Hub Review

Hub is a productivity app that combines many different essential functions. The main screen makes it easy to quickly see the number of to-dos and calendar events that are scheduled for the day, the current time, and the weather. Each of the four functions has its own screen that display more specific and detailed information. In addition, the app also integrates with social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

It is easy to use Hub since the interface is very clean and minimalistic. All the text is large and is easy to read. The four main numbers really stick out and opening Hub is probably the quickest way to check all of the essential information for the day.

Hub also supports some neat and convenient multi-touch gestures. Sliding a finger from left to right will dim the screen or make it brighter, and pinching will return to the main screen. The dimming feature particularly useful since going into settings to change the screen brightness is a hassle.

Hub integrates with and imports all of the events from the calendar application and the content in Reminders. Multiple calendars can also be managed in Hub and each one has a color-coded circle. Different types of events can be added to the calendar, including just regular one-time events and cyclical events that repeat. The calendar didn’t work initially for me and I had to restart the app for it to recognize my calendar, but after that it has worked fine. The fact the Hub ties in with the native iOS functions like Calendar and Reminders is great. I always dislike forcing users to enter in the same information again instead of using information that is already available.

The weather screen is particularly well designed and is my favorite. Just like the rest of the app, the screen is clean and simple. I like that the current temperature is displayed in big black font, along with the current precipitation percentage, and wind speed. The bottom of the screen always shows the high and low temperatures, and a multiday forecast. Tapping instantly changes the unit of measurement, and swiping up reveals an hour-by-hour forecast. I especially like the weather screen because it manages to combine all of the important weather information that I generally have to find in different parts of weather apps.

The social networking part of the Hub adds the least amount of value. It’s essentially like using the Twitter or Facebook application within Hub. I do appreciate that the option is there, but it offers little over the native apps.

Hub is a straightforward, useful app, saving users the hassle of bouncing back and forth between multiple apps. The real question that each potential buyer has to answer is whether the convenience is worth $2.99.