By Graham K. Rogers

There was news earlier today that Realmac's Clear, an app for tasks and to-do lists, is free instead of its usual $4.99. It will go back to that normal price on 28 February, according to Realmac Software. Clear is designed for both the iPhone and the iPad.

When first opened there is a 5-screen tutorial, ending with options to link with iCloud and to join a mailing list. Deleting a list item is simply a slide of the finger across the screen to the left (to the right, completes the item), while tapping the screen creates a new item.

Pulling the items down, reveals a list format and it is as easy as creating a new list item as to create a new list. This is a nice app that is deceptively simple.

The Realmac site (a bit slow to load) gives more details of the iOS app and information about the desktop application too which is available on the Mac App Store ($9.99).

Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand where he is also Assistant Dean. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs.