a graphical analysis, and we can also select an app or a tracker to see the details.
Warden’s capabilities don’t stop there. If your phone has been granted ROOT access, Warden also offers two advanced features, “De-Bloater” and “Nuke it! The former can be thought of as a manager for built-in apps and offers three configurations: deactivate, hide, and uninstall; the latter, which may be a bit “middle-of-the-road” just by looking at its name, can actually block an app’s tracker without restricting the tracker’s component type (which may be an active component, a service component, or a receiver). It is important to note that since these two features must invoke ROOT privileges, it is important to be safe when using them. For now, you can head over to IzzyOnDroid, GitLab and XDA to download Warden for free.
Peaks: Insights into circadian rhythms from Apple health data
Platform: iOS/watchOS
Keywords: sleep, health
Peaks is a health app for iOS that analyzes health data imported from Apple Health to track each person’s unique biorhythms and create a personalized routine (Routine) based on our biorhythms. At the same time, the routines we create in Peaks can help us sleep better, maintain our energy, and be more productive, creating a positive feedback mechanism. peaks also follows up with new system features on iOS 17 and watchOS 10, which make it even easier to see what’s going on.
When you first open Peaks, the app guides you through the process of importing data from your health apps, which is usually done by selecting all of them. Peaks then lets us set the time we go to sleep (duration) and the time we wake up, and when we’re done, it generates a graph of the whole day’s routine and a corresponding timeline. As the health data is “fed” over time, the rhythm chart will become more relevant to our real life situation. Based on this, Peaks will recommend us to do our daily routines at the right time, such as avoiding caffeine at 2:30pm and exercising from 16:20 – 17:40pm. After opening a membership, we can also clock in for these daily routines. On the iPhone, Peaks supports a desktop widget, a lock screen widget, and a standby display widget, and on the Apple Watch, Peaks supports the Glance feature to see our rhythm curves on the go.
Planist: Todo list with time removed
Platform: iOS/iPadOS/macOS
Keywords: task list, todo list
Since I started using efficiency software, todo list apps have been a topic I can’t get around. After trying some mainstream apps such as Ticktock, Sorted, Microsoft Todo, etc., I realized that all these apps have one thing in common, all todo lists can’t be separated from the main line of “time”. All tasks require time allocation and time management.
When I am working, I actually have plenty of time, so I don’t need to manage my working time too much. At the same time, since my working style is more relaxed and low-pressure, too intensive time management will make me feel short of breath. Every time I see a task on my to-do list, I can always see when the next task is due, which causes me a lot of stress, and Planist is very similar to my style of working. There are no stressful timestamps, just to-do lists, and it’s comforting to see the to-do lists dwindle.
Currently, I use Planist mainly for my writing and lesson planning (I still use Sorted for corporate matters because they do require a reminder). I’ll put in the manuscripts and lesson plans that I’m currently working on and sync them to my phone via iCloud, so that I know exactly where I’m at when I’m working on them. The company is so close to home that I can look at my to-do list and start thinking while I’m on the road, and when I get home, I can sit down at my desk and start working on my manuscript and lesson planning. In addition to the traditional tap-and-drag, Planist introduces a mailbox-like swipe (or right-click checkbox on macOS). By swiping left on a single entry, it reveals three buttons for confirming completion, moving the entry’s area, and deleting it. I can’t say it’s very convenient, but it’s certainly comfortable to use, and for the time being it’s the first thing I do when I need to move. The advantage of Planist is that it minimizes “time management”, which is a major concern for many todo list apps. If you are as concerned about time as I am, you might want to use Planist to remove the concept of time from your workflow. As the developers say: there’s really no time for time management.
Habitloop: Habit formation, simple clocking in
Platform: iOS/iPadOS
Keywords: habit formation, habit punch card
HabitLoop is a lightweight habit formation app, it has no complex formation program, no subdivided system categories, no fancy interaction design, it only provides the simplest reminder and punch card function to help you self-monitor.
As a habit-forming app, you naturally need to set the goals you want to cultivate first. Tap the “+” in the top right corner of the app’s first screen to add a goal from the library, which has more than 70 preset goals such as exercising, waking up early, reading, and controlling sugar. But the Habitloop library is pretty sporadic, so you can also add customized items by tapping the “+” in the top-right corner again on the add page. The app offers 10 color schemes and you can use Emoji and custom text to further differentiate between goal items. The app currently only offers a very basic daily reminder feature that you can turn on as needed when setting goals. Tap on the goal name to go to the goal details page. The app provides a 14×14 grid with 196 grid to show the recent punches, where you can share the punches and edit or delete the goals. The app provides 3 types of desktop widgets with 9 different sizes, you can choose from single goal punching, simple multi-goal punching, and an interactive component that displays both punching status and punching function. HabitLoop doesn’t have the systematic management of Habitify or the automated process of Grow, it’s all about simple and efficient clocking in and out, and the rest is up to your personal willpower. So whether it’s worth buying depends on whether this “minimalist mode” fits your needs.
App updates
GoodLinks Update: Deeply Integrated Shortcut Commands for Better Access to Content Information
Platform: iOS/iPadOS/macOS
Keywords: read later
GoodLinks has been updated and enhanced with shortcut commands. In the latest version 1.8.5, you can use shortcut commands to get information about the article you’re reading, for example, when you’re reading the content of an article you’ve bookmarked, you can get the link, title, author, and attributes of the article and so on. For example, when you are reading a favorite article, you can get the link, title, author and attributes of the article.
In addition to getting a link to the current article, another feature, “Get Current Selection”, is even more useful. The shortcut command allows you to select the text in the article you’re reading and export it as plain text, HTML, or Markdown, which is perfect for quoting content in a notes app. For example, if you’re reading an article and making notes, you can use this shortcut to clip the text into Obsidian or Apple Notes, saving you the trouble of copying the text and formatting it. The text selection copy export section has also been tweaked in this update, and there are now new formatting options in the new copy menu, for example, you can choose whether to copy the copied text in text, HTML or Markdown syntax to make it better for copying to blogging platforms or other text editors.