Apps of 2014

As this is my first year of writing about apps, I wanted to do something this Christmas: thank the apps and writers that made this year such a special year. I have broken down my favorite iOS and OS X apps and articles.

As there are many great apps this year, it is impossible to catalog them all. So I have decided to break it down to my personal favorite, runner-up, and a selected few honorable mentions.

Congratulations to everyone who made the list, and I hope to see you all next year with the wonderful things you create in the coming year.

iOS

This was the second biggest year for iOS developers, runner-up to the introduction of the App Store. iOS 8 expanded the capabilities of what the iPhone and iPad could do. Thanks to extensions and continuity, iOS has never been more powerful. A more powerful iOS means more powerful apps.

With so many apps, there are equally so many opportunities. Applications that were never possible before are now on the App Store—not to mention the Today View widgets, keyboards, extensions, and so much more.

This is why the runner-up Workflow is such an intriguing, new app; it builds on the power and functionality of iOS. However, the winner this year is Overcast.

Winner: Overcast

Among the podcast renaissance, Overcast shines as the most notable choice for iOS enthusiasts. There are many features that make Overcast shine, apart from the developer and Accidental Tech Podcast host Marco Arment. The favorite features: Smart Speed and Voice Boost.

Smart Speed is without a doubt my favorite feature in any podcasting app. It builds upon the current speed setting, and skips pauses and gaps in audio to save minutes or hours a week. The best part of it all? The fact that I never notice the boost in speed. Sometimes I don't believe that Smart Speed is on, only to check and realize it's on 1.2x or even 1.3x speed. Furthermore, the Voice Boost works just as the name suggests, boosting the voice and nothing more. With the suppressed iPhone speaker, sometimes it is impossible to hear podcasts through the background noise when I'm doing dishes, laundry, or just dealing with outside noise. The accuracy of Smart Speed and Voice Boost is unmatched, and quite frankly I don't think there is any podcast app that is comparable to it.

In addition to Smart Speed and Voice Boost, Overcast also features intuitive playlists, a customary and elegant iOS 8 appeal, a huge directory of podcasts, Twitter recommendations, and curated playlists. There are other things that Overcast doesn't do that simply delight me: it never pesters you to buy the in-app purchase if you haven't purchased it, never nags for a review, and the decision to not incorporate top lists. Plainly, everything about Overcast delights me.

Overcast is free on the App Store, with a $4.99 in-app purchase to "unlock everything"—Smart Speed, Voice Boost, unlimited playlists, and more.

Runner-Up: Workflow

The newly-released app by the team at DeskConnect is an exceptional example of iOS automation. With many powerful actions, variables, and automation tools, Workflow is amongst the most powerful apps within the App Store. The possibilities are almost endless.

Of the many things possible via Workflow, some of the workflows I have forked and created from the internet can do things never before possible on iOS, such as:

• Markdownifying webpages
• Cross-posting images to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
• Annotating and deleting screenshots
• Getting all my calendar events and sharing availability
• Getting a random dining option

Though it is most certainly a power-user app, the interface is simplistic enough that just about any user can unlock its full capacity.

Workflow is $2.99 on the App Store.

Honorable Mentions

• 1Password: my go-to password manager, an app that I use religiously. With an encrypted vault, powerful password generator, and Launch Center Pro capability, I could not think of an app that deserves a more honorable mention.
• Launch Center Pro: an application that takes advantage of iOS's URL schemes, adding the potential to create powerful shortcuts and workflows.
• Editorial: the most powerful text editor on iOS. Editorial supports Markdown, plain text, TextExpander, custom workflows, and so much more.
• Evernote: my central note-taking app. On iOS, I use the Evernote share sheet more than any other, simply because it's so simple yet powerful.
• Tweetbot: my Twitter experience. I use Tweetbot over Twitter simply because of the iCloud syncing, no advertisements, more powerful mute filters, better font options, and better appeal.

OS X

I took a different approach than what most people are doing—instead of showcasing apps that took full advantage of Yosemite, I wanted to show off the most-used applications on my Mac.

Granted, Yosemite did bring a visual redesign that brought a downright beautiful experience to the Mac; however, this was not the only change to the Mac. Continuity brought about a more seamless Mac experience, making things like Handoff and Text Message Forwarding possible. Many other little things got an upgrade, like Mail, Notification Center, and Spotlight.

Ironically, even though Spotlight got a major improvement, this year's winner is Alfred 2, with runner-up being 1Password.

Winner: Alfred 2

As this is my first year doing favorite apps, what better app to introduce than one I use most: Alfred. Alfred was amongst the first set of apps I downloaded on my first MacBook—it was the best decision I have ever made. Since January 27, 2014, I have used Alfred 15,867 times, averaging 49.0 times per day. There is no app that comes to mind that I have used nearly as much.

After the Yosemite reveal, Spotlight was revamped to have more of an Alfred appeal; however, Spotlight cannot replace Alfred (and will unlikely ever replace Alfred). Granted, Spotlight and Alfred do similar things: they launch files, can give directions and addresses, provide contact information, and offer many shortcuts that save me hours a week.

So why is Alfred so important to me? Simple: workflows and expanded functionality. I am not confined to the default features of Spotlight—I can make or fork workflows. Instead of just launching apps, I can also kill and quit apps. If I have an app to look up, I don't have to search via the Mac App Store. That would be tiring. Instead, I search via Alfred. Find Evernote notes? There's a workflow for that. Netflix search? Workflow for that. The possibilities are only constricted by my imagination.

Alfred 2 is free via their website, and the Powerpack price varies.

Runner-Up: 1Password

1Password is an application that I use religiously—on iOS and OS X both. With a visual overhaul to match Yosemite's flatter and translucent design, 1Password makes password management actually enjoyable.

1Password brings 21st-century peace of mind in an internet filled with malicious intentions. Being the powerhouse of security, password storage, and password management that 1Password is, you can sleep safe and sound knowing your passwords won't be compromised.

1Password is $34.99 on the Mac App Store or the AgileBits website.

Honorable Mentions

• TextExpander: saves time by expanding short abbreviations into frequently-used text.
• OmniFocus: my choice for task management. OmniFocus is an unparalleled task manager that is simply unmatched by any other application on OS X.
• iStat Menus: a utility that quickly displays the statistics of my MacBook. Currently, I have many items enabled: CPU history and CPU cores, memory used/free, disk activity, bandwidth and bandwidth history, sensors, and time. Everything I need quick access to is a glance away, and more in-depth statistics are a click away.
• Bartender: with so many iStat Menus enabled, there is no space for menu items—my solution is Bartender. Bartender has all of my menu items outside of iStat Menus, including Backblaze, Dropbox, TextExpander, and 1Password.
• Yoink: after dragging and dropping time and time again, you might realize how frustrating it can be sometimes; Yoink brings a solution. Every time you drag something, Yoink slides a little window to store that file in—and keeps it there until you're ready to drop it somewhere. Simple yet so powerful.

Merry Christmas!