Fantastical 3 (Mac)

Fantastical finally catch up, even though the latter lacks niceties like moon phases.

TASK MASTER

From the beginning, Fantastical’s menubar app was a distinct advantage over rivals, so much so that one rarely needed to open the full user interface. In version 3.0, this mini-window is now entirely standalone. Tick the “run in background” option under Preferences > General and the menu-bar app will sync and show notifications in the background at all times, launching the main application only when using the full window.

Fantastical 3 also offers more comprehensive support for tasks and reminders, including those from icloud, Todoist, and Google Tasks. Dated tasks appear grouped with events in the main lists, and you can create timesaving templates from existing tasks or events to quickly reuse in the future.

Last but certainly not least,

Fantastical makes it easier than ever to collaborate with others.

When scheduling a meeting, you can now propose multiple times so recipients can choose a date and time that fits their schedule— even if they don’t use the same app. Once everyone responds and is on the same page, an

PROS

• Gorgeous user interface overhaul.

• Fantastical 2 users retain existing features.

CONS

• Interesting Calendars aren’t all that interesting.

• Requires free Flexibits account.

PRICE

Free

COMPANY

Flexibit event will be added without the usual back and forth calls or emails. This alone makes it worth signing up for a free Flexibits account, which makes such forward-thinking features possible.

BOTTOM LINE

After embracing the subscription model, you won’t be able to live without Fantastical 3 for macos, especially when the switch is a win-win for existing users. ■

As an icloud user, Gmail isn’t my primary email service, but millions of others faithfully depend on it. Although Google created a capable mobile app for smartphone and tablet users, the search giant has long neglected the desktop, where Gmail fans must settle for the inherent limitations of traditional IMAP client software or a second-class, webbased experience. Or do they?

What do you get when you extract the Google experience from a web browser and integrate it into a standalone app? Kiwi

Fantastical’s mini-window now works independently of the core app for background sync and receiving notifications.

Kiwi’s Focus Filter Inbox view displays only incoming messages from the last one, two, three, four, or seven days.