When it comes to productivity, everybody’s got their favorite app. Some date as far back as the MySpace era, while others have only been around a few months. We wanted to share some of the apps we love – and can’t live without!
G Suite. Microsoft Office has its share of diehard fans, but we prefer the power and simplicity of G Suite from Google. Its integrated, cloud-based collaborative tools enable our team to easily share files and communicate with one another in real time. It includes many of Google’s most popular features, such as Google Docs, Calendar, and Hangouts. Business users get custom email addresses, a variety of administrative tools, and 24/7 support.
Slack. This communication platform allows individuals and teams to share information internally via instant messaging. Employees can chat as a group or exchange private messages. One of the key features of Slack is the ability to create channels based on specific activities or projects, preventing individuals who aren’t involved from being bombarded with irrelevant messages.
ClickUp. Advertised as “one app to replace them all,” ClickUp is a fully customizable task management platform that allows teams to plan, organize, and collaborate on projects. Users can create tasks, goals, and reminders; schedule projects; and view assignments in a calendar that includes multiple filtering and viewing options.
HubStaff. HubStaff is a time-tracking app that allows organizations to monitor their freelance staff. In addition to tracking time, it offers GPS tracking, online time sheets, productivity monitoring, team scheduling, and reporting.
Dropbox. Looking for a file-sharing service where you can store documents, photographs, and more in the cloud? Dropbox is one of the most popular apps out there. It can automatically sync information from a folder on your computer to any other devices where you have it installed, reducing the likelihood of inadvertently leaving behind important files when away from the office.
RecordIt. Capturing and recording screencasts and sharing them as GIFs is a breeze with this app. Once you’ve recorded your screen capture, you can upload it to the cloud and share with anybody you’d like.
f.lux. This program adjusts the brightness and temperature of your screen based on the time of day in order to reduce eyestrain and promote better sleep. Simply enter your location and f.lux does the rest, reducing disruptive white-blue light at night to correspond with the setting sun and brightening your screen when the sun comes up the next morning.
Box. This file-sharing platform lets users upload files to its cloud-based server, where others can view or edit them. It offers file synchronization, includes a note-taking app that allows you to upload videos and other images, and – unlike Dropbox – integrates with both Microsoft Office and G Suite.
Smartsheet. Project management and collaboration are a snap with this user-friendly productivity platform. Its interface is similar in design to Excel spreadsheets and enables users to assign tasks, collaborate on timelines and documents, automate workflows, and view shared calendars. Smartsheet integrates with the top enterprise tools and apps including Microsoft, Google, Slack, and Dropbox.
PLANN. If your business relies heavily on Instagram marketing, plan on downloading PLANN. This powerful all-in-one marketing solution streamlines your Instagram account, providing you with access to advanced analytics, hashtag tools, scheduling features, an image editor, and drag-and-drop simplicity for rearranging your Instagram grid to tell a visually compelling story. Its sharing features make it a great tool for businesses and brands.
MySunset. This app won’t boost productivity or make your job more efficient, but it will alert you to sunrise and sunset information for your location over the next five days. Catching a sunrise or sunset is a great stress reliever and an excellent way to improve your mood. Relying on hyper-local weather data for its predictions, MySunset is very accurate and updated consistently.
PhotoPills. Whether you’re a budding amateur or an experienced photographer, PhotoPills serves as a virtual personal assistant, providing you with a host of tools to simplify your next shooting session. Its features include a planner for lining up unique shots; sun, moon, and Milky Way information; exposure calculations; DoF assistance; time-lapse interval tables; and 3D augmented reality.
Filmr. If you’re seeking a simple, intuitive video editor for photos and music, look no further than Filmr. With a clean design, easy interface, and vast music library, everything you need to create cool videos and stories is right at your fingertips. You’ll be able to trim and rearrange your clips, add slow-motion, incorporate music, and more – effortlessly.
