I may be a late adopter, but I recently added an iPad to my toolbox of electronic gadgets. Besides being a fun new toy, it has helped my productivity immensely. It’s with me when I need it and I can get a lot done with the addition of my Logitech wireless keyboard. Given my affinity for this technological wonder, I have partnered with the folks at SkinnyScoop and The List Producer to curate a list of iPad apps that help with work and personal productivity. Check out my Productivity Apps on My iPad list or create your own. Below are some highlights from that list, as well as other apps (all free unless noted otherwise) that may be just the solution for your organization or productivity challenges.
My Most Used Productivity Apps
Google Calendar – It tells me where I need to be and when and helps me plan my time and priorities. I track my own appointments and commitments, as well as that of my kids, in a color coded easy to read format.
Calengoo – The calendar display on my iPhone is completely useless to me. I cannot see more than a day at a glance in detail, and I feel like I’m spending a lot of time scrolling. This app instantaneously syncs with my Google calendar and displays all my calendars in an easy to read display whether I’m looking at a day, a week, or a year. ($6.99)
Evernote – I store all the information I want to remember or access at a later date in Evernote. I can clip from the web or an email and that information is available on all my electronic devices. It stores notes, PDF’s, photos, and audio information that are easily searchable. I use it for work, personal, travel, health information, recipes, and more. It continues to be my most used app. I rely on it more and more so that I don’t have to overload my brain with information I want to remember.
Dropbox – This is my favorite cloud based platform for document storage. My documents are secure and accessible from any electronic device. I also don’t have to worry about my hard drive crashing and losing all my electronic data.
Other Apps I Love
CloudOn – Lets you edit Word, Excel, & Powerpoint documents directly on your tablet device. It also works with cloud based storage like Dropbox, Box, and Google Drive to allow you to access and edit your documents directly on your tablet computer.
Wunderlist – If you are looking for a simple to use, streamlined, but robust to-do list app, this is my favorite. It’s available on multiple platforms, allows for multiple lists, and easy movement of tasks between various lists.
EverDo.it – This app combines the power of Evernote and the task management philosophy of Getting Things Done methodology by David Allen. This is a great app for converting notes to tasks, syncing them with your calendar, and managing projects. ($5.99)
Penultimate – Sometimes handwritten notes are just easier and faster than typing, especially in meetings. Penultimate gives you the natural experience of writing on paper yet stores your notes electronically. It syncs with Evernote so your handwritten notes are searchable and accessible. You’ll never have to worry about losing your notes in a stack of papers, what a relief!
Apps & Programs To To Check Out
Fantastical – I have not personally used this app, but it’s getting rave reviews for making the Mac calendar a more useful tool as well as its integration in iOS. It allows for quick calendar entry via typing or voice and its display is very user friendly.
Unroll.me – This is not an app as much as it’s an interface to clean up your email inbox. It easily unsubscribes you from lists and emails you no longer want to receive (only available for Gmail & Yahoo mail). I can see your inbox shrinking already:-)
Sunrise – Works with Google Calendar on your iPhone to create a more calendar rich experience. It integrates with your other applications like social media, mapping features, and weather to provide details around who you are meeting, where, and what to wear based on the day’s climate conditions.
Rescue Time – This is not an app, but a program that can greatly enhance your productivity. It runs in your computer background and tracks where you are spending time on your computer. You can then block certain distracting sites so you don’t waste time when you really need to focus.
Given the thousands of available apps, finding the right one(s) can be overwhelming. Certain interfaces may work for some work styles and mind sets, and completely fail for others. If you’d like some assistance with your own personal productivity or how to integrate some of the aforementioned apps into your toolbox, please contact More Time For You.