14 DAY TRIAL // The Reminders application in OS X Mountain Lion has been updated in the second developer preview of the operating system, testers have confirmed.
Last week Apple issued the second test build of OS X 10.8 to developers enrolled with the company’s $99 annual program.
Developers have since spotted and reported several changes within the software, including one new version of Reminders, one of the many applications borrowed from iOS.
Reminders, like its name implies, lets you set up tasks and schedule them chronologically. Your to-dos are listed in a clean interface which offers the option to trigger an alarm based on expiration date and, more recently, based on location.
According to a new report, Reminders now triggers alerts when, say, you arrive at / leave a certain location with your laptop in hand (if there is a WiFi connection).
As noted above, the behavior is borrowed from iOS - Apple’s mobile operating system powering iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch players everywhere.
Reminders may not sound like a big deal, but it is. Especially since you can also sync your reminders with your other devices via iCloud.
Which means that you can be sitting in front of your desktop Mac at home, jot down a reminder, and have it triggered on your iPhone or iPad when you arrive at work.
In short, you can now make a reminder on any of your supported devices, and it’ll ring no matter which one you happen to have on you.
Apple’s marketing page for OS X Mountain Lion talked about the Reminders app before it had got the new location-based function:
“Now nothing slips your mind. When you have so much to do, Reminders helps you get it done. It’s all in a list. More than one, in fact. Make as many lists as you need and easily add to them. Set due dates and you’ll get alerts as deadlines approach. Check items off your lists as you go and keep track of what you’ve completed. And to be sure you don’t forget anything, iCloud keeps your reminders up to date on your Mac, iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.”
See this page to learn more about the new features in OS X Mountain Lion.