Tired of Cluttered Productivity Apps? This One’s Just a Text Document
Tired of Cluttered Productivity Apps? This One’s Just a Text Document. The Scratchpad is just a blank text document you can use for keeping notes.
What happened
The important thing here, though, is that it offers more than just a text file. Open the window and you can just start typing tasks—your cursor is already active in the text box at the bottom. All of this, notably, is stored in a couple of text documents. You can find these documents in the app’s settings and open them with any text editor. It’s not just the tech billionaires who show up to party, the chartered flights straight to the desert or the HBO documentary about behind-the-scenes power struggles.
And I think we can all admit that most of these apps are way too complicated. It's a complete alternative to a to-do list app that is based on a single text file.
The wider picture
Screenshot: Justin PotThe general idea is to use "Next" for the tasks you want to accomplish today and "Backlog" for the things you want to do later. Hit Enter and your task will be added either to Backlog or Next, depending on what you choose in the drop-down menu to the right of your text box. Press the Tab key to switch from the text box to your task list. And you aren’t stuck using keyboard shortcuts—using the mouse is just as intuitive, if that's what you prefer.
It's pretty easy to look at the document and figure out what's going on. Screenshot: Justin PotYour task list isn't in some database in the cloud—it's on your computer, in an open, human-readable format. Mostly, though, I just think it's a well-implemented app that gets the basics extremely right. CommentsBack to topJoin the discussionCommentsBack to topYou Might Also LikeIn your inbox: Maxwell Zeff's dispatch on the business of AIWhy normal people aren’t using AI agentsBig Story: How data centers broke American politicsHackers stalked me by hijacking a cheap pink plastic watchSpecial edition: The WIRED guide to expanding your mindJustin Pot is a freelance journalist who writes tutorials and essays that inform and/or entertain.
What has been reported
Reece RogersGoogle Workspace Promo Codes for September 2026Boost your productivity and save with exclusive Google Workspace coupons from WIRED. Customers will be able to choose ID apps from a range of suppliers such as the Post Office, Yoti or Luciditi, provided they are on a government-approved list. It argues that under the voluntary digital ID scheme, drinkers would share fewer personal details with a venue or shop – such as tapping their phone on a reader or displaying a scannable QR code rather than handing over an official document.
The apps will also need to guard against customers borrowing devices from older friends and relatives, and ensure the ID app belongs to the person using it. Access concernsThe government wants digital ID apps under its scheme to work together so customers do not need to use different apps in different venues. Or is it doomed to become just another tech networking conference for the wealthy – one where almost everyone is high and a surprising number of people are naked?
Photograph: Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via GettyAnd that’s just for an ordinary camp-in-a-tent Burn, not what Law describes as the much-derided “plug-and-play” Burning Man experiences, which might involve a chartered flight directly to the playa, air-conditioned accommodation, specially prepared costumes and a private chef. Self-barricading in a basement room surrounded by screens, working on a documentary about the object of his disaffection (an enigmatic influencer called Lenore), this obsessive shut-in makes Eminem’s Stan look like the Dalai Lama.
What happens next
Not just Max, but also his colleague Sam (Sam Macdonald), a brash interloper outraged to find he was nothing special to Lenore and who turns up at Max’s door offering exclusive footage of her. The totally free macOS app Tasks. txt makes up for missing features with sheer elegance. Skip to main contentSave this storySave this storyI've spent decades testing, reviewing, and (most importantly) using different to-do list applications. It's a career, yes, but it's also a bit of an obsession.
Humans have been making lists for thousands of years, long before computers existed. Paper works well, but so does a stone slate if that's what you've got handy. It's possible that you, a modern human, absolutely need a to-do list application with bells and whistles—due dates, recurring tasks, sharing features, and maybe even an AI integration.
The report has been compiled by Press Orb using information reported across wired.com, bbc.co.uk, theguardian.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.