The professional version has all the features of the free version plus:
The ability to choose your own bell sound, or use any alert ringtone on your phone.Better sitting log, including total meditation time and indication of chains.Automatic backups so that you never lose any data.
******************************************The first time Meditation Helper Pro runs it checks to see if it can import data from the free version. It is possible to run this import process manually from the settings menu, assuming you have the latest Meditation Helper free version installed.
You can also import data from the free version by manually backing it up, then restoring it from the settings menu on Meditation Helper Pro. Backing it up on the free version writes the data to a file. Restoring it on Meditation Helper Pro reads from the same file. This is a bit more awkward, and is the reason I wrote the auto-import functionality.
As ever, if you have any problems please email support@multiordinal.com.******************************************
The app allows you to set a target for the length of time you want to meditate each day. It includes a widget that displays the number of consecutive days you have hit the target. It is thus useful not only as a timer, but also as a tool to help motivate you to meditate regularly.
The widget is my implementation of Jerry Seinfeld's productivity secret (http://lifehacker.com/281626/jerry-seinfelds-productivity-secret):
-------------------------------------"He said the way to be a better comic was to create better jokes and the way to create better jokes was to write every day. But his advice was better than that. He had a gem of a leverage technique he used on himself and you can use it to motivate yourself—even when you don't feel like it.
He revealed a unique calendar system he uses to pressure himself to write. Here's how it works.
He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker.
He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day. "After a few days you'll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You'll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain."
"Don't break the chain," he said again for emphasis."-------------------------------------
The chain in this case is the number of consecutive days that you have hit your meditation target. The widget displays both the current chain, and the longest ever chain. Having this on my home screen motivates me to meditate every day. Your mileage may vary.
The bell sound in the app is by Jan McLaughlin at http://janmclaughlin.tv/.
