50 FREE APPS TO MAKE YOU AN
INCREDIBLY PRODUCTIVE PERSON
COMMUNICATE WITH EASE, TAME YOUR SCHEDULE, AND GET THINGS DONE WITH THESE GREAT TOOLS.
You’re running a million miles an hour, trying to hold down a
tight schedule full of tight deadlines on a tight ship. From messages to
meetings to managing meddlesome minutiae, these 50 apps can help you work
wonders with your otherwise limited time.
If you’re like most people, you’ve signed up for at least a
handful of email services. CloudMagic (Android, iOS) does an impeccable
job of tying popular email offerings together into one powerful, feature-filled
app. It’ll handle your corporate mail with ease, along with Gmail, Yahoo,
iCloud, and a host of others, and you can save messages to big-name note
taking, list making, and CRM services.
Instead of relying on a mish-mash of email, instant messaging,
text messaging, and phone calls, Slack (Android, iOS, web) does a good
job of streamlining things down into a real-time communications tool that can
hook into a heaping helping of popular third-party services. You and your team
discuss topics in different virtual channels full of updates, images, files,
tweets, and links that are open for all to see, which can help keep everyone on
the same page. The free offering lets you set up an unlimited number of users,
archives 10,000 past messages, and can integrate with up to 10 services.
Boomerang (web) lets you temporarily clear messages out of your inbox to
return at a time and date you specify. It’s a dead-simple way to turn messages
into individual reminders. You can also use it to prewrite messages and
schedule them to be sent later as well. Want that client to think you’re
working hard on their big, important project? Schedule an email to send out at
3:30 a.m., even though you’re writing it at 2 p.m. They’ll think you’re burning
the midnight oil, even though you’re really burning a grilled cheese before a
Netflix binge. The free version lets you play God with 10 messages each month.
Glympse (Android, iOS, Windows Phone) is a simple but powerful way to
share your location with people for up to four hours at a time—perfect for
keeping your team informed about your whereabouts without having to constantly
update them manually. Your invitees get a text message or email with a link
they can use to track you, and they don't need to have the Glympse app
installed themselves, which is a big selling point.
Use Burner (Android, iOS) to set up a
disposable phone number while you're interviewing candidates or collecting bids
on projects—especially those posted on publicly accessible sites. You get a
free number to start with, which forwards to your main number but can have its
own separate voicemail greeting. You can return calls using your virtual number
so you don't reveal your personal number, and once your project has wrapped up,
you can torch your burner number to avoid being inundated with phone calls.
Cord (Android, iOS) blends the
straightforwardness of text messaging with the expressiveness of phone calls.
The app lets you bandy 12-second voice messages back and forth between your
colleagues, either individually or in a group. The home screen shows little
round bubbles with each of your fellow Cord users' faces, along with how many
messages you have from each. Tap each person to listen to their messages and
then hold down to reply.
If you work for a large-ish company, chances are you've got a
fancy Avaya phone on your desk. If you do, you might be able to use the Avaya
one-X Mobile (Android, BlackBerry, iOS) app to route calls
to and from your smartphone while your clients are none the wiser. You can look
up colleagues via your business's phone directory and deal with your voicemail
while on the go as well.
Should you find yourself working on project after project, each
time with different people, check out GroupMe (Android, iOS, web, Windows Phone). Assuming everyone knows how
text-message works (right? right??), you’ll be able to quickly cobble together
a private chat room where you can meet with coworkers, contractors, vendors,
and clients. Once you’ve wrapped up one project, eighty-six the room and start
over with your next group.
Relieve the glory days of push-to-talk service. Voxer (Android, iOS) turns your phone
into a walkie-talkie, letting you and your work buddies instantly bandy intel
to and fro. If you’re at an event, for instance, you can add text, photos, and
location information for some additional color, and if nobody's home on the
other end, you can leave old-school voice messages for them to listen to later.
Privnote (web) helps you send messages electronically without leaving a paper
trail. Simply write a note in the site’s Post-It-like interface and you’ll be
provided with a unique URL. Send the URL to your recipient via email, text
message, or any other method, and once they click the link, they’ll have access
to the note, but the link and its message will get killed off for anyone who
tries to access it in the future.
Load up Sunrise Calendar (Android, iOS, Mac App Store, web). It makes
keeping a calendar . . . fun? Maybe not fun, but it definitely makes it not
awful. Sunrise plays nicely with Google, iCloud, and Exchange calendars,
connecting to your various accounts—Facebook, Twitter, Evernote, LinkedIn, and
a host of others—to automatically pull in pertinent info for you. You'll get
birthday reminders, travel updates, weather forecasts, and maps to route you to
your next appointment. Adding entries is a snap, too: just type in plain
English ("Bike ride tomorrow at noon in Boston") and the app will
parse your meaning.
Meekan (Android, iOS) not only hooks into
the most popular calendar services, it’ll pinpoint everyone’s open time slots
in order to schedule meetings when it’s most convenient. Setting meetings up
entails little more than entering invitee email addresses, it takes time zones
into account, and there’s a natural-language component that lets you enter
things like "breakfast with John on Tuesday morning."
Take a look at UberConference (Android, iOS, web). You can host
an unlimited number of conference calls with up to 10 callers at a time, and
there's built-in call recording so you can play the calls back later. Guests
can call in the old-fashioned way or connect to the conference via the web or
mobile apps, which sport some additional features such as higher-quality audio.
And the conference organizer has access to a nice web-based dashboard, with the
ability to mute individual guests or text with each one privately. Not too
shabby for zero dollars.
If you find yourself walking into a meeting with people you’ve
never met, give Charlie(iOS, Web) a try. A few
minutes before your meeting is supposed to start, the app will surface relevant
info about attendees, pulling data in from hundreds of available sources—social
apps, news articles, and more. Consider it a system for automated one-pagers
that you can use to your advantage.
Prezi (Android, iOS, web) helps you create engaging, cloud-synched presentations that
you can access from all sorts of devices. Companion mobile apps let you
practice your presentations while you’re on your way to your meeting and
control your presentations on the big screen once you’re there. You can even
stream your presentations to remote attendees who can’t make meetings in
person. The free version lets you create publicly viewable presentations, so
you make sure you’re not outing any sensitive company info.
Quip (Android, iOS) injects a human
element into an otherwise boring pasttime. It’s a relatively fully featured
document and spreadsheet app that lets you and your cohorts work on things at
the same time, tied together by a real-time chat system used to keep in touch
alongside your documents. Files can be pulled in from popular cloud storage
services and exported to Word, PDF, and Excel formats when they’re finished.
Check to see if they can be automated with If(Android, iOS, web). The app
works like a digital Rube Goldberg machine, connecting popular online services
with one another. Let's say your boss wants you to add every tweet you send out
to a spreadsheet. Bo-ring! Formerly known as IFTTT—which stands for If This,
Then That—the app can do that for you automatically so you don't have to copy
and paste tweets all day. And let's say the same boss wants to get an email
from you every time you add a new event to the company calendar. Yep: that can
be automated too. It's great for dealing with old-schoolers who always want to
be "kept in the loop" without requiring a whole lot of effort on your
part.
The tried-and-true CCleaner (Android, Kindle Fire, Mac, PC) scours your
computers and mobile devices for excess crud—temporary files, cookies, old
apps, and more—to clean out the cobwebs and, in turn, speed things up. Free
versions of the app treat you to as-needed cleanups, which are plenty
effective; paid versions offer real-time monitoring, automatic updates, lost
file recovery, and premium support features.
Microsoft’s free OneNote app (Android, iOS, Windows Phone) is a
note-taker on steroids that lets you type, handwrite, audio-record, snap
photos, and more. Notes are saved and synched across devices, with different
formats available—checklists, research, meetings, lectures—based on what you’re
looking to do.
Forget paper. If you need to whip up a form on the go, Canvas (Android, iOS) is worth a look.
The app lets you cobble together custom forms—invoices, expense reports,
checklists, work orders, and more—and sports additional features such as
signature capturing and cloud synchronization. There are more than 5,000
prebuilt forms for you to finesse as you see fit.
Visit Ninite (Windows) for a great
click-and-pick selection of popular Windows apps. Whether you’re setting up a
new computer or want to update a bunch of your apps to their latest versions,
the site will build you a customized one-time installer that packages up the
programs you want and installs them all in one fell swoop: No need to go from
site to site, sit through download after download, or weather installation
after installation.
Chances are, you probably haven’t fully tapped into all your
phone’s features.Drippler (Android, iOS) provides Android-
and Apple-specific versions that run down notable features, recent updates, and
provide how-to articles that you can use to really get into the nitty-gritty of
that handheld computer that’s always in your pocket.
Like most businesses, it's completely reasonable to think that
much of your marketing strategy relies heavily upon popular social networks.
Try Postfity (web) to manage your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google Plus
accounts. You can blast an update out to multiple accounts at the same time, or
use the handy scheduling tool to dole your musings out at predetermined times.
The free version lets you connect up to five accounts and schedule up to 10
updates.
