Things (software) explained

Things
Screenshot Size:300px
Developer:Cultured Code
Latest Release Version:3.20.9 (Mac) 3.20.11 (iPad) 3.20.11 (iPhone) 3.20.11 (Vision)
Operating System:macOS, iPadOS, iOS, watchOS, visionOS
Genre:Task management
Language:English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese
License:Proprietary

Things is a task management app for macOS, iPadOS, iOS, watchOS, and visionOS made by Cultured Code, a software startup based in Stuttgart, Germany. It first released for Mac as an alpha that went out in late 2007 to 12,000 people[1] and quickly gained popularity. The following July, when the App Store launched, it was among the first 552 apps available for iPhone.[2] It was then released alongside the iPad in 2010,[3] the Apple Watch in 2015,[4] and the Apple Vision Pro in 2024.[5]

In December 2013, Cultured Code announced that they had sold one million copies of the software to date,[6] and in December 2014 the company announced that downloads had increased by an additional three million.[7]

Awards

Things has won multiple awards over the years. It first won the MacLife Editors' Choice Award in 2008, and then in 2009 it went on to win the Apple Design Award,[8] the Macworld Editors' Choice Award,[9] and the Macworld Best of Show Award.[10] In 2012, after the release of Things 2, Apple selected it as Editors' Choice and named it among the App Store Best of 2012. Things won the Apple Design Award a second time with the release of Things 3 in 2017.[11] Things has also received two MacStories Selects Awards, winning Best App Update of 2018[12] and Best New Feature of 2023.[13]

Features

Main features

Things allows to-dos to be subdivided into several sections, which roughly correspond to parts of the Getting Things Done methodology:

Collect

Organize

Schedule

Additional features

Things Cloud

Things Cloud is a sync service that stores the user's to-dos and automatically keeps them updated across all their Apple devices. It was developed to replace the app's original sync technology, which only worked over a local network. The company began alpha testing the new service in 2011 and, after an extended beta period, launched it publicly on August 9, 2012 with the release of Things 2.[14] A user can create a free Things Cloud account from within the apps' settings.

In 2015, the company announced "Nimbus"[15] – an update to Things Cloud's architecture which introduced push sync through the cloud. The main benefit of the new push technology is that it utilizes APNs to deliver sync to iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS devices when the app isn't actively running.

In 2021, the company announced "Fractus"[16] – a new method for syncing where only changed strings of text are sent to the server instead of entire notes, improving the speed and efficiency of the sync, and allowing for smarter conflict resolution.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Blanc. Shawn. A Review of Two Things: One For the Mac and One For iPhone. Shawn Blanc. 29 January 2009. 13 September 2016.
  2. Web site: Arrington. Michael. iPhone App Store Has Launched. 10 July 2008 . TechCrunch. 9 October 2016.
  3. Web site: Viticci. Federico. Things for iPad, Reviewed. 28 April 2010 . MacStories. 9 October 2016.
  4. Web site: Apple begins releasing the first set of third-party Apple Watch apps. 26 March 2015. 9to5Mac. 14 December 2015.
  5. Web site: Hardwick . Tim . Cultured Code Releases Things 3 for Apple Vision Pro . MacRumors . 7 February 2024.
  6. Web site: Cultured Code Sells 1 Million Copies of Things. 20 December 2013. iClarified. 9 October 2016.
  7. Web site: 'Free App of the Week' Brings Things 3 Million Downloads. iPhoneBlog. 9 October 2016.
  8. Web site: Apple Design Awards ceremony celebrates great iPhone, Mac apps. 9 June 2009. Macworld. 14 December 2015.
  9. Web site: 25th annual Editors' Choice Awards: the complete list. 10 December 2009. Macworld. 14 December 2015.
  10. Web site: Macworld Best of Show 2009 awards. 7 January 2009 . Ars Technica. 14 December 2015.
  11. Web site: Apple Design Awards - Apple Developer. Apple. 24 February 2018.
  12. Web site: Introducing MacStories Selects: The Best New Apps, App Updates, and iOS Games of 2018 . MacStories . 17 December 2018 . 28 January 2019.
  13. Web site: MacStories Selects 2023: Recognizing the Best Apps of the Year . MacStories . 11 December 2023 . 13 December 2023.
  14. Web site: Blanc. Shawn. Things and Cloud Sync. 9 August 2012. Shawn Blanc. 9 October 2016.
  15. Web site: Hall. Zac. Productivity app Things adds push sync feature to keep task lists auto updated across devices. 19 August 2015. 9to5Mac. 9 October 2016.
  16. Web site: Hardwick . Tim . Things 3.14 Update Introduces Improved Bullet Lists, Markdown Support, Find in Text, and More . MacRumors . 11 August 2021 . 27 October 2021.