6 Apps That Make
Life and Work Better
You're missing out if you're not using these free or inexpensive
tools.
Whether you're looking for ways to make your smartphone work harder for
you, or a browser add-on to improve the way you work online, I've tested and
can recommend a few solid apps worth downloading.
1. Headspace
The daily
practice of quieting your mind, paying attention to your breathing, and
focusing on positivity may be one of the best habits for business people,
considering research indicates meditation can reduce stress and increase
productivity. One of the top-rated health and fitness apps on iTunes and Google
Play, this clever interface can train even the most impatient and un-mindful
sorts to enjoy and benefit from meditation. Having been featured on The
Dr. Oz Show and The Today Show, Headspace collectively has
9 million users of its website and mobile app.
Price: First
10 sessions are free--after that, a yearlong subscription is $8 a month;
2. Inbox by Gmail
Instead of using the regular Gmail interface
on your computer or mobile device, give this intuitive alternative a shot. It
lets you bundle promotions, purchases, trips, or custom groupings. You can also
see snapshots of order updates, flight status, reservation details, and
pictures without opening messages. When the app detects an action item within a
message, it prompts you to create a reminder. You can even snooze any message
or reminder to pop-up at a later time. My favorite feature: Quick replies you
can click, such as "Sounds great," "Thank you," and
"Here you go!"
Price: Free
at Inbox.
3. Boomerang for Gmail
This web app is similar to Inbox by Gmail in
that both apps have a snooze feature, but Boomerang is more focused on the
timing and scheduling of emails and reminders. And Boomerang's latest
feature--Respondable--performs some noteworthy tricks for anyone who could
benefit from a shot of confidence when it comes to composing messages. It looks
at several factors as you write--subject line length, word count, question
count, and reading level--to determine the likelihood that you'll receive a
response. Premium users get access to advanced machine learning, which analyzes
the sentiment, politeness, and subjectivity of emails, as well.
Price: Several
pricing tiers range from free to $50 a month;
4. Slack
This massively
popular real-time messaging app for teams has 4 million daily active users and
is now valued at $3.8 billion. Inc. uses it, and I love being able
to see which editors or columnists are online to message them directly or
mention them within a particular channel to get a public answer to a question.
Essentially, it does away with the silos email creates, while offering a wealth
of useful and unique features, such as snooze and the ability to receive a
notification whenever someone in a channel mentions a certain word. It also
integrates with hundreds of apps for devices and computers. For example, by
hooking up Twitter with Slack you can keep an eye on what people are tweeting
about your company, competitors, or any other thing you want to track.
Price: Plans
range from free to $15 a month per user, with enterprise plans also available.
.
5. MileIQ
If you drive a vehicle for business purposes,
you can take a mileage deduction of 54 cents for every mile you drive for work
in 2016. MileIQ automatically logs the miles you drive using the sensors in
your phone. You just swipe right or left to indicate whether a drive was for
business or personal reasons. A streamlined dashboard shows you how much money
you could potentially save on your taxes because of a particular trip's miles.
According to MileIQ, the average premium user saves more than $6,900 a year in
tax deduction or reimbursement.
Price: Free
for 40 logged drives a month; $6 a month or $60 a year for unlimited tracking;
6. Pocket Casts
When I tire of music or audiobooks in the
car, I switch to podcasts as a way of feeling like I'm getting informed while
stuck behind the wheel. Searching for podcasts is simple, and the app displays
them in a tile format that's easy on the eyes. You can tap the app logo to
toggle between a light or dark theme, trim silences from podcasts to save time,
increase voice volume and decrease background noises, skip episode
introductions and sync subscriptions to the cloud so you can pick up listening
on another device or on the web. You can also share a list of podcasts via
text, email, or social networks.
Price: $3.99
for iOS and Android;
BY CHRISTINA DESMARAIS
http://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/6-apps-that-make-life-and-work-better.html?cid=nl029Aweek44day31
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