FireShot (web) is a slick, lightweight screenshot tool that works with just
about every browser to quickly grab whatever's in your browser window. You can
save the visible section of the page, the entire page, or a selection of your
choosing, all with a single click. Once you've got what you need, you can
download it as an image file, as a PDF file, or print it out.
If you use the same password for everything (don't do it!),
check out Dashlane(Android, iOS, web). It's a
password manager for mobile devices and desktops that keeps track of all your
logins, automatically entering your credentials as you surf. The app will
automatically generate new, super-strong passwords for you and can lock itself
down if you lose your phone. The free version is limited to one device at a
time.
Stop trading your email address for free stuff! MailDrop (web) lets you
create a onetime address that disappears after you’re done with it—perfect for
those quick-hit deals, downloads, and promotions. There’s no signup or
passwords involved—by MailDrop’s admission, it should not be used for sensitive
email—and you can store up to 10 messages should you need to engage in a bit of
back and forth with your recipient. Leave your temporary mailbox untouched for
24 hours, and it’ll vanish forever.
With several competing video formats out there, it's hard to
please everyone. Thankfully, Any Video Converter (Mac, Windows) makes it easy to convert a video from one format to
another—or several videos from one format to another. Drag your videos into the
app, and select from more than 150 possible output formats, all thoughtfully
categorized for specific devices, web formats, and offline formats. Then hit
the Convert Now button, grab a cup of coffee, and . . . well, that's about it.
You’ve never really had a way with words, and scratching out
screeds on a smartphone can be maddening. Try SwiftKey (Android, iOS) as a keyboard
replacement. The more you use it, the more it learns about how you type,
including the ability to pull data from popular cloud-connected services you
use in order to return incredibly personalized predictions. Just type your
first word and the app will suggest the next one right above the keyboard.
The popular Betternet (Android, iOS, Mac, Windows) service
provides a free, unlimited (albeit ad-supported) VPN connection that you can
use to sidestep blocked sites and surf anonymously. There’s no signup required,
making this one of the easiest—if not the easiest—VPN tools
around.
There’s no shortage of file-shuttling solutions, but Daemon
Sync (Android, iOS, Linux,Mac, PC) is worth a
look, thanks to its sheer simplicity. Load the app up on your phone and install
the agent on your PC or Mac, and every time your devices are on the same
wireless network, your phone’s photos, videos, and other files you specify will
seamlessly synch with the computer and get passed along to other mobile devices
you have.
Slow Internet? Maybe it’s actually slow, or maybe your device is
acting up. Rule one of them out with Speedtest (Android, iOS, web). The service
will connect you to a nearby test server so you can double-check your upload
speeds, download speeds, and ping, with data relayed to you via a cool-looking
speedometer.
Few things sting more than a nice American data overage. In that
spirit, Onavo(Android, iOS) works to preserve
your precious data allotment. Tell the app how much you’ve got to work with
each month, and it’ll compress various image files while you’re connected to
your mobile network with smart tricks such as not loading images in your web
browser unless you scroll down to the point that they’re in view.
If you’re not ready to tackle complicated prototyping and wireframing
software, POP(Android, iOS) might be right up
your alley. Short for Prototyping on Paper, you sketch your idea out on paper,
snap a photo of it, and then trace around the elements on your phone to quickly
create a digitized version of your design that you can manipulate as though
it’s a live interface.
Photoshop may be powerful, but it's also expensive. Paint.net (Windows) is free and
features a lot of the same functionality, including a clean, straightforward interface
and built-in effects along with the ability to use layers. There's a vibrant
user community as well, which offers up helpful tutorials and plugins to extend
the program's functionality.
Like it or not, your website is probably going to crash once in
a while. Montastic(web) can keep an eye on your site around the clock, sending you an
email if your site goes down, and sending another one once it's back up. The
free plan lets you monitor up to three URLs at a time, and checks in every 30
minutes, while inexpensive paid plans shorten the check-in time to five
minutes.
When it comes to keeping track of life’s many, many tasks, Any.do (Android, iOS, web) offers plenty
of options without being overly complicated. You can even forward an email
message to turn it into a task—the 21st-century equivalent of stuffing Post-It
notes all over your desk. And all your notes, tasks, and to-dos synchronize
with the web-based version of Any.do so you can access them from just about
anywhere.
TinyScan (Android, iOS) helps you digitize
the mountain of paperwork, receipts, and takeout menus threatening to split
your desk in half. This very simple but effective scanner app lets you capture
images as PDFs that you can email to yourself or save to Dropbox, Evernote,
Google Drive, Box, and other popular cloud storage services. You can save
documents in black and white or color, and you can string several snaps into
single documents if you're working with multiple items that belong together.
