App of the Week: Countdown

How often do deadlines creep up on you? I know I’m prone to leaving things later than I realise and end up taken by surprise by a deadline much closer than expected. You know your deadline is approaching, you know the date, you know the time, but do you realise just how close you really are? This is where Countdown can change your working life.

For iPhone and Android, Countdown works as almost a reverse-calendar. Simply input a time, date and name for an upcoming event or deadline, and the app will show you the exact time remaining until the deadline. Selecting a theme, it’s very similar to setting up an event on Facebook, and each timer appears on your phone like a virtual invitation. It gives the app an added charm and gives each event a bit more of a grand feel about it, with each deadline punctuated by a firework display or raining confetti, which is great unless you’re counting down to a dreaded meeting, presentation or deadline – in which case it becomes a touch sarcastic.

The app isn’t without its faults; although it’s free it does come with adverts and a push for a premium feature. Having a clock app with adverts can be distracting, although to its credit they aren’t intrusive, or haven’t been so far. I would also prefer there to be more of an option for reminders and notifications, as there doesn’t seem to be much of an indication that your time is up. This stops the app from reaching its true potential as a proper companion or replacement to your calendar.

The Verdict
The app is charming and useful for PAs trying to juggle constantly moving and quickly approaching deadlines. On Android devices, the app even offers widgets so you can feature the countdown front-and-centre on your homescreen. I would certainly recommend the app to PAs with iPhones over Androids, as the app is better suited to Apple devices. For PAs using Androids – Samsungs, HTCs, Sonys, etc. – I would recommend another countdown app; Hurry. Better animated and more stylish for Androids, Hurry also integrates your calendar and I’ve ended up using it much more.

Will these apps help you with your day-to-day deadlines? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, and you can learn more about Countdown by clicking here.