PomodoroPro

Michael E. | Feb 14, 2010 Productivity

User rating:

(6 votes, average: 2.67 out of 5)

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In spite of the numerous ways an iPod Touch or iPhone can help you to stay connected or easily call up information on just about everything, most of the items in the AppStore share a singular purpose: they serve as distractions, as a means to help us pass the time. They can be fun distractions, educational distractions, but I doubt there would be all that many people who would argue with my assertion that an iPod or iPhone can also be an excellent time waster. There’s nothing wrong with that- it’s called relaxation and entertainment- and we all need rest and relaxation. Once we’re suitably entertained and relaxed, we can resume whatever it was that we were doing in the moments before needing a distraction.

The purpose of Peer Assembly’s PomodoroPro is to help you make the most of your time by helping you focus and concentrate on the task at hand, whether you’re studying, working, or simply reading. In other words, it’s a time management app.

But PomodoroPro isn’t just any old time management app; it employs the Pomodoro Technique, a method of task management created in 1992 to better manage time and reduce distractions.

How does the Pomodoro Technique work? There are 5 steps to the technique:

1. Choose a task

2. Start the PomodoroPro timer

3. Work on the task until the timer sounds (typically 25 minutes)

4. Take a brief (typically 5 minutes) break. This is what’s known as a Pomodoro.

5. At the end of the 4th Pomodoro, take a longer break.

PomodoroPro is a timer that will count down both the work and break units, switching automatically from work interval to break interval. It also sounds an alarm so that you’ll know when a work or break period has ended. PomodoroPro continues counting, whether you’re interrupted to take a phone call or decide to open another app. Unfortunately, the alarm won’t be heard unless the application is open at the time of the alarm.

PomodoroPro will also keep a running count of the number of Pomodoros you’re able to complete and on the 8th one, it will give you a longer break.

The application is also customizable, meaning that you can control and set the length of the work and break periods, reset them when needed, and even pause the timer if a call comes in or you have to step away from the task at hand for a sustained period of time.

I’d never heard of the Pomodoro Technique before this app and was curious to see whether it would work for me. After trying it out for several days, I found that it did help me to improve my overall focus on tasks and generally raised my completion rate.

Pomodoro Pro is a simple, yet straightforward application that is easy to understand and use. The timer is large and legible. That said, there are a few additional things that could be built into the app. For example, the ability to create or manage an in-app task or to-do list, a means to estimate in advance and track the number of pomodoros it takes to complete a task or project, a weekly or monthly journal to track previous or ongoing tasks over time or to calculate task completion might be well-received enhancements.