Simplenote (Android, iOS) focuses on letting
you take quick notes without worrying too much about organization. All your
notes are searchable and synch to other devices, with a built-in to-do list to
help you stay on track if you need to get certain tasks done. If you're not
naturally super organized, this can be a good first step towards a slightly
less messy lifestyle.
Handle (Chrome, iOS) pulls your Gmail,
Google Calendar, and to-do list together into one handy dashboard. It turns
your email messages into actionable items and serves them up in the middle
column of a distraction-free interface, flanked on either side by your projects
and your calendar. The iOS app lets you add new tasks via Siri as well.
Finally, a way to experience the white-knuckled thrill of a . .
. well, it’s still whiteboarding. Even if you're not in the same room as your
colleagues, you can share a real-time virtual whiteboard with SyncSpace (Android, iOS). Add text and
doodles as a group, and when you've finally gotten all your ideas down, your
whiteboard can be emailed around as a set of images or even edited later if you
need to make some changes.
Go with Weebly (Android, iOS, web). The freebie
account sports a slick drag-and-drop interface with plenty of starter
templates, free hosting, and the ability to sell up to five e-commerce products
(Weebly takes a 3% cut of each sale). The mobile apps make updating your site
with new content and sharing it on social networks a breeze as well. You can
even build your site entirely from your phone if you're feeling adventurous.
Weebly is a good option for people who know they need some sort of web presence
but don't want to put too much time and effort into dealing with one.
Breather (Android, iOS) helps you forgo the
expense of a fixed office, offering up "spaces" that can be rented
out around the city for a half hour at a time. Meet with a client, respond to
email while you’ve got some time between appointments, or just get off your
feet for a bit. Spaces can be unlocked with your phone and sport Wi-Fi, power
plugs, and charging docks. The service is currently available in New York, San
Francisco, Boston, Montreal, and Ottawa, with additional cities on the way.
You don’t have to read a stack of books or sit through grad
school to make sure your marketing’s on point. Primer (Android, iOS) is a handy
Google-built app that dishes up easily digestible lessons and tips that you can
peruse whenever you have a few minutes to spare. Topics include advertising,
content, design, marketing, and more.
Use Slice (Android, iOS) to track your
packages from big-name retailers Amazon, Best Buy, Nordstrom, Walmart, and
several others. The app automatically plucks your purchase info from your email
account and serves up a trackable map of your item as it makes its way to your
house. Best of all, after you've bought something, Slice will alert you to
price drops that fall within the retailer's adjustment window, making it easy
to save on stuff after the fact.
If you need to make sure your legal bases are covered, use Shake (Android, iOS). This app helps you
whip up contracts that you and another party can sign on the spot. There are
preselectable templates available that you can customize to your liking.
Contracts can be signed and then sent electronically for signatures as well.
Load up Zoho Invoice and Time Tracker (Android, iOS, web, Windows Phone). Easy-to-create invoices get
top billing here, but Zoho adds some nice extras like time- and
expense-tracking, recurring bills, and connections with online payment
processors. The mobile app handles just about everything that the web-based
version does, with a straightforward layout and similarly robust feature set.
You can bill up to five clients using the free version.
When tax season draws near, get an idea of how much moola you’re
getting back or—gulp—how much you’re going to owe. TaxCaster (Android, iOS), from popular tax
preparation provider TurboTax, asks you for some basic info and then estimates
the final tally. Just enter your filing status, your income, and any tax breaks
you’re expecting, and watch the dial at the top of the app (hopefully) move
from red to green to indicate that a refund is headed your way.
The easy-to-use Mint (Android, iOS) app helps you
corral all your financial accounts—banking, credit cards, loans, and more—to
present you with a nice overview of how much money you have. As far as taxes
go, the app does a good job of breaking all your purchases down by category so
that you can find various deductions without combing through statement after
statement from each of your financial institutions.
Business mileage can be a big write-off, so a good tracker
like MileIQ (Android, iOS) is a must. The app
can auto-log miles for you by using your phone’s GPS, or you can manually add
entries for past trips. It’ll show you how much of a deduction you’ll get—rates
are currently 57.5 cents per mile—and entries are stored in IRS-friendly formats.
The app lets you log 40 drives for free every month; monthly fees start at $6
thereafter.
Try Centro Business Planning Tool (Android, iOS) if you’re looking
for some guidance when cobbling together a new business plan. The app steps you
through a series of questions that cover finances, operations, your value
proposition, target markets and more. The app is structured as a string of
activities; once you complete them all, you’ll have yourself a nice little
business plan to work with.
BY DOUG
AAMOTH
