Smartphones have become an invaluable business tool, so much so that making and receiving voice calls is now one of their more minor functions.
However with new technology and apps emerging daily, deciding which ones are worthwhile can be overwhelming.
If it is productivity, efficiency and organisation you seek, these apps are well worth a look.
- Locale
Rumour has it, this app was developed after a New York Judge flew off the handle, jailing all 46 people in his courtroom after a mobile phone rang and no one would admit responsibility.
Using GPS, Locale lets you choose your phone settings (ringtones, wallpapers, bluetooth etc) based on your most common locations, then switches to that setting automatically when you enter the area.
For example, vibrate in the office/movies/yoga class. You can set up a VIP list which overrides the settings so that certain callers can always reach you. It can also turn off battery hogging features and remind you to charge your phone.
At US$9.99 this app will probably pay for itself on the first day!
However if you own an iPhone, unfortunately the grass is greener on the Android side, as Locale is currently only available on Android devices.
- Cam Scanner
This nifty app turns your mobile phone or tablet into a portable scanner. Scan receipts, notes, invoices and more. The Cam Scanner application supports multi-page documents and allows sharing via email.
The more advanced features require a subscription however scan and share functions are available for free on iPhone and Android.
Using a handy button in your bookmarks bar Pocket allows you to drop articles or videos … indeed pretty much anything into a ‘pocket’ to view later. No Internet connection required.
If it’s in Pocket, it’s on your phone, tablet or computer. Great for catching up on content on flights, Pocket is free and available for iPhone and Android.
- 360 Mobile
This security app provides an Anti-Virus which undertakes real-time scanning, a memory booster which reclaims memory from unused apps and Anti-theft functions which can allow you to lock, trigger an alarm or wipe a lost device remotely.
With Christmas and New Year being a peak time for mobile phone loss, this free app, available for Android and Apple devices may be just the ticket for imminent festivities.
- WorkFlowy
WorkFlowy promises to ‘organise your brain’. It’s simple enough for a shopping list, and powerful enough to manage a project.
There’s no learning curve with this app. If you can read and write, you are good to go. Organised the same way your brain thinks with lots of lists and sub-bullets that feed into bigger overall tasks or jobs, major features include instant full text search, the ability to collaborate with others , automatic syncing between your phone, tablet and computer and full offline functionality.
Free and available on Android and iPhone.
- TripIt
Gets your corporate travel sorted. Once you’ve made a travel booking (using any site), you simply forward your flight, hotel, car rental, and other travel confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com.
If you use Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook.com email, you can connect your accounts to TripIt to import your travel-related confirmation emails automatically.
TripIt gives you real-time flight alerts, helps you locate alternate flights, lets you know when a better seat is available, lets you share travel plans with your colleagues, sync travel plans with outlook and store reward-program points in one location. TripIt Pro uses your confirmation emails to create a detailed daily itinerary for every trip.
Free and subscription versions available for Android and iPhone.
- The Virgin Atlantic Jet Lag Fighter
Another app for the nomadic business tribe – The Jet Lag Fighter App helps your body adjust to a new time zone with a personalised daily activity calendar, which gives advice based on a selected therapy type, your personal profile, and trip details.
There’s also a graph showing your real-time predicted adjustment, an alertness meter, in-flight tips based on trip length, and a multimedia guide to jet lag.
Currently available for iPhone at US$1.99
- Kingsoft Mobile Office
An Office application which is compatible with the standard Microsoft formats. Fully functional editor for documents, presentations and spreadsheets, it can access documents from cloud services such as Dropbox and Google drive, and can send via email and text message.
Free and available for both Android and Apple devices.
- Smart voice recorder
A free app for users who need basic recording functionality. Files are saved on the device as .WAV files and allows quality adjustment and silence skipping.
Available on iPhone and Android.
- Microsoft Remote Desktop Client
Connects your tablet to your PC or terminal Server so that you may work from your tablet as you would from your PC.
Connection will require VPN connectivity so speak to your IT provider to set it up.
Free and available for Android and Apple.
- Rollup
So this app makes this list eleven, not ten, however with inboxes under festive season assault we couldn’t help but sneak it in. This app may be your secret weapon for managing a busy inbox and eliminating distractions.
Rollup curates your e-news. It scans your email account for subscriptions, allowing one-click removal of those you no longer wish to keep and presenting the ones you want in a ‘daily rollup’, served up at a time of your choice.
