A simple kitchen timer holds the secret to your productivity. And if not a kitchen timer, then the many Pomodoro apps that exist to chunk your to-do tasks into 25-minute blocks.

The Pomodoro Technique may or may not be right for you, but there's no doubting its elegant simplicity. It's an empowering way to tackle your daily to-dos and calendar tasks, with each checked item on your to-do list a mini-goal towards a more productive year.

In light of this, Lanes.io is a well-designed productivity app that combines to-do list and calendar with Pomodoro timer. Think of it as Todoist, Google Calendar, and Toggl all wrapped up together.

Lanes.io has three essential features:

  • Tasks
  • Articles
  • Videos

But the core of the app is the Pomodoro timer:

We will focus on the Task view and then add a brief mention of the practical utility of an article bookmarking and the video curation features you get as an upgrade in this productivity app.

Lanes.io has two flavors: Basic (Free) and Plus ($4 per month). The Basic plan gives you two lists and an Insights view across two days.

Here are the key features of the app:

  • Organize and view your tasks by month, by week, or use a list.
  • Create multiple types of lists around your chores, projects, or hobbies.
  • Use the Pomodoro Timer to work through the items/tasks on the list.
  • The Pomodoro timer has an audio alarm which notifies you about the session status.
  • Follow the default 25-minute sessions or set your own custom time.
  • Add color labels to your tasks and designate their priority.
  • Find your most productive zone with the help of Insights and its chart.

You can add quickly add a task, an article, or a video to the app. Lanes.io figures it out and includes the item in the relevant tab. Note that Article highlights and Video annotations are available in Lanes Plus.

  • The Article view is like a read-it-later tool and a distraction-free reader. You can save your articles and highlights here.
  • The Video view is a repository for YouTube videos you want to preserve for personal learning. Videos can be annotated with your own notes.

Just to round off the features, you can also choose a custom font theme, pick a background, or even upload your own images.

Lanes.io also has an Android app which is available as a free download so far.

Have you found an app that combines all these attributes successfully? Let us know in the comments!