App reviews: Offtime, Tayasui Memopad
Most smartphone users probably have a love-hate relationship with their device - particularly when they're trying to work. It's hard to ignore those beeps and buzzes. Offtime lets you unplug enough to make your smartphone a smaller distraction. You don't have to cut yourself off completely - that's what the power button's for, right? - but you can step back a bit with its settings. For example, you can have the app mute notifications but still allow calls. You can set exemptions for certain apps. If you want to snooze your notifications but are expecting an important email, you can wake your phone just by long-pressing the screen.
Users should know that they will have to grant the app a lot of permissions. It will need to know when you have incoming calls and be able to access a lot of apps to mute them. There is a $3 light version for iOS devices to help you monitor use and set timers, but it is not as comprehensive as the free Android version. Overall, Offtime is a good tool for keeping your tech use in check.
Tayasui Memopad
A good drawing app can be hard to find, particularly if you're looking for something full-featured but uncluttered. Tayasui Memopad takes a pretty good swing at the balance, with intuitive gestures to create and erase sketches and a handful of fluid tools for drawing. The app recognizes how hard you're pressing on the screen so you can work in shades of gray. (Or pink. Or chartreuse. Whatever strikes your fancy.) Sketches are automatically copied and saved to your photo library if you grant the app access, easily preserving your work. Keep an eye on your storage if you're sketching a lot.
Quite a few features of this app, such as the ability to share your drawings easily on social media, require in-app purchases. Tools such as a ruler are available only through extra purchases as well. As with most drawing apps, the experience is better on larger screens. The app is clean and arguably easier to use than Apple's included Notes app for sketches.
Free, for iOS devices.