10 apps you should use every day to be more productive
We hear a lot about the hazards of digital technology.
But there are thousands of apps that can help you get things done more efficiently and effectively.
We picked 10 of the best that you should be using daily, including one that helps you keep track of your to-dos and one that visually tracks your focus and concentration.
Read on for the full list of productivity boosters.
Chat with coworkers on Slack.
Thousands of companies, use Slack to communicate internally.
The app lets you chat privately with one or more coworkers, have big group discussions, and share files — all of which considerably reduce the need for lengthy email chains.
Organize emails with Outlook.
Outlook's features include calendars, easy access to attachments, and several filters. It integrates with Exchange, Office 365, Outlook.com, Apple’s iCloud, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail, so you can see all your messages in one place.
Keep in touch with friends and acquaintances using Messenger.
With 700 million users as of June 2015, Messenger is quickly growing in popularity. Users can not only send text messages but can also make phone calls and video calls and send money.
Create a virtual notepad with Evernote.
Evernote allows you to store all your thoughts, ideas, and plans in one place — instead of keeping them in your head, where they're bound to be forgotten. You can add everything from text and photos to web pages and audio files.
When you feel like one of those bits of information would come in handy, you can find it easily from your smartphone or computer.
Keep track of to-do lists with Wunderlist.
The ultimate get-stuff-done app lets you keep private lists and receive reminders about upcoming appointments, plus share lists with friends, family, and colleagues so you can collaborate on projects.
Wunderlist syncs with your other devices so you can access that information anywhere.
Track your productivity with Forest.
Forest tracks your productivity and lets you visualize your progress in the form of a tree. If you stay focused for 30 minutes, the tree blooms fully if you leave the app during that time period, the tree dies.
The goal is to eventually have a forest of trees that represents the hard work you put in.
Set up appointments easily with Sunrise Calendar.
This app comes with a number of cool features — for example, when you're emailing with someone about arranging a meeting, you can pull up your calendar and send them a link to your available time slots. Sunrise syncs with LinkedIn and Twitter, so you can see the photos and bios of people you're meeting.
The app supports several Google calendars as well as Exchange and iCloud.
Remember every detail with Day One.
Take "Dear Diary" to a whole new level. Day One lets you capture everything about a moment, from the location and the weather conditions to the song you're listening to.
The app sends you daily reminders to journal, and, once you do, you have the option to post your entry to Facebook as a webpage or keep it private. You can search entries by keyword.
Work with any file using GoodReader.
Never get stuck with an important file that you can't access. GoodReader lets you open, read, and edit a variety of files, from Microsoft Word documents to PDFs. You can leave notes and drawings and highlight portions of text.
Once you've finished working with a file, you can easily store it in Dropbox, Google Drive, or another server.
Save articles to read later with Pocket.
We've all been there: You see a story you're dying to read, but you're heading into a meeting or you're in the middle of a project and don't have time.
Instead of hoping you'll remember to revisit that story later, save it instantly and find it easily later on Pocket. You can even access the content you've saved when you're working offline.
Article Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/10-productivity-apps-to-use-daily-2015-12
Image Source: http://www.pocketmeta.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Top-Productivity-Apps.jpg
VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Hazard n.) ~ a danger or risk
2. Keep track (idiom) ~ to continue to know what is happening to something or someone
3. Acquaintance (n.) ~ a person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend
4. Handy (adj.) ~ convenient to handle or use useful
5. Collaborate (v.) ~ work jointly on an activity, especially to produce or create something
6. Sync (v./ informal) ~ to cause to occur or operate with exact coincidence in time or rate
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Do you agree that using an app with productivity? Discuss your answer.
2. Have you ever heard and/or tried any of the abovementioned apps? Which ones and how is it working for you so far?
3. Do you have an office email network or messaging system? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using messengers in communicating with co-workers?
4. Which kind of apps do you think would be the most helpful for you? Why and how